Main > Main Forum

New GGG Product: Tron Joystick Handle - was: Soooo.....what's this thing worth?

<< < (22/39) > >>

RandyT:

--- Quote from: mountain on November 17, 2008, 11:37:33 am ---
--- Quote from: ChadTower on November 17, 2008, 11:02:07 am ---
It "not making good business sense" is the key part you want to take from his post.  He's doing it as a solid for the community, not to make money.

--- End quote ---
I oversee the manufacturing of dozens of plastics parts for products my employer makes. After the extremely high cost of tooling, the actual cost of the parts is relatively low, especially at higher volumes. It doesn't make sense to pay to have only 100 made when there is most likely a big price break a few hundred pieces higher. Of course this all goes out the window if someone like Randy, who is doing this outside of his regular job, can't or won't put up the capital needed for the higher quantities.

--- End quote ---

That is certainly true in the case of your employer, who has already ponied up the cash for the molds, owns them "lock stock and barrel" and now needs only to amortize the tooling costs over the quantity of parts produced.  But the scenario really doesn't apply in a situation like this one.  There are at least three other entities who needed to have their requirements met in one way or another for this to happen.  In the end, this means that there is a very definite, and immediate ceiling to the economy one can expect to enjoy, regardless of the quantities purchased. 

As for not losing money on the project, that jury is still very much "out".  You can't do things like this in a small way, so one has to weigh their chances of recovery very carefully.  I hope to break even on the project and have a small surplus of parts afterward.  However, an item like this one will saturate this tiny market very quickly, especially at the low price point required to get them into folks hands in such a trying economic climate.  So at the "end of the day", I may end up with a very cool, but very costly pile of UV reactive blue plastic  8)

But as I stated, I knew all of this "going in" and the primary objective was to give something back by filling a void and not to establish a long-term, profitable product line.  If it ends up that way, then everyone wins and that means other projects like this one will have a better chance of becoming reality.  But if not, the community just got an early Christmas present  :cheers:

RandyT

Visitor Q:
Well I certainly think you hit a good price point. Like I said, I may just buy one to have on hand incase I ever need it.

saint:
I did :)

CheffoJeffo:

--- Quote from: Visitor Q on November 17, 2008, 01:23:19 pm ---Well I certainly think you hit a good price point.
--- End quote ---

It is certainly an *attractive* price point -- less than half of what they have been offered for previously (for what I understand was a lesser product)

I would like to buy a couple of these, but am currently overextended on project-related spending (a couple of long-sought items became available) and we're leading into to Christmas and jrok just released his MultiWilliams board and I already have a beautiful Tron stick ... and ...

If, however, there are any left when I place my order for a pair of TT2 spinners in a month or two, I will definitely pick up a couple -- somebody (maybe me) will want them sometime.

If there aren't any left at that point, it was still a nice thing for Randy to do.

 :applaud:

nox771:
Well I for one hope you make a second production run.  I can't buy for the next three weeks (not for lack of funds, but just because I'll be out of town), but when I get back I would very much like to get 3 to 4 of those (even if the next run has a higher cost).  So please keep some inventory!

And please restock your electric ice pushbuttons too  ;D

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page

Go to full version