rdj and nj surfer have it right... sorry but until you work at a shop, and know the industry, you really do not have a clue. much like the info on this site. "if you buy in bulk you get a discount on boards.." ughh yea that might work on t-shirts, or wax but not boards...jackass... the biggest gripe is that core shops get the **** end of the stick...the boards there are way over prices, they are raping us...blah blah...that is just not the case.. but hey when surf shops become a thing of the past, you guys will have something else to ***** about... by the way...scooby-mcdouche, you are the down fall of this industry,thanks bud.
the problem is..."core surfers" aren't supporting the industry these days. they do what they can, but there aren't very many. there are many...whatever you call everyone else. "blue crushers, kooks, etc etc etc". they don't know surfing well enough to know the difference between a well-crafted board and a bic, so why should they pay the price difference? that's where education comes in. "hey man, let me show you a thing or two about surfboards..." maybe you don't want to explain the purpose of rocker or rail shape to some guy who can barely stand up, but if you don't do it, then the good folks at Ron Jon will gladly give him deal after deal and run the local guys out of business. even if they don't get it and continue to suck at surfing, you'll still have those personal relationships that form the foundation of a good business. quick example: a friend of mine bought a suit in Bahrain (Middle East, next to Saudi Arabia) from this local guy. he came back a year later for another because the first one worked out so well, and the guy REMEMBERED HIS NAME. crazy. a whole year later. anyhow, that's how you win people's loyalty. not only do they feel like you care about them, but they enjoy being around you and want to come shop because they look forward to seeing your face. if you want to run an effective small business like a local surf shop, you HAVE to do this. otherwise it'll fail, almost guaranteed. i'm old enough now to understand that typical high school kid working in shop might be a spoiled brat, but some newbie who has decided to buy boards for himself, wifey, and kids...he doesn't see this. he just sees an a-hole who doesn't deserve his money, so he'll turn around and go elsewhere. my point: the masses are the people buying t-shirts and sunglasses, and the "core surfers" typically don't waste their money on that stuff (they save it to go to Hawaii ). so the core surfers will not necessarily keep you in business. you have to get additional customers, who will be people you probably don't know or like...or you can shape in your garage and sell to core surfers only, which by the way I totally respect.
LOL. Whatever. I guess the owner of Freedom is full of ****. I guess they don't get a few boards thrown at them for free. I'm in that shop 4 or 5 times a month and bull**** with him for hours on end, but you're really emo over the issue with the name-calling and exaggeration, so you must be right. By the way, who said they were getting raped? I'm not a bull****ter. I have no reason to. My boards are all hand made by American craftsmen because it's a personal choice and I don't think anyone ever got rich off of a board I purchased. Like I said, shops make bank on clothes...not boards, but the day that boards don't make a profit, will be the day the stock starts to get smaller until they have to get custom ordered......still waiting for even a hint of that around here. From what I see in the surf shops around here, I wouldn't be overly concerned about them being "things of the past." They've got some pretty hefty overhead and they manage just fine. Keep spreading the fear instead of the stoke, though. Personally, I'd be more concerned about your attitude driving business away than people looking for a decent price. R/ Jackass
Wow... there's all kinds of opinions and theories being talked about here, and that's good. Some of it's coming with people that actually have some experience and insight, and some is coming from people who obviously have their heads up their a$$es.
Save the earth. Recycle. Buy your boards on craigslist. Retail is for suckers!!!! Brick and mortar retail is for those who hate money.
back to original point the surfshops I visit are the ones where they ain't too cool to talk to you... back to middle point if you recylce and feel good then u are silly - most of what we recycle gets dumped into regular waste pits and buried. costs too much to recyle. counties dont want to stop recyling programs for political value - if you don't believe then go take a tour of your local dump - they all give free tours, and make sure you ask where they put recylcing...
I saw that earlier, me too, I think that's a real good thing and opportunity for "historical" perspective on many of these topics. Thanks for sharing
LOL...thanks for the props, goofy footer. Please note, however, that it was a quote and not a claim of my own. Stay positive !
There are still shops around that will reward a loyal customer but to the OP, you can't expect to get killer deals the first time. I've been around a long time too and the way it always works is the same way it should work in the line up. you show up and show some respect, then when people get to know you, you will start seeming some benefit. in a shop, it will be free wax, some discounts and stuff etc, etc. in the lineup it will be some set waves but the key here is that you need to EARN it not EXPECT it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2a8TRSgzZY this is a pretty funny video that highlights just how warped people have become in terms of what they think vendors "owe" them in return for their business. I own a business myself, and when people say they want to save money or their concerned about costs, I tell them I'm not there to save them money, I'm there to provide a specific set of services, and a conversation about your cost concerns is between you and your accountant. Those that get it, get it.
