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16 quid for 3 piece...
 

[Closed] 16 quid for 3 pieces of plastic!?

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[#10034955]

need some spacers for my super deluxe shock and after a quick Google tf have them for 16 quid! They probably cost 1p each to make(!)

short of knowing a shop owner and getting them for trade , theres not much I can do is there?


 
Posted : 11/06/2018 10:19 pm
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 They probably cost 1p each to make(!)

That they do, but it's part of a pricing structure that returns a profit on investment, allows cash for R&D, covers tooling and setup costs, shipping, holding and distribution this end and the overall price of everything in the line, also covers somebody knocking them off on ebay once they work out how to copy them


 
Posted : 11/06/2018 10:38 pm
 tdog
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Hate to say it again lol but what Mikewsmith said


 
Posted : 11/06/2018 10:53 pm
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sort of

i mean the r and d can't be much they are similar to fox how they clip around the air shaft so its not a radicaly new idea and tooling? they'll only be injection molded it's not like they're buying new forging equipment

distribution and stuff should be absorbed really as it's just part of the process

I can see why people would do knock off ones

I might be being tight but just seems excessive for what it is

if only I knew someone with a 3D printer


 
Posted : 11/06/2018 11:00 pm
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1p each to make?.

Seriously?.


 
Posted : 11/06/2018 11:02 pm
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distribution and stuff should be absorbed really as it’s just part of the process

PMSL 🙂 I like that one

I might be being tight but just seems excessive for what it is

As I said the price of one item doesn't always reflect it's costs just it's part in a pricing structure


 
Posted : 11/06/2018 11:03 pm
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if you noted the exclamation in brackets then you would have known I was exaggerating but it can't be far off


 
Posted : 11/06/2018 11:04 pm
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Oh, and here's me thinking they were exclamation marks, and all this time they've been exaggeration marks!!!!!!!!!!! 😊


 
Posted : 11/06/2018 11:08 pm
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http://www.emold.net/view/Calculate.jsp?source=csg

Off you go then 😉

Some other numbers to sort, tax, import duty, etc, raw materials, then labour this side to pack them, yes it's a high margin item but its part of a bigger model keeping OEM and retail prices lower etc.

Or simply put there is a spreadsheet somewhere


 
Posted : 11/06/2018 11:13 pm
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in brackets they mean sarcasm , thought I wouldn't have to explain that as you seem to have it locked down 😂


 
Posted : 11/06/2018 11:14 pm
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liamvc96, what do you do for a living?

Whatever it is, you're massively overpaid. I could buy it for 1p, I reckon.


 
Posted : 11/06/2018 11:14 pm
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@mikewsmith you make a good point (bugger) I'll just have to suck it up


 
Posted : 11/06/2018 11:16 pm
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http://www.decisionproblem.com/paperclips/index2.html


 
Posted : 11/06/2018 11:17 pm
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@captainflashheart profession stw member


 
Posted : 11/06/2018 11:18 pm
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Mike, if you're going to post my website, at least ask me first.


 
Posted : 11/06/2018 11:20 pm
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Lol I didn't think it was the official branch just a knock off supplier 🙂


 
Posted : 11/06/2018 11:21 pm
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I thought the singletrack thing to do would be cut your own out of an old chopping board?


 
Posted : 12/06/2018 12:00 am
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BTW What level are you up to Flashy??


 
Posted : 12/06/2018 12:20 am
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Pretty sure you'll find those on a 3D printing model site that you can get printed anywhere for not a lot.


 
Posted : 12/06/2018 12:26 am
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Posted : 12/06/2018 12:41 am
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There is a point I hate having an addictive strategic brain....


 
Posted : 12/06/2018 12:51 am
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Simply put OP everything is expensive and everyone is trying to fleece you for as much as possible.

For a reason I can't fathom some people view trying to get a better deal for yourself as a kind of job stealing sacrilege and preach the religion of bending over and taking what you're given, at the price you're told, whilst chanting your undying appreciation and thanks.

Personally I weigh up the options and choose what I consider to be the best price/quality/value.


 
Posted : 12/06/2018 8:07 am
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Nope just pointing out what a business model. Is. Consumer behaviour is one factor in it but companies will still look to make a profit. That could move to the main sale or another part of the business.if people stop buying spares from them.


 
Posted : 12/06/2018 8:34 am
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A bit of a convenient simplification psycorps and I don't see anyone saying it's wrong to get a fair price. It's easy to frame this as you vs faceless megacorp but as mikenewsmith has pointed out some of the costs involved in something like this are enabling people just to make a living out of being part of a supply chain.


 
Posted : 12/06/2018 8:34 am
 PJay
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Replacement [url= https://shop.gopro.com/EMEA/accessories-2/replacement-door-hero5-session/AMIOD-001.html ]GoPro Session door[/url] anyone?


 
Posted : 12/06/2018 8:59 am
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It’s easy to frame this as you vs faceless megacorp but as mikenewsmith has pointed out some of the costs involved in something like this are enabling people just to make a living out of being part of a supply chain

It's not just that though is it - as MWS suggested, it's a deliberate overall structure/plan.  Making those things in the volumes (SWIDT?? 😉 ) that SRAM requires will mean that purchase/production cost is very low.  They have an existing distribution chain and these things are tiny, light and neither intricate nor fragile by comparison to their other stuff.  They choose to overprice them relatively in order to keep intital prices nice and low for the groupsets (in their model it seems particularly for OEM).  Seen the list price for 2 bolts and a few washers to mount their brakes ?  Same game - and same risk that somebody else can sell it much cheaper


 
Posted : 12/06/2018 9:07 am
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It looks like someone else has had the same thought and made their own. €4.30, sadly shipping is almost a tenner!

https://www.shapeways.com/product/7C2XNSJ3A/rock-shox-super-deluxe-volume-token?optionId=65693329&li=marketplace


 
Posted : 12/06/2018 9:07 am
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7500 pieces of plastic for £650 Bargain!!!


 
Posted : 12/06/2018 9:11 am
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sadly shipping is almost a tenner!

But distribution should be so cheap!


 
Posted : 12/06/2018 9:13 am
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I’m with the OP.

I also don’t buy the pricing structure argument (R&D costs etc). All cost for a shock should be spread over the cost off ALL parts equally. In this case it seems they choose to load a large portion of non-manufacturing costs onto three bits of plastic. Imagine the outcry if someone chose to charge that sort of markup on headset spacers.

I needed a smaller one on mine, so took a hacksaw to it.


 
Posted : 12/06/2018 9:17 am
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Finished it, Mike.


 
Posted : 12/06/2018 9:18 am
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Fox ones were £30 odd when I looked! Still seem to be £23 even.on eBay so at least you are getting less ripped off....


 
Posted : 12/06/2018 9:27 am
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All cost for a shock should be spread over the cost off ALL parts equally

So which successful business do you run?


 
Posted : 12/06/2018 9:28 am
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I'm always confused that a small block of metal is relatively cheap to buy, but if you were to make it into a bike frame, suddenly it would be exponentially more expensive. I'm guessing that's because the increase in size means it costs more to send through the post.

It's a similar thing with bread and flour. Flour is way cheaper than bread per gramme, but bread has a much higher volume. So, for the sake of argument, if your bread is made in the far east, it would cost lots to ship it - it would probably need its own seat on a plane to avoid being crushed and to keep it fresh - whereas you could simply carry flour in a hidden compartment at the bottom of your suitcase.

I blame CAPITALISATION.


 
Posted : 12/06/2018 9:30 am
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So which successful business do you run?

Poundland?


 
Posted : 12/06/2018 9:54 am
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<div class="bbp-reply-author">mikewsmith
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thanks for that.  My child will have to look after herself for the rest of the day


 
Posted : 12/06/2018 9:54 am
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This Fox one is available to download:

https://www.shapeways.com/product/FJZKXXATN/fox-float-volume-reducer-large-spacer?li=productGroup&optionId=40627889

Modify that file and then take it to a local 3dprinter? Or order it online as a batch with some other people on here?


 
Posted : 12/06/2018 10:12 am
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It’s not just that though is it – as MWS suggested, it’s a deliberate overall structure/plan.

No it's not just that, I didn't say it was, but part of that plan has to allow distributors, retailers for example to make it worthwhile stocking the part.

BadlyWiredDog - you could be onto something with these shipping costs... How about dehydrating bikes into a powder then all punters have to do is add a bit of water and bingo! Instabike!


 
Posted : 12/06/2018 10:16 am
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How it is that you can buy an Enduro fork seals kit for the same price as these bits of plastic? From what I understand seals use much more exotic materials and have to be manufactured to tight tolerances.

Pricing structure was mentioned above.  Can someone explain how this type of pricing structure can be justified using a hypothetical example?  Educate us non-business types 🙂


 
Posted : 12/06/2018 10:17 am
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Modify that file and then take it to a local 3dprinter? Or order it online as a batch with some other people on here?

I'd say to prove a point the OP should invest in the 3d printing and set up a business supplying these things to us 😉 then he can determine how much his time is worth and reflect that in the pricing 🙂 How many jiffy bags can you pack and post per hour?


 
Posted : 12/06/2018 10:20 am
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Pricing structure was mentioned above.  Can someone explain how this type of pricing structure can be justified using a hypothetical example?  Educate us non-business types

Because people will pay it.

Each part of the business will have costs and profit margins, they may make £10 on the fork & shock they sell to whoever put your bike together. They then make money back in aftermarket stuff.

If you want it available in the UK at next day delivery then somebody has to hold stock, that takes space, time and employees - just saying they already exist to sell the forks doesn't count - each item in there has to cover it's costs. you might not notice the costs in handling a fork but you do in a small item as it takes about the same amount of time to pick it and post it.

all this time a supplier is sat on an inventory of stock that they have paid for or at least financed.

As part of a greater pricing model you can tweak what you make on each component to fit what the market will bear and what will return you the best overall profit.

When you look at the fox side of things this is the cost of distribution

http://www.silverfish-uk.com/news.aspx?id=282

That needs to be made back from service, parts, spares etc.


 
Posted : 12/06/2018 10:26 am
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Can you not just bung a wodge of silicone (or whatever) grease in there?


 
Posted : 12/06/2018 10:33 am
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Pricing structure was mentioned above.  Can someone explain how this type of pricing structure can be justified using a hypothetical example?  Educate us non-business types

It's as simple as you imagine... they don't need to justify if people buy them.

To some extent this means being able to sell the "base" lock-in at a lower price than alternatives.  That applies to forks or printers or cardboard boxes.

I can buy cardboard boxes for example... or I can go and buy a whole load of printers.

The printers come free (can just be thrown away) and you might still be in profit.

Buying printer sized boxes (e.g, for packing) costs £2-3 each... a set of ink costs whatever ... you get a power cable and probably a USB cable would cost you a couple of quid and a CD or something that can be used as a coaster... add it all up at consumer prices and the printer is free or somewhere around free.

If the buyer uses the cheap £20 printer then it will be made to waste as much ink as possible and replacement ink will be eye waveringly expensive... but that's what the consumers want... cheap and shiny buy-in...

This involves a lot of cost... the manufacturer has to build in all the electronics to prevent you using someone else's ink...

It's a fairly crap business model by some ways... but it's driven by the consumer that wants a cheap and shiny new printer for £20-£30...

Back in the day (don't know if this is still current) the heavy duty HP office lasers had a engineer setting you needed social codes to access.  By typing in a number the engineer could set the number of prints the machine would make before displaying an "error-call engineer" message.  (In the 90's I got loaned an engineers book with the codes etc....)

This drives a spiral... import duty is based on value.... someone has to stick the items costing pence to make in an envelope and attach/print postage etc. but essentially the price is what people want to pay.


 
Posted : 12/06/2018 10:47 am
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If anyone has one, I'll happily measure it, model it and 3D print it at much less than 16 quid.


 
Posted : 12/06/2018 10:48 am
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@thepodge cheers! I think there's already one in there I'll look tonight when I get home


 
Posted : 12/06/2018 11:16 am
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