Kim, what are YOU looking for in this? Money may not be the first objective but I have tried to balance the realities of work and skill and ability against pleasure so many times now and have usually failed! I have come to a simple answer for myself after forty odd years. I do it for nothing (except possibly materials) or I do it for proper rates.
That has come from bitter experience of lost friendships and lost money over many years as builder, antiques restorer and web site designer/computer technician. With the best intentions in the world to help others, to be altruistic, be reasonably priced, or even just to give something back to the community I have too often come off second best and that has cost me dear over the years.
I worked in the end on an old-fashioned and very strict contract system, materials plus time at a fair trade-rate covering the costs of being self-employed plus overheads such as insurance. I might throw in something like initial design work for nowt for decent folks or more usually would make a cupboard or painting or something artistic
at the end of a big job, a more personal gift. Then every now and again I just did something for nothing as a surprise gift or as an anonymous charitable act and felt fine about it and thus I didn't lose, I gained.
I would want to see a package offered, not just a bow. If you can come up with a formula for three weights, 15/20/25 for kids in a plain longbow off-the-hand or as a choice a simple recurve style with a small shelf, that you can turn out for $200/$250 you will be on a winner and so will the buyers. The main criterion will be safety and reliability. You will have to string them don't forget and have to get a source of a dozen arrows for maybe another $80, also good workmanlike quality to match the bow design, as so many kids bows have pathetic arrows. A simple quiver for $40 similar to the ones on
http://www.shayrebel.com/ and an armguard for $10 is a good all round package of options. You can throw in a tab!
One in ten bows will get broken or misused and you will get a claim against you, whether at fault or not and you will also once you start supplying (for whatever cost) have to cover yourself with insurance and Public Liability (which isn't cheap)just in case. And redo your tools and workshop Insurance and vehicle maybe to cover the fact it is commercial (even without profit) or else you could lose everything. Not saying you don't know this but it can be overlooked. Realities of life today and human nature.
Beyond that simple formula which will satisfy so many starter parents and kids including many on this forum if you can achieve it, I suggest you only make quality custom bows at a proper rate. If you can make a base-line adult bow, again, perhaps a simple longbow style and a recurve or D/R style with a shelf for $400 including string I shall be surprised (and order one
). But then you are up against the Samick and Internature. So why bother? Make a bloody good bow for $600/$700 with some basic options and variability in design and you will get many discerning buyers but I will still be surprised if you can do that at that price.
It might be better to go one step further, offer a full custom-build service including time for consultations, maybe making one top-quality bow every couple of months maximum, for a grand. Then you are under no pressure, can experiment, can take time off and get to shoot your own bow and you can always make one a week if you so choose and have the time! At that level, each buyer will have their own ideas on performance, design and type. Or else you just make a bloody good bow
the way you want and wait for a buyer.
To answer the original question - most beginners and parents
just don't know what they want (or need) so you just make it safe and reliable and reasonably performing and sell it and you will get a good reputation. High end buyers
know what they want and will give you personal specs.
Outbackdad so what was the selection criteria for the bow you bought Lewis, this is what I am after with this thread.What are people looking for when they buy a bow.
will have members who will have such bows hanging on their wall that have been passed around like the book library, I thought a DVD library would also be awesome. But then reality jumps in and shatters the dream. Someone rips the system, doesnt return something, or a bow breaks and someone gets hurt. Like I said up front I dont know what the answer is.
