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Posts: 1270
| jclymer, I never said all custom rod builders are the same. There are good ones and then ones that are not so good. Yes the blank carries the same warranty but if your builder doesn't know what they are doing and wrap the guides to tight and bruise the blank then your warranty is no good. I hope your 25 year old rod builder stays in business long enough to take care of any warranty issues that may arise but we all know that these little guys come and go pretty fast.
With all the rods out there today I would think that you would have to either be VERY picky or just want something different if you can't find what you want in a factory rod, but to each there own. |
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Posts: 663
| As many of you know, I work for one of the major musky specialty retailers. This is a great discussion and I'd like to throw a few thoughts out for you to consider. First of all, our sales have been fine and we are pleased with the shows thus far. I know that is not the case with everyone but I think you have to consider that all this is a delicate balance and a lot of factors figure in.
As a year round retailer we have to determine pricing before the beginning of the year and live with that price throughout the year for the most part. We examine the manufacturers cost to us and then figure a price that will be competitive and fair in the market. In many retail businesses the rule of thumb is to double the cost (keystone). That simply is not possible in the musky world. You guys would absolutely not stand it if we were to double the cost of a bait. We find what we can live with and either accept that price or decide to take a pass on the product. We also offer a discount on sales through our internet site (5%) because we recognize the time savings in taking your order off the website and processing it quickly.
The next step is specifically about shows. If you were to think about the cost of booth space (thousands of dollars in our case) the cost of travel, lodging, paying staff, feeding the staff etc. we are in a huge hole before the door to the show ever opens. As you come to our booth we are hoping that we have brought the right product mix, interesting new things, some custom and exclusive items and the nuts and bolts that you guys expect us to have when you come visit the booth. As far as specials are concerned there are a number of things that our store and I presume others did to offer some extra benefit to shopping with us. In our case we had the equivalent of one full booth space of baits at half price. Yes, most of that was closeout items or things we will not be carrying next year but there was an awful lof of good stuff if you asked or looked. We also had some specials on baits that were show priced at two for the price of one. The rest of our space was dedicated to bringing the items we thought you would want to see and hopefully purchase. As Reelman mentioned some manufacturers like the bigger reel and rod companies require us to stay at or above their minimum suggested retail price. If we go below that price we are subject to losing our dealership. When I find out that a dealer is doing something like that, you'd better believe I will report them to the manufacturer. If those are the rules for being a dealer then everyone should have to abide by that. Now, you may have noticed that there was a show special on Abu-Garcia reels. If you bought a reel you got it spooled for free plus a rebate certificiate for $10-15 dollars depending on which model you purchased. That works out in most cases to be close to a $25-30 dollar savings. Not too bad I'd say. Some manufacturers like Shimano or Frabill were offering a free cap or shirt with the purchase of their product from a retailer. That may not mean a lot to some guys but others are appreciative of a little perk like that.
Now when it comes right down to it, if we ended up giving extra discounts on baits and other equipment eventually it would not be worth it for us to attend the show. We would simply not attend or at the very best, severely cut down on booth space. If the people buying booth space don't make money they stop coming to the show. Ask the folks in Pittsburgh why there is no longer a musky show in their town. Ask the show promoters what would happen if those bigger retailers dropped out what would happen to their show.
Now Johnnysled (I think it was him) brought up an excellent point. The other reason we attend shows is to promote our business. I think most of you who came to our cash register were asked if you get our catalog or would like to. Yes, we want you to do your shopping throughout the year to come back to us. We try to make your shopping experience positive so that when you're ready to buy something you come to us. Heck, I want every car full of musky guys coming up Highway 51 to stop in our store when you're on your way to go fishing. We and I'm sure most retailers try to do that. The show is a three day event where we can take our best shot at gaining new customers and keeping the existing ones happy.
The cost of lures? Yes, they have increased over the years. Some seem steep but I'll tell you this, I don't know of many bait builders who are getting rich making musky lures. This is especially true of the small, custom bait builders. Take a look at the amount of work that goes into some of those baits and figure out what the guy is making when he sells you a lure at $20-30. Most of you would never go to work for a company that paid you a per hour wage for what those guys are making.
The thought that the dealers should just "drop their prices" is not going to happen. You have to decide what you have to make to stay in business. Dropping prices is in many cases an indicator of a business that is not healthy. It's like a dog chasing his tail trying to play catch up if you're not profitable.
Hey guys, that's just a few thoughts off the top of my head and I appreciate an opportunity to present a dealers viewpoint on the issue. Overall I saw an awful lot of happy show attendees who were having fun, socializing buying products and soaking up the musky vibe. I've got three more shows coming up this season and look forward to every one of them. It's fun for us too when we have great customers like we do.
Edited by Pete Stoltman 2/12/2007 8:19 PM
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Location: Des Moines IA | This post got me thinkin' ,and I've come to realize , I've spent way too much $ on musky stuff already this year ..... I even think I said I wasn't going to buy anything at the shows this year .... Yeah Right .................
Edited by MuskieMike 2/13/2007 2:14 AM
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Posts: 617
Location: Clintonville, WI | "I did not see much that I wanted (needed?) to buy". I did not see much to buy for two reasons:
1. Because for the past 10 years I have purchased TOO MANY rods/reels/baits!! In fact, I am paring down my bait stash because 3/4 of my stuff sits in the basement. I have identified my go to baits of each type and will add backups periodically, but other than a few new baits each year (like the Baby Wabull) I see this trend continuing for me.
2. I bought 8 baits in the Breyer Auction and 2 during the M1st Perka promotion prior to the show.
Now, a few random thoughts about this thread. Bette is right on. Anyone walking around with a beer (some with many beers throughout the show) should not have voted that gear/baits are too expensive. Hello pot, meet kettle. By the way, was nice to meet you John.
Kind of related to what Lambeau said, booth and travel costs have to be accounted for in show prices of everything. In terms of baits, think about all the short run (i.e. more costly) custom stuff that is popular. I might be contrary to many, but I think shows are the WORST place for a vendor to offer a discount. It would be nice, but I do not expect sweet deals at the shows. Not realistic. I would think that promotional sales outside of the show season where the vendors and retailers work together to drop prices on stock runs, common items, etc. would be more regular. The more stuff they sell, the cheaper it is to make. Shows are interactive promotional opportunities for the vendors and their consumers, with higher costs than normal for both sides.
In general, I do think the retail cost of musky gear has priced many (most?) of us out of the market. I can not afford to regularly pay $30 for a bait or $230 for a reel. As a small example, take the big double #10 blade mylar/flashabou baits that are popular. Knowing roughly what the body materials, metal components, wire, etc. cost in bulk, then seeing how fast they can be made at the show, I'm not sure i see how the retail price is not a HUGE margin. I can see much more cost and work in a painted glide bait, but you get the idea. But the harsh reality is........If I am in the minority, people will keep demand up and the prices will go up too. If I am in the majority, sales will drop, and prices will go down or bait makers/companies will sell to bigger companies or go out of business.
I had a GREAT time, learned a lot and bought some stuff.....just not as much stuff as in the past.
Edited by BigMo 2/12/2007 9:35 PM
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Posts: 157
Location: Wausau/Phillips WI | I always look forward to the Milwaukee and New London shows every year and this year it's number 2 for The Sportsmans in Appleton. It's always a good time during the dead zone of winter to get out and see some great products demonstrated in the tank or pool, to hear a couple knowledgeable speakers, and to talk fishing. I usually can always find something unique that I wasn't even aware existed and also find some custom painted lures.
You're right, it isn't cheap but as long as I can afford it I'm going to go to these shows. Gas to get there $40, lunch $14, Supper on the way home $26, to get in $20, and like $280 for lures and a $15 hook remover is about $400 for a one day trip. When I got home and looked at what I bought it wasn't much of a pile. A pink Pacemaker for my daughter, a creeptonite, a LifeLike Pike, 2 of Tauchens topwaters, 2 Bitten topwaters, a Weagle Jr., Purple Slammer, and 4 bucktails.
Worth it , I guess but looking at these 4 bucktails sitting on my table for $100 seems a bit much. My son said that's why he didn't want to go and he'll just stop at R&H if he needs something.
See you in Appleton and New London.
Buddy |
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| Ive heard more then a couple vendors remark that the Milw show crowd is more tire kickers,,its not a big spending crowd |
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| Reelman,
You nailed it on the head.. I am Very picky, as I am going to be holding these rods for about close to a 1000 hours this year. I want a specific length and action for specific lures, these lengths are not offered, plus I wanted something different.. I can pick my own colors, specific wraps, different decals, shotgun shell in the butt of the cork handle, ect... All of this for the same price as a factory rod... Once again, only my opinion, I am not going to debat factory vs. custom.. I personally feel that having a custom rod built to your own specifications is a better deal.. If a custom rod were to cost much more than a factory rod, well then, I could probably find something out there that will fit my needs.. |
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Posts: 2384
Location: On the X that marks the mucky spot | I second Hooker's comment. I've heard that most people blow their cash at the Chicago show and just look around in Milw.
Another thing to consider is that we're not seeing the ballooning increase in muskie fishermen that we did back in the mid/late 90's. EA had the newbies buying curve down pretty good. The "muskie boomers" already have invested in a ton of stuff over the last few years. Now they're a little more selective in what they purchase IMOP.
As to lures being too expensive. Unless you want "people with little hands" making all of your baits you're going to be paying $15-$30/each. True some guys are making a profit, but that's how it should be. If they don't then they won't make a bait. If it takes an hour to make a bait(start to finish), what's a fair amount of profit? Would you work for $3-5/hour? Something to think about. |
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Posts: 193
Location: Mayer, MN | I'll be honest, I voted because of pricing.
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Posts: 408
Location: Omaha, Nebraska | I can’t make it to the shows because the expenses I would rather put towards a trip and I am defiantly a custom lure kind of guy. I would only be looking at custom lures if I did go to show which you can also buy over the internet just as easily and just because I won't be the first one with that new hyped up lure I don't care. |
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Posts: 92
| Sadly, I think it's true that the shows are becomimg more about entertainment or something to do, instead of a place to purchase baits. The shows are big for the small bait makers, moneywise, but it's tough to make a profit after buying a booth. I don't have any ideas on how to make it better for the small baitmakers, I hope they all make it though, otherwise musky fishing baits will become more like bass tackle, large companies with big production and less of a unique quality.
Jim Stroede |
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Posts: 101
| First off, I voted on the expensive part. Now let me explain why.
I've only been into this sport for the last 3 years now. I've invested a ton of money, and regretted alot of it. I have so many unused baits, and wasted money in lures I've used but hate I don't know why I keep spending.
To the point, living on a limited family income I have to look for the best deal. At the Mil. show they were there to be found, but I saw alot of the same lures at different vendors for different prices. Take the LeLure Creeper for example. You could get it at any of the big retailers for $26.95. Or you could go up to the LeLure booth and pick one up for $15.
I don't care how much a booth costs. That's the price of advertising. How much does it cost to maintain a website for a year? Print up brochures, flyers, and business cards? It's a part of business, and should not be reflected in the cost of lures. Everyone has those expenses.
Now I did spend money at the show. Mainly because where I live there is no good, close store to purchase musky equip. I spent less than last year because I had less money. I would have gotten a couple more items if I had the cash, but that's another story.
The guy I went with didn't purchase a thing. His reason was that there was nothing he saw that he couldn't purchase online.
I only purchased stuff I couldn't get at a retail store. I don't have any credit cards, or I would buy online and not spend money at the show either.
Another thing I saw was vendors who had their pricing structure all messed up. Same style bait, same color, 2 different sizes. The 12" size was $17, and the 10" size was $23. What is up with that? Why would I pay more for a smaller version? It was a basic Grandma style lure. There was nothing fancy about it.
Now take into account that the smart vendors who had lines, and ringing registers were the ones who were blowing out excess inventory, selling custom colors, and making baits to order and you see where the people were. The big box retailers there could and should take note of this. Maybe you should downsize your booth. Who wants to buy a perch colored Jake when they can get the same thing at any sports store? Downsize your booth, and have quality hard to find items at "regular" price. Don't jack it up because it's popular, or because it has a custom color. The custom painters were there also selling their artistic creations for less than you were.
To end the rant, I really do love the show, and had a great time once again this year. If I didn't buy something from your booth it wasn't because I didn't want your offerings, I just couldn't afford them. I saw alot of awesome baits that were handcrafted and beautiful looking, but when one of them costs half my budget, I'll pass.
As far as customer service goes, the items I bought had excellent service, and gave me the impression they were happy to have me purchase their products. The booths that didn't get my business were the ones too busy making the custom lures to sell me a $30 jacket. I don't blame them though, at $20+ a bucktail or spinnerbait that's a huge profit margin! And congrats to you for having the idea to do it! You just won't see me out on the lake next year wearing, or throwing your products for that matter.
~Dawg |
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Posts: 2037
Location: lansing, il | here is somthing i have been wondering about...recently there was a new cabelas superstore that opened up not far from the milwaukee expo....even though they are not a huge musky outlet, i have to wonder how many "area folks" maybe spent alot of their budget in that store over the last few months on other things like clothing electronics etc, to the point that maybe they had to hold back a little at the show???? just another angle to look at it from. |
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Posts: 2384
Location: On the X that marks the mucky spot | "I don't care how much a booth costs. That's the price of advertising. How much does it cost to maintain a website for a year? Print up brochures, flyers, and business cards? It's a part of business, and should not be reflected in the cost of lures. Everyone has those expenses."
EVERY expense that any business incurs is reflected into the price of their product. At least that's how it works with businesses that want to stay in business. |
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Posts: 137
| I'm in the category that spent as much as I did last year at the shows. Actually a little bit more. But a lot of that is because I've only been muskie fishing for a couple years, so I still have an urge to try out a lot of lures to see what will and won't work. After a few years, I should have an arsenal of tools to use that will keep me from trying out all the different types of products that are out there. A few of my more experienced muskie fishing friends at the shows didn't buy much. Mainly because they know what works for them and don't need to try any new "trendy" lures. If the new lures end up working for people, then they will purchase them when and if they hear the buzz. The kicking minnow is a good example of a lure that most everybody ended up purchasing during the year, mainly because the buzz during the season indicated that it worked. What happened to the other new lures at the show last year that didn't work so well? They faded away and those of us that were sold into buying them ended up putting them in our miscellaneous tackle boxes, or trading them away to other unsuspecting lure hunters.
Another reason I spent money at the shows, is because we don't have any good tackle shops that carry muskie lures here in Indiana, with the exception of those near Webster. Sure, I can get them off the internet, but the new lures, and the custom lures, are hard to find, even on the internet. My biggest problem with internet sites is that there is little effort made to maintain them. For some reason, new baits don't get added to the online catalog as quickly as they come out. And really, if you look on the sites, you see that a lot of the baits that are listed as new, are actually a year old. Try finding a rumbler on one of the websites. I know they are out, but I can't seem to find them on any of the sites. I don't want to wait until the season has begun to stock up on baits. There are enough expenses to worry about with the boats and gear during the season. And looking at colors is a problem on some of the internet sites too. And then there is the order that you make, only to find out the bait isn't in stock. At least at the shows, you can hold the lure in your hand to decide if it is the right color, or is well made, before you make the purchase. I think that if the websites were kept up to date better, with more colors shown, and with specific sections showing you what new products are out (new, not, new last year) then I would probably buy less at the shows in the winter.
As for the prices of baits, I don't know why prices are so high on some baits, and I don't know why some people pay so much for them, me included. I agree with Beaver on the hard wooden baits. These baits are hand made, hand painted and take a long time to make. You can pay what they want for them, or try to do it yourself, but those are your only options. And quality goes down as prices go down. But for bucktails and rubber and plastic baits, I was somewhat dismayed at the high prices being charged, even though I know that if people will pay for them, then they are not going to lower their prices anytime soon. Plastic baits made in an assembly style fashion that cost as much as the painted wood lures that they compete with are ridiculous. And why do people pay three times as much money for a giant rubber poured bait that contains only two times the amount of material? There isn't more work involved in these baits, so why the disparity in the cost to material ratio? And they all have the same likelihood of being destroyed if they catch a fish, so who would pay for these lures? Are they that much more effective than the smaller ones? I have no idea why prices jump around so much sometimes.
Maybe a lot of these lures are bought just for the fishermans ego. I only say that because when I saw the new enormous bulldawgs at the show, my brother and I both said aloud that it must be for trolling, when a gentleman standing next to us puffed up his chest and said, I've got me a rod that will cast that just fine, and I'm gonna be throwing it all year long. Because he looked around the same age as me, I said to my brother, he can have at it, but when we are both fifty, I'm still gonna be casting for muskies, while he'll be hard pressed to go fishing for bluegills. (Sure, he may catch some nice big fish, but I'd rather have a long fishing career with shorter fish, than a short fishing career with longer fish.) My point being, there are many reasons that people spend what they do, and I don't understand why in many cases. But I don't think my reasons for spending the cash are any better than anyone elses, they are just different, so I don't expect prices on any of the lures to change anytime soon. Luckily we can still find good prices on a lot of good baits and don't have to resort to spending a lot of money........unless of course, we want to.......dangit.
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Posts: 551
Location: Columbus, Georgia | I really enjoy the convenience of ordering baits online, but it seems to me that this past season at least half of the time I ordered a specific pattern ... the supplier was out of stock.
I have found myself going more and more directly to the manufacturer to get specific patterns that the online outfits either do not stock, or are out of stock.
There is no way that I buy into the rationalization that the markup on Musky lures is low.The markup runs at least 50% (double the cost) and anyone that tells otherwise is telling fish stories.
As far as what it costs exhibitors to rent booths at shows; these people own a business, and with that goes the right to deduct such expenses directly off the top of monies derived from the sale of their baits or even from guiding fees if they co-mingle all of the monies received from their business operations.
So at the Milwaukee show baits did not fly off the shelves at the same rates they did in Chicago. So what!. Why all the "whoa is me" about the lure manufacturers.
They are making money ... don't worry about it. Knowing what I know about how much I spend every month on Musky baits and equipment -- the manufacturers of these products are the last guys whose financial positioning I am worried about.
Craig
Edited by cjrich 2/13/2007 1:59 PM
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Posts: 551
Location: Columbus, Georgia | How is it that one online resource charges an extra $12 to ship any rod over 7 feet long, while another discounts the rod with a special sale price and provides free rod shipping? (tongue in cheek...)
And still conversations abound about the cost of doing business and the shrinking profit margins that exist today.
Don't believe the hype 
Craig |
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Posts: 1243
Location: Musky Tackle Online, MN | Being on the retail end of musky lure sales, I can tell you that no one sells their baits anywhere near double what their cost is. It takes a LOT of sales to make a living in the lure selling business. That's why most retailers sell more than just baits. There are other items in their stores that carry a much higher profit margin. If people knew how little I made on each lure I sell, they would probably think I was nuts. But that's why I still have a full time "job" with no intentions of quitting anytime soon.
Aaron |
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Posts: 551
Location: Columbus, Georgia | I will add an addendum to my two previous posts and state that when lures are handcrafted; I understand completely that there is a time factor involved with changes the cost model. I would not compare the time it takes to craft a handmade wooden bait... and the amount of time it takes a machine to produce a Jake (or 100 Jakes during that time for that matter). DITTO for the BullDawg.
That being said, I have watched the Chicago Show videos that Steve has provided to us and definitely see a difference between assembling a $30+ spinner in 45 seconds, as compared to a craftsman working with wood baits, applying multiple coats of clearcoat, lacquer, etc..
Everyone takes a chance when they are doing business. That's the nature of the beast.
Craig
Edited by cjrich 2/13/2007 3:10 PM
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Posts: 324
Location: Bloomington, Illinois | Nicely said!!!
matt |
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Posts: 1530
| being a bait manufaturer its really funny to see the informative posts from all. well said in all aspects. one thing not touched on is economy and uncertainity of their futures. we are constantly being eroded in dollar values from cheap asian imports.. as some manufactures have gone overseas in product manufacturing the smaller guys are still implementing good value and quality products. shows here in michigan and ontario have far peaked. booth cost necessasry but prohibitive at 1000 bucks. as stated before retailers have to sling a lot of product to recover costs. theres no certain evil of overpricing or gouging. its just plain poor economy. |
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| It's expensive to drive there and back. Expensive to get in the door. Costs $4.50 a beer. Hotel is $70 a night and that's not bad for Milwaukee. Then lunch, Dinner, Drinks at the bar. Everything is expensive & unless you have an endless money train it's just to tough to play the game all the time. Lee T want's $30 a lure & $40 in some cases, then it's $450 to hire him too... OUCH!
If this keeps up, walleye fishing might not look so bad. NAW! Love fishing for muskies, just hate the expense. |
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Posts: 544
Location: Alsip, Il | I use to drop $250.00 to $350.00 a year at the shows, but I am glad I only spent around $150.00 this year at the shows. I use to look forward to the shows thinking I would get better deals, but that has long past. The other reason for me was to get custom colors but that is now fading. You ask about maybe getting an old color or custom color they are out of, you get blown off (some customer service)!!!!!! Now, the main reason I go is to break up the winter and bs. with new and old friends. I am also subjected to owning tackle boxes full of lures that may have only seen the light of day once, which I will hopefully purge from my garage. Sooner or later I will learn. Al  |
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Posts: 551
Location: Columbus, Georgia | Ordered a Double Chopper just today from Lee T. (black with the flaming orange head).
Can't wait to throw that bad boy 
Craig |
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Posts: 35
Location: Johnsonville, Wisconsin | For what it's worth:
My son and I spent about $180 at the Expo, Includng gas/(poor) chow/door and parking. Would have spent some more on baits (bought 2) but had a rod-reel combo swiped from my truck in '06 and had to replace that. Found a great deal on both and saved a bunch.
I really enjoyed looking at the new baits being built and just wanted to say that the quality of the baits being offered was so far above what has been offered in the not too distant past that I was impressed. I have made some baits in the past and know what the costs are. I didn't see many baits that were overpriced and quite a few that were clearly worth more than the asking. All of the creators are to be congratulated.
Just beautiful craftsmanship and well worth the $$ for the piece.
There were baits there that I honestly felt were far too nice for me to toss into the water (or off a rock wall), maybe there is a practical $$ limit between functional and art.
I do not Internet buy for many things because it is more important than people realise to keep the independant, creative entreprenures in business.
My .02
Daffy |
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| We don't need all these lures but face it we are just musky bait addicts. I would have more colors and styles of top producers if I could see better prices. Most basement bait makers offer me great deals and I really appreciate that aspect of true quality work at a reasonable price. |
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| Lets see got a perka cause it looked good, cost ? help me out here Andrew what did I pay?
Got a weagle 10 because it matched the color of my older one. Lambeau I think you sold it to me how much?
Ring bling 20 I think.
Lakeshore don't remember the cost.
I go to the shows to see what little guys have and help them out. |
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Posts: 412
Location: Waukesha, WI | muskihntr - 2/13/2007 12:44 PM
here is somthing i have been wondering about...recently there was a new cabelas superstore that opened up not far from the milwaukee expo....even though they are not a huge musky outlet, i have to wonder how many "area folks" maybe spent alot of their budget in that store over the last few months on other things like clothing electronics etc, to the point that maybe they had to hold back a little at the show???? just another angle to look at it from.
Cabelas is probably a 30 minute trek for me. They really haven't stocked much in the way of muskie gear when I was there in October. Cabelas being nearby has not impacted my purchasing habits yet, and probably won't. With this board enabling contacts, my main sources are direct, Smokey's, and R&H. The only thing I bought from Cabelas when I was there was an impulse purchase of the LakeMaster WI chip. Darn demo for another customer. lol
Edit: now that I think about it, Sportsmans Warehouse is closer than Cabelas, and I did get my Frabill from Sportsmans as well as my last Abu/St Croix combo.
Edited by ESfishOX 2/13/2007 10:07 PM
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Location: Fishing the weeds | It always amazes me when I hear or read people saying that the person providing the service or product should eat his expenses to provide lower prices. Would you take a 50% cut in pay to help out your employer? I don't think so. And for the record the bucktails that cost $25-$35 usually have the very best of materials that are not cheap. Price some oversized blades on the market and tell me the price of the end product is not justified. Most people who have never been in business cannot and will not understand what it takes (money and time) to run a business. I get it all the time in my business. They ask: Why are your prices so high? My reply is: "Because I'm not a non-profit organization". And then you get the people who ask for extra work to be done "While your here" and then get offended when you charge them for it. The simple fact is if you can't afford it don't buy it. Don't piss and moan about the price. Businesses aren't in business to lose money. Pat |
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Location: Columbus, Georgia | Hey Pat!
I agree with you. I pay the price and purchase lots of expensive stuff. I think that with all of the issues and sub-issues mentioned within this this thread .... we've got a fruit salad going. There are so many independent variables when it comes to doing business that it's difficult sometimes to see the forest for the trees. Small independents definitely struggle to produce their fine products and still get prices that fairly compensate them for their time. Then, of course, we have a lot of mass-produced stuff that is in my mind overpriced. However, many of those baits are proven fish-catchers, and I pay the price for the opportunity to throw them.
I originally posted on this thread because I had perceived some violins being played for the tackle producers over the fact that their baits were not flying off of the displays in Milwaukee the way that they did in Chicago. That was all.
I think everyone's opinions on this thread are interesting. They help me to consider other angles and ways of looking at things. I have been in business for myself my entire adult life, and understand that Business A over here may be singing the blues about this or that and they are really hitting the nail on the head. Additionally, Business B over here is singing either the same or a different song, yet their circumstances are really quite different ... thus indicating that they are telling fish stories while Business A really had something there. And that's where the "fruit salad" begins to be prepared.
Let's look at some of these plastic and/or swim baits. Machine made by the thousands. Quite possibly made in a foreign market where the workers were getting paid 15 cents per hour. Can we still say in good conscience that a price of $15 to $18 for a bait that costs maybe $3 to make (including the shipping and handling costs to get the bait back to the licensed producer here in the states) is the same as let's say a Gene Richardson bait, whose glide baits are individually and hand produced? How about the baits produced by Musky Snax? And many others. Lots of hard work and hand craftsmanship has gone into those lures for sure.
Speaking about "business" and "owning a business" in such general terms when costs, circumstances, time, and craftsmanship are involved is a real slippery slope in my own opinion. There are just too many variables to generalize.
Business is not easy, but it's not a hard pill to swallow that if we took to heart all of the excuses and tap dancing explanations provided to us by business owners and product producers (with any product or service) about why they need to charge this or do that .... the consumer would be even more victimized than we already are. As an ultimate consumer I can say that it's really a jungle out there. Just call your telephone company or insurance company these days ....about anything.
I think the overall quality of equipment, baits, and services within the Musky industry is astoundingly high when compared to the slip-shot, ragged, and shaky business practices that abound out there on the street. It seems to me that there has been a tremendous decline in recent years with business owners attitudes about all aspects of servicing the public. The actual welfare of the ultimate consumers has taken a back seat to profit. Period. They have neither shame nor integrity.
I just hope the Musky industry keeps their current high standards when it comes to quality of the products that they are selling and customer service. I know that I am willing to pay an added price in order to get them both.
And how much do you think the materials cost on those monster spinnerbaits anyway? Once again, I pay the price for what I want, but don't expect, nor believe, that the profits of any mass-produced product are marginal. The oil companies have been screaming about dwindling profits and a tough market forever, yet they continue to post record profits.
I am now well into in my fifties, and feel that I have had enough time and frame of reference to express opinions about the decline in general business practices (outside the Musky industry) over the past (let's say) 10 to 15 years. Yet when I read posts about the "pre-ROI days" and the changes to the way Jakes are now being made, and the changes in the Bull Dawg production, etc, it really makes one wonder. I guess that's just business.
The business concept of selling baits at a lower price in order to sell more of those same baits seems to have eluded the Musky industry. Just look at all of the guys on this thread alone who have stated that they did not buy based upon high prices. Lower profits per unit x more baits sold = the same profit in the long run + higher consumer satisfaction and a more broad opportunity to "brand" a company name. Just my 64 cents.
Craig
Don't believe the hype.
Edited by cjrich 2/14/2007 2:46 PM
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