Start selling...then quit?

[kevtherev]

Anybody out there start selling your plastics for whatever reason and then stop? If so why? I am trying to see the possible down sides to starting to sell my "inventions". Thanks.

kevtherev

[Travis]

Many guys jump in like gang busters only to find out well it ain't exactly cheap. For selling it gets even tougher. Over the past several years with websites, vendors, etc... the market for handpours and custom plastics have been hammered. Now in my eyes custom handpours are rare because basically anything goes. I prefer doing custom stuff and is really about all I do usually. Color combinations not offered, styles of baits, etc.... Soft plastics is dominated by poor mans mass production methods for common baits in many cases. I have a presto pot for just those reasons. This typie of pouring doesn't take much ability. Grab a recipie of a site and pull a lever and you are good to go. Add some two piece aluminum molds and you can knock out some baits. As long as the guy gets something their buddy doesn't have they are happy (unfortunate) the ability to say I had these made trumps the guys GY bought at the store, lol. The senko craze really drove the nail home I am afraid.

As far as pouring for yourself it depends. If you don't fish a lot then you won't save much money. It comes down to if you just enjoy making your own baits. If you like making unique colors or styles, etc.....

Edited May 14, 2009 by Travis

[cadman]

Kevtherev,

Travis hit it right on the money. I don't pour plastics, but I pour, paint and sell about 30 different lead jigs. I can pretty much custom make anything. With that said, I won't quit my full time job. Starting cost is a big factor with lead pouring as well. You have to have some cash stashed, in case sombody wants something special, and you have to buy a mold, paint, etc. For me up until mid May I'm busy like gangbusters, then it drops off drastically. It then picks up a little in September, and the cycle continues. I do it as a hobby, and the passion I have to create something new and different. Especially with colors, I am a color mixing fanatic. Just like plastics, everybody and their mother is pouring lead. What will separate you from others is quality( you must have a very good product to sell, there is no room for junk or half a** work here) price (depends on how busy you want to be) and delivery (you have to deliver on time, nobody cares that you ran out of color, or pours aren't right or anything else, it's not there problem). With all this said, I still enjoy pouring jigs, it's going on 6 years. Start out slow, and get your feet wet, you never know until you try.

[Jig Man]

I've not sold my plastics, but for years I did make and sell jigs to boat docks, hence the handle jig man. I got tired of having to make the large orders, get them done and delivered and keep a full time job as well as try to raise cattle and find time to hunt and fish.

Something had to go and the least fun was filling the orders so I quit selling jigs.

[Zbass]

All these guys are right on the money. What you have to weigh out is do you want your hobby to become a "job". There is a big difference between, "I HAVE to go out and pour" as opposed to "I WANT to go out and pour". I only sell to a few people. That way I can control how much "work" it is.

[96dak]

i find its only work if you let it be, sure when i get a 1500 - 2000 piece order from a tackle shop, i have to go out and pour, i give myself a 2 week window to get that done. then i will be able to build up an inventory so when i do have to pour it will be on my schedule and not someone elses. having just been laid off (today is my last day) im very glad i decided to start an actual business, my main customers are some local shops with many more getting interested. the closest hand pour operation i can find is TubeMan (BassMagnet Lures) and i buy some of my supplies from him. the fisherman around here are starting to eat up the handpours.

[hazmail]

Sorry to hear you have lost your job 96dak, good luck with your new one, this is probably the difference,' you have to make it work'.pete

[GB GONE]

Well said guys... Travis is dead on. Anyone can be a "hand pourer" these days. Buy a kit, dump some plastic down a hole.... Days of doing what Chris (Al's Worms), Javier (bass8baits) and so many others did so well are pretty much gone. The line has blurred to much.

I enjoy the super custom stuff that I get requests for. The website and "mass colors" are just to keep the supplies up for those real trying pours that come in once a month. Without that on the side, it would be difficult to just do custom stuff. Money is not there. Most will still not pay you more than what Zoom or Berkley get for a bag of baits regardless of what you make them.

With the availability of "hand pour" injectors, pots, and the 2 piece molds, might as well just buy an injector and blast them out that way.

The art of pouring core shots, veins and multi color baits will still have its calling for those that see how well these baits can catch over even laminate colors. The few that still do those will have a place in the hand pour business but most others will come and go.

I agree with the others...When it becomes like a chore, go do something else... to this day, I still LOVE going out to create the "perfect" bait!!!!

Good luck!!!!!!

Jim

[Bountiful Waters]

Jim was right when he stated that many do not see the value of quality work and want to pay you $2.40 a bag for something it cost you $3.00 to make. You need to have some thick skin and be proud enough of your work to walk away from bargain hunters in these tackle shops. If you bend over once, they will expect it every time. 9 out of 10 will never give you a problem, but there is always one who thinks you are asking too much, no matter what it is. These same people will buy factory 2nds and sell them in their store for 100% plus mark up. Choose your patrons and dealers wisely and do not hesitate to pump us for more info as we don't want other hand pour guys getting the shaft. It affects us all.

[outdooradvantage]

If you love to do it and you actually fish your baits then there is no reason to quit.

[Bass-Boys]

I love making my own baits.. and use mainly just my own stuff,,,

but,, I " HOPE" to get my invested amount back in 5 years,, Hope that is,,

I did not figure what all the cost would be,, and the adiction,,...

its been 2 1/2 years for me and I have got back only about 40 % of what I have spent

and you always need more of some thing ,, But its a lot of fun !!!!

Jeff

[Pitbull Baits]

I am off and on right now with money being tight or when I want to add some new plastics and colors. I also will sit back and see what sells at the tackle store I sell at then pull colors or style of baits that aren't moving. Sometimes I will make a ton of plastics and stock up on them so I can do just custom colors. But if a cutomer emails me and wants a custom color on my breaks I will pour it. I like to call my down time a vaction or two or three week break.