Drum,
Oh, I do understand. That's one of the reasons I described NLV as a "casualty of its own huge success." When NLV initially began doing business, I was among the first wave of ECF posters to bang the drum for them on the forums. Despite the slightly artificial flavor that some of us notice in NLV juices, Bounty Hunter was---and still is---a wonderful and seductive juice. Same with Gold. NLV's prices were extremely low ($3.50 for 10ml, $10 for 30ml), and Gene's generosity in giving away large quantities of juice gratis to his core customers quickly became legendary. I know, because I was often the beneficiary of Gene's largesse. I have enough Bounty Hunter to last for 2-3 years (200ml) because Gene gave it to me for free, along with almost every other juice in the NLV line-up! I still have some NLV juices from the early days that are no longer offered (US Marshal, Gold Rush, Saddle Up)!
Over time, however, Murphy's Law intruded. Gene's liquids are manufactured to his specs, and he ran into trouble with source ingredients (a not-uncommon problem) and pricing arrangements. As NLV's popularity accelerated, some fans morphed into rabid fanatics, and the NLV supplier thread turned into (as many juice or mod vendor threads do) a kind of in-group love fest. Maintaining in-stock inventory got dicey, with frequent unavailability of the best-selling juices, and then the credit card meltdown happened.
I have no axe to grind with regard to NLV, nor do I wish to rain on Gene's parade. He's got his hands full, I'm sure. I'm just saying that NLV's wild journey as a winner of "vendor popularity lotto" has taken it out of my personal comfort zone. Then, too, I've been on my own journey with juices, so perhaps I've evolved away from NLV as much as it has grown beyond me.