shane,

are you competing with another operator that has a second jib sitting around? based on your info he's looking at around $8000. I believe it all has to do with weather you're a rental company in addition to owner/operator. You are competing on different levels. I hate to say it but there are alot of Jibs out there and some people look at it as getting enough rental out of it to buy or upgrade to a T jib or find another JJ3. Obviously this increases their business position being able to provide a second jib on productions or as a rental. I have 3 JJ3's and a T jib. Without offending you or other Jib owner/operators I probably would have made some kind of deal like that too. Income is Income. My problem here in Hawaii is prod. co.'s bring in their own operators and sometimes their own jibs. If they do bring in their own operators and just want to rent the Jib, I'll rent it to them. Theory is if I don't they'll just bring it in. I don't think we have the luxury anymore to command our positions in the Jib field. It's like video cameras, everone has one and can do it cheeper than the other guy. I'm in a situation here where a LA Jib guy did a production here and worked out a deal with the company to leave it here. He had two and went back to LA. His jib hurt my business because that production company doesn't call me for my services or equip. What can I do? Nothing.. I have another guy who's a cameraman with whom i've insisted on when using my jib I go along with it as operator, WELLLLLLLLLLL.... he bought his own and now I lost the local business.. So you see... it ain't art we're doing... it's commerce.