CTFishTalk.com: poll: my handmade lures and business class - Connecticut Bass Fishing ( CT Bass Fishing ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

xxBASSxx · Joined: 31 Mar 2011 Posts: 1

i am a high school student and currently in business class learning to syart a business. i am selling lures right now. in line spinners and soon spinner baits. they are all handmade. THIS TOPIC IS JUST A REFERENCE FOR MY CLASS I AM NOT SELLING OVER THE INTERNET CURRENTLY. here is what i need some info from. if i found you at a boat launch readying to go on the water and i asked you if you would like to buy a handmade lure from me ( inline $2.00~$4.00 spinner baits $4.00~5.00) would you be willing to buy one? please answer in poll. please post feedback or suggestions. ty

PECo · Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 5203 Location: Avon, CT

Grammar and spelling are always important, especially if you're trying to market a product that you want to be perceived as being of high quality. Wink

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flippy · Joined: 25 May 2008 Posts: 1150

xxBASSxx, boy your inlines better be something a little different, because Blue Fox, and MEPPS have been making inlines for years, and you can purchase them for under 3 bucks, and for spinnerbaits, well, there a dime a dozen, like I said,,, they would have to be something a little different,,, what you have to do is give some to a club like HELLS ANGLERS, to field test those for you,,, then the word gets out if their any good,,, I have been playing with making lures for a few years,, you could go to a lure building website and make your own fairly cheap,,, Advertising, is the best and only way to get your lures recognized,,, if you think your inlines and spinnerbaits are the bomb then you could You Tube them while your catching tons of fish,,, or give some to me and I have a pond that I can catch LOTS of BASS using your baits,, I can video tape,a segment for you,, Good Luck Kiddo,,,,, JIM

Justin Tralli · Joined: 05 May 2007 Posts: 656 Location: Glastonbury, CT

xxBass- First let me start by saying this... I think that it is pretty darn cool that you are trying to learn about entrepreneurship! Especially in the fishing tackle industry. Its a tough business right now (but what isn't) and you really have to have something different. I have been involved with one of the finest spinnerbait manufacturers for the past decade and really learned a lot myself. Flippy gave you some very very good advice! You need something different.

So here's the scoop! There are THOUSANDS of people out there making lures. ESPECAILLY SPINNERBAITS! Just type " hanmade spinnerbaits" into Google and it will spit back thousands of "handmade" spinnerbait companies. And almost all of them look the same! Why is that? Because they are the same! These people are all buying the heads, blades and skirts from the same component catalogs and all claim they have something new and wonderful. It's B.S. and let me tell you, 99% of them arent selling a darn thing.

Here's the reality.

There is a difference between the words "HANDMADE" and "HAND ASSEMBLED".

Anyone can go online and buy parts out of Stamina, Barlows and or Jann's Netcraft catalog and put a half decent, cheap spinnerbait together. I call those kinds of "companies", HAND ASSEMBLERS. And for the most part they are a dime a dozen.

"HAND MADE" and "MANUFACTURED" however are different. These kinds of companies are designing, molding, pouring, casting, painting and assembling 100% of the baits. These kinds of companies are the ones that often do the best and offer something DIFFERENT! AND DIFFERENT SELLS!

So I guess my point is, don't use the term "HAND MADE" loosely. If you are going to market your lures as such, actually figure it out and make them by hand. I'd personally be much more inclined to purchase one of your lures if it is something you designed and created rather than one you just bought parts for out of a catalog and threw together with a pair of pliers and looks like everything else out there. I could do the same thing and make the bait even cheaper. A customer wouldn't need to pay you to do it. Make something unique!

I hope this doesn't sound harsh because I'm certainly not trying to poo-poo your efforts. It's merely some advice from someone who's been involved in the very same business you are venturing into for a long time.

Regards

- Justin Tralli
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SWfish · Joined: 31 Aug 2010 Posts: 21

To answer the other part of your question - me personally, if you hit me up to buy a lure from you while I was launching my Kayak, my answer is no, I most likely wouldn't buy a lure from you. First, when I am putting the yak in the water I am so anxious to get out I don't want to be slowed down by someone trying to sell me something. If I am going out, I generally have the lures I need or plan to use, so I am not looking to add more, nor do I carry a whole lot of spare cash when I go fishing. In addition...I would be wary (must be my NY background) of someone trying to sell me a product at a "non-traditional' sales environment...boat launch out of the trunk of your car? Hope that helps.

Crest Daddy · Joined: 20 Jan 2011 Posts: 994

I would buy it to support a kid in high school trying to get something positive going in life.