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SASS Life Membership


Bear Saint Paw

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After seeing a few post in different threads that they wished SASS would offer life memberships at a lower price, similar to what the NRA is currently doing. I am curious to know what price many of you would consider it at?

 

$600.00? $500.00? 400.00? or what if they offered a payment plan for the $750.00? say monthly or quarterly for 1 or 2 years, would that get you?

 

Myself, $750 is just out of the question, but I could manage to scrape up $500.00

 

FYI, I did send a message to SASS asking if they would consider a discount or payment plan. Hope to get a response in a few days.

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If they'd just offer a payment plan. Monthly, quarterly, over a three year period, it dosen't matter. It needs to be something so that limited incomes or the like aren't precluded from taking advantage of Life Membership.

 

I have heard it said that they really don't want too many life members because that reduces their avenues for future income. I hope that isn't the case.

 

I'd buy in if they would split it into quarterly payments, even at the current price!

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I have heard it said that they really don't want too many life members because that reduces their avenues for future income. I hope that isn't the case.

 

Back in the early 70s, a popular wargaming magazine (Strategy and Tactics, a free game came in every issue) started selling Life Subscriptions at $100 a head so they could do something or other (I forget). They went out of business inside two or three years because they didn't have enough people buying regular subscriptions and their monthly/annual revenues couldn't keep them going. SASS would do OK if us old farts would get life memberships, but they'd go out of business if too many of the 50-year-old-and-under kids got them.

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Hi Bear,

 

When I got my life membership (2004, I think) at $400 (the price at that time). I figured $400/$35, which was the annual fee at the time, equaled approximately 11.5 years to recoup my money. I was 55 at the time. Therefore, I would make that money back in annual fees by age 67. I'm 63 now and the annual fee went up to $45 at some time after I got my membership. So, I would make my money back by age 65 or 66. If I'm able,I will shoot longer than three more years.

 

Besides that, the gold badge is much nicer than the standard badge.

 

So, I went with the better value in the long run, instead of what I thought I wanted to spend at the time.

 

Regards,

 

Allie Mo

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I am going to be 63 in a couple months. For me the $750 for life didn't seem to be worth it. I would never recoup all of it.

Even at 65 to pay $500 I couldn't see a recoup for me either. Plus it would take all my extra money to do it.

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My plan was this get a 3 yr membership to cover me to 65 when I get the price drop. Too bad SASS does not have a DAV membership discount but what the heck. Come 2015 I will get the highly coveted gold badge. It is really too bad the silver badge (at least when I joined) has such a flimsy pin that bends easily. I have lost my badge at least 3 times and some pard has turned it in. If I shot more I am sure all the local stage instructions would say when you find badge # 75655 return it to cpt dan!!!

 

The ACSA badge being of much higher quality has never fallen off, but then they did put more than 3 milligrams of metal in the pin.

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Back in the early 70s, a popular wargaming magazine (Strategy and Tactics, a free game came in every issue) started selling Life Subscriptions at $100 a head so they could do something or other (I forget). They went out of business inside two or three years because they didn't have enough people buying regular subscriptions and their monthly/annual revenues couldn't keep them going. SASS would do OK if us old farts would get life memberships, but they'd go out of business if too many of the 50-year-old-and-under kids got them.

A few years back SASS was going to stop selling life memberships for the reasons mentioned above, and only relented after a loud hue and cry from the membership. I don't hold out much hope for easy pay plans or discounts.

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Like many private organizations, I think your yearly dues should go towards a life membership and the cost should freeze at the rate of the year you join. I've been a member for 10 years but just haven't had the funds in January every year to pay for the life membership. It doesn't really matter, I'm in for the long haul.

Swan

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Almost 66 years old, would it be worth it? I doubt it, a specially with my disabilities.

Were I 55 yea I would in a heart beat.

Besides that money could go towards another gun, like the Rossi '92 I purchased last weekend.

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You have to look at it from their side, if everyone went life, then there would be a big cash influx now, but nothing coming in later. If managed well, it could work, but investments can tank, etc etc. So having regular income can be a safer option.

 

IMO the NRA did it to raise a lot of money in a hurry. Will it come back and bite them in the arse later? Maybe so, maybe not, but I'd imagine part of the logic was that it was worth the risk.

 

If I came into money I'd go life at the current rate just so I didn't have to bother with renewals. Barring that, I'll just keep doing three year renewals.

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I would think some type of sliding scale would work. For someone young who likes it well enough the $700 for life would be well worth the money. But someone getting into it at an older age ( like myself at 63 on limited income ) it just would not be doable.

If it was under $400 I would have thought about doing it in January. But at the current price I'll just go yearly or 3 year depending on my stash and health.

I know when it gets to the point I can't shoot anymore I will still probably go to matches just to see old pards and help out. But that 's the way I am. Always willing to help when I can.

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I just got mine a week ago with that $300 special going on. Enticed me because the $300 donation was for a great cause, and I got the life membeship. Now my neighbor Rusty, got his life membership for free some 50-60 years ago. He played guitar with Roy Rogers on Saturday nights and for his birthday Roy paid the $50 for his life membership. Some guys are just lucky. Yep today is Rusty's B.D. at age 85 :)

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Didn't see any special. If I had I would have taken em up on it for $300

 

I'm pretty sure he's referring to the NRA special deal...not SASS.

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I paid the $750 for myself and my wife Granny One Shot. Not because we are rich but because I generally buy a life membership in any club if I have that option. That way I don't need to worry about renewing, most of the memberships seem to come due at Xmas time which is real inconvenient given that I belong to 6 or 7 different clubs. I try to get it as soon as I can afford to and every club that I have the life membership with has credited me for what I had paid for the annual membership in the year I got it. By getting a life membership as soon as I can it only hurts once and doesn't hurt my Xmas budget. My only regret is not buying the SASS life memberships when we first joined SASS 5 or 6 years ago, I think they were around 4 or 5 hundred then.

Grey Beard

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HOWDY; SASS would go BUST if everbody took out life menbership.I belive they choked at how many people took a life years ago at the lower price.They had to invest the money or something and it did not cover our life costs, therefore the big price for life and just wait it will go up one day and this will be the good old days.

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Are we really members of SASS?

Note the .com on the url of this page, it is a COMMERCIAL enterprise not an organization.

 

I see us as subscribers not members.

When the URL and SASS business structure change to be a .org and organization then we can be members.

 

A hint here is do we get to vote on anything?

(And I dont' mean vote with our feet.)

 

No offense intended here, just the facts.

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Are we really members of SASS?

Note the .com on the url of this page, it is a COMMERCIAL enterprise not an organization.

 

I see us as subscribers not members.

When the URL and SASS business structure change to be a .org and organization then we can be members.

 

A hint here is do we get to vote on anything?

(And I dont' mean vote with our feet.)

YES, on some issues...through the Territorial Governors who represent their individual clubs.

 

 

No offense intended here, just the facts.

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Hi Bear,

 

When I got my life membership (2004, I think) at $400 (the price at that time). I figured $400/$35, which was the annual fee at the time, equaled approximately 11.5 years to recoup my money. I was 55 at the time. Therefore, I would make that money back in annual fees by age 67. I'm 63 now and the annual fee went up to $45 at some time after I got my membership. So, I would make my money back by age 65 or 66. If I'm able,I will shoot longer than three more years.

 

Besides that, the gold badge is much nicer than the standard badge.

 

So, I went with the better value in the long run, instead of what I thought I wanted to spend at the time.

 

Regards,

 

Allie Mo

PS I have an additional admission. Another reason I went for the Life Membership was that my dear departed friend, Diamond Dick, wanted to nominate me as a TG. So, after checking the economics, I decided to spring for it.

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I have to stick with renewing. I was hoping to go Life this year...but my contributions are going to the NRA and other gun rights groups. That's my focus now...maybe next year...will see ;)

 

GG

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PWB,

You are ultimately correct that on some issues the TGs do vote.

 

But when I think of voting, I think of something a lot closer to a true democracy where

1. individuals vote.

2. people can bring forth issues to be voted on without filtering

3. direct voting is performed

4. that the outcome of a vote is binding.

 

That form of voting is not present in SASS.

 

While TGs do a reasonable job, there are problems with the system

1. not all clubs have enough people that meet the SASS requirement to be a TG

a. that means we don't vote for them

b. they are appointed to represent the club as the sole qualifier

2. no TG can do what all members want. They only one vote per club.

3. the list of items that can be voted on is not controlled by the individual subscribers rather by WB or TGs

4. As I understand it the WB can override a TG vote.

5. TG votes all have to pass by supermajority ie 66+%.

 

With Respect,

Hacker.

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I tend to dive in and go all out or not at all after testing the waters. I am NRA Life (Now awaiting my upgrade to Endowment Life) as well as SASS Life. The only thing I still do yearly are my 3 Masonic organizations.

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With gun bans looming...registration...$300 per gun tax...total ban on all reloading supplies...ammo taxed to $2.00 per round...confiscation...it is hard right now to "invest" in a shaky future.

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Hi Bear,

 

When I got my life membership (2004, I think) at $400 (the price at that time). I figured $400/$35, which was the annual fee at the time, equaled approximately 11.5 years to recoup my money. I was 55 at the time. Therefore, I would make that money back in annual fees by age 67. I'm 63 now and the annual fee went up to $45 at some time after I got my membership. So, I would make my money back by age 65 or 66. If I'm able,I will shoot longer than three more years.

 

Besides that, the gold badge is much nicer than the standard badge.

 

So, I went with the better value in the long run, instead of what I thought I wanted to spend at the time.

 

Regards,

 

Allie Mo

 

You got typo in there... 63..shouldn't that be 36?

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I'm 70. I pay $45 a year for the right to receive 12 magazines and 'legally' shoot in a State or higher match which is never verified to begin with. That's it.

Here's the normal NRA membership fees for an organization that supports my 2nd Amendment Rights ... http://sassnet.com/Membership-Main-001A.php

In addition, NRA runs deep discounts for Life - Endowment and Patron memberships that are less than just a SASS Life membership. For $200, I upgraded to NRA Endowment and can do the same to Patron. The total upgrade cost for both is less than a SASS Life membership and the money is well spent to support my Rights and firearms programs. SASS hasn't and doesn't support my Rights. My Rights are more important to me than a different colored badge. So the check says NRA, not SASS

 

In addition, here are additional NRA benefits:

* Life members receive $10,000 of Accidental Death and Dismemberment coverage at NO COST

* Law Enforcement Officers, that are NRA members, killed in the line of duty will have $25,000 in coverage

* $2,500 of ArmsCare coverage. This plan covers insured firearms, air guns, bows and arrows against theft, accidental loss, and damage.

* The right to vote for the Board of Directors

 

Also, in 10 years I'll be 80 and probably won't be able to participate in CAS as I do now. Paying the $45 for 10 years is less than a Life membership

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