This is an email that I just sent to Batson:

I have been to your web site alot and have found that
I'm buying your products off the web mostly @#$%&.
I have ether emailed or phoned two of the listed dealers
in the greater Portland area,
Trask River Tackle 7016 S.E Savanna
Milwaukie OR 97267 503-794-9843,
Dan Craft Enterprises 48354 West Oak Rd.
Westfir OR 97492 541-782-4404
neither one has responded
Dan craft is farther away than woodland and that is an hour drive.
I'm getting killed on all the shipping charges for your products,
but having to drive 2 hours plus the time to shop and look at whats new
plus the price of gas, is just as bad as the shipping charges.
You would think that one of the sporting goods stores in the area
would want to carry your product.

WE have about 300.000 people in Portland and close to 1 million in the greater Portland area. I have not found anywhere in Portland that you can walk in to and buy any and every thing you need to build a custom rod. Like I have said before shipping or driving cost to much.

Wishing I lived Anywhere Else

Tim, I don't think there are very many (if any) places where you can walk in and buy all the things needed to build a rod It wouldn't be in a sporting goods store's best interest to tie up space and money that it would take to stock enough building supplies. I would guess (I could be wrong) that at least 75 to 90% of all supplies are bought online or from catalogs. No one company could possibly carry all of the brands, models, etc. of rodbuilding components available. The vendors/distributors can't even stock that much

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

There is no place in Portland to even get one or two of the things needed to build a rod three or four places have a part or two but i don't want to take out a second loan on the house to buy what they have. they have a reel seat that i know cost 4.95 on the msrp and they want 9.95 even with shipping plus profit margine they are out of line!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/26/2006 12:24AM by Tim Hurst.

Dan Craft is known for his great customer service. I speak from personal experience!

Raymond Adams
Eventually, all things merge, and a river runs through it..

I have emailed him 2 times and no responce?????????

No dealers in Helena,MT or Williston,ND either and it is a ten hour drive for me to Woodland. Be thankful that you are only an hour away from Angler's Workshop. I'd like to be that close when I need supplies.

Stan Grace
Helena, MT
"Our best is none too good"



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/26/2006 12:32AM by Stan Grace.

Over what period of time?
Check you spam and or junk filter and try using the telephone before pitching
a @#$%& here!

Shipping charges are just the nature of the beast with a LOT of crafts. Find
a distributor who is fair like @#$%& and your pocket book will fair better.



Raymond Adams
Eventually, all things merge, and a river runs through it..

Tim,
Like Stan Grace, I live in a rural area and the nearest supply of rod parts are in either Seattle, Portland, or Woodland. I do most of my shopping on-line or from catalogs. In terms of shipping chrges, I have had great luck with Hook and hackle. They will order materials that they don't have in stock. In addition, they have very reasonable prices. I would also add Neal's and Custom Tackle Supply to the list that have very reasonable prices and great service.

If you are builidng rods commercially, you can also get wholesale prices by registering your business with the State of Oregon. This will also lower your costs.

Good luck,

Mike Blomme

I live in a metro area with a population well in excess of a million and as far as I know, there are NO places near that sell anything. You may as well resign yourself to the fact that you're going to have to put some effort/expense in to getting your supplies.
No point in blasting Batson, they can't exactly force someone to sell their products in your area

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

Tim: Why don't you open a store? You can stock what you need to build what you want . Sell rods you built,and make money off of parts at the same time.

Tim,

How many rod builders live in Portland and the surrounding area. I can tell you that any sporting goods store that puts in a big selection of rod building supplies for the local rod building population is going to lose their shirt. Big time.

The demographics of rod building are such that there just isn't any great density of builders in any particular area of the country. 300,000 people wlil build a fishing rod this year, but these folks are widely scattered around the 4 corners of the country.

Steve makes a good suggestion - if you think your local area can support a full line rod building store, open one yourself. But... I think you'll be badly disappointed in the eventual sales.

............

You like the Forecast parts, are you going to build more then one rod -- order several at a time. Not just for one rod. When you order a seat for a rod, get several of different sizes and colors. Same with guides, cork rings, handles. Stock up.

Tim,
I also live in the Portland area but if I wanted to live anywhere else I would move. I think that you are actually pretty well off compared to people in most of the country. Angler's Wordshop does not have everything but they are one of the biggest and best stocked distributors in the US. I have found their service to be excellent and I do not feel that the shipping charges from Woodland to Portland are excessive. I have also heard nothing but good things about Dan Craft. Plus half the blank manufacturers in the US are right here in the Northwest.
You are right there is no distributor here in the city or suburbs of Portland. I do not know where the "Anywhere Else" would be where you wished you lived but you would be farther away from a major distributor in Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angles, San Diego, Denver, Salt Lake City or any other city in the western or mid-western US.

Tim,
You have a much better chance of getting Dan Craft on the phone, he carries a pretty good supply for fly rods as that's his business.
Angler's Workshop is easy to get by phone or e mail They heavier into American Tackle supplies, they carry some Batson and the Batson clan is trying to get more in the store. Angler's gets special orders to me in about a week, I live in Camas. They have very reasonable shipping and handling fees.
Went into Trask once, won't be back.
I don't think any of the suppliers could stay in business with the inventories they carry if they just relied on their immediate area for support.

I wish I could drive an hour to get parts!!! Slight downfall of living in Alaska! Oh Well.

Seriously though, both Dan Craft and Anglers Workshop are now my go-to companies. Both offer above average service with great prices and low shipping costs (even to AK), and can get you anything from Batson. Save on shippng by using USPS mail. Just as fast usually. It would be nice to see things in person before buying though.

Ray Vinzant
Juneau, AK

Your story reminds me of the old song "Heaven, I'm in Heaven....." here I sit with Utmost Enterprises, Batson Enterprises and PacBay all within spittin' distance of my front door. And Angler's isn't that far either.

Grant,
If you live in Sequim you are a lucky fella. For the fisherman that place is almost perfect. Plus it strikes me as a really nice little town. The only problem is those Batson boys catching all of the big fish.

Grant
making friends, free stuff ?? LOL

Those fellows that think shipping charges should only entail the actual mailing or shipping costs are not in tune with the cost of shipping parcels. Items don't jump into boxes - somebody has to be paid to pick and pull your order and put it a box - a box that has to be paid for. Then someone has to prepare and print a shipping label, and in many cases, carry the parcel to the local USPS, FedX or UPS office. To ship one reel seat a dealer may incur $10 in actual costs on his end.

To mail one copy of RodMaker by 1st class mail, which is how all new subscriptions or back issue orders end up going, costs me nearly $4. And that doesn't include the cost of the magazine itself. And yet, I suspect most see the $1.83 postage on the envelope and figure that's all it cost me. I wish it was.

.................

They don't get all the big ones!!!!!