Occasionally I'll post this question and ask players for their opinion on the merch available at tournaments - specifically my tables or Bruce's tables. With pick your own player pack and pick your own prizes, I want to make sure that the stuff that I have available is the stuff you actually want. I know that a significant amount of people want discs, so let's not go in that direction. I want the opinion of those that are "disc'd out" - where you're tired of just getting more plastic and want something more that was useful. I found in 2009 that affordable towels were a very popular item. I'll certainly bring those back. I know that there have been plenty of requests for birdie bags - I hope to start carrying those soon.
What else do you want to see? Do you want to see more apparel? If so, just shirts? or hats, hoodies, sweatshirts, etc? I'm considering options like clothing from DGA and shirts that look cool. Is there anything that is commonly used in ball golf that could be used in disc golf? I've considered some stuff like those beaded stroke counters so that you keep a better track of where you're at on the hole. I tried out some patches this year, but people either didn't find them because they were small or there was not as much interest as I expected.
Thanks for your input!
I would prefer a bigger selection of t-shirts, hoodies, and hats. Maybe waterproof socks and/or gaiters for fall/winter tourneys?
Thank you for your suggestions, Jason. I've looked at the waterproof socks, but they are not cheap. To carry multiple sizes and enough quantity with the unknown of who would buy them, it's questionable. One pair of waterproof socks would cost me more than any disc I have in the inventory.
Apparel is certainly under consideration.
Yes I second more apparel such as the DGA apparel. They got some really cool stuff. hats, hoodies, shirts, etc.. Tournament stamped T-shirts would be cool also. Like the same stamp thats on the hotstamp but on a shirt. I dont know, just a suggestion.
XXL---Too please.
;)
Thanks!
ECHO Plastic
For what it's worth, I never had any problems selling Innova t-shirts. Discraft t-shirts moved a little slower. The hat market is flooded in IOS-Land, but it will come back. You can sell hoodies if you do cold weather tournaments. Discraft was always willing to do cloth merch on consignment with me, but i don't know if that is a thing they do for any regular merchlord, or if that was personal. I did not do any consignment with IOS merch but I did for Byron every year.
More items under $10 for times when you have odd amounts of funny money left. You did well with towels this year in that price range. Maybe bandanas, sharpies, mini clipboards for scorecards, drinks or snacks. I have been waiting for a disc golf tie and have never seen one.
Get some hardboard clip boards and slap a disc golf sticker on the back and sell them for under 7 dollars.
Part of the problem is that a lot of the small merch never hits the table - or the couple tournaments I did get them prominently displayed you weren't there.
The under $10 items that I have (with funny money prices):
microfiber towels $1
minis $2-$6
Innova license plate covers $6
Innova and generic koozies/can covers $3-$6
Fade Gear Towels $8
Innova Towels $8
Innova Ript Revenge $6
Innova Roc patches $4 (I think)
Innova, Discraft stickers $1
Innova Eraser pencils 2/$1
Gatorade $1
Water $1
Candy $1
Mini Plastic Clipboards (lime, red, orange colors) $6 I think - I've only had these since August
I think I have more, but that's a good start.
What about the Innova keychains or sharpies? Are they worth my money? Sharpies people will probably just walk away with...
I'd like to see PDGA Rulebooks. I don't think that new ones are currently available (the old ones were from 2006) but if they print new ones then that would be a nice item for less than $5.
2006 is the current rule book.
allow funny money to purchase entries into upcoming paper and plastic events.. even if its marked up..
maybe....
funny money to buy future entries I don't think will ever happen. It's a pain to track, and while I set up at a lot of events - very few are my own events. I wouldn't want to have to cash out the funny money and then give it to another TD. There are a bunch of other reasons why I'd be against it, and I understand why you'd be interested in it - it's just not going to happen though.
I don't see why it would be a pain to track. You hand out scrip, you redeem scrip. It's that simple. If the holder loses the scrip, then the holder is out that value, not you. I can see not involving other TDs, but you ran, what, five events solo this year? That's plenty. I do see that the policy would move less merch, however.
The essential problem is that scrip is worth a fraction of a US dollar. Since there is no wholesale/retail price differential on entry fees, the funny money cost to be equivalent for a tournament would give someone severe sticker shock. You'd do better selling off your won plastic in the parking lot and using that cash than trying to use your scrip directly as an entry fee. This is the same reason that TDs do not award PDGA memberships as prizes.
The bottom line is that Innova, Discraft and the PDGA won't take funny money in payment, so your TD needs to collect some cash at the beginning of the day.
Quote from: stpitner on November 03, 2009, 12:50:31 PM
Is there anything that is commonly used in ball golf that could be used in disc golf? I've considered some stuff like those beaded stroke counters so that you keep a better track of where you're at on the hole.
Zipper pouches are nice. I know Terry used to sell them but not sure if he still does.
Scrip is not coupons, which have a real value of only a fraction of a cent. Scrip is a placeholder for dollars. Dollars that have already been received by the TD. If the TD pays out scrip at 80% of face value, which is the same as offering a cash discount on merch (or entry fees), then the TD makes a profit with every scrip transaction, and NEVER has more scrip in circulation then the dollars collected initially. Yes, the profit is not as high as on merch sales. Cash is still available for merch purchases, however, because there is less product turnover thus less inventory to replace.
I think 2010 is only lining up to have me run about 3, so the opportunities are even less. Regardless it's not going to happen.
Serg - good idea. I'll have to do some scouting around on that type of item. I'd have to find something that's decent quality material for the right price (always a difficult task)
Towels
Didn't want to start a whole new thread to talk about it, so I figured I'd post about it here. You can now follow Paper or Plastic Sports on Facebook! I'll have the occasional exclusive offer for those that click to Like the page, and people there will get first choice of new merch that comes in should you be looking for that magic color and weight combination of a certain disc. I'll also have more info about upcoming tournaments there and stuff that is new to hit the merch tables!
Check it out here:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Paper-or-Plastic-Sports/117115951636594?ref=sgm (http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Paper-or-Plastic-Sports/117115951636594?ref=sgm)