Mike, I found your postings interesting in their conflicting philosophies
and statements.
I enjoy a good deal and discount as well as anyone (my buddies will likely
tell you I probably enjoy discounts MORE than anyone else!). However, shops
are very important.
Pure economics, fly fishing products are a function of supply and demand.
I believe in the scope of fishing product sales nationwide that fly fishing
ranks pretty low down on the list. Fly shops have a relatively low volume
of sales business, so to support their expenses, the profits need to be
high. Generally speaking, profits in the fishing industry are relatively
high.
Fly shop owners are in the business to sell magazines, books, and videos;
obviously SELLING those items help keep them in business. I know of the
shop you reference that was sold in Spokane. Remember, those shops that you
reference that have the less 'personal' touch are businesses, and need to be
run accordingly in order to be successful. In how many other businesses
can you, or you expect it's allowed to, lounge and spend time and peruse
their wares without their (or your) expectation of buying anything? I think
it's an unreasonable expectation, from a business standpoint. Folks
sometimes make comments like yours about shops like Kaufmann's being
'impersonal' ; it's a business, a successful business, and it will be around
when other fly shops not run like businesses will not. Go in the
'impersonal' shop and buy things a few times, and interact with themn, and I
bet it will become a lot more 'personal'. I understand it's a business,
and I don't believe the shop exists for my benefit and recreation, but it is
in business to make a profit.
I can't find what I need at White Elephant, because it's products are
generally closeouts or not top quality. I wish I could, because the White
Elephant has great prices. I'm glad there are shops like Kaufmann's,
Swede's, Castaway Fly Fishing Shop, The Avid Angler, Creekside Angler, The
Morning Hatch, Blue Dun, River's Edge, The Kingfisher, etc. where I can go
and find those products I want, and obtain local information. If that means
they don't serve coffee and/or that I don't get to peruse their magazines,
books, and videos for free, well I guess that's the price of their running a
successful business, the price of my expecting ready local fly fishing
information, and the price of my fly fishing passion/addiction.
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Saturday, January 06, 2001 9:11 AM
Subject: Re: sportsmans/flyfishing shows
>I agree with you on many of your points, Jere but the one thing I will
>counter with is this. The sport of fly fishing suffers from elitism and
>price gouging based on image. The mom and pop fly shop will always get my
>business over a mass distributor. At the same time, the image oriented
shops
>that cater to the SUV driving, latte' sipping, couldn't save their butt out
>in the wilderness if they had too but would look great when they died from
>exposure crowd will never get my business (Sorry if I offended anyone. Not
a
>personal attack just a generalization. I like latte's! Really, I do.
>hehe.). I think the trade shows offered the consumer a way to off set the
>outrageous prices on some gear that tends to be dominated by the upscale
>shops. Yes, you can counter that the high prices were caused by the shows
>but to that I say fly fishing gear that is only available at the quality
fly
>shops continues to rise in price (especially rods) while the gear that is
>available on a more mass appeal (like float tubes) have come down
>significantly.
>
>We all like great service and appreciate the small shops. My favorite shop
>owner in Spokane sold his store a few years ago and have been unhappy with
>the selection of shops here since. It isn't that the gear selection is
less.
> It actually is more. However, gone are his cups of coffee on a rainy day,
>the reading couch in the corner with all the latest mags and videos to
watch
>and the individual customer attention. In its place is a shop full of gear
>but lackluster customer service. I find myself shopping online more and
>buying what I can at the likes of the White Elephant stores.
>
>There is no simple solution to the issue but I think the point we were
trying
>to make is that going to these shows to play with all the gadgets, buying a
>few new toys (at a discount so we can justify it to the spouse!) and seeing
>some great presentations made it a fun day and really didn't do that much
>damage. Much of what I often bought was additional things I typically
would
>not have thought about getting or more of an impulse buy. The fly shops
>still got all of my regular business. Going to a show just to see 200
>fishing guides, the latest, greatest Ronco gadget and some presentations
just
>lacks something.
>
>I hope you are settled in your new home in the Idaho Falls area and are
>enjoying the great fishing in that region.
>
>Mike
>Spangle, WA
>
