atrophius Posted July 22, 2009 Report Share Posted July 22, 2009 I am a bit off from having a sellable lure, but I was wondering if anyone had some insight into how they started selling them. Flea markets, ebay, craigslist...etc. Any of those? If anyone would like to share also some tips on how to make production a little more efficient or faster? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spoopa Posted July 23, 2009 Report Share Posted July 23, 2009 I dont sell lures consistently, but i just mainly put out spooks to local bait stores. I just try to keep everything simple as possible and very consistent in my process. I turn my spooks on a lathe so i can whip out about 20 of em in an hour or so. Then i weigh them all and right down how much they weigh then that shows how much lead I put in them. I can get the lures pretty much the same with weight just by how much i turn the drill press handle....... Just basically try to keep everything very simple and easy to do agian and multiple times. Also dont rush cause you will only start to mess things up when you rush. Then what I have noticed is that I make sure that im not tired at all when I do the painting, I may just be wierd but I try to feel very good with everything before I paint cause I dont like to mess up on that part:lol:. CONSISTANTY CONSISTANTY is the main thing Goodluck, Jacob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassinjody Posted July 23, 2009 Report Share Posted July 23, 2009 Just throw some paint on it like rookie does and sell it for 40.00 dollors on ebay . he can really paint thru a straw though, just kiddn rookie his baits are awsome. just take your time with your baits go around your area tackle shops show them and then ask if u could sell a few . jody:sauced: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted July 23, 2009 Report Share Posted July 23, 2009 (edited) I don't sell but read comments about small scale operations here on TU. I think the essence is you have to make a consistently good crankbait, do it efficiently, be able to scale it up and down according to demand, and market it so you can make a profit against the time and materials you invest. No small task! Crafting bodies with hand tools in the hobby mode won't hack it if your baits are good enough to develop a demand. Most shops have a production line of power tools with custom jigs set up to cut and shape quickly with consistent results. They have standard steps in finishing that take less time than we hobbiests do to produce a marketable finish. And they build baits in larger batches. In short, it's a whole 'nother ball game from hobby building if you want it to become an actual profitable business. I see a variety of custom crankbaits displayed in a few bait shops in my area. It's a good way to build customers because tournament anglers frequent those shops looking for "something different" to help them compete. If your bait is a "cut above" in quality and results, you'll build a local reputation and orders will increase. I have no idea on what basis they are stocked - perhaps on consignment? - but it's probably a better deal for the store than they get from the big lure companies. Also, most small scale custom builders opt to market their lures on a web site, a few opt for Ebay. There are hundreds of lure websites you can peruse to see the good, the bad and the ugly among them. I also see custom builders selling from booths at Fishing and Boating shows in the area. There are lots of marketing outlets, you just need to choose the ones that suit the baits you produce, in the volume you produce them. Edited July 23, 2009 by BobP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
