On 12/20/2012 5:50 PM, Jeff wrote:
> mike wrote:
>
>> If the picture you posted is the best you can come up with, you're
>> competing with ladders and step stools.
>
> Your explanation was fantastic and very informative.
>
> The only point I need to clarify is that the reason for showing me
> standing on the wine rack was that I looked at all the similar wine racks
> out there, and these cheaply-made-in-china racks were all flimsy and
> they all used cheap materials.

Doesn't matter what you think. What matters is what the customer thinks.
You have to get inside their heads.
Remember, there is no clarifying. The potential buyer's first impression
of your ad is all you get.
It's like the joke that you have to explain. It ain't funny.

I'm not your average consumer. I drink wine out of box.
But I try not to let that get between me and the customer.
My advice is worth every penny it cost you...no more.
>
> They costs less - but they used thin painted steel (which rusts in a
> humid environment), not extruded anodized aluminum - and they used
> softwood, whereas I used hardwood, again, which will last longer in a
> typical dank cellar environment.

Think about what you just said.
You made a beautiful wine rack. Would someone pay more to stick
it in the cellar? This ain't the rack to store a case of wine
in the cellar. This is the display wine rack to use to show your
friends how cool you are. You gotta appeal to something they
value...and that's often related to vanity.

In that context, the first question is, "are those metal
corners gonna scratch up the surface of my $4000 piece of furniture?"
Is the wood finished to resist staining from moisture, spills, cat drool?

I can't tell how it's put together, but I can imagine several scenarios
where manufacturing tolerances, moisture, lack of moisture, age and a
rambunctious
cat might result in $1000 of wine on the floor. Would be nice to know
that it's not all held together with friction.
Would also be nice to know whether the resins in the wood react with the
aluminum or the anodizing to produce some crusty corrosion at the joints.
Thinking about potential problems is cheap. Fixing them after the fact
is expensive. Let your imagination wander well outside what you might
consider normal. Somebody's gonna put this on a boat in salt water.

One thing I forgot to mention is that anything successful will be
taken away from you. Your product is easily duplicated.

You're doing well with a retail outlet.
They're gonna squeeze you for price at every opportunity.
Suddenly the orders stop. But it's still in the store.
You learn that they commissioned a Chinese copy and you're out.
Legal protections won't help you. Would be iffy at best, but legal
protection is only a license to go broke on legal fees trying to
sue the infringer.

Another issue is warranty. Depending on the sales channel and the
jurisdiction at each end, you may be required to publish a warranty.
There may be government mandated implied warranties.

If anyone ever gets hurt in the vicinity of your product, the
ambulance chasers may involve you in the lawsuit. Doesn't matter
whether you're guilty or innocent or the lawsuit is frivolous...
The lawyers get all your money.

And you gotta collect taxes depending on current govt regulations.

The internet is often interstate trade. More bad news.

>
> I want the world to have what I now have - which is a wine rack to be
> proud of.

You do have something to be proud of.
Put it to use.
Pop the cork on one of those bottles and sit down with the wife to
drink it. Talk about how life is good. And you have time to take
the boat out. And go to the kid's soccer game. Or just put your feet
up and relax. Do you really want to trade all that for your
fifteen minutes of fame at the local wine shop?
If you're not convinced, open another bottle and try again. ;-)

It's a great hobby. Don't spoil it.
Make a few and take 'em to Saturday Market. Try to get a writeup
in the art society newsletter or the country club or just about
anywhere style-conscious people congregate. Exclusivity sells.
See how it goes.

"Hey, look what I can do," is a poor reason to start a business.
>
> Here's a 'better' picture of the same wine rack, with wine bottles
> instead of my feet on it!
>
> http://imageupper.com/i/?S0200010060...56054244865268
>
> Now what would you pay right now, cash, for that!

I guess I could take the wine bladder out of the box
and slide it along one row of the rack.

Now, I'd pay $1000 for the wine-rack in the link I published
if it came as shown in the pix ;-)

20 years ago, there was a local group called "Inventor's Network".
It was a loosely knit group of local inventors and wannabees.
They shared experience and links to related professionals.
I went to their meetings for a year.
I heard many horror stories about seemingly innovative ideas
that went horribly wrong as products.

There was only one guy making any money.
His product was an S-shaped extrusion cut in to 1/2" sections.
Was used to clip a pencil to your sun visor.
He had 'em made in China and printed with advertising material
that companies give away at trade shows. He made 3-cents each
and he sold a gillion of them.

Everybody else was still trying to figger out how theirs could have
gone so wrong.

I've given you a lot of Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt. Most people never
encounter any of those issues. Are you feeling lucky?

If your life ain't broke, don't fix it.
Are we having fun yet?