RE: [photo-3d] Wholesale / Retail

["Gabriel Jacob" <gjacob@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Mark Dottle writes:
>There is no"wholesale" source of supply for viewers, mounts etc and
>this forces me to price my package too high, merely breaking even on
>supplies

Huh, I find that hard to believe! Sure there are wholesalers. The regular
established commercial (or semi-commercial) 3-D sellers must be buying
some of their products from wholesalers. Have you tried American Paper
Optics?

>So.......with dollar stores selling everything from A-Z, products
>involving apparently higher mfg levels of sophistication, why can't a
>paper viewer be made and sold for under $2.00? An illuminated viewer for
>under $85.00?

They certainly can. For example I've run into paper folding binoculars
for a dollar, and that's a Canadian dollar! That translates to 66 US cent
stores! Imagine how much cheaper they can make a cardboard stereoviewer.
Yes, as you mention, I guess it does have to do with supply and demand.

>Anyone want to start a buyers ring and fly to China to get this stuff made
>cheap? Put me down for 20,000 viewers here.

For those kind of quantities, you should be able to get a good (maybe not
great price mind you) price on your own!

Gabriel






-----Original Message-----
From:	markaren@xxxxxxxxx [mailto:markaren@xxxxxxxxx]
Sent:	Friday, September 15, 2000 3:04 PM
To:	photo-3d@xxxxxxxxxxx
Subject:	[photo-3d] Wholesale / Retail

I'm teaming up with a pro 2D photographer to offer supplemental stereo
images for select jobs. These jobs may range from weddings, gift shops,
corporate, docummentation etc. Here is my problem...my rant....etc.
Almost every stereo product is sold to the photographer as the end user
or consumer.. I would like to find folding viewers, plain ( no
printing on them...perhaps patent # only) so I can apply my own
labels..or my customers labels to the viewers. My price let's say $2.00
and resell them for $2.50+ images etc. Or an illuminated viewer for
under $100 with achromats, resale for $100-175 etc. After retail plus
shipping.......it's nearly impossible for me to remain competitive and
make a profit on viewers and supplies. The customer expects to pay a
premium for stereo......but not above 25-30%
over 2D prices.( a rough estimate) While quoting a customer $11.00 each
for an RBT viewer ( he wanted plain...no printing) and offering quantity
discounts, he doubled over laughing! :-) I had to show him Jon's price
list, divulge my source, and step away from retailing the viewers. " Now
there's your problem" he said with a smile." Your cost of doing this is
too high."
Dottle


http://community.webtv.net/markaren/USVIEWSExchangeFolio