Funny Food holders

[natewelding]

Im sure most of you know of the funny male/female hotdog/marshmellow cookers. I was just wondering if anyone has sold them and for how much? I stumbled upon a guy about 15 miles from me selling a set of them for 25$ painted in heat paint, which I find odd for food. But I just can't see how he can sell for so cheap, so I checked out his website and etsy, he must be a member here because everything he sells is a file from here and they're all cheaply priced I feel like. Just wondering what everyone gets for the cookers. Thanks!

[michmetalman]

$25 a set?? That's crazy! I would sell them for $18-$20 each.
I guess some people think sell low, sell more.

[Corfabrication]

$25 a set?? That's crazy! I would sell them for $18-$20 each.
I guess some people think sell low, sell more.

Agreed.
some stuff I won't bother to list, as even if I find free material, I can't make shop rate on some things. I have plenty of my own projects I could work on for free. Lol

[beefy]

It really depends on his "manufacturing process" and his ability to move enough of them at this cheaper price.

If he has got quite efficient at making a bunch of identical items in one hit, then he may be getting quite well compensated for his time/effort.

Or then again maybe he is in retirement and happy to work for $10/hour.

Keith

[wickedinhere]

Yeah the old guys and desperate to sell guys are starting to affect the business. The old retired guys do it for fun and sell stuff cheap, the desperate guy that just spend all his savings on equipment and getting setup is in financial trouble. I am starting to see a lot of people getting into the business then BOOM it wasn't the big money maker they thought it was. It takes time to build a business.

[Largemouthlou]

I agree!! Turn key systems are fairly cheap these days and you can be up and cutting practically the moment you plug it in.. CNC Plasma systems and shops are becoming a dime a dozen and have been for a while now.. Day of getting what your work is worth is long gone in most aspects. Now some just want to turn money and hope for the best..

I have lots of great ideas and things that people see me using and say "WOW what a great idea" give them price and never hear from them again... These days I'm trying to work for a very small profit or not cutting at all..

[KIDTech]

An idea for some of you on these, I can buy the roasting stick in food grade SS that are adjsutable for less than a dollar with a nice handle. I can also cut out 10 of them in less than 10 minutes, so what I do is cut them out, tack weld them on the already made raoster and drop them off. Takes me less than 20 mintues to make ten sets. I think $25*10 ($250) for 20 minutes of work is not bad. I use 16 ga for material which I pick up pretty cheap as I buy a lot of metal at a time drivng the cost down. Things like these are a blast for me to make and are different since I am mostly a mechanical prototype shop.

[hacnwac]

I make these holders out of stainless (food safe) and sell them for $40 bucks a pair. I also make drink holders (steel) for $30 dollars a pair. These products I consider my loss leaders and I make practically nothing on them. I do not make that many of them maybe a couple dozen pair a year. They do however bring customers in the door . They look great sitting on top of a custom fire pit or other related outdoor products and have sold a few fire pit rings this way. I sometimes also include a set with a fire ring sale as a thank you (price is already inculed in the ring
Mark

[beefy]

the desperate guy that just spend all his savings on equipment and getting setup is in financial trouble. I am starting to see a lot of people getting into the business then BOOM it wasn't the big money maker they thought it was. It takes time to build a business.

See and hear about this in my excavation business all the time. I'd be wealthy if I had a dollar for every time someone said, "Yeah, I was seriously thinking about getting a bobcat or excavator". No idea about how the industry works, just see a dumb operator (no skill, intelligence, or experience needed of course) pulling handles and digging in dirt, easy as pie, and a good hourly rate.

Later the realisation comes, the maintenance costs, and lots of other crap, I could go on. Anyway they eventually realise they don't keep all that money. They sell the machine and go back to a job. Then they get replaced with other aspiring guys and the hourly rate is kept down.

I see the plasma cutting game being just the same. Press a button, the table does it all, and you make easy money And always a replacement supply of new table buyers.

Keith.

[michmetalman]

the desperate guy that just spend all his savings on equipment and getting setup is in financial trouble. I am starting to see a lot of people getting into the business then BOOM it wasn't the big money maker they thought it was. It takes time to build a business.

See and hear about this in my excavation business all the time. I'd be wealthy if I had a dollar for every time someone said, "Yeah, I was seriously thinking about getting a bobcat or excavator". No idea about how the industry works, just see a dumb operator (no skill, intelligence, or experience needed of course) pulling handles and digging in dirt, easy as pie, and a good hourly rate.

Later the realisation comes, the maintenance costs, and lots of other crap, I could go on. Anyway they eventually realise they don't keep all that money. They sell the machine and go back to a job. Then they get replaced with other aspiring guys and the hourly rate is kept down.

I see the plasma cutting game being just the same. Press a button, the table does it all, and you make easy money And always a replacement supply of new table buyers.

Keith.

Anyone can buy a table, import a file and press a button, but the only ones that are gonna make it in this business are the ones who are talented enough to constantly come up with new ideas. There are some products that sell well, and will always sell well...but people get bored, it's not like they "NEED" to have metal art to survive. Come up with new ideas and you will be fine. Keep putting out what everyone else is...is a sure way to a quick death.

[Capstone]

I found this article, from 2013, that I think everyone here might find interesting.

The Craft Market for Metal Art

[natewelding]

Making 25 sets in 20 minutes is all fine and dandy, but why so cheap? To me it's just insane to do that, and it only hurts everyone else in the business. For that price, that's something I would expect to get at walmart. I was going to make them for $40 a set, and that to me seems pretty damn reasonable.

[beefy]

Making 25 sets in 20 minutes is all fine and dandy, but why so cheap? To me it's just insane to do that, and it only hurts everyone else in the business. For that price, that's something I would expect to get at walmart. I was going to make them for $40 a set, and that to me seems pretty damn reasonable.

Sounds to me like he may have ongoing business with them. He said he makes 10 in one hit then drops them off. If that's the case he's effectively doing a little bit of wholesaling, and maybe it's ongoing ???

Selling one by one you'll probably need to make $40, but 10 at a time and in such a short time I think the price is OK. Raising it up may lose future orders IF this is recurring business.

Keith.