I suppose we could use Drake's Law: I'd estimate that perhaps only 1
in 10 Hams are interested in homebrewing, 1 in 10 have the skill, and 1
in 10 have the means to stock up a large parts library: basically an
interested audience of 1 in 1000 hams, meaning an audience of no more
than 700 hardcore homebrewers. Can that be right, only 700 of us
potentially on this newsgroup?

Although, if I provide the service of the homebrewer's parts library:
reasonable price, fast shipment, good ranges of discretes for 160-6 M
construction, then I could address up to 7000 hams who have both the
interest and skill who don't want to kit but do want to try something
new.

If I bundle the parts kits with the FAR boards, I suppose I could
address the 1-3 additional people on the bottom end of the skill scale.
Now we have an audience of up to 21000 hams, a nice healthy audience.

If only one of 100 hams in the kit audience buys a kit per year, then I
have only 210 sales per year. If the average parts kit cost me $50 and
I mark it up by $5 I only make about $1 of profit per kit after taxes
and expenses. 210 sales per year X $1 per kit is $210 per year. Not
good!

Or are there things of which I am not considering.

Yawn,

The Eternal Squire

"Highland Ham" wrote in message
news:2s2dnZ2dnZ24ZZfxnZ2dnVgGkt6dnZ2dRVnyqZ2dnZ0@p ipex.net...

snipped..

In western european countries there are a number of traders selling
surplus components incl RF parts ,who move from fleamarket to fleamarket
,from country to country. A number buy surplus army kit from eastern
europe and sell these as components...........................they have
done that for many years ,hence must have a reasonable income from these
activities .
I have seen a web site related to the sale (auction) of US Government
equipment (located in Virginia) with some mouthwatering electronic
(test)equipment . There should be a market for this equipment ,even as
components.
Frank GMØCSZ / KN6WH.

FYI:

I was watching the "US Government" site a while and found the auctions
exceeded anything I would call a "deal on equipment"
The site is http://www.govliquidation.com/index.html
I don't know how it would work for an overseas buyer though,

73 K4TWO Gary

wrote in message
oups.com...

than 700 hardcore homebrewers. Can that be right, only 700 of us
potentially on this newsgroup?

I don't know about "hardcore", but many AmQRP kits sell that many in the
first week. OK, you could say that a kit really isn't homebrew. But there
are a lot of people out there who like to melt solder.

and expenses. 210 sales per year X $1 per kit is $210 per year. Not
good!

Hardly cover the state's cut for licenses.

...

What about this:

Instead of offering a "stock" of parts or even a "stock" of predefined
kitted parts... offer a "part collection service." Someone who wants
to build a homebrew project could send you the schematic/article; you
would review the requirements and email them a quick quote on what it
would cost to provide the parts and the estimated time required. If
they approve, and order, you then collect the parts from your own
sources: some would be your "stock on hand", some would be orders you
place to other suppliers.

Advantage to buyer: one stop shopping; no need to spend hours going
over catalogs and going to different suppliers in order to get a pile
of parts together for a project. They dream of a project...they end up
with a bag-o-parts. It might take a little longer, and be a little
more expensive, to get the parts (because you might have to go find
some of them); but it will be a "turn key" operation for the buyer.

Advantage to you: You don't have to stock certain predefined "kits" or
go to the labor of building kits that might just sit on your shelf for
months. All you have to do is keep on hand a good range of basic parts
(that you pick up surplus, or on sale, when you can). In other words,
just keep a good "junk box" stock for yourself. If the customer needs
a part you don't have, then your cost to acquire it, and the delay, can
be figured into your quote.

Brad
WA5PSA

wrote in message
oups.com...
I suppose we could use Drake's Law: I'd estimate that perhaps only 1
in 10 Hams are interested in homebrewing, 1 in 10 have the skill, and 1
in 10 have the means to stock up a large parts library: basically an
interested audience of 1 in 1000 hams, meaning an audience of no more
than 700 hardcore homebrewers. Can that be right, only 700 of us
potentially on this newsgroup?

Although, if I provide the service of the homebrewer's parts library:
reasonable price, fast shipment, good ranges of discretes for 160-6 M
construction, then I could address up to 7000 hams who have both the
interest and skill who don't want to kit but do want to try something
new.

If I bundle the parts kits with the FAR boards, I suppose I could
address the 1-3 additional people on the bottom end of the skill scale.
Now we have an audience of up to 21000 hams, a nice healthy audience.

If only one of 100 hams in the kit audience buys a kit per year, then I
have only 210 sales per year. If the average parts kit cost me $50 and
I mark it up by $5 I only make about $1 of profit per kit after taxes
and expenses. 210 sales per year X $1 per kit is $210 per year. Not
good!

Or are there things of which I am not considering.

Yawn,

The Eternal Squire

Why limit your potential market to only the USA?

From: "Tom" on Sat 27 Aug 2005 00:25

wrote in message
roups.com...
Tom,

The district in question is the Ahikhabara (sp?). From what I have
heard and read it is the largest elex flea-market in the world.

Yes... thanks to craigm as well, it is Akihabara. Here are some web pages:

Akihabara News:
http://www.akihabaranews.com/en/

Akihabara homepage:
http://www.akiba.or.jp/index_e.html
http://www.akiba.or.jp/english/

AKIHABARA! :-) Fabulous place in Tokyo!

In the early 1950s (!) it was far from a "flea-market" but rather a
collection of hundreds of small shops selling ALL SORTS of radio
and electronic parts, kits, ready-built stuff. Fantastic then.

The best kit I ever put together was a monophonic "high-fidelity"
amplifier with preamp, the preamp box containing a TRF AM receiver
for superb AM reproduction...purchased at a small price by this
then-GI in 1954, assembled, used, sent home and used in the States
for several years.

Akihabara has been written up in lots of electronics magazines,
from Audio Engineering to (I think) all of the U.S. amateur radio
periodicals. From talking to others in-person who had visited it
in 1970s and 1980s, it is well-worth a look-see for anyone who
gets to Tokyo, Japan.

But then again, I dropped a zero because I was so tired writing the
letter. Would be 2100 sales per year, not 210. With 1$ net profit
margin on a $50 sale, that would be $2100 per year.

Because unless I know different from an authoritative source, US
Customs pretty much considers anything much above a transistor to be
military dual-use tech in the post 9/11 era. Take a look at the Ebay
ads these days... you'll hardly ever see a US Ebay willing to sell
outside CONUS due to export hassles.

Importing is almost as bad... Outside of NAFTA or CAFTA expect pay to
duties in excess of 12 to 50 percent above your $400 annual exemption
for gift items.

The Eternal Squire

Well while adding to my check-it-out in my spare time sites.....
www.jabdog.co.uk came up empty. Any of the letters in error?
I wouldn't have a guess as to a search for your site listed
Thanks K4TWO Gary



"Highland Ham" wrote in message
news:2s2dnZ2dnZ24ZZfxnZ2dnVgGkt6dnZ2dRVnyqZ2dnZ0@p ipex.net...
There is also the possibility that we could import discretes and other
parts directly from small shops in India and China.

The only problem is that it seems that US Customs import duties for
electronics coming in from Japan are rather punitive to small-time
operators. Maybe I am wrong.

Maybe you and I should go into this one together :)
====================================
In Britain there are few 1 man or family companies selling components.
Have a look at
www.modecomponents.co.uk
www.jabdog.co.uk
www.sycomcomp.co.uk

In western european countries there are a number of traders selling
surplus components incl RF parts ,who move from fleamarket to fleamarket
,from country to country. A number buy surplus army kit from eastern
europe and sell these as components...........................they have
done that for many years ,hence must have a reasonable income from these
activities .
I have seen a web site related to the sale (auction) of US Government
equipment (located in Virginia) with some mouthwatering electronic
(test)equipment . There should be a market for this equipment ,even as
components.

The marketing question remains : Is there a substantial ham homebrew
market in the USA . How many of the approx 700000 licenced Hams in the USA
purchase electronic components on a more or less regular basis ?

Surplus people in the USA like 'Surplus of Nebraska ' and 'Peter Dahl'
seem rather expensive.

Frank GMØCSZ / KN6WH.

This is a capital idea. I can only see one little problem: what
if the parts list is spread between 3 or 4 vendors and I have to
pay $5 handling fee to each vendor? This can get pretty expensive
fairly quickly for the customer.

The Eternal Squire