I just had some quick quistions about the whole idea of marketing anything. CBG's, pickups, t-shirts, shoes.....you name it.......
Let's say that there is a product that you can purchase. This product has 4 different price points.
$30.00
$22.00
$8.00
$3.00
Now, you find out that you can make this product for next to nothing yourself, by hand. You can order the material that you need (wire, cloth, magnets etc) and make them. You can churn out 3 of these products yourself, by hand in about an hour. So, you have yourself this little side hobby /skill that you may be able to make a couple of bucks on. You don't want to charge people an arm and a leg, but you don't want to break yourself either....just a nice little side craft you can do to make a few bucks.....no biggie.
You see this product and look at the price points and think "Man, 30 bucks is insane, who would pay for something like that for that amount of money."
You look at the 22 dollar price point and think "Well, this is a bit better, but still high as a cat's back."
Then the 8 and 3 dollar price point you think " Okay, now that is way more resaonable, but I can make 12 of that same product for 7 dollars myself."
You do the math and think "Well, I can buy the material for 7 and sell each one of these products for at least a dollar, (making 12 items each) and still come out ahead. But, since you are making this product, by hand, you need to at least come up with a price point for your time and talent. So, you charge a $1.25 for your product......1 for the product and since you can make one of these things in about 10 mins, you treat yourself to 25cents.
But here is a bit of a catch. You still have these other price points running around from other company's that are making the same product. But, you are selling your items for way less, so you know that the consumer will see that your item is the exact same thing and think "Man, I am coming out ahead and I am saving money because I want this product, but I don't want to pay 30 bucks for it, when I can get it this cheap."
Where are the rules drawn out in the sand? Who says that you can make the same exact thing that Joe Blow down the street is making, for less? Is it all just fair in love and war? Would someone get in trouble if they found out a way to make something, that someone all ready sells, but just for less? A 2 liter of pepsi is a $1.50, but a RC cola is 50 cents.....they both are pretty much the same thing, a bit different taste, but in all reality, who cares if you can save that extra buck.
Is this what they call the american dream? Is this where the rules don't really tend to apply? I can make a single coil pick up, so can that guy, but mine is cheaper, they both sound the same way, his just has a different brand name....but you save money buying my product. The you have thos other guys that say..."Well, his has this going for it, or that, or I like him better, or his comes with this..." It all boils down to a choice that a customer makes. Back in the day, on the farms, if you could not make it with your hands, you really did not need it. This is where guys like the old blues men were born, they saw a need, or a want ( I want a guitar to sound like Son House) So they use what they had.....but then over time, improved upon it, improved upon it, and then Bam, flash forward till now, and look at all of the six strings we have.....but throw guys like us in the mix, and then people get a bit taken out of their norm, get interested and then start making CBG's for themselves.....that is a bit off the subject, but you get the point.
What I am saying is, it boggles my mind that I can make a product, just as good, if now better than the next guy, but how can I get a peice of the action so to speak...Where can I get my foot in and say "Hey, don't pay that crazy amount of money for that product, when I can sell you one for way cheaper than his, that is just as good."
I am not greedy.....really.....I have always just wanted to have a samll buisness on the side, just to do and gain a bit of a cash flow. Is there anything really wrong with that? If you enjoy doing it.....then you should be fine right?
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This is all good input...thank you all for your time on kinda shaking me into reality a bit. I think though there was a bit of a miss understanding.....really, I was not talking about selling CBG"S or pick ups.....it was a different item all together. I just know that this group of people all have good, level heads on their shoulders and they would not send me astray on any sort of venture, whether it be selling pick ups or guitar picks (and no, I am not selling guitar picks either.)
I have had people tell me I should sell my cbg's...but really, I don't think any of mine would compare to any out there on the market today...plus the tools, space, time....I just don't have it....I barley have enough time to build the one's I make for myself. And I tried the pick up winding, and I am to to the point now, it's just better for me to think less and just buy a pickup than to make one.
No, it's another craft/hobby that I have picked up here in the last month or so....and yes, I have made one of these items and sold it on ebay......posted the item for 1 dollar and sold it for $2.25......I made a bit of a profit in my eyes and it does not take me long to make the item....okay, I will go ahead and tell you what the item is.....just google paracord bracelet's, or survival bracelet's....nuff said.....you will see.....I just wanted to make sure that I was in the clear for selling these items, I quickly learned that I was, since there are ton of people on ebay that are selling the same thing, for a lot more and sometimes a lot less.
Thank you again for all of your time and advice....
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