Hello All,

I am new here.

I was wondering if you guys had some tips on keeping an inventory of rod guides and thread colors on hand to increase turn around on repairs and reduce costs of shipping small orders.

I have decided to do some rod repairs in my spare time for extra cash and I have ordered a lot of different sizes/colors of rod guides along with a few basic thread colors.

My current idea is to charge parts/shipping to customers that want guides and thread I do not have in stock. Then I can take advantage of paid shipping and order my replenishment stock off their parts order. They will get the advantage of me having their thread color in stock for future repairs and I will get the advantage of free shipping on my basic guide inventory.

Any other creative ways to reduce costs and turnaround due to inventory?

It is always tough stocking so many sizes, styles, brands, etc of guides. I know it gets said a lot but the custom part of custom rod building is not limited to the build itself but extends to your practices. The way we handle our practices will always vary.

Personally I only keep stock for new builds because I know what I will be working with. On rebuilds or repairs I choose to buy needed components for the build. With repairs the goal is always to replace existing guides with a match. This would require a diverse stock. I let the suppliers carry that burden.

A.P.

Seth,
Building inventory for a rod BUILDING business probably requires much less money and parts as compared to a rod REPAIR business. Rod builders know beforehand what parts will be needed whereas rod repair requires a vast array of parts to match existing rods. All I can suggest is to keep track of which components you use the most and order accordingly; even so, it is still kind of a crap-shoot. If a repair needs a Fuji CCLGAT 5-5.0 tip top, order two and possibly a 5-4.5 and 5-5.5 as well. You are on the right path by charging the customer shipping costs for his items and then adding a few for your own inventory; I certainly do.
GOOD LUCK AND WELCOME TO THE ADDICTION AND SITE!!!

Mark Talmo
FISHING IS NOT AN ESCAPE FROM LIFE BUT RATHER A DEEPER IMMERSION INTO IT!!! BUILDING YOUR OWN SIMPLY ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE.

I would keep a very small variety of popular guides and sized, but I would really limit the inventory.

If you wanted what might be called a full inventory for rod repair, you could easily spend $10,000 and you might never use 1/2 of that selection in the next 50 years.

But, your choice.

Keep an eye on what the commercially made rods are sporting in terms of guide types. Those are the guide models you want to keep. Most are not terribly expensive but you'll need all the sizes.

Thread and finish are routine but you'll have to lay in a good assortment of colors.

...........

I agree with Roger. From my experience fixing rods for friends, if I can come close to the style and finish, mostly the right size and number of feet on the guide, something that doesn't look way out of place, they are satisfied. They just want to get the rod fixed and working again. Having a bunch of thread colors isn't that big a deal. My mistaken orders and guides from rods I've rebuilt cover a lot of territory.

It’s difficult if not impossible. A lot of manufacturers are using overseas guides with no branding and albeit similar they’re not exactly the same as anything you can purchase individually. I do a fair bit of repairs, but still come across some oddballs I haven’t seen before. Just be upfront with the customer and let them know if there will be a delay. If they’re not willing to wait 7-10 days then they’re probably not going to be happy regardless of what you do. Try and go above and beyond when you can. On all my repairs, even just 1 guide, I’ll clean grips/cork, check all guides, touch up crappy finish and polish and wax the rod when done. Takes an extra minute or two, but I hope makes up for the delay.

I fix a lot of rods i found out that the people that use a ugly stix don't care or know what tip is replacing their tip all they know is that it is fixed. when i build a custom rod i order extra guides in case i need more after static testing and tips around the tip size the blank says it is blank 10/64 i would order 9/64,10/64 and 11/64 and slowly build up stock. I also got guides and tips from tackle shop that closed .