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Posts: 1207
Location: Pigeon Forge TN. | Am seriously thinking about getting out of the painting business. The lures keep getting rougher to do and am not as steady as I used to be. Bought a new house and will have a great big garage to work in but am just starting to get tired of being busy all the time and not getting a chance to go fishing once in a while. Most people here fish more in one week than I do in two or three years any more. I average about one trip out each year, and haven't got out at all so far this year.
I will finish up all my orders but am really thinking about not doing any more. If I do make that decision I will put everything up for sale. Have a lot of stuff.
Have been thinking about it for quite a while now but not really sure as yet.
I really love to paint but need some private time also.
I have some lures that I finished a long time ago waiting to see water from the end of my pole but will be putting them up for sale in about a week as soon as I find the time to take some pictures.
Decisions, decisions. 
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Location: Illinois | Fish, don't paint.
Life is too short! |
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Posts: 633
| Stan,
Relax and go fishing. I still haven't been out this year. My son graduated, so the honey do list for house projects has been keeping me busy before the grad party, and the job I have does not give me vacation. First time I can get out with the current schedule is around the 4th. You do great work, and maybe you need to start to limit your work, or extend your expected turn around time. Whatever decision you make, will be best for you.
Lance
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Posts: 182
| If you are that busy you aren't charging enough. You aren't putting enough value on your work. I was like that for years. All you do is work. My wife finally told me to get out of the business I was in, do something else and start enjoying life again. She is a lot smarter than me. Most days. |
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Posts: 1141
Location: NorthCentral WI | One motto I will always live by is: Work to live, not live to work! Don't forget what's important in your own life (not the next 100 lures to paint). |
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Location: sneaking out to get on the water ;-) | You do awesome work! What ever you decide I wish you the best of luck. Finish the orders you have then go fishing for awhile then decide on the future after some r&r. Nail a giant! |
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Posts: 4053
Location: Land of the Musky | If it’s not fun don't do it. Personally I finally have a day job I love! I also still love my before and after job of a tackle company. I push myself with TI until it’s not fun and then back off. When I retire in 10-15 years TI will allow me to still put in 3-4 hrs. of work a day and also a fun fishing show season for my wife and I to attend but if it’s not fun, I will dump TI in a second if financially able to but if its fun, I will own TI until I die.
If you don't like it, go fish or just reduce the amount of work you’re doing until you like it again. LOL raise your prices until you get the amount of work you want to do. Then you get paid more for your time, have more time to fish and hopefully still make as much hobby money as you are right now!!
JMO
James
PS-Ditto "Work to live, not live to work" |
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Posts: 76
| Stan,
I understand completely. Staying home to work on baits is no reason to miss an opportunity on the water.
Don |
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Posts: 196
| Stan,
As a fellow paint squirter to another I have felt that you have never charged enough. And that is coming from someone who has had you squirt baits for me before.
With that said why not see if someone would want to buy your business? And then work for them when YOU want to? Or be up front and say you are only painting baits X days a week. However many you get done in that time is it, PERIOD! Yes that will increase the lead time to get baits back to customers but I have a feeling most people are going to be more than willing to wait. Just some random thoughts.
Whatever the decision I am sure it will be the right one for you and your family. |
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Posts: 994
Location: Minnesota: where it's tough to be a sportsfan! | Allot of us have been down this road and came to this crossroads. Each has to handle it in their own way. I choose to cut back to part time and then cut that back to limited time again. Now I can go fishing where I want to the way I want to with the equipment I choose to use. No calendars filled with trips anymore, no sponsor based events, and I can actually buy a lure like everyone else even if it is not a "sponsor bait".
Give it some time Stan, your work says you do enjoy it...just have to get back to that point. |
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| I would recommend that you steadily raise your prices until the work slows to your preferred pace. This gives you the best scenario. As a previous customer, I thought your prices were fairly low. So, feel free to raise them.
Brian
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Posts: 1504
Location: Oregon | Hey Stan,
Paint in the winter, take the summers off to have fun with family and do some fishing. You have to do something in the winter to keep your sanity!
Jed |
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Posts: 968
Location: N.FIB | your a well known painter and your prices are low,raise them and your lures to paint will slow down,20-25 a lure is a good price for your work. |
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| WOW! This is huge news. Stan is a legend in the industry and has done more for musky lure finishing than anybody. He has set the standard. Don’t sell all your stuff yet Stan; change your business plan to where you like it.
But if you do retire, that would be the ending of a significant chapter in musky lore, and if so, we should have a (fishing) party for you, there’s not too many gold watches being handed out for this stuff...
Personally, thanks for all the business we done together, it’s been an honor.
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Posts: 1202
Location: Money, PA | I personally make time to go fishing....I get a lot of orders, but I tell people when the fishing season is in full swing, their order may take more time...Just the way it is...I let them know ahead of time. I won't let the lure making consume me...I'd say pace yourself Stan and paint some and fish MORE! Wish ya the best! |
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Posts: 1207
Location: Pigeon Forge TN. | WOW! Thanks for all the Blessings and sound advice. Will have to try to work something better out than the way I do it now. On top of everything else, I got my self working two jobs so 17/ 18 hours a day seven days a week with painting and all just got to be a little much.
Price wise, I knew I was too low as I have been told many times over. I always tried to make my custom work easy for everyone to have and I truly love to airbrush them. I really don't make anything thing at all when you figure in the labor with the cost of material ( and I use some very expensive stuff) Most of the time I break even and sometimes I even have an extra 10 or 15 bucks left over.
Always try to throw something new in for the musky to take a look at and always liked to stay above the norm of painting. I don't get into the special gills and scale patterns cause as the people whom do know I couldn't do them at the price I do now.
Rest assured that though I may be slow right now due to burn out, that I WILL get my orders all done.
Thanks guys, your all very much appreciated for sure. |
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Posts: 921
Location: Apollo, PA | Well Stan,
Whatever u decide to do, i wish u the best. Seems to me, you need to find a happy medium. Its tough to do, but u can do it. Enjoy your fishing season ,and maybe just paint on the side for fun. I think u would miss it, if you gave it up entirely, but all the best on your decison. |
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Posts: 1224
Location: Okoboji | burn out is an issue,,,when it is no longer fun you need to walk away...your passion will reignite. |
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Posts: 613
Location: big cove tannery pa | Stop painting Go fishing |
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Posts: 994
Location: Minnesota: where it's tough to be a sportsfan! | I remember back in school when the studies were just Too Much...there was ONE sure fire solution that always made the difference: ROADTRIP!!
Let it out you want to grab a couple rods and some baits and travel. I bet Stan there's a few people on M1st that would share their boat with ya!! |
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Posts: 556
| Burn out happens to almost everyone at one time or another....finish up your orders and take a break----you will be ready to paint again by winter----raise your prices and do less work over the winter---come spring -- get caught up and start fishing again. Less work is always better if you can afford to do it. Not worth working like a maniac if you don't have to---I have finally slowed my pace after 28 yrs of busting my butt-----I can afford to do so and have a new out look on life----Wish I would have some of the time back that I gave up to make more $$$$. Just wasn't worth it----to me anyway----You sound like you are at that point-----Time to RELAX awhile. |
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Giving up?