hunter88

My last orders were placed the end of March, but I didn't buy direct from Shelts I ordered through Aliexpress. The advantage of going through Aliexpress is they will intervene if there is a problem. You can file a dispute. I ordered some lures from a different company and wasn't getting them. At 60 days I filed a dispute. The company came back with the excuse I had to remember the lures had to come from a long way and it was free shipping. I told them don't give me that excuse I buy from other companies from China and all orders come within 30 days. Plus I paid extra for E Packet shipping since it usually makes it in two weeks. Five days later Aliexpress stepped in and said I wasn't getting any satisfaction so they would return my money. It was back in my account within 24 hours of their e mail. I believe Aliexpress holds the money until you confirm you have received the goods and are satisified, then they release the funds to the company you ordered from. One thing on Shelts after the move to Aliexpress. Delivery seems to have slowed, and the free eyes are gone. Usually it was 2 weeks for delivery, my last orders were closer to 30 days. Also on my last order I ordered surface lures that had a propeller, but the propeller was missing. I left a message through Aliexpress. I didn't get a response right away and left a second message telling them I didn't want to open a dispute since I'd bought many lures from Shelts with no problem. Still no response to I tried one more time, this was over the course of a week. Third time I got a response, they figured out what I needed and said they'd send them out immediately. I had the missing propellers 5 days later. Hope you get your problem taken care of.

Have you tried contacting Shelts through Aliexpress, if not that's where they are selling now. When their web site just quit working I was wondering what was going on, but then a few weeks later I found them selling through Aliexpress. I've placed 2 orders with them there and had no problems. https://www.aliexpress.com/store/1917430?spm=2114.10010108.0.0.44583ea3B0C5hW

I like using transparent yellow, and then adding pearlized lime until I get the color I want.

I did these in chrome. I just used a rattle can of chrome sprayed on the belly, then panted the rest of the lure as I normally would. It has the Bob Smith 2 part epoxy top coat, and I didn't seem to have any problems with that. Have not used the lures as of yet, so can't speak to durability of the top coat over chrome rattle can paint.

I've gotten the malware notice the last couple weeks when I clicked on the link to their web site. I did find their store listed on AliExpress, and was able to get to it that way, though I have not ordered anything since I found it there. It may be instead of selling from a web site or Amazon they are going to start selling through AliExpress instead and that is why the web site issue hasn't been resolved. As for quality I had a batch of 1.5s once that had some leakers in it, but other then that I've never had any problem with the blanks I've gotten from them, and I've ordered 2 or 3 hundred different blanks. They do come from China but they ship E Packet which means I get most of my orders in 2 weeks give or take a bit.

And there are all kinds of people willing to see their tax dollars go to help China compete against US, I'm sure China appreciates your help. Then again maybe you didn't realize your tax dollars were helping China, well guess that's where message boards and the interblab come into play. Your example of a guy with a lathe is a good example, but of course has nothing to do with what I've been talking about concerning China competing fairly with US businesses. Not a lot of little old Chinese guys sitting in their basement with a lathe trying to compete with guys here in the US. You complained about China, yet it seems you're unwilling to look at the problem. China isn't the problem, our Federal government giving them an unfair advantage is the problem. But hey it's only US businesses that are affected, you know those guys that don't have a lathe in the basement knocking out one or two lures a day in their spare time. Have a good day.

As for adding on the shipping fee, why not it's done on everything. When you buy a box of Cheerios at the grocery store, part of the cost is shipping. Everything that is sold either has shipping built in to the price or has it added on. You calculate the cost of what you're selling, figure out how much you want to mark it up, and the difference is profit. Now you can decide to offer free shipping, and take that expense out of your profit. Or you can offer some other incentive to lower the cost, but whatever you do it comes from the profit, and it's each person's choice how much of their profit they are willing to give up. The key is you buy your product from China you get free shipping, you buy your product from a US supplier and you pay shipping. The US supplier is at a disadvantage because China's low cost shipping is being supported by taxpayer money. Our tax dollars are helping China take business from US businesses.

But I'm not saying I paid $1 for a lure so I'll charge $3 to cover everything. I'm saying I bought 20 lures at $1 each and then paid $5 shipping. My lures now cost me $1.25 each. Or I buy 20 lures at $1 each with no shipping cost, and my lures cost me $1 each. From here I add in all other expenses, then calculate markup, and set a price. It's at this point I price the lure 25 cents higher to cover the shipping cost. But in doing this I am now 25 cents higher then the person that didn't pay shipping costs, so he gets the business instead of me. Sales is cutthroat no matter what you're selling, I've been in sales for 37 years. Once people buy from you and like your product, the 25 cents won't mean much. But to get that first sale from someone, that 25 cents can mean everything. I guess what I'm saying is we can blame China all we want, but it's not their fault. The Federal government has given them an advantage over US based businesses and they are using that. In 2017 Amazon's net sales was 178 billion dollars, and 1/3 of Amazon sellers are based in China. A large part of those sales come because they can ship here for next to nothing.

Shipping isn't peanuts. When shipping is $8.95 for the order, soft plastics that are 35 cents each turn into 40 cents each. If you're reselling you have to raise the price by 5 cents to cover shipping. Meanwhile someone else bought from China, got free shipping, and is then able to sell for 5 cents less. If I'm just buying a lure to paint and to use myself, yeah it's not a big deal so just buy here in the US. But in the real world of sales and competition shipping means everything. As for supporting our country. It was our Federal Government that put us in the situation. If China sellers had to compete fairly with US sellers, we wouldn't have anything to talk about here. If you have a complaint take it to the Federal Government that is putting US business at a distinct disadvantage by letting China ship their goods here for next to nothing by using a program supported by US taxpayers. As a taxpayer you're helping support China's businesses by giving them an unfair advantages over American businesses.

Quality is a big factor in cases like this. But China also has a big edge when it comes to an agreement made with the US government in 2011 concerning lower shipping costs for products coming from China. A package can be shipped from China for $5 or less, while the same package going from here to China it around $50. When it comes to soft plastic fishing lures, like worms or craws, or other creature baits. I can find some in China for say 35 cents each, and find them through a supplier here in the US for nearly the same money. I can order 100 or 200 from China, receive them in 2 or 3 weeks with no shipping cost. I order the same amount from a US supplier and get them in 1 week with a $7 or $8 shipping cost tacked on. It's not the US suppliers fault he has to charge shipping, he has to do it. The fault comes from the agreement reached in 2011 that gives the supplier in China an unfair advantage over the US supplier. Quality is a big factor when it comes to having a specific lure made, and quality control here is the US would be easier to monitor. But in the end shipping will be a factor, and here China has an unfair advantage, an advantage we gave them.

Been lurking for quite a while, but thought I may have something to contribute. I use green painters tape. I cut it in narrow strips long enough to go down one side of the lure, over the top, and back down the other side, 2" is usually long enough. When I cut in narrow strips I don't cut straight, but instead make the cuts wavy. I don't worry too much about getting the tips down tight, that way I can get a hold of them easier to take them off. For my bluegill I paint the top with a light green, tape it, paint again with a darker green. Remove the tape and do a very light cover of Pearl Copper and again with Pearl Magenta. Then one last run down the middle of the back in either dark green or black. The stripes on this one don't stand out as much as they do on others I've done, but it gives you an idea.