gearhead wrote:There are a number of small companies that wouldn't/couldn't exist as a viable concern without TGP.
This is an interesting and very often misunderstood point.
Disclaimer: This post isn't a direct response to gearheads statement above, it just got me thinking about this site, mentalities etc etc...
A FULL TIME amp building business could not survive from trolling TGP for sales alone. Period. Working for minimum wage in McDonalds would be more fulfilling and profitable.
A part-time business or home builder maybe could survive from hype sales on there. I see some folks are.......then they get too cocky and it all goes tits up.
Just 4% of Carol-Ann sales have been to ACTIVE TGP members (the loudest GAS addicted folks). It seems the same amps appear up for sale over and over and over again. I find it amusing. Selling direct to many of these people is a nightmare for a Company as many pieces are returned after trial and GAS pains have wore off. I totally will not deal direct.
The other 96% have been sold via 12 different Dealers.
On the positive side, TGP like any other gear site can be promotionally beneficial to your business. Non-TGP members search the internet, less active members will search TGP and will often find threads on there that are useful.
There are also some really really nice guys on there that although may not be super active are avid supporters of my business.
I keep my eye on there just to make sure nothing is going out of control, as do a lot of other builders. I post when I think the information I'm providing is useful and keep promotion down to a minimum.
I believe (and know for me anyway) the best way to sell gear is through dedicated Dealers with a shop front that partner with you, where people can try things out and the Dealer is set up to do the sales related work. The risk of return after trial is minimized to virtually zero.
Your product is in a room with other similar products and people chose based on their own tonal choices, not because some avid poster on TGP decides it's this weeks 'best amp ever'.
Bottom line is TGP is a two-tier place. On the top tier you have the posters that people (especially on this site) tend to judge the place by. On the next tier you have all the rest who are people who genuinely search for opinions and information and will be ones that will contact Dealers to try out gear and make much more informed gear buying decisions. These are the guys that become loyal customers to the Dealer and your business.
The point a number of folk on this site don't seem to understand....and I see and feel the digs myself sometimes; is that having a successful amp business is way way beyond being able to build a decent amp. It requires a lot of dedication, time, planning, lost sleep and risk, like any business. My hat goes off to all the guys that do this full time, many are good friends of mine and some of us even try to provide useful information to this site too when time allows.
Alan.
Carol-Ann.