OK,

I do not listen very well and things take a while to sink in.
I have been told by 6 people now that I have a special invention.

There is an invention trade show in Pittsburg June 7th thru 10th with a booth running @ $1,595.
Here's a link to some of the competitors. http://www.inventionshow.com/02_news/
Here is mine www.bulletbobber.com

Would it make a big splash or drown at an Invention Trade Show?

BD, no offense but it looks to me like the whole idea is to catch inventors rather than customers. I read an article a while back on those companies that advertise to help inventors market their products and the article said they were pretty much bogus and didn't really do anything but take your money. just my 2 cents worth.

I think a patent and participating with the likes of Bass Pro or Cabelas would be a better move. Details can be hammered out, or negotiated as indicated. Since you have already invented and have product in stock, and not seeking help to get proto type assembled or produced, but to distribute and market a ready made product, I think and Invention show is more of a circus attraction (gawkers) than a marketing tool for individuals such as yourself.

If it was a Fishing Expo, it would be another thing and probably not as expensive. In a Fishing Expo you can do some networking with other marketers and retailers in a related industry, and as a bonus have other fisherman do promotional and PR related stuff at no cost. An example would be a product called the "Pole Cat", that was first featured here (Seattle) at an Expo years ago by the inventor, and it is still going strong today. It can now be found in a number of local Tackle shops and has found tremendous popularity over the years.

Another ideas would be to get "BUZZ Ramsey" to partner with, and offer his name, for the marketing to Steelhead and Salmon fishers. lol

Good luck, and I look forward to trying one, as I do love to bobber fish. I wonder if a stiff current would aid this bobber for better presentation while fishing for Steelhead and Salmon. It will be hard to beat the Dink float but we'll see.

not for that price.....you wanna booth at a sportsman show for that price..... i think your particular strategy will depend on getting the product infront of fishermen......unfortunately that means either:
selling hard and getting pre-paid orders therefore having more cash flow but the hardest selling work

using a sales rep service. the best would be one that allready distributes fishing products... this gets you ito alot of stores but it depends on what
% they are gonna charge ya and the cash flow is much slower

consignment-alot of sales work but easy sales and high profit per item.... cash flow is very very slow and deadbeat accounts.
unfortunately with a new product with undemonstrated demand, many smaller fishing store owners will demand a consignment period before a cash order is placed

Another idea would be to place adds in fishing rags, such as FHN, BASS, Walleye, STS, etc. Mail order is a wonderful means of marketing, as it offers product information, including website and contact numbers. A few hundred dollars could go a long ways in marketing this product.

I would also consider a name change. Maybe one a little more sexy, like the "Thinking Bobber", or "Smart Bobber". Something that illustrates the special characteristics of this bobber. IMHO, "Bullet" just doesn't give it it's dues. My .02

What he said.

I have no idea what to do to get it going.
My prayer is folks test the ones that are out there and post something. I'm done spamming.
Really bad experience some places and I do not want to where out my welcome here.

BD, don't get too down in the mouth,it's a tough business to break into but if you have something that will work well it will eventually catch on you just need to keep plugging away. I'll refer again to the RAM mounts, a local guy here in the Seattle area came up with the idea and was producing them out of a little shop he had and was going around to all the vendors at the Boat and Sportsmans shows trying to get some of them interested, it took a couple of years but they have really taken off now and made him tons of money. You'll do it, it just takes persistance and patience. Good Luck.

If your product starts selling, there will be an identical copy coming out of China the next day, so start figuring out how to deal with that right now......and I don't think a little piece of paper is gonna help as much as is generally thought..........

I have a patent and will SOON be be switching to a China fabricator to lower the price.
I just sent blisters packs with multiple bobbers as samples to a distributor that will show them to WAL-MART. The distributor wants individuals in blisters to show Wal-Mart and I just finished new blister sizes to submit as requested.

Not sure how long it will take to hear back.

Now we're talking!

Bobber Dude, maybe you should move to China then...............

WTF is that supposed to mean?

I'd rather have a sister in a whorehouse, than to intentionly support China !

You know that there are a few Chinese made products on my property, but I make a serious effort to avoid the crap they make, even the products that don't look too bad, are still junk.


Might as well just hire Al-Queda to make products for us.

What about the quality of goods from Sweden, Finland, Germany, etc. ?


I am most ashamed of us for having such an appetite for worthless plastic trinkets, most of what comes from China does not even have a function in a real life !

AuntyM, I appreciate your considerable life experiance, but I do not think our current Walmart/China economy follows precedent...

I am much less concerned about China's ability to provide quality, than our own loss of ability to produce goods on our own soil, I see China making a wise move to take advantage of our horrible work ethic/discipline.

So how hard was it for you to find a computer not manufactured with Chinese chips, Oregonian?

Did you take all the Chinese-made electronics out of your American-made truck? If so, how's it running?

I love a guy who bags on someone else about Chinese goods while on his computer loaded with Chinese goods.

Dan S.

It's really simple...I want to minimize U.S. consumtion of Chinese products, so whenever I have a choice I'll avoid them, even if it takes paying an extra 25% for an item that will basicly do the same thing. I may not buy all Made in USA stuff, but I think China is getting way too much of our business, and I don't think it is a coincidence..............

There's no coincidence at all.

Americans want the cheapest price. Period. The success of Wal-Mart as a retailer confirms this.

This means that manufacturers will continue to move offshore where labor is cheaper than it is here.

And who's to blame? The American consumer.

It makes me puke watching Microsoft, Starbucks, Washington state, and everyone else fall all over themselves kissing China's ass. We're at war to depose a dictator in Iraq, while kissing China's ass. I mean, China just runs over student protestors with tanks.....no big deal, huh?

Money ho's and vote ho's. This country is flush with them.

Dan S.

+1