That’s actually a ver cool design. Kudos to your girl. I like the top one. I think you could definitely sell a few of those here. Does it have padding on the inside? How much are you planning on selling those?
Here are a few ideas that I’d consider from a customers perspective. Perhaps these ideas can help gauge the cost/profit ratio for you.
If it is made of nylon on the outside, with polyester inside and cheap foam padding , I’d pay about 25-30 for one of those. If it’s made of a thick, durable nylon/cotton/polyester blend on the outside, with a quilted polyester/nylon lining and neoprene padding/cushioning inside, and a thick nylon strap. durable plastic buckles and a padded shoulder strap, I’d pay 50-60 for one of those.
It’s Cordura1000D, the same stuff they make the military bags out of. indestructable. inside is ballistic nylon, the padding i’m not sure, the locking buckles are plastic, but the main buckle is from an airplane
I don’t know about the price yet, a lot of it depends on the interest. The MadCatz backpack is 50 bucks. This will definitely cost more than that, provided I find folks who want to protect their sticks and have something to take to work or school. My ultimate goal is to have the best one out there. I’d rather do that, than make some cheap shit just to get it out there.
The buckle makes it look like my Chrome messenger bag which I like because it’s good for a quick release. Is the bag meant to be held across the back like the chrome bags or more of an at the hip kind of bag?
As for the MadCatz bag, the back pack is $50 and the messenger bag is $30. Now while they aren’t the best when it comes to lasting quality, you’re still going to have to compete in that price range unless you can prove that your bag will hold up and have an appeal to them.
I like what I’ve seen so far in the first pick but to be honest, the second picture looks to be meh at most.
A side question for you as well, what do you think about pieces like The Link that allow people to remove their shaft from the arcade stick making it easier to store in a bag rather then finding a back that will fit there stick? The Link runs at $27-30 right now.
I like it, I would buy it, but not for $50, definitely for $30. I couldn’t even justify paying $50 for the madcatz bag. Just my input to help you gauge different people in the market.
No worries. I think the broken tier joint is 45 and the Hori is around 30. I think they’ve got the basics covered. So if you’re going to go to EVO
This is definitely for cats who spent 150 or better on their sticks though. Cats rocking a heavily modded hrap3/TE will prolly want some serious protection, and then want something they can carry some books in or a laptop.
Honestly though, not everyone cares that much though. If you hit up Next Level for Big 2, a lot of those players hold their sticks by their knobs…and then wonder why they don’t srk right. It’s not just nerves. Hell, a lot of the big name players don’t bring a stick at all, they just borrow ones from the people there.
This is very true. Every time I’m at Next Level or any tournament, I wonder how their sticks still work or why they don’t have their own sticks to begin with. Hell, I’ve seen people wrap their usb cords around their sticks and use that as a carrying handle.
But I do agree, I’ve got a custom case as well as my own DMed TE that I’ve put a lot of work into that I try to protect at all costs.
Definitely quick release, I use a Chrome bag for work and I loved it. But I didn’t want to jack their style, so I went with an aircraft buckle instead of a car seat buckle. I just can’t carry my stick in it, cause of the way it’s shaped. It’s flat and doesn’t have much in terms of the body shape you need for a stick. And i’m sure you know that it has not padding. Chrome makes their bags in Chino, but I couldn’t find their factory information. But if I went that route, the price would be the same price as Chrome’s bag if not more, cause the buckle is more expensive, and oddly enough foam is hella expensive.
I like the first one the most cause my girl made it but the silk is kinda fragile. It photographs really well though. If I go into production with that, i’d have to upgrade to a polyester…and then finding polyester sakura print is a major headache.
As for the colors, I’ve got 5 other ones on the site, black and gold, red and black, grey and black, olive and brown, and camouflage. Printed nylon interiors that are durable…argh. Finding the durable ones are hard, finding ones with prints that people like? much much harder.
the Link
I think the JLF link is a great idea. I’ve never played with a JLF modified stick though, so I don’t know if there’s any getting used to it, or if it changes the feel. If I was only going to spend 30 bucks on my TE or my HRAP, i’d have a tough time choosing between the technical solution and the bag.
I was looking at those flight cases/foam type things for my sticks, cause i’ve got one for my mixer, but they’re heavy and expensive. If i was going to Iraq to play, most definitely one of those, lol.
With this my goal was to make something that I could carry my stick in, but also take to work on days that I don’t play. And the way I have the front panel, I can get that embroidered in the garment district if I wanted to add a design after the fact.
You put money into the things that you value. Lotta folks would prefer to go to Olive Garden, but i’d rather make the sauce myself from fresh tomatoes, and boil up my own spaghetti. Some folks are cool with 50 dollar dress shoes from Aldo, but I work in Midtown Manhattan, so I go with some quality shoes for all the walking, plus the looks I get from women. So i’ll hit up Nordstrom’s rack and pay 200 bucks for shoes that will last me for years and not go out of style, cause they’re in a classic design.
Keep me in mind as I’m interested and I also work in Midtown Manhattan. The reason i asked you about the JLF Link is because I own two of them, one for each of my sticks, and they help greatly when storing my stick in my bag (I’m currently using a Volcom skate bag which is big and cushioned enough but still awkward). When you first put them on, you actually have to remove the shaft cover and inner washer on the TE. I’ve found that with the Link, it wiggles around a bit more in the deadzone than if I had a normal shaft on but it feels just the same. You can compensate for that wiggle but stretching the inner spring to make it a bit stiffer.
I’m also interested in one these bags!! Going to evo this year and I don’t want to carry my bookbag around. I’m liking the first one!! Hope you do sell some bags at a good price range. Good luck!!
I love the first image. And honestly, I think it’s what sets it apart from the rest of the stick bags in the market. I’d say offer something like that, something more stylish.
:tup: