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Posts: 2024
| Does anyone know if there are going to be any incentives (i.e. discount pricings) from retailers? Thanks. | |
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Posts: 814
| MY EXPERIENCE IN YEARS PAST HAS BEEN THE LURES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT THE SAME PRICE. BUT THE GOOD THING IS YOU DON'T PAY FOR SHIPPING AND THEY NORMALY DON'T CHARGE TAX!!!!!  | |
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| last couple years at the Chi show one of the retailers had a deal where if you buy 4 lures you get the 5th free | |
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Location: Minneapolis, MN | If you are not a Muskies, Inc. member and sign up as a new member at most of the shows in 2005 you will get some free stuff and discounts from participating retailers. If you are already a member Thorne Bros gives 10% discount to MI members and they often have a better deal at the show. | |
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Location: Somewhere on the water!!!!!!!! | You just don't get the GOOD deals like you used to at the shows.
BUYER BEWARE...........Go there knowing what you want and HOW MUCH it cost in advance, this way when you get to the show you will know just how good a deal you are REALLY GETTING.
I see a lot of guys giving discounts but their lures are over priced to start with.
Shop around the show and don't be affraid to try and work a deal out with the retaliers.
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Posts: 1916
Location: Greenfield, WI | I know of one incentive at the muskie shows, The Slammer Bait booth will again have color patterns that will not be available anywhere else, than at the shows.
Bill has barricated himself in the basement to come up with a whole new batch of piscatorial enticing color schemes, and he won't come out until just before the Chicago show!............I hope that he has a shower down there! | |
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Posts: 1046
| I have never found many super money deals at the shows but that never before seen stuff is the big attraction for me! | |
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Posts: 938
Location: NeverNever Lake | and you get to meet other junkies that are just like you............................
step 1: we admitted we were powerless over muskies and our lives had become unmanageable | |
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Posts: 2037
Location: lansing, il | the phrase "show special" really burns my butt when i see this, especially when i can go to a bass pro or gander mtn and get the same "show special" at the same price or even less not pay to get in. as an expample i remember seeing a "show special" at the chicago outdoors show last year a shimano stradic for the "show special" price of 114.00. i think that same weekend bass pro had them for 99.00. i still enjoy going to the shows seeing all the products and talking to people and having everything under one roof. but like ralph said "buyer beware" know what stuff retails for before you go to the show and you might be suprised how few "show specials" there really are!!! to all of the people reading this who are going to have booths at shows, and have their signs up "show special" but your not really offering anything more than i can get at a retail outlet, this off season i have one thing to say to you............... bite me!!!!!!!!!!!! i have no problems with guys charging retail at the shows but just dont pretend your giving something that your really not! | |
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Posts: 432
Location: mpls | Maybe not a "deal", But Trueglide will have never seen before custom colors as well as all of their styles represented at the Mn Muskie Expo. | |
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| of course, the retailers ARE in this to make money...and will set prices at whatever people will pay.
they don't "owe" consumers anything, and it galls me when people act like they do.
it's a business! if you like the product and the price, buy it. if you don't, move on. if enough people don't like it, the price will come down or they will close down.
it's called a free market.
"show special"??? lol. since when do we expect advertising to be honest?
i actually expect prices at shows to be higher due to rampant "muskie fever" leading people to spend more than they planned and buy stuff they don't really want.
the only thing keeping prices down is the next booth over selling it for 5 cents cheaper.
if you're looking for good deals, usually the best "incentives" are either someone dumping overstock or else come direct from a manufacturer (ie., not a retailer) who is trying to get a product into people's hands to spread the word of mouth advertising. it's like when a car maker comes out with a new car - there's always discounts on it to get it seen driving around on the streets. but that tried and true F150? fat chance, bucko. | |
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Posts: 2112
Location: The Sportsman, home, or out on the water | We will have a booth at the New London show and possibly the Steven's point show (if I can find some info on how to get a booth, hint hint 12 Apostles), and we will be running our prices lower than posted on our site. We will also have a deal on quantities. I love shows because I like to interact with the bait makers. I've met some great folks, including Smitty, Shumway, Bucher (when he owned it), Musky E, Roger Waters from H2o, as well as many others. | |
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Posts: 184
Location: Rockford Il 61108 | For the amount of money people spend on their gear every year it would NOT hurt the retailers to curb the prices for a Musky show. Your way off man and I will make sure I dont visit your booth. If it wasnt for the consumers there would'nt be a market.
There should be a incentive for us fisherman who visit these shows, after all I do pay to get in these shows. I like the buy two get the third free. Small small demands from the consumer. | |
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Posts: 2112
Location: The Sportsman, home, or out on the water | Evar, if you are refering to me, I am sorry that you feel that way. Speaking for myself, I am a small operation, and because I don't/ can't buy my supplies by the 1000's, our prices are only slightly less than the mass produced brands. Our baits are however, made one at a time, and more attention to detail is paid to each and every bait. If someone is getting into the bait business on a small level to get rich, they are in the wrong business. To get rich in this business would take a substantial investment to begin with. We started our business because we like to tinker and love to catch fish on our own lures, and if we can make enough above what we have into it, to maybe pay for gas up to our favorite musky haunts. | |
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| i think he's probably referring to my response.
and ironically, i'm NOT a retailer nor a manufacturer - so i won't have a booth. if i was/did, i'd charge fair prices. ie., whatever i could get people to pay for what i was selling!
however, i'm just a consumer who sees business for what it is: business.
evar, you're right, without the consumers there would be no business. and without the retailers making money on what they sell, there wouldn't be any either!
the entry fees (which are ususually quite low) get us in for the fun: lure demos, seminars from experts, a chance to one-stop shop. they aren't a "coupon" nor earn us the right to handouts. you're paying for the FUN of the day! do you get 5 bucks worth of entertainment out of it??? i do.
go online before you show up and bring along a print-out of the prices you found on all the stuff you're interested in. if you show that to one of the salespeople, you can bet they'll match or beat the price in order to get the sale on the spot. and hoorah! you'll save the shipping cost. everybody wins.
shop smarter, not harder. | |
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Posts: 2089
| I know there is one retailer in particular that had great deals at the Chicago show last year.Many of the retailers need/want to move product to make room/cash for the upcoming season.Some stuff just can't be discounted as the manufacturer sets the price(MAP pricing).There will be plenty of deals at the shows, just may not be on what you want or need.AND, the opportunity to meet and talk with other Nuts is worth the price of admission.Getting to walk, talk and breathe muskies in the middle of winter......PRICELESS. Steve | |
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Location: Minneapolis, MN | Keep in mind that the manufacturers that bring product to the show to sell out of their own booth cannot sell much cheaper than the retailers that are carrying their product or they may find themselves with less retailers wanting to carry their product.
Have you guys seen the price of a booth for these shows? The cost of the booth alone is staggering when you think of it in terms of how many baits does a retailer have to sell just to break even on their booth space. Then factor in the cost of labor to pack all that stuff up, travel it to the show, setup a booth, unpack and display all the merchandise, staffing the booth for 3 days plus food and lodging for all the people in the booth. I bet many of these retailers don't even break even on their booth, rather looking at it as a customer and brand building event.
Edited by Luke_Chinewalker 11/28/2004 9:25 PM
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Location: Somewhere on the water!!!!!!!! | I did a few shows last year and like Luke said when you count booth, gas, lodging, food, drink, drink, drink, drink, your not going to sell enough baits to pay for your trip. Keep in mind, I'm only a guide trying to sell a few baits and book a couple trips to help pay for my booth and expenses.
The whole idea is to get out there and mingle with the people, market yourself, and there is NO BETTER place to do that than at the shows.
I think we are talking more about the BIG stores (I won't mention names) that claim to be giving deals.............when in reality, they are not. Like I said, years ago you used to be able to get a deal on gear (rods, reels, etc.) it jsut doesn't seem like the GOOD deals are there any more. I see the signs all the time, 15% off all lures on this wall, heck they are marked up 20% anyways.  | |
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Posts: 663
| As an employee of a retailer who exhibits at most of the shows I have been watching this thread with interest. A lot of good points have been brought up and I'd like to amplify on a few. Your entry fee pays to get you in the door and make the show profitable for the promoter not the retailer. If the promoter doesn't make money the show will go away. Costs for those of us who travel to these shows and possibly other non-musky specific shows is a factor. Again, the retailer has to make something or he can't afford to exhibit. Deals exist and you can pick up some good product at reduced prices but nobody is going to give things away.
The big stores (Gander, Bass Pro) will sometimes sell things at prices that the smaller independents can't live with. This is the old story of chain store/big box discount selling vs. mom & pop independent trying to make a living. You make your own choice there. I for example buy from my local hardware store even if it costs a bit more rather than shopping at the Home Depot because of the service I get and support the community. I also trust the hardware professional at the local place to know what he's talking about. This is a huge factor to me. This is not to say those big stores don't have capable staff but think about the benefits of knowing people and being known at the independent store that can put you onto more information and deals when they do come up.
Manufacturers who sell their products at the shows limit the ability of retailers to offer those products competitevly. They certainly have a right to do so but in my opinion they serve the industry better by exhibiting the product and then referring customers to the retailers who stock those items. Mepps is a good example of this and I can't imagine how many Marabou's were sold by all of us retailers combinded at the shows last year. It was a win/win situation.
As much as this is a friendly industry (and it is for the most part) all the retailers "shop" each other. We have to be competitive or we don't sell product. Some items like reels are on a manufacturers price sheet and they expect us to sell at that price. So you may not get a "deal" on that item but what else are you buying that the retailer may have some ability to help you with. Talk to them about it. Believe me that we want you to buy it just as much as you want a deal. | |
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Posts: 2515
Location: Waukesha & Land O Lakes, WI | If it were up to me, everybody who's selling stuff from a booth would have 10% off thier standard price. The thing that bugs me the most about these shows is that you have to pay $10.00 just to get in to buy anything! Paying to buy? Seems a little wierd. It'd be like Gander saying...Ok, pay 10.00 at the door and we'll let you in to shop, and we'll have a couple of seminars with a cookie and a cup of juice.
These show's are sponsored, why are we paying to get in to spend money? | |
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| Here's my take on the shows (from my 12 years of visiting the chicago shows):
For my $10's,
- I get to see some presentations from some knowlegable anglers. Some of them are really just self-promoting info-mercials (ala Bucher's talks - hopefully he doesn't push his Blues CD on us again) and others are details, details, details (ala Sean Bermingham's talks). Both are informative and helpful, just to a different degree.
- I get pool demo of lures from guys who developed or "mastered" the lure.
- I get face time with the same
- I get hands on time with the new / unique lures. I like it that for 3 days, I have Rollie & Helen's and Thorne Bros. in my back yard. (Not to knock Kolar, but they are different levels of operation).
- I get to "win the lotto" for 3 days (aka day dream)
- Some retailers do offer true discounts, incentives. I'm not there to buy jakes, DR's, etc. that I can get at Gander & BPS. The stuff I buy are color variations, discounted items, gaps in my tackle box (which are becoming fewer and fewer).
- The retailers should get creative with their marketing at the shows. (i.e. Blue light specials).
- It would be nice if we were given 1 coupon for 10% any one retailer upon entry or something of that nature which probably wouldn't swing our sale, but does give us a "thank you" for coming.
- I get to have some custom tied bucktails made to order and get to be very specific with the tier.
Muskienightmare - I will be stopping by to check out your stuff. I've seen your site but somethings I just want to hold on my hand before purchasing.
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Posts: 244
Location: Mallard Island Lake Vermilion MN | Price of admission is worth it fer sure to us every time out.
Small fee for what you could or just might learn from any giving seminar?
These things are not SWAP MEETS or LURE SALES!
Sales in the meaning, HAVE TO MOVE IT OUT / CLEARANCE!
We mostly go to people watch, meet a few new people and see others we only meet up with at this time.
Kind of cool to rub shoulders, share a few words, a joke, a drink or dinner with the so called chosen few famous Musky people.
I LIKE IT.
Good people abound & all around!
Many, many good laughs.
Tons of hands shakes, back slapp'en and FREE info.
It is all covered, from the simple things all the way up to the very, very serious of speakers.
Many a SECRET technique has been shared on those floors.
All up to you if you retain or dump if you so choose.
Lots of Bull#*#* around also.
My Bonnie dose the shopping, an ALWAYS dose very, very well.
On going joke with us last 12 years is on how she gets them deals at any given fish'en show, an what she had to show to get them? 
Best advice: Bring the wife or girl friend?
A pretty face, Low cut, size to small top and tight leahter jeans work wonders.
LOL X 10
Plus most lure guys & gals will deal if your any good at it?
You simply don't get if you don't ask.
If nothing else, one might heckle from the rear during a seminar?
Go, have fun, enjoy.
It's all good.
Tom
Edited by KidDerringer 11/29/2004 11:33 AM
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Posts: 1996
Location: Pelican Lake/Three Lakes Chain | My feelings on the shows;
If you are not getting your admission fees out of the shows, you are missing out on the biggest part of the shows. You are walking into one single building full of the most knowledgable musky fisherman on the planet, and they are all accessible to you.
$10 to be able to walk up to Dick Pearson and have a one on one discussion of his views on fishing wind and current. Now that is a genuine show special.
All of the people at these booths are more than willing to discuss anything musky related with you, take advantage of it. This doesn't even include the seminars and demos that are going on continuously.
I think too many people go these shows looking for the magic lure that will catch them every fish in the lake. Go there with the idea to collect knowledge, not lures, and I think you will be much more satisfied.
That being said, there sure are a lot of baits available there, and I will spend my share of cash on them. | |
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Posts: 7123
Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | Show prices are USUALLY about the same as you'd find elsewhere. Even at the busiest shows, each exhibitor has to compete with each other exhibitor. And.....
-travel costs
-lodging costs
-paying for the booth
-paying for the electric at the booth
-food costs
So yes, I'd love to see DEALS going on at the shows, but I think we all under-estimate what goes into each exhibitor having a booth there. BUT, I do love the shows, and here's why.....
-friends to shake hands with and say hi to
-people say "Slamr?", and I usually have no idea who they are (tell me your real name AND your board name when you come to say hi)
-the variety of tackle is something that no individual store (even Thornes or Rollie's) can match, not close.
-great info on different lakes/patterns can be found just by being cordial and nice to other people there.
-baits from different parts of the Muskie range will all be there, more in different numbers at different shows.
-ToddM. its not a muskie show if Todd isnt there.
-other misc things of interest: in-booth interviews, chicken bones, pool, weddings, Saturday night wrestling results.
Go to the show to have a good time MUSKIE-ish when you cant be out chasing the fishes! If you are going to find a magic "deal" on baits/gear, you better get there EARLY on Friday, or you will more than likely be very unhappy muskie fanatic when you leave. | |
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Posts: 1310
Location: Washington, PA | I like to hang out for the WHOLE show, and fight boredom by buying things I "need." | |
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Posts: 7123
Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | ToddM vs. Jonesi vs. Tomyv: battle of the useless spending. I would pay to see this competition. | |
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Posts: 184
Location: Rockford Il 61108 | I love the shows too and will probably spend more money than Im suppose to anyways, so I guess it really doesnt matter. LOL
When i go to shows I look in the deals bins before I buy anything. Last year I found some topraiders for $7.00 and that is a deal. But then again I bought a Big Kahuna and had to use"flee market tactics" to recieve a free Frabil Hat. Terrible. All in all I do Love the shows and will continue to support them. | |
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Posts: 1310
Location: Washington, PA | Useless............I beg to differ. As Chantelle Lace once said, "those are tools." | |
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Posts: 663
| Gander Mt Guide - 11/29/2004 9:09 AM
If it were up to me, everybody who's selling stuff from a booth would have 10% off thier standard price. The thing that bugs me the most about these shows is that you have to pay $10.00 just to get in to buy anything! Paying to buy? Seems a little wierd. It'd be like Gander saying...Ok, pay 10.00 at the door and we'll let you in to shop, and we'll have a couple of seminars with a cookie and a cup of juice.
These show's are sponsored, why are we paying to get in to spend money?
What kind of shows do you go to that admit for free? Sponsors HELP offset the cost to the promoter. They do not assume the entire burden of the cost of the venue, insurance, security, and a myriad of other items. Next time you go to a show why not ask Schuster, Stella, or any of the other promoters why they don't make it free?
As to the prices the retailers charge I would suggest to you that many of the items that are on display are already at a good price and that further discounts are icing on the cake. It is typical in the retail industry to charge "keystone" which means if the store buys an item for five dollars then they charge the consumer ten dollars. Beleive me, that does not happen with most musky equipment, lures, etc. In our store I sometimes talk with fishermen from other parts of the country who fish saltwater species and are surprised at the "low cost" of musky gear compared to some of the things they purchase for their respective sport. Same goes for European customers who buy musky products for pike fishing. You also have to remember that the majority of lure makers in our industry are relatively small manufacturers and in a lot of cases one or two man operations. These guys are not getting rich from selling musky baits. Most of them do it for love of the sport and to help offset their own interest in musky fishing. Just for fun sometime build your own lure or bucktail and figure out what you're got into it in terms of material cost (don't forget the stuff like split rings, hooks, hair, paint, etc.) then figure out how much time you put into it at an hourly rate and come up with a reasonable cost. Add fifty cents or a dollar for packaging cost. Now how much do you need to make to pay yourself back and make a profit on that item? That's what you sell it to a retailer for and then think about if he doubles the cost of your hypothetical bait can he sell it for that? I think most people would be surprised to see what they would sell "their own" lure for. I suggest that when you buy a handmade or custom bait at a show for under $25.00 you ARE getting a good deal. Mass produced products in the $15-20 range are not unreasonable. | |
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Posts: 80
Location: IL | E.R.C. will have the following promotion....
1) Buy 5 baits and get one FREE.....or an ERC "SOUL FISHIN" T-SHIRT
New baits in VERY VERY VERY limited quantities...
Hellhound jerkbait
Jigga-Beast (swim Jig)
New Video - Dick Pearson Muskies on the Shield (DVD)
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Posts: 2515
Location: Waukesha & Land O Lakes, WI | Pete,
Nobody said I was getting into them for free(except for the Milwaukee Sports Show), but I tell you this. 90% of the baits I buy can be bought without having to pay $10.00 to get in to buy them. I highly doubt these promoters are taking losses at these shows, matter of fact I'd bet they're making a living at them.
Shows are promotional right? Companies promoting baits, Tackle Shops promoting what lines they carry. I understand it takes money to make baits, but why should I pay an additional $10.00 to buy one? If I can get my money back through price breaks on baits or equipment, I could justify going more than I do.
I usually hit the Milwaukee Musky Expo once every two years. I hit Rollie's, Guide's Choice or Smokey's almost weekly and pay just as much at these places (give or take a buck) for an Undertaker as I could at the show.
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Posts: 663
| I didn't mean that you were personally getting into the shows free. What I mean is that every kind of trade show in any industry has a charge to get in. Example Auto shows, boat shows, even industry trade shows that are not for the public charge a fee to enter. If the people putting on the show don't make some money they simply won't do it anymore. Yes, most of the times the sponsors are providing the speakers but aside from that they still have a lot of costs involved in putting on a show. The unique aspect of any show is the ability to bring together resources from many areas and put them all under one roof for a few days. This allows consumers to come to one place and compare the various products and services that are being offered. The educational sessions are a great added benefit that is a further enticement to bring people in to the show. In my opinion the educational and social aspects that other posters have listed is worth the admission fee. I just took a look at the two page ad in Musky Hunter for the Tri-Esox show (bet that ad wasn't free) and noted that you can purchase a three day pass for $20. There will be something like 14 seminar presentations during the 3 days plus pool demos. So a guy or gal can go there and learn from some of the notables in our sport for about the same cost as one educational DVD. I'd say that's a pretty good deal. The admission fee is not just for "the right to go in and buy products". If that was the case then I'd say you're right and just go shop at the individual stores you like. Also remember a lot of folks don't have the opportunity to visit some of these retailers in person. Even as an exhibitor and competitor I sometimes purchase products from the other retailers if they have something that I don't have in my store. So I take advantage of the ability to buy something cool from Smokey's for example although I don't get down to Pewaukee to visit the store much. And going to shows is much different than catalog shopping. I want to talk to guys about what their bait does, how it works, look at actual samples and colors in real life etc.
The bottom line for me is: if you don't think you're gaining anything by paying an admission price to attend a show then maybe you should choose to not attend. No disrespect to anyone intended but why go if you feel bad about spending the dough to get in and feeling like you're getting ripped off? | |
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Posts: 2112
Location: The Sportsman, home, or out on the water | I guess that maybe I have a few more things to say.............................
My show prices will be at least 10% lower than my web site price. My Bucktails will be more than 10%. Since no shops carry my products yet (by design, I won't sell to shops until after the show season), I will only be competing with other small time folks for your dollars. John W, I look forward to meeting you, as well as many others. I understand your need to hold something before you buy it, I am the same way. I forget who brought the costs of having a booth along with all the other related expences, but it was a great point, as well as the face time comment. I like the fact that there is so many people that think the same way I do.
Snifff....and here I thought I was all alone......lol | |
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Posts: 358
| Lots of interesting view points taken here.
Before I opened my own business, the shows were a chance for me to talk with a lot of folks connected to the sport. Maybe catch a seminar or two, but for the most part it was a chance to see what was new, what was old, and what some folks were talking about for future plans.
Admission fees, we all have paid them for one type of show or another. Back when I was still riding, getting into a Harley show would have made the Chicago Musky Show a bargain at twice the price. Pete S. is corect when he says that all the vendors (myself included) share in the cost of producing the show.
Deals, bargains, and the show! Speaking for myself only (and my business) I do realize that every person that has passed my booth has paid to get in the show. Heck, for a whole lot of years, I was one of those people. In this regard, I do extend a discount at the show, and yes it is called a "show special." Last year, I got a call from a gentlemen that picked up a brochure at my booth and asked if the "show special" was still on? This was a week later, and the gym floor at Harper College was teaming with sweaty basketball players. I gave him the discount, because he obviously paid attention to what he saw.
The bottom line here in my opinion is this, be an educated consumer and if there is something that you truly have in mind to purchase, shop around before getting to the show. Keeping in mind that musky fishing still has the least interest of angling sport out there, we are a relatively small community among anglers (and that is just fine with me LOL)
I hope to have all the MF folks stop by my booth and say "Hello." Its always great to meet the participants on this board. Take care all.
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2005 Muskie Shows: Incentives?