If you want any parts, buy them now before they're gone... Also, new 2010 products!
08-10-2009, 03:00 AM
#1
If you want any parts, buy them now before they're gone... Also, new 2010 products! Some of you have already noticed CME and DE Valances are no longer on my website (sold out, no more are getting made).
Overlays are off as well. From now until August I am restructuring, one of three things will be happening:
1) Bye bye business. Too much work, too little time. Valances became a PITA due to me not being able to devote the time needed to work out a vendor issue. Like I said months ago, acting "season" picks up right now and takes up a lot of my time. I don't do anything half @ssed and would just shut down the business (my "living" comes from acting and apartment managing, business is play money put back into making new products) before I'd let it turn into what others have turned into in the past. I would stop selling when my sponsorship runs out end of August and only keep the site up one month afterwards to process any PRIOR sales.
2) Restructuring. I might end up going bigger and having others do the work. This however will take me out of being a niche market for F-Bodies and require me to sell more so I'll target 2010s and Vettes mostly. Already a lot of parts in the works for these cars. Long story short, back to being a dead market for "older" cars.
3) Restructuring and including F-Body stuff. I'm meeting with a bunch of people about CAD designs, injection moldings, etc... Way high end stuff for our cars. I hope this is the way things go but will require me to dump a lot of money into it so we'll see. This is ONLY possible if I find out the people I am meeting with are one stop shops (make, package AND ship). Otherwise I don't have the time to do what I do now (design, R & D, get it made, pick up, package and ship pretty much everything myself).
Regardless, nothing is certain. I've said this for awhile (that come August things would be different due to acting) but I guess some people thought I was crying wolf. I've had about 20 requests for CMEs/DEs just this weekend (after I took the product off line), I'm sorry, as of now that is a dead product.
Other products are dying as well. If you want anything that is still on my site (splitters, rims, bezels, etc...) then order it now. Some stuff I can cut deals on but most stuff what you see is what you get (shipping is FREE though, even on rims) because my profit margins are already usually 10-15% (still a middle man on most products so my cost isn't that cheap).
We MIGHT squeeze out one more overlay GP IF the last one goes to print quickly... MIGHT.
Finally, I already started working on 2010 products and will just post them all in here instead of starting new threads. Currently scrapping the headlight cover projects (from the other thread) so I won't repost those pics in here but I'll be posting the 2010 6LE Splitter and 6LE rear spoiler in here by the week's end. All other F-Body projects (targa, halos for Camaro, shaker for LS1s, etc...) are on hold (some were near release as well)
Of course, sales would help sway me to keep it around but to be honest that isn't the issue right now the issue is I am running out of free time to make parts/fill orders (like I said, 20 orders for valances but the fact is I am not able to produce them right now) and I know it is just going to get busier.
This was only going to go for a month or so originally and now August will be one year, so who knows what the future holds but been a fun ride so far
Overlays are off as well. From now until August I am restructuring, one of three things will be happening:
1) Bye bye business. Too much work, too little time. Valances became a PITA due to me not being able to devote the time needed to work out a vendor issue. Like I said months ago, acting "season" picks up right now and takes up a lot of my time. I don't do anything half @ssed and would just shut down the business (my "living" comes from acting and apartment managing, business is play money put back into making new products) before I'd let it turn into what others have turned into in the past. I would stop selling when my sponsorship runs out end of August and only keep the site up one month afterwards to process any PRIOR sales.
2) Restructuring. I might end up going bigger and having others do the work. This however will take me out of being a niche market for F-Bodies and require me to sell more so I'll target 2010s and Vettes mostly. Already a lot of parts in the works for these cars. Long story short, back to being a dead market for "older" cars.
3) Restructuring and including F-Body stuff. I'm meeting with a bunch of people about CAD designs, injection moldings, etc... Way high end stuff for our cars. I hope this is the way things go but will require me to dump a lot of money into it so we'll see. This is ONLY possible if I find out the people I am meeting with are one stop shops (make, package AND ship). Otherwise I don't have the time to do what I do now (design, R & D, get it made, pick up, package and ship pretty much everything myself).
Regardless, nothing is certain. I've said this for awhile (that come August things would be different due to acting) but I guess some people thought I was crying wolf. I've had about 20 requests for CMEs/DEs just this weekend (after I took the product off line), I'm sorry, as of now that is a dead product.
Other products are dying as well. If you want anything that is still on my site (splitters, rims, bezels, etc...) then order it now. Some stuff I can cut deals on but most stuff what you see is what you get (shipping is FREE though, even on rims) because my profit margins are already usually 10-15% (still a middle man on most products so my cost isn't that cheap).
We MIGHT squeeze out one more overlay GP IF the last one goes to print quickly... MIGHT.
Finally, I already started working on 2010 products and will just post them all in here instead of starting new threads. Currently scrapping the headlight cover projects (from the other thread) so I won't repost those pics in here but I'll be posting the 2010 6LE Splitter and 6LE rear spoiler in here by the week's end. All other F-Body projects (targa, halos for Camaro, shaker for LS1s, etc...) are on hold (some were near release as well)
Of course, sales would help sway me to keep it around but to be honest that isn't the issue right now the issue is I am running out of free time to make parts/fill orders (like I said, 20 orders for valances but the fact is I am not able to produce them right now) and I know it is just going to get busier.
This was only going to go for a month or so originally and now August will be one year, so who knows what the future holds but been a fun ride so far
08-10-2009, 03:43 AM
#2
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Mark, you did great things for the F-body community and i'm sure everyone else knows that also. I'd sure like to see the site stay around for a few more years but you gotta do what you gotta do brother. If you choose to shut down permanently, good luck with the acting career buddy! If you ever come to chicago, we'll have a cold one.
Count me in on the next Gauge GP WHEN you do one!
Count me in on the next Gauge GP WHEN you do one!
08-10-2009, 12:22 PM
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Bro you have come up with some kickass UNIQUE products & designs. Im mad I missed the valances, didn't have the funds. But either way, you rock, and goodluck bud.
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08-10-2009, 08:17 PM
#8
Well, meeting with about three companies this week now and have a feeler out with two others. Hopefully it will work out (and NOT be like a $10,000 buy in)...
I really hope the one works out because they sell a LOT of bumpers for LOW prices and I'm really wanting to see the Dick Harrell style bumper happen before I move on...
I really hope the one works out because they sell a LOT of bumpers for LOW prices and I'm really wanting to see the Dick Harrell style bumper happen before I move on...
08-10-2009, 10:04 PM
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this sux man i was gonna buy some overlays hopefully another gp will come cause i wont have the money for a bit damnit well best of luck if you do decide to shut her down
08-11-2009, 12:27 AM
#18
Looks like I might be able to do some more CMEs and or DEs. EACH would require a minimum order of 10 to get started.
I don't know for sure what pricing would be but my e-mail stated I could pay $4000 to get the mold made or just start off with a minimum order of 10 and they'd eat the cost of the mold which leads me to believe I'd be paying $400 a piece...
$400 shipped is what I charged for CME's/DE's before (I was making a $25 profit per piece) so it doesn't sound too off (especially since this is supposedly a better material as well).
Up in the air right now but so I have options when I talk to him do I have 10 people interested at the old price of $400 SHIPPED (I'll eat the shipping to get the mold made basically)?
If it is less then I will charge less... I had about 7 orders I refunded and 10 people WANTING to order so maybe this can happen...
I don't know for sure what pricing would be but my e-mail stated I could pay $4000 to get the mold made or just start off with a minimum order of 10 and they'd eat the cost of the mold which leads me to believe I'd be paying $400 a piece...
$400 shipped is what I charged for CME's/DE's before (I was making a $25 profit per piece) so it doesn't sound too off (especially since this is supposedly a better material as well).
Up in the air right now but so I have options when I talk to him do I have 10 people interested at the old price of $400 SHIPPED (I'll eat the shipping to get the mold made basically)?
If it is less then I will charge less... I had about 7 orders I refunded and 10 people WANTING to order so maybe this can happen...
