AMHR RAISING MEMBERSHIP FEES???

[wantminimore]

QUOTE(Minimor @ Oct 9 2007, 10:48 PM)
Rob, the current membership fee is $45, $56 for Canadians. Nothing to do with the exchange rate, we pay $56 US for our membership. The new fee is $65, $76 for Canadians. I assume the difference is supposed to cover the higher cost of mailing the Journal to Canada.

Personally I'd be happy to just pay a lower fee for membership for registry purposes & never mind the Journal. I'd suggest separating the membership from the Journal....set a membership fee & then anyone wanting the magazine can pay a subscription fee.

What's really a shame is for the new owner to have to pay $65 (or $76) just to get their new Mini transferred into their name. There were plenty who just didn't bother at the old rate. Now I predict there will be even more since the fee has jumped by $20. There ought to be a non-member rate, especially on transfers- $15 for members, $30 for non-members? That's way cheaper than the $15 + $65 that person will have to pay now. People complain about selling horses that never get transferred into the new owners' name....not surprising that it happens!

I agree with this too.

I usually look at the Journal once and set it aside but I do have to say that the last one I got seemed to have more in it to read, keep it up!!

I think the increase should of been lower, $20 all it once is quite a bit.

Leslie

 

[Minimor]

Jill, I think they're meaning that there should have been some "warning" as in--

Apply for your 2008 membership before Dec. 1st and pay the old rate. After Dec. 1st the new membership rate will apply.

Sure, there'd have been a huge rush to renew memberships early, but they'd have still be collecting some at the new rate--not everyone would get their renewal in early.

 

[Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis]

What's really a shame is for the new owner to have to pay $65 (or $76) just to get their new Mini transferred into their name. There were plenty who just didn't bother at the old rate. Now I predict there will be even more since the fee has jumped by $20.

A very simple and cheap way to cover that is to pay for the new owners transfer take thepictures and send in the info with a note to mail the papers to the new owner that way it is done for what 10-15 bucks issue solved.

 

[JMS Miniatures]

I'm probably being dense, but what difference would a warning that membership fees are increasing do to help?

Like Minimor said, it would have given people a chance to send in their membership in sooner. Instead they just went ahead and raised it before people actually started renewing their membership and they would be getting $20 more out of people.

I would really like to know where all this money is going towards. Is it the Journal, is it towards the computer system, is it towards the office, what? If it's going towards the office or their new system, then fine, but if its towards getting the Journal then please let there be a option to get it or not. Thing is I probably would still want the Journal but it would save people money if they do not.

 

[Reble]

Lets face it no body enjoys increases?

$20.00 that is over 30% increase....

We will keep with AMHR & AMHA as long as we are in the Business. :lol:

Not surprised next will be DNA

:

 

[Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis]

I am sure it is going towards just general cost increase. Everything cost more from paper, to electricity to ink for the computers there hasnt been a increase in a while and frankly I am glad they had the membership increased and not the cost to register ect which in reality would have brought them more money but instead they opted to raise the membership. I have no problem with that everything goes up from gas, to rent to power bills and groceries just part of life

 

[Minimor]

Yes Lisa, I have done that (and had it done for me when I first got started in Minis) but judging by how many Minis are sold & never transferred....I think I must be in the minority on that one! and maybe a lot of buyers wouldn't pay even $20 or $15 to transfer, but I have had a number of people comment that they weren't going to pay for a full membership just so they could transfer one horse. I think it's kind of the principle of the thing? Pretty much every other registry I've ever dealt with has offered a non-member fee, rather than require a membership.

Personally I'd have been happier with AMHR if they had instituted DNA (with automatic PQ) for every horse registered, and never minded with the stupid picture requirements.

 

[Belinda]

Hi Everyone :saludando:

I would like to answer the question about where the extra $20 is going , that the Assoc. is collecting for the membership. And I also would like to say it has been 1994 since we raised membership..

First I would like to say as we all know the cost of everything is going up as some have already stated here.. Next the Journal had nothing to do with the raise..

We have rising cost with office supplies, Labor , Electric , Taxes , and of course our new Computer program. So with all these things in mind , the board voted to raise the membership, and believe me it was not a quick decision . All kinds of things and timelines ( as when to do it ) were discussed. But when all the smoke settled this is what we came up with. I know it has upset some , but we did what we thought was best for the Assoc. as a whole..

I would also like to Congratulate and welcome to the board our two new members "Lea Dill " Area 1 :aktion033: :aktion033: and Jeanie Braganini - Area II :aktion033: :aktion033: Looking forward to working with you.

Belinda Bagby

Area V Director

 

[JMS Miniatures]

Well I am happy to hear that it is going towards the office. I understand everything is going up, for EVERYBODY, do I still like it, no, but I am still a proud member of AMHR and still willing to pay the membership fee. I still think it would have been nice to give some kind of warning but oh well.

 

[Buckskin gal]

I too would love to see a lower fee for those who want to be members only and not get the Journal for it just doesn't appeal to me as a miniature horse person only. It takes me half hour at the most to go through the Journal for what interests me. The World is the magazine for me because it has only minis in it and what pretains to them.

I am happy for those of you who don't mind and can pay for the increase without any problems but for people on fixed incomes, I hope you realize it becomes harder and harder to keep up with all the increases. We just had an increase of several hundred dollars [on each of us] on our health insurance...[no we don't have our health needs met by the government as many do] I truly understand the need for cost increases for many businesses but not everyone is going to be able to keep up with them. I to feel that many minis, that get sold, do not get registered [in case of application or transfer because some people just won't pay the membership costs. AMHA does give the option of member or not to do the paperwork necessary to keep papers up to date. I don't want to give up being a member but I would give up paying for the Journal if I had that option. Do want to work with both registrys.

 

[Anne]

The best thing we ever did was "bite the bullet" and pay the AMHA "lifetime" membership fee when it was available. wish I could have done AMHR, I think there was a time that it was an option but not sure any more.

If so, wish I could have done that one also.

It stands to reason that costs increase, the market value of a lot of horses have gone down, and plenty of horses will not be transferred. as a result, it also stands to reason that the overall costs increasing whether registry or just "horse car costs" are going to hurt a lot of people.

There are a lot of "weanlings" and stallions available here locally for under $100.

The ads say "can be registered amhr" anyone looking for a 'cheap" paperwork nightmare? they are surely out there.

Geez I just hope that people who buy them don't breed them. (SIGH)

I do know that selling at these prices, that no one is spending the money to geld them, much less join a registry and transfer.

No easy answers.

 

[Ashley]

The ads say "can be registered amhr" anyone looking for a 'cheap" paperwork nightmare?

Just becase they are stated as can be registured doesnt mean their papers are not in order. I sell lots of foals on application, they are all in order and my name/number goes with just incase there are any issues. Only once did i have an issue with papers as that was a stupid error I made on a stud report.

I offer to sell them with out papers as there are lots of people here who want pets but dont care about papers, in fact sold 4 of them that way so far this year.

So I hate so see it always lumped in to as being bad.

 

[Sue_C.]

Personally I'd be happy to just pay a lower fee for membership for registry purposes & never mind the Journal. I'd suggest separating the membership from the Journal....set a membership fee & then anyone wanting the magazine can pay a subscription fee.

That is exactly what I "put to" the AMHA several years ago when they amalgamated the World into their membership fees. They sent me back a nice little letter, stating that my letter had actually been brought forth at a meeting...discussed...and my idea turned down.

The best thing we ever did was "bite the bullet" and pay the AMHA "lifetime" membership fee when it was available. wish I could have done AMHR, I think there was a time that it was an option but not sure any more.

Yes, I did as well...best move I ever made. I am not aware that the AMHR had that same option, it must have been before "my time"...or else I would certainly have done it too.

 

[dgrminis]

I would gladly pay a lifetime membership fee to AMHR as I think it is just simplier to pay once and not have to remember each year

Wish it was an option they would offer

 

[horsefeather]

Stewards and Judges fees are now $85! I see more price hikes in the showing future!

Pam

 

[Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis]

Stewards and Judges fees are now $85! I see more price hikes in the showing future!

Pam

That is per year correct? I really dont think that is much considering the average rate at least around here is 300 a day and most have 2 day shows?

Dont get me wrong I totally appreciate a good judge and steward and by that I dont mean one that places me well (that is a bonus) but one who is pleasant, kind, has a sense of humor and a smile for everyone there are thankfully plenty of judges who I really dont mind getting the gate under as they just all in all make it a fun day as well as a learning experience

 

[Lewella]

The best thing we ever did was "bite the bullet" and pay the AMHA "lifetime" membership fee when it was available. wish I could have done AMHR, I think there was a time that it was an option but not sure any more.

If so, wish I could have done that one also.

Even if you had paid the ASPC/AMHR lifetime fee way back when it was available you would still have to pay the annual membership fee in order to have paperwork processed. Lifetime members have lifetime voting rights but that's about it.