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New Batch of Swimbaits

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Dude,

They would have to pry that bluegill out of my cold, dead hand before I'd sell it.

It's beautiful.

Do yourself a favor.

Ask an older person you know and trust, who works with their hands for a living, how much your time is worth, and figure out how much time you have in that bait.

Then figure out how much it's worth to you to have to make them, instead of doing it for fun.

That's how to price your lure.

If it becomes a chore, for which you ultimately feel burdened and underpaid, you'll probably get discouraged and stop doing them.

That would be a shame.

You do beautiful work.

P.S. I'd love to be able to do a photo finish like that. You're very talented.

Edited by mark poulson
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Everything Mark said above is spot on.

I live in Southern Cal which as most know is a big bass mecca. I personally am not a freshwater guy but still read about and see all the gear. That bluegill is quite simply the most realistic one I have ever seen. For the fishermen that have the swimbait mindset and want the best, which there are a lot of, that bait is easily worth $75.

I'll add that time and effort and costs of production are all necessary factors in determining price, but supply and demand are as important. If you are a bad craftsman and it takes you forever to make a so-so product you cannot base your product price primarily on the value of your time then your bait may be overpriced. On the other hand if you are skilled and efficient with your time and can still produce a superior product you do not short change yourself and charge less because the process is shorter. Bottomline is you charge what the bait is worth and what people are willing to pay because of demand. Your bait is worth a lot more then 20 bucks.

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If you are intending to sell, even if it is only part time supplement, Mark and KK have given good advice. The first baits may have taken several hours to make. A lot of this time may have been spent admiring the result or thinking and planning time. This is not part of the equation, as once you have made fifty, it will no longer be valid.

I suggest you start to keep a book. Itemise all the individual steps and time them. You would not make them one at a time, if you had orders, you would make them ten at a time. You will be amazed at the time savings that repetition building makes. But don't rush the job. Your main selling point is quality craftsmanship, not mass production.

I would estimate an 60 to 90 minutes per lure. Sorry if I am way off. This would make the $75 price tag a fair price. If the photo finish takes a lot of extra time, this must be charged for too.

Also, a video of the lure swimming would be a valuable asset. If you don't own a vid camera, you must know someone who has.

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predatorbassbaits, i sent you an email.

wow i really could not see anyone paying $75 for one of these!

maybe i will make another bluegill and put it on ebay and see how high the bids go.

i think if i were to start making a lot of these, like to sell them, it would stop being fun.

i am already working on 5 that my dad is buying and it doesnt seem quite as fun as the others.

i think that i will lose steam not enjoy making them if i have to make a bunch for other people.

if i were to sell them, i think i would only take a few orders at a time, so that way i'm not being overwhelmed with having to make these.

i would get more satifaction out of making just a few here and there for myself.

i'm still gonna put one on ebay to see how much i can get for it ;)

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Dieter, very nice work - Like they are all saying enjoy it, if you ever start selling them, eventually you will realize you are only making what customers/sellers want (even when you know it won't work), as opposed to what you have here, which is something YOU enjoy with results YOU want - been there and done that. pete

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i think if i were to start making a lot of these, like to sell them, it would stop being fun.

DSV,

That's the difference between a hobby and a job. When you get paid to do something, and are expected to perform, it kind of takes the fun out of it, unless you can find a way to make the process fun anyway.

If you charge enough and get it, maybe you will get a kick out of making lures that make money, and that will be a turn on. But you may find you'll be looking for ways to speed up the process all the time, to increase you profit margin, and to get some free time, because you really don't like making lures for money under a time constraint and filling orders.

That's the trap of building lures, or doing anything, commercially.

And then there's the need to service what you sell. Goof ups are okay in hobbies, but not when you're getting paid for something.

If the finish or hinge fails on a bait you sold, either you take it back and fix it, free of charge, or you'll have a bad reputation, and no sales, in no time.

I'm not saying these things to discourage you, but just to let you know what's ahead. If you can make a go of it commercially, and still enjoy yourself, good for you. :wink:

Edited by mark poulson
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