Just curious...

From what I see, it looks like a labor of love to most of you guys. IMO for the effort you put into hand made plugs, even at 20-25 per it seems like a futile business to make a ton of cash. I didn't see any H1's in the parking lot at the SB.com get together.

I know most of you are wood turners but what about the mass produced plastic injection lure business? I know the start-up is higher but is there any real money in this either? For example is Yo-Zuri or alike making any real money with overseas cheap labor and mass production facilities? What do you think their net/year is ?...ballpark

If you can make em' it saves you plenty......beats paying $8-10.00 a plug or more! I am hoping to get crankin' tomorrow and give it a shot! At the very least it will be alot of fun!:happy:

"saves you plenty", I can tell that larry is in the early stages of this addicition!With all the must have items, tools , airbrush, drying rack...ect.As the addicition takes hold it only gets worse, then you might start selling to try and support your habit.DO NOT get into this thinking that you are gonna save $.
The coolest thing is catching on yer own stuff and giving to some of yer friends and they catch with yer stuff too . I'm not busting on larry cause that's how I sounded 3 years ago too.It's all part of this addicition :) johnny "the Ratt Boy"

Definately not going to get rich making plugs. And as far as saving money:laughs: :laughs: :laughs: A lipped plug is going to cost ya $4 or more to make, never mind your time.

And like Larry said , it IS alot of fun, you learn alot about plugs and I appreciate wooden plugs (and the work that goes into them ) a lot more , now that I know what people go through to make 'em.:) johnny "tRB"

Thanks for going easy on me as far as my ambitiousness Johnny the Ratt Boy.......looking more for fun than the money aspect and especially slamming fish on something that I created and hopefully getting good enough to do some swapping with these talented people here on the board. I just got my foot in the plug collecting door and I am really looking forward to building.......whooops gotta go....:drool:.....I am starting to drool all over myself! :laugha:

It would be a lot of work man

Salty... always tootin yer own horn

whatever

I wish I were the Tinman.........:laugha:

Don't misread my post...I respect you guys for doing this...I love and own many of your creations...I know how much effort you put into it, I notice your detials...but it seems to me a real tough way to make a buck... A fun way to a point, sure, but lots of effort. It is one thing to make a few plugs for yourself and have fun and "save" a few bucks (I say "save" because the breakeven payout after you buy all the equipment (not counting your hours) is probably 1000 plugs or more), but it is another thing to produce 1000's of *consistant* plugs day in and day out. My hats off to guys like habs and salty and some of the others who do this seriously. I don't know how you do it!...but I am glad you do.
That is why I see the plastic injection work and out-sourcing the detail work as the only real way to profit in the long term. You can't do everthing thing yourself and expect to mass produce *and* make money. I just can't concieve of having to put 3000 trebles on plugs. (my hands would be raw!) or having to sand them all. There is a BIG difference between a few for yourself and friends and mass producing them.
But I agree with you I would rather fish a hand crafted wood then a jap produced plastic anyday....

My point is I think if i were to get into it for money...I would invest in a overseas out sourcing effort to produce a plastic product and would spend my time in R&D (read...fishing! :) ) But I'm an engineer/fishermen not a custom plug maker:D

My hats off to you guys!

Jim check ya pm's.

If I had to pay bills making plugs, my house would say whirlpool on the side. I do it for fun a for me thing, and its pretty cool when you make something and someone else catches on it. Its pretty neat when someone tells you that they lost a plug you made and that it was catching like hell for them.

My personal favorite: out fishing, catch a fish release a fish, no one else is catchin. insert random dude, what'cha usin man/dude one of these. Where can I get one? Ya cant I made it:D

The business I am in (glass) is very much like the plug building profession.. Its all about production process. Instead of turning out 100 poppers in a day, I'm making 100 christmas ornaments in a day. IMHO the secret to starting up any sucessful business like a plug building gig, would to emphasize more on marketing than outsourcing in the begining.. I wouldnt even consider outsourcing my work until I had such a demand that I couldnt make it fast enough to meet the demand.
Another thing to consider is that people will always be willing ot pay a few more bucks for a quality product, and finally, when you outsource, you are training someone else to make your work and in doing that, you are training a future competetor....

did that make sense:confused:

Originally posted by BigFish
I wish I were the Tinman.........:laugha:

Not me!!!! :eek5:

:laughs:

It's a sickness,,,Its fun ... making money ? be better off working saturday..no fun there ..

"Is there any money in this plug business?" Hell yeah, there is plenty of money to be spent on wood, lathes, paint, hardware and on and on.

If your asking if anybody got rich from selling plugs, sure plenty of folks got rich from selling plugs but just not the wooden kind.

Hab has been making great wooden plugs for 10 years. I' ve known John since he started. He is just now starting to get the recognition and money he has worked for. 10 years is a long time for payback. Dedication and belief in what you do and your product is what it takes.
I don't believe that there are many of us who would stick with a loosing business for that long.