I thought i would start off with this...
The many faces of texting ( forums )...probably 5/10 of my posts for some reason seem to upset people. I know there is one guy who gets upset when i do this......
Please note i am making a concerted effort to stop doing that. And will try not to rape the english language for you guys.Please note today i am happy and am actually quite impressed with this discussion so far. No one has really been one sided, rude or just trying to stir the pot. Which i must say is refreshing.
I think one of my biggest challenges in getting accepted on this forum has been the question, " why are you more expensive than brand X who get their bats from the same place "? and for me the answer is simple but i can understand why you perceive me as being more expensive. I saw this same issue now as im developing some kit bags in india and a similar bag is already for sale from the same supplier here in the Uk from brand X. Its simple, brand X isnt for sale in stores. They are only available on the Brands website. If he wanted to ever grow and put them in stores he would have to increase his prices 30%. same issue with bats. Im also not going to say my bats are better than brand X who get their bats made at the same place, Its simple, im 4000 miles away from my bat maker and i sell my bats in stores. to do that everyone wants to make money and therefore the prices are higher.
A question may be, why are indian made bats the same price as bats made in England, shouldn't they be cheaper?
There is also the issue of How dare i charge a similar price to the top boys, who do i think i am?
Did you know, if Paul sells a Hammer bat, he makes more money than me off that bat but doesnt make more off my bats than any other brand. My thought is my prices are comparable with other brands in that respect.
My gear is quality, and quality is not cheap. That little sticker on the side of my bat that says " made in England " and " made in NZ " thats a very very expensive sticker, far more expensive than any £300 bat. It also carries a lot on its shoulders. many of you would not even look at a bat unless its made in England and thats probably the same for many people around in the world.
In a way the Bespoke industry in the UK ( although its good for the consumer as its gives you a big selection ) is hurting the industry as well. As the bespoke bat maker only puts his % on top of the price. It may be the reason i think GM eventually will move their production to india one day. They cant compete on price for much longer and will follow slazenger and gray nicolls to india. And i think that will be a sad day when they do.
Moving to another continent now. Ive been hard on aussie stores in some of my videos in the past for being so damn expensive and now that im working to get into that market i know why, and you will be surprised to know my bats are in fact at present not expensive enough to fit in there. The reason is this, a 20% import tax on all shipments over $1000.
As far as cheaper bats go, please contact Paul if you are interested in a £190 Hammer.
I hope that has clarified some issues for you guys and hope you guys see this in the context in which its intended.
I also want to say, i know my bats arent for everybody. I understand if you want a legend over a hammer. Legends are awesome bats. As many of you may know at present im not even using a hammer bat myself. Yes you heard it, im not using a hammer. Im in the business of cricket bats and there are so many wonderful bats and bat makers out there. I currently have an Affinity and a H4L. both are just beautiful bats and if either move to america they would very quickly become bat makers for Hammer. I would love to own a screaming cat one day ( hopefully not with 5 grains though )some of you know what thats about. the GM players edition epic is a belter, would love to have a blue room and thats just to name a few. i certainly wouldnt mind one of the GN dynadrives that are made in england with 10 grains. that would be a beauty. so why limit yourself to only one bat and one brand. go out there, enjoy life, dont take it to seriously and have a pint with mates as often as possible.
thanks
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Topic: My visit to IJC (Read 11421 times)