From: Tony <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Reply-To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [VFB] Professional Fly tying (was How do you support...) Date: Mon, 10 Nov 2003 07:22:58 -0600
Dean, You are so right. In this area shop tyers get from 7.00 to 9.00 a dozen using their own materials. One shop requires that you buy all the materials from them. They give you a 10% discount on the materials used for the flies you tie for their shop. Big Deal. When I first moved here, a well known shop asked me how much I get for my Froggies. I told him what I was getting at the shows I was doing on the east coast. He said. Well !!!!!! this ain't New York you know. I never did tie for him. I tell my clients I will tie what they want if they can wait till I am in the mood to tie. I lost a lot of good fishing days sitting at the bench, looking out of the window and watching the trout rise. Getting too old to waste precious time. I had a real nice old gentleman stop by a few weeks ago and wanted to buy some flies. I do not keep any on hand to sell. I am like the shoemaker that goes around with holes in his soles. Anyway, I was in the right mood and told him if he would sit down I would have some flies. While we talked I whipped out a dozen sz 14 olive buggers for him. I enjoyed the visit so much that I refused to take payment. The other day I got a package from him. It was some beautiful burl wood cut up into blocks to make reel seat inserts for bamboo rods. This man is now a friend and not a client. This was worth more than money to me. Tony
"Dean Endress..." wrote:
> TOM, I'm just like Tony on this issue... I do not tye > for Shops or Resorts...anymore in my case. I stopped > "Production tying" in 1990. it was getting to the point > where I wasn't enjoying Tying anymore...so I just > stopped.... I do Fly Orders for Private Clients... As > Chris Brommel referred to it today.."Custom Orders".. I > have a "Core Base" of about 40 Clients who order numerous > times from me every year... I also have tyed "One Time > Orders" hundreds of times.... The sweet thing about only > tying for Private Clients is you do not have to all > nighters tying up dozens & dozens of flies... With Clients > you tye, at the most, 6 dozen flies... and that was one > time only.. usually it's 3 dozen max. Also I get the > "Retail Price" paid to me, not "Wholesale" as you get > doing production tying... My Prices start at $2.00 a fly, > but at times I do discount that price. The reason I charge > more then most folks pay in shops??? I take time to > construct a "Bomb-Proof" fly tyed with only the Best > Materials & preportioned correctly... All my Clients are > always happy to pay the additional price... they know they > are getting the Best.... I hope that doesn't come off > concided...but I take pride in my tying skills & what I > finally sell to the Customer...My Flies cans make or break > me. I've had some situations where folks were trying to > talk me down on the price after I finished the order... > Told them to go somewhere else & kept the flies for > myself... unless I arrange a discounted price Prior to > tying the order- it's expected the client pays the going > rate.. I even had some guy, who I guess had alot of money, > state that i could tye an order of Alaskan Flies for $0.75 > each... Needless to say i never evn lefted a bobbin to do > that order... As to money made... the Client orders > always pay for the Materials plus put a fair amount of > money in my Kitty... Mostly, however it's a Labour of > Love. I'll never get rich, money wise, off tying > orders..but I really don't care.... DEAN.... > ----------------------------------------------------------- > Do you Yahoo!? > Protect your identity with Yahoo! Mail AddressGuard
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