Apsis New Remodified Slimmer C6 Mud Flaps (Z06 Style), Welcome your comment
04-10-2007, 04:18 PM
#41
Drifting
I've done the ZO6 modification on the rear and like them a lot but even they are too wide. Your efforts to slim them down are what's needed. If I could design the perfect rear guard it would be slimmier than the ZO6 guard at it's mid point. I'd shave off 7/16 of an inch. And the front ones should be slimmer yet.
Even your slimmer design is too wide. Splash guards should not draw attention to themselves. They should only be as large as needed to protect the fenders and should blend with the body. For the price you are asking, they should be perfect with no compromises.
Even your slimmer design is too wide. Splash guards should not draw attention to themselves. They should only be as large as needed to protect the fenders and should blend with the body. For the price you are asking, they should be perfect with no compromises.
04-10-2007, 04:34 PM
#42
Safety Car
Thanks for your honest opinion. We are in business for 20 years and I think we know the common sense of price point. For 20 years we see companies come and go but at least we are still here today to develop new products for Corvette community.
Most of CF members are expecting us selling at the prices that we will lose money. We like to serve the community but we also need to make some profit to survive. Our products are always unique but not for everybody and we think thanks to this strategy we are still alive today.
So we hope sometimes you should see things from the other spectrum.
Most of CF members are expecting us selling at the prices that we will lose money. We like to serve the community but we also need to make some profit to survive. Our products are always unique but not for everybody and we think thanks to this strategy we are still alive today.
So we hope sometimes you should see things from the other spectrum.
04-10-2007, 05:25 PM
#44
Drifting
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Take this for what it is worth. A great many companies today flounder because they keep trying to sell what they want to sell, the way they want to sell it rather than sell the product the customer is calling for. As you can see here, a great many would buy a 4 piece set for 200 if it looked like what you have presented here. Rather than argue why you cannot do that, I'd suggest to you to work on finding a way that you can. Giving the customer what HE wants as opposed to what you want him to want is the key to success. Best of luck.
A very "Japanese" proposition !!!
If you give the people what they want, success is assured...
04-10-2007, 05:33 PM
#45
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Sill only worth about 50 bucks a wheel to me- max. But they do look better now.
04-10-2007, 05:43 PM
#46
Melting Slicks
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$200 front and back with the new design-sold
$250 front and back--sold but with some hesitation
$300 front and back--wait for a while
+$300 nope
Like the new design BTW
$250 front and back--sold but with some hesitation
$300 front and back--wait for a while
+$300 nope
Like the new design BTW
04-10-2007, 07:03 PM
#47
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Take this for what it is worth. A great many companies today flounder because they keep trying to sell what they want to sell, the way they want to sell it rather than sell the product the customer is calling for. As you can see here, a great many would buy a 4 piece set for 200 if it looked like what you have presented here. Rather than argue why you cannot do that, I'd suggest to you to work on finding a way that you can. Giving the customer what HE wants as opposed to what you want him to want is the key to success. Best of luck.
VERY well said - but then again, you are a marketing expert!I would buy these at 200 (set of 4). I would NOT buy them at 200+. What it costs you to make them or how much profit you make is of no interest to me. Its only about what they are worth (to me) and more than 200, they simply are not something I'm going to buy. Dont take it personally. Others may pay what you want to charge.
04-11-2007, 08:54 AM
#50
Safety Car
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Do you have pictures of them from a little more distance on the car? Also are on line install directions available? How much if any cutting or drilling is required?
04-11-2007, 08:57 AM
#51
Premium Supporting Vendor
Thread Starter
VERY well said - but then again, you are a marketing expert!I would buy these at 200 (set of 4). I would NOT buy them at 200+. What it costs you to make them or how much profit you make is of no interest to me. Its only about what they are worth (to me) and more than 200, they simply are not something I'm going to buy. Dont take it personally. Others may pay what you want to charge.
It's impossible for us to do $200. You will probably have to wait for some other vendors to offer you the price you want.
04-11-2007, 09:26 AM
#52
Burning Brakes
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Thanks for your honest opinion. We are in business for 20 years and I think we know the common sense of price point. For 20 years we see companies come and go but at least we are still here today to develop new products for Corvette community.
Most of CF members are expecting us selling at the prices that we will lose money. We like to serve the community but we also need to make some profit to survive. Our products are always unique but not for everybody and we think thanks to this strategy we are still alive today.
So we hope sometimes you should see things from the other spectrum.
Most of CF members are expecting us selling at the prices that we will lose money. We like to serve the community but we also need to make some profit to survive. Our products are always unique but not for everybody and we think thanks to this strategy we are still alive today.
So we hope sometimes you should see things from the other spectrum.
What a boatload of shat! You kill me, constantly saying how your product is better than anything else out there, or how long it takes to make. Remember, I have some of your stuff and it's no better than the other vendor that I went with. The ONLY difference is price and honesty, they don't rip you off at either end of the transaction.
And before you say something like "it couldn't look like the stuff I use" ( it is the same stuff in some cases ) I'll be at the B'Day Bash and you can see for yourself. Unique, yeah, you have the only set of flaps made for the C6?
Whatever, you dishonest person ! 
04-11-2007, 09:27 AM
#53
Burning Brakes
I hate to jump in on the group opinion here, but my company manufactures parts that are much more complicated than this, in a lot of different materials (completely different industry). Given a few hours (at most) of 3-d Inventor work for my cad guy, we could have the molds generated and bang these out pretty easily. And no, I'm not looking to get into the vette parts fab business at all, I just know what it takes to manufacture items like this. I'm not sure what is taking so much time and cost for them to manufacture these parts, even on a limited production run. I would also look into a 3d printer (or use one of the services that has them), as you can fab one-offs instantly to see how they look, fit etc before committing to a full blown mold.
I hope they work out for you guys, I would consider them if the price dropped quite a bit.
I hope they work out for you guys, I would consider them if the price dropped quite a bit.
Totally!!! I too have a company in the manufacturing sector and have built many mold over the years. Even if the tooling ran you 20K, and you conservatively estimate sale to be in the 20K sets over 2 years, your tooling costs only equate to $2/set for a ROI of 1 year! Assuming that the material can be injection molded . . . not knowing the mat'l at this point . . . you are looking at a probable cycle time of perhaps 1 to maybe 2 minutes tops per set @ $150 per hour( $5 bucks/set) and material cost . . . just guessing high as it probably is an exotic. . . of $160/set and Profit of 15% minimum has the price point of about $200.I am referring to a set as a set of 4. Now I may have missed something here in my calculations, but I would think that if you could find a material for a much lower cost that has a durability factor somewhere between ABS and the exotic, the asked for price point should be easily attainable!
Just my $2 worth!!
04-11-2007, 09:29 AM
#54
Burning Brakes
Take this for what it is worth. A great many companies today flounder because they keep trying to sell what they want to sell, the way they want to sell it rather than sell the product the customer is calling for. As you can see here, a great many would buy a 4 piece set for 200 if it looked like what you have presented here. Rather than argue why you cannot do that, I'd suggest to you to work on finding a way that you can. Giving the customer what HE wants as opposed to what you want him to want is the key to success. Best of luck.
completely!
04-11-2007, 10:02 AM
#55
Melting Slicks
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Take this for what it is worth. A great many companies today flounder because they keep trying to sell what they want to sell, the way they want to sell it rather than sell the product the customer is calling for. As you can see here, a great many would buy a 4 piece set for 200 if it looked like what you have presented here. Rather than argue why you cannot do that, I'd suggest to you to work on finding a way that you can. Giving the customer what HE wants as opposed to what you want him to want is the key to success. Best of luck.
04-11-2007, 10:13 AM
#56
Melting Slicks
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Why dont you take orders for $200, hold the money for a month and see if you get enough orders to cover the costs. If not then refund the monies. It seems a lot of members would order at that price and it could possibly be a win win?
04-11-2007, 10:53 AM
#57
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St. Jude Donor '15
"In honor of jpee"
People tend to jump on the critical bandwagon.
And, clearly, much of your market exists outside the membership of CF.
While at some point lowering the price will initiate greater sales volume and increased profits, the timing of any price change is between you and your accountant.
When one considers that people are willing to pay large sums for grille screens, ramps, license plate frames, etc. when similar items could be had for a small fraction of the cost, your pricing isn't any more out of line (if it is indeed out of line) than the manufacturers of those products.
And, clearly, much of your market exists outside the membership of CF.
While at some point lowering the price will initiate greater sales volume and increased profits, the timing of any price change is between you and your accountant.
When one considers that people are willing to pay large sums for grille screens, ramps, license plate frames, etc. when similar items could be had for a small fraction of the cost, your pricing isn't any more out of line (if it is indeed out of line) than the manufacturers of those products.
I applaud the mfr. for changing the design re the comments of CF members
. I don't know if it will fly (and buy) with CF members, but there may be a large audience out there willing to pay the price. APSIS will find that out by testing the market.Good luck and thanks for trying.
04-11-2007, 12:12 PM
#58
Melting Slicks
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St. Jude Donor '08-'09
Totally!!! I too have a company in the manufacturing sector and have built many mold over the years. Even if the tooling ran you 20K, and you conservatively estimate sale to be in the 20K sets over 2 years, your tooling costs only equate to $2/set for a ROI of 1 year! Assuming that the material can be injection molded . . . not knowing the mat'l at this point . . . you are looking at a probable cycle time of perhaps 1 to maybe 2 minutes tops per set @ $150 per hour( $5 bucks/set) and material cost . . . just guessing high as it probably is an exotic. . . of $160/set and Profit of 15% minimum has the price point of about $200.I am referring to a set as a set of 4. Now I may have missed something here in my calculations, but I would think that if you could find a material for a much lower cost that has a durability factor somewhere between ABS and the exotic, the asked for price point should be easily attainable!
Just my $2 worth!!
How about this for an idea, they could start with a piece of 304 stainless steel - mill finish - stamped($3 for steel at most), and then mold the steel with an elastomer (buna would be fine) to conform the shape they want for the mudflaps. It would be basically indestructable from stone chips, and if the mold was designed properly you could have a nice smooth glossy finish. The piece would never rust and you could mount it from tabs that were part of the stainless. I know for a fact that this could be manufactured for around $25 a piece (because we have done similar size and shape for something else). There is more labor involved with a process like this, but it would make a bullet proof piece that wouldn't ever chip. Just throwing out an idea here from my background.
... inquiring minds want to know...