I remember this drunken conversation around the camp fire you and I had not so many years ago, it rang true then and even today its a valid point that cannot be denied. Personally I don't know what truly happened between the two but it sucks to have this anger in our small community.
I valued your opinion then and still do, its its very honorable to support whom you feel is being wronged. You keep to your guns and don't back off.
Back to what we discussed at R.C, if you remember, I said I had almost 5 k in parts in my junk from T.G, I do. I started slow, tested, rambled the designs, plotted bla bla. It all boiled down to this, JUST what I planned to do with the rig, cost, when I needed a part, how fast would I get it when I tore it down to upgrade what I ordered. Well, not only did they give me huge shipping breaks, hell some ass at UPS Depot stole my bumper while it was in route to me and they without question, before they was paid for what they lost shipped me a new one and ate the cost of shipping it air almost directly to my home then.
Well that impressed the hell outta me. Yea, almost forgot, once they shipped me Chinese inner and outer wheel bearings, I raised hell, they told me to keep them for spares and they sent me Timkin bearings and some other goody's, free nevertheless.
I have seen bad from them, but not much. I see Chinese made/grade parts but some of this stuff is beefy as hell!
I busted up one of their transfer mounts the same year at RC in the rock garden, well not busted but wallered out the poly(for the lack of a better term) the center, just enough to cause drive line wobble. I admit my fault. I was in to much in a hurry to toss in the oem mount at least under the marlin box as Jared (our beloved mod) advised me on the phone to do. lol, heck the same transfer mount(under the OEM transfer) is still in the truck. They said even after I admitted I was lazy, they would send me a new one free of charge after I mailed the old one in. Their rubber boots on the TRE's suck, Fluid Film has helped mine,lol I think.
I have called some times and got some rude asshats, I have called and got very pleasant service and last but not least I have called and raised hell when I probably should not have and whomever was very patient. Nothing I have ever bought from them has ever left me stranded, almost the IFS mounting box but again, my fault.
However people Like Marlin, Bobby and many others truly support our community and would give their shirt off their back when in need. Its like wall mart, if you know what you are shopping for and cannot afford to go shopping at
Sears , its a necessary evil that some of us don't have the luxury to shop at
Sears (so to speak) so, we head up to wall mart and find our needs. That doesn't make that customer a traitor or a bad person furthermore you never made that assumption but others have.
My windy point here is you be correct and I hope up coming venders can learn from this?
Ok, crazy will go away now
Not for nothing, but if marlin could actually stock and ship his stuff and provide decent customer service, trail gear wouldn't exist. He created a demand in the Toyota 4x4 market by not fulfilling supply, pretty much creating Trail Mart. I am not saying Marlins guys aren't knowledgeable, they are some of the best minds in the 4x4 community, that doesn't mean they can run a business.
I am not advocating Trail Gear, I wont buy their stuff, and I wont even buy from a vendor that sells their stuff, but the simple fact still remains that if someone could call Marlin, place an order, and actually get it within a reasonable amount of time Trail gear wouldn't be nearly as big as they are.
Call me man!! Let's see this old rusted red beast you got? I stock a part for it! 
LOL.
Shane
Up! We dont need that in this industry.
long and short...
. all this said in my calm very relaxed voice
