Am I charging too much

[Craig Warren]

Today I received an e-mail from a fellow who had visited my website,  WWW.Warrenarchery.com,  and made it plain that he thought I was way out of line with my price for a Bow Bolt.  Without revealing his name, here's what he said:

comment: "Hey craig, my name, as you probably read, is ---. I too made the switch from compound back to real archery. I must say, the idea of the bow bolt is great... however, i must say though, Do you have children you are putting through harvard with these things! $95.oo for a threaded piece of (im assuming is stainless)steel seems a teeny bit steep, no? I understand  the R&D placed into it but cmon, did you really have to do much Development to turn it into what it already was/ is? (no offense) well i love the idea of the bow bolt however, i must say being a stick bow lover and all that traditional jazz, my $95.00 would be better spent getting apx 10-25% off my future new bow. I think the idea is solid coming from one do-it-urselfer to another, i must say. all im saying is, all of us traditionalists whom like the idea of a packable bow, smell the markup for miles. I cannot fathom how threaded steel could cost so much to create and offer to the market. pension plan retirees !
and the wealthy can only afford it, well MAYBE the rich have that layin around.(lol) Best of luck to all future endeavors, and may you sincerly be blessed with a healthy future.
    -a middle class member of
society."

Well, what do you think?  I charge $95 for one and give a quantity break for 6 or more which gets it down to $79 ea.  I'll show you my response to him after I hear from some of you who have installed the Bow Bolt or have one in the bow you own.

[drewsbow]

I would have to ask if he knows the machine work involved in making these . I don't feel that the price is all that high all things considered.  

[Badger Matt]

So...how many did he buy?
   

[Jason Kendall]

I havent installed one but I had one in my hand does that count? I think the quality speaks for itself Craig. It's a very well thought out item and I am sure its not cheap to make with the precision tooling used to make it. I dont think it's priced to high at all.

[30coupe]

I think it's one of those "you get what you pay for" things. If you want cheap, imported crap, expect a bargain price. If you want high quality, American-made products, don't complain that they are more expensive. It looks like a lot of machining and precision goes into this product, not to mention the tooling Jason mentioned.

It sounds like a fair price for a high quality product to me. If he can't afford it, maybe he needs to live with a one-piece bow.

[portugeejn]

In keeping with the mantra of free enterprise "It is worth what someone will pay for it", I am guessing the letter writer doesn't think it is worth it, he therefore doesn't have to buy it.

There are a lot of things in America that I think are too expensive (Micro$oft Windows for one), but you know it does what it does for more people than the other systems out there.  So I buy it.  If you want to see "I think you charge too much for your product", ask me about Apple sometime!:-)

I don't own one, but I like the idea and think it is a good one, worth the asking price.  I may buy one sometime if and when the money is available and I can justify it (Then again I've wanted a Porsche 911 Turbo since I was in High School).  Like the song says "You can't always get what you want..."  Maybe I can get a government subsidy.

There are alternatives out there that are cheaper (thinking of the bow sleeve, or Linux in the computer world).  They will do the job, better at some things, worse at others.  In the end you spend your paycheck on what you can afford that will do what you want, or you learn to live without it (I've done reasonably well since 1977 without a Porsche in my driveway).

OK, I'm done ranting now.

RonP

[non-typical]

Ummm....I would have been inclinded to reply: "Well, as one do-it-urselfer to another...go ahead and do-it-urself" and appreciate the "savings"

[Huntrdfk]

I don't think it's too high at all, while I don't have one I did shoot one for a week in a Horne Brush Bow.  If I was looking for a two piece takedown the bowbolt would be my choice, and I would gladly pay the extra $200.00 most bowyers charge as an option.


David

[Toklat1]

       

[Dawn Patrol]

Everyone wants a "deal" now days.
What he should do is make one for him self and then tell you how much money and time he saved. That way you will never hear from him again.

[Jason R. Wesbrock]

The answer lies in your sales volume.

If sales are dropping like a rock, your price may be too high. If, however, you're constantly backordered, your prices may be too low.

Supply and demand will dictate the market price, not a nasty email or two.

[Toklat1]

Thats funny what non-typical said!

[Teacher_of_the_Arcane]

Mr. Warren,

I have a Tomahawk Diamond Thunder Storm TD.  The same bow without the TD is $160 less.  Considering that they are getting their own TD system at wholesale, and the installation is designed into the construction process, I would say the bow bolt is compariably priced, and of compariable quality. Come the next time I build a TD, I'll be sending you $$$.

From a business prospective, I'm sure you've done the cost analysis and value added calculations.  A talented craftsman is worth his wage.

One last comparison....my buddy shoots a .300 WSM.  He spends $95 on two boxes of factory ammo at Cabelas these days.  Maybe you should raise your price???

[Whip]

I can only assume that you know what your costs are and the time involved on your end.  Do you machine them yourself or job that out?  Either way, somebody has to get paid for the time.  And I'm guessing if they are done on a CNC machine that piece of equipment is expensive.  Does he know how many operations are required to produce a bolt?  I doubt it.  

It's not like the thing is similar to a bolt from the hardware store!

[dino]

Guy needs to get a clue on what machine shop time costs first of all.   He's probably giving the same grief to some bowyer out there too telling him his bows are too expensive. dino

[Steve O]

I would say Jason nailed it.  You know if you are charging too much.  Not that these are done on a lathe, but even if you made a $50 profit on each one, you'd have to make 200 of them to get a lathe...forget a CNC machine.  

The one I had on one of my Shrews was the best T/D system I've seen yet.

[Soilarch]

Originally posted by Jason R. Wesbrock:
The answer lies in your sales volume.

If sales are dropping like a rock, your price may be too high. If, however, you're constantly backordered, your prices may be too low.

Supply and demand will dictate the market price, not a nasty email or two.

What Jason said is the "law".  For the real answer just look at sales.

My comment is that I would have never believed some of the BH out there should cost what they do.  But then I got very very interested in making my own knives.   After learning and learning and learning some more about what it takes to work metal I'm more amazed at how cheaply other BH can be made.

I still shoot the cheap ones.     But I don't resent the guys who make the expensive one either, or those who shoot 'em.  I just don't want to drop $10 a piece for a broadhead, let alone $30.   I'm not spending thousands for guides and travel or hunting things that can hunt me back though.

[pine nut]

Non-typical nailled it!  There is nothing in this world that someone else cannot make cheaper in some way and those whose only criteria for a product is price, are fair game for those who live by making a lower quality product.

I have never been one to critize a man's price for his labors. If I cannot aford it I have just accepted it and moved on, or kept on looking for one I could afford.  How ever well wishing the guy might have wanted to appear... He looks like at the very least he's insincere or a sexual intellectual at the worst.  He's rude.

I have not seen the product, and do not think it matters what it is or looks like.

[Bill Carlsen]

Hey, Craig, how are you doing? I think your price is right in the ball park. I can remember the first time you showed it to me, before you got all the bugs out. Great idea, well made, affordable if you consider the $$$$ guys will pay just to have a particular limb wood that has only cosmetic appeal. If I shot a longbow I would have the bow bolt for many reasons. Just flying to a hunt one time would probably pay for it in luggage fare.

[Zog]

Yes I own a bow with one of your bolts installed by Dan Toelke.  I am glad I found out who you are.  What a great piece of work.  

I am an engineer and I used to machine and I know quality when I see it and feel it.  I appreciate what it takes to make stuff that works every time and is overdesigned, and what frustration is is to buy an invention that doesn't quite make it.  

Only 1/4 turn and it's solid?  Piece of cake   :rolleyes:  

What if Dan put one of these in his bows and it didn't work?  Would it be worth the $30 in savings?  It may look like a stainless steel hardware store bolt to somebody who doesn't know any better.

That being said, to answer your question, the answer is yes, you charge too much.  So does my internet provider.  And my gasoline dealer.  And my taxidermist.  And my dentist.  And Ford and GM and Toyota.  And Dell.  And Starbucks.