WTF is this guy thinking????

[DawgatAuburn]

http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20100813/BIZ/8130331/MSU-fan-engineers-cowbells-to-make-a-living

This is not going to end well I am afraid.

 

[DawgatAuburn]

http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20100813/BIZ/8130331/MSU-fan-engineers-cowbells-to-make-a-living

This is not going to end well I am afraid.

 

[615dawg]

I have a metallic silver cowbell from him that I ordered a couple years ago. The quality is light years ahead of the stuff you buy in Starkville.

 

[jacksonreb1]

numbers dictate failure.........thinks he can sell 3000 cowbells at lets say an average price of $17.50 (mid way between his $12-$25 range) equals rev of $52,500/yr. less materials and selling costs.......well i would have thought an engineering degree from msu would have paid better than that..........just sayin'

 

[rem101]

3,000 cowbells just doesn't seem like it'll cut it after materials, marketing and shipping.

 

[UpTheMiddlex3Punt]

If he's smart he'll go after other sports where fans use them. Or make commemorative cowbells.

 

[missouridawg]

during football games sporadically. I'm no market specialist or anything, but I would think there would be a market for them in the high school ranks.

 

[Shmuley]

that mama makes decent coin, has the family's health insurance coverage through her employer, and has him trained to keep the crib clean and the clothes washed and the groceries bought and the cat washed. Whatever he clears is gravy.

Hell, it's not like he's a railroad accountant jonesin for some homoerotic practice pics or anything.

 

[randystewart]

I have one from this guy and one that I bought from the lodge. The metallic silver ones are a different kind of bell, so I am not including them in this analysis.
I bought one from this guy and had it crack down the side after two games, so I had to buy one from the lodge to replace it. The one I bought in Starkville actually has better welds that seem to be placed to prevent cracking down the side like the other one did.
Just my own opinion, but I'd rather buy a bell that has proper welds as opposed to some guy experimenting in his garage.

 

[rem101]

as well as a hockey team in NY and soccer team in Seattle. Don't the Devil Rays use them or something? That could be a large market.

 

[TR.sixpack]

meaning once the current fan base is saturated w/ bells, you're left relying on new fans and people who buy multiples. I predict this guy will be back in the job market in three years...unless he expands is product line beyond cowbells.

ETA: I skimmed the article, so I missed the part about him marketing to other teams, however no market will ever be as big as the MSU one.

 

[curbmyenthusiasm]

NFM

 

[jacksonreb1]

outside our core fanbase. even if we win big we're not going to have thewalkup fans like bama, fla, usc nd etc, IMO. so unless you msu guys really step up your game with some big families then ultimately it seems to me the market might get a bit saturated.

 

[oilypaws]

I honestly go through about 1 every year.

 

[TR.sixpack]

Most of them have never been to a football game. That's mainly who I was talking about.

 

[ckDOG]

There is no way he's in it for the money selling 3k bells @ $17.50. This is a hobby.

 

[TR.sixpack]

nm

 

[randystewart]

you also have to take into account that you still have to pay shipping to get your bell from this guy.

 

[uptowndawg]

then this guys 17ed

 

[RonnyAtmosphere]

...but if he is going to retire off cowbell production alone, he needs to hollow out some of those cowbell handles so you can store your liquor in 'em.

 

[fishwater99]

Maybe he should have taken a coupleeconomic and accounting classes.
He might make bank for this year, but after the SEC bans cowbells again he is **** out of luck.
I wish him luck.......</p>

 

[benatmsu]

But one of the biggest mistakes today's entrepreneur can make is having an unattractive web presence. I'm not saying mycowbell.com is the worst site I've ever seen... but if you're staking your livelihood on a website, it probably shouldn't look like it was made in my BIS1013 class.

That being said, I agree with Shmuley, the wife probably makes a good paycheck, and he's not really relying on this as his family's main source of income. And if that is, in fact, the case, then good for him.

 

[615dawg]

As a web developer - you get frustrated with sites like that. $4.95/month for your business website! There is no way in hell I can compete with that.

I had a meeting with a potential client one time that was using one of those $4.95/month sites. It was pitiful and he knew it. His business had grown a lot and wanted to up his web presence. I had some other business with them and mentioned it in passing, so we set up a meeting. He told me all this stuff that he wanted, showing me major retailers websites - "I'm not sure that you can do what Target does .." Yes, I can.

He was really excited about it, and I spent a lot of time scoping the project, and coming up with a fair price. I came in at $8000. This would have cost him $25,000 in other places. You know what he told me?

"I was thinking $200, $250."

Still has that $4.95/month site, but he did tell me he priced someone else and they came in at $38,000, so he wasn't upset at me anymore.

Web sites can make or break a business.

 

[Hidog78]

Go to the17ing soccer people . Convince them to ring bells instead of blowing damn horns all the time!!!!!!

 

[UpTheMiddlex3Punt]

Some websites get too slicked up and become practically unusable. A little bit of scripting is a lot better than a whole lot of buggy scripting. But it's not 1996 anymore, so make it look good. It doesn't look like it would take much more than a graphical overhaul to make it a better site.

At least his site seems to be easy to navigate and has prices. Nothing is worse than a website where you can't order a product and they don't tell you how much it costs.