Hey just want to send a big thank you out to the brotherhood that helped get me to level 9. I have enjoyed this community very much since joining. Special thanks to @Antonio Centeno @Nestor Lopez@Jonathan Ventura @Julio Gutierrez @Lon Chaneyfield @Edward Mooney @Michael LoCascio Sr@Henry Clay@Srinesh C m@Rich Toczynski@Blake Merl @Jeff Beason@Anthony Buntyn @Jeffrey Plotka@Frank Barnett

I’m not going to throw anyone under the bus, but a brother reached out to me directly and said he was tired of certain posts and certain people. He asked me how I could keep engaging with a particular brother and even suggested I should boycott that person’s posts. I ignored the message, but I want to say this publicly: This is a Brotherhood of Scent, not a gang. I am not here for followers, I am here to exchange opinions and knowledge. If I want followers, I can start a YouTube Channel !!! I’m not participating in cliques, group pressure, or ganging up on individuals. I’m here for one reason only: the shared love of fragrance. Looking around, it’s obvious there is sometimes an “us against them” mentality here, and it’s a shame. You can see it in the posts, the comments, the likes, the alliances, and the way some people purposely ignore others. It happens to me, it happens to others, and it happens more than some people want to admit. It's even more ironic that the person who reached out to me is one of the biggest offenders. I can’t tell people how to think, but if this is your mentality, you may want to re-examine your values. I will engage with anyone here, whether I agree with them or not. If someone disagrees with me, I’ll either re-examine my own point of view or I’ll respond respectfully. That is how discussion is supposed to work. As the saying goes, you like what you like. In my world, I’m always searching for the very best, whether that means the best clone, the best niche, or the best designer. That’s how I enjoy this hobby. Differences of opinion are not a problem for me. They are welcomed, respected, and worth exploring. A lot of times, hearing a different perspective has taught me something valuable or even changed my direction. I would much rather someone challenge my fragrance selections or disagree with me in a real way that helps me grow my collection! rather than just being a yes man. If you give me input, or I give you input, and it goes against either one of our opinions—whether it is about quality, value, or fragrance selection—it is welcomed. My response is not going to be hurt feelings. My response is going to be: " Why do you feel that way? You are not going to hurt my feelings. Either the conversation helps me grow my fragrance knowledge, or I stay the course because it is simply something I want to do. Either way, it is not going to make me lose sleep, and it is definitely not going to make me lose interest in the group.

After an amazing weekend in the city with my wife shopping. We went to buy some fragrances (Shocker) 😜. While we may or may not have gone a little overboard which we are prone to do we had an amazing time! All of this to be said, we have been making relationships with some sales people and when we were discussing our collection and what we were about to add. The manager came out and presented us with this Armani/Prive Lacquered display box!! They said these are very hard to get and that they have only had 1 or 2 come in, but they knew we were the right people to have it. They gave it to us for free! Not something I had expected or even knew existed. This is one of those things that keeps me buying from an actual store with an actual person. Even though I may be able to get a "deal" somewhere else. I prefer the relationships. Now I Just have to put my bottles in. I have 2 open spaces to fill. But probably not for long!! 🤣

Gents — this challenge was a blast! These stories have been pure gold. Funny, real, nostalgic, and honestly the kind of posts that make this community what it is. Now… for the winner 🥁🥁🥁 🏆 WINNER: @Lon Chaneyfield Lon took us straight back to 1981 — college in upstate New York, right after the disco/rock era — when he wasn’t exactly Mr. Smooth with the ladies. Then there was his buddy David: not the best-looking guy on campus, but somehow he had this magnetism Lon couldn’t explain. At first, Lon thought it was style — so he upgraded the wardrobe (serious Ferris Bueller vibes 😂). But the “it factor” still wasn’t there. Then came the moment that changed everything: On the way to a keg party, David insisted on running back to the dorm for one thing — a little white bottle. Not a clone. Not a random splash. YSL Kouros. Lon could immediately sense the power of it — bold, animalistic, unforgettable — and then watched David’s magnetism in real time at the party. The next morning, Lon made his move: with his brand-new first credit card, he hopped a bus to JCPenney and bought his first cologne for himself. And from there? The rest is basically 80s history. Lon says Kouros became tied to so many peak memories that even today, he doesn’t really wear it out… but at home? One spray and it’s instant time travel. That’s the power of scent right there. @Lon Chaneyfield — love this story! Everyone else: keep those stories coming in the feed! These are the kind of stories that make this community what it is.

I'm no admin and I'm certainly not the online police. But I'm just curious as to how there are thousands of members, but I've never seen more than 35 online at any given time. Now granted, I'm not on 24/7, but I tend to peruse through the group to gain Frag insight, and I typically see the same numbers. Inquiring minds wish to know. isj! (Let me mind my business!)