Is Locksmithing a dead trade for losers?

I'm a 55 year old mechanical engineer interested in a retirement career to
earn a couple of extra bucks.
I have always been interested in locksmithing and in fact over the years
have learned how lockas work, how to to pick, code and decode cylinders
and even pick GM sidebar locks, albeit with variable results. I'm no Hank
Spicer!!

However, I look at locksmithing in the current times as a dead trade
inhabited with lower class people who have little skills, love for the
trade but simple people who want to make a buck.

I went to a trade show last year (MLNJ) and it was filled with smelly,
slimy, moronic people who claimed to be smiths'.

Seriously the stench in the convention center was so bad I had to walk
outside every 10 minutes or so to get fresh air.

I also heard from several of the exhibitors there that many items had been
stolen by attendees.

Pretty sad.

So is this what the trade has become?

Toothless, unclean morons in search of a bar of soap?
Pretty sad.

 

|>So is this what the trade has become?
|>
|>Toothless, unclean morons in search of a bar of soap?
|>Pretty sad.

You must of seen this by now (gone to geeks)
http://www.hackaday.com/entry/1234000507073793/

 

Disagree, last locksmith I hired was cleancut and had all his teeth.
Considering he charged $90 for 25mins work he could afford it.

 

Troll O Meter

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
___________________________________________________
| | | | | | | | | | |
---------------------------------------------------
^
|



--

Christopher A. Young
You can't shout down a troll.
You have to starve them.
..

I'm a 55 year old mechanical engineer interested in a retirement
career to
earn a couple of extra bucks.
I have always been interested in locksmithing and in fact over the
years
have learned how lockas work, how to to pick, code and decode
cylinders
and even pick GM sidebar locks, albeit with variable results. I'm no
Hank
Spicer!!

However, I look at locksmithing in the current times as a dead trade
inhabited with lower class people who have little skills, love for the
trade but simple people who want to make a buck.

I went to a trade show last year (MLNJ) and it was filled with smelly,
slimy, moronic people who claimed to be smiths'.

Seriously the stench in the convention center was so bad I had to walk
outside every 10 minutes or so to get fresh air.

I also heard from several of the exhibitors there that many items had
been
stolen by attendees.

Pretty sad.

So is this what the trade has become?

Toothless, unclean morons in search of a bar of soap?
Pretty sad.

 

The machine can do it without human attention, though.

 

|>
|> wrote:
|>>
|>> |>So is this what the trade has become?
|>> |>
|>> |>Toothless, unclean morons in search of a bar of soap?
|>> |>Pretty sad.

|>> You must of seen this by now (gone to geeks)
|>> http://www.hackaday.com/entry/1234000507073793/

|> The machine can do it without human attention, though.

Only when it starts setting itself up

 

Now I understand this is a broad generization, but I have to make the
same, you can make your claims against almost any trade industry. I
worked as a Chimney Sweep in Colorado Springs, for a very highly well
known good company. The average chimney sweep employee was a person
who was only a temp, very dissovled/dirty, or didn't care about the
work they did. Because of this, the company that worked for took the
time to train their employees, only hire good employees, and only
behave professionally. The company is has been recoginized by the BBB
many times with awards, and the local chamber of commerce.

The moral of this story, 99% of the sweeps in Colorado Springs might
be like your 'lock smiths' but because this chimney sweep set itself
apart from the rest, by becoming the best. This has rewarded them
with above average repeate customers, and customers willing to wait a
long time for their expertise. And you can too, in lock smithing if
you were interested.

BTW, as for smelly, go to a computer show. My goodness, those
overweight geeks don't know what a shower is. But still computers
workers are here to stay, for awhile now.

later,

tom @ www.NoCostAds.com

 

OMG that is so true. The last time I went to one of those (almost 4
yrs ago) I felt embarassed to be there. The deals aren't great and the
smell is horrifying...

 

though you are correct, the OP is just a troll.
why respond to him at all ?
doesn't even deserve a response.
why cross-post your response to groups that really don't
care
about the trolls posting to begin with ?

this is cross-posted just to find you "Tom The Great" .
I know you are NOT on the locksmith group.

g'day

 

Exactamungo! You may need to put some negative numbers on that meter and
keep going down <g>

 

|>BTW, as for smelly, go to a computer show. My goodness, those
|>overweight geeks don't know what a shower is. But still computers
|>workers are here to stay, for awhile now.

I don't know...
HW-PORN - Girls with Network Equipment. http://hwpr0n.se/

 

I'm 50, and have been self employed in my own business for the past 20
years. I'm also thinking about retirement time too

I been picking locks for as long as I can remember. But I have to agree with
you about most locksmiths. I think I'd rather see my daughter date a gangsta
rap singer over most lockies I've met! And I hate rap music!

But don't judge the trade by the players!

There are some cool lockies out there

I love tinkering with locks so much that I'm trying to learn as much as I
can about it. Not that I have to, but I would like to be able to do some
thing I enjoy after retirement. I'm not in to golf at all! I'm not the least
bit concerned what other lockies look like or act like. And I'm not conerned
with relying on the trade as my main bread winner. I enjoy it, and if I can
make a little supplementary income from it I'm fine. I can still work as a
consultant in my other line of expertise.

I don't see the locksmith trade as dead, far from it here in the states
where we seriously lag behind in residential locks. Most American consumers
are totally clueless about locks, they will buy cheap locks because that's
all most outlets sell. When confronted with a real quality lock that costs
more, they will still turn to the cheapie to save a few bucks! So the
business is secure here for a long time to come.

BTW, also smart would be to learn about residential security too

Where I do see major advances is in the automotive end of the business! This
is a area you will need to keep up with frequently! Auto locks are getting
very sophisticated, and bypass almost impossible on many newer cars! I see
this as a potential goldmine in a way! If you can master this end and keep
up with it, you will always have work, because people will always lock
themselves out of cars!

In the residential end, easy picking all the way around with no end in
sight!

The commercial side is also verry interesting and more difficult! These
locks do require real skills! Many special needs and higher security levels!

If your looking to make money, you need to be good on auto and commercial.

But for heavens sake, don't let some dickheads discourage you from a
otherwise great and fun line of work!