Okay guys, Im not one to rant or vent but I have to. I would also like to know if anybody is in the same boat. I have close friends and even family members that constantly want me to make calls for them to just GIVE AWAY. I dont mind making calls for my close friends or family members a couple times but good grief! I cant be doing it all the time! When we as custom call makers get an order, its a very rewarding feeling to have somebody love your call and you make a little extra cash on the side. I dont make calls every day and when I do its after work or on the weekends when I like to spend time with my family. So when I make calls I like to be rewarded for my work. I am giving four calls away for free this weekend to one of my close friends for a couple of his buddies to try out. My calls are sold mostly by word of mouth. It gets annoying when somebody wants me to make a call and then they tell me "Oh this guy is a big shot im giving it to, he'll get you a ton of orders". I've been burned there before. Ive given people calls to "try out" and then havent heard a word from them or their buddies since. I love to make calls and any profit I make most of the time goes right back into them with materials and time. If a "big shot" wants one of our calls then i'm sure they can afford to buy one and show it off. Maybe im overreacting but does any body else have issues like this? I do not mind one bit making a call and cutting some guys a break but when I know they are fully able to afford it, dont try to rip me off. Okay. Rant done. :angry9:
You said the answer yourself, just say hey man this material is expensive and my time is valuable. Just give them the price if they don;t want to spend money, well if you live in the same world I do, nothing is free. Your gestures are very nice but obviously its wearing on you. Good luck man.
SEND ME A CALL AND I WILL TELL YA IF YOU SHOULD START CHARGING ........ ILL PAY SHIPPING .....
Quote from: outdoors on May 12, 2016, 06:47:07 PM
SEND ME A CALL AND I WILL TELL YA IF YOU SHOULD START CHARGING ........ ILL PAY SHIPPING .....
Lol I'll get right on that!
:TooFunny: hey we need a good laugh now N then in the hard times we live in now days :icon_thumright:
Mark
I won't ask for one of your calls,,
"But can I hunt your land"
:TrainWreck1:
Quote from: Happy hooker on May 12, 2016, 08:05:26 PM
Mark
I won't ask for one of your calls,,
"But can I hunt your land"
You can ask for as many as you want! They'll just run you 55 a pop lol
Wow... I'm not a call maker, but I can recognize rude when I see (read) it. I would never ask a friend for a call without offering / insisting that I pay. If they offered it to me for free, I would still insist on paying material costs, or at least drop off a favorite beverage or six.
Next time, just tell them your fresh out of the free ones - but you have some for sale. ;D (I know, easier said... They shouldn't put you in that position.)
Quote from: SteelerFan on May 12, 2016, 09:27:01 PM
Wow... I'm not a call maker, but I can recognize rude when I see (read) it. I would never ask a friend for a call without offering / insisting that I pay. If they offered it to me for free, I would still insist on paying material costs, or at least drop off a favorite beverage or six.
Next time, just tell them your fresh out of the free ones - but you have some for sale. ;D (I know, easier said... They shouldn't put you in that position.)
And the hardest thing about it is the position it puts me in! I spend a lot of time on my calls ensuring they are the best that they can be. It just makes you annoyed with your friends and family when they ask for stuff like this. Again, I'd do it in a heart beat the first time but I can't be expected to hand out freebies to every friend of a friend they have!
I can understand you feel I'm a mechanic and at least once a week a friend or family member needs there car looked at. Sorry for my mini rant
Quote from: SteelerFan on May 12, 2016, 09:27:01 PM
Wow... I'm not a call maker, but I can recognize rude when I see (read) it. I would never ask a friend for a call without offering / insisting that I pay. If they offered it to me for free, I would still insist on paying material costs, or at least drop off a favorite beverage or six.
Next time, just tell them your fresh out of the free ones - but you have some for sale. ;D (I know, easier said... They shouldn't put you in that position.)
I have used this exact line before. A hunting bud came to the shop after he had an unsuccessful spring season and said he was interested in a call. While he was gandering at all there is to see there, I grabbed a call off of the top shelf (The spot I set some of my favorite sounding calls) and started his way. I ask " what kind of call are you looking for", he replied, " a free one. Without pause I spun around and set that singer back on the top shelf and said, "we are fresh out of those ones". "Twenty bucks will get you a winner". " What, to cheap". Truth- Never saw him again. Truth- I was headed his way to give him the call until his free one comment.
I only make them for very close friends or relatives, everyone else pays. I might make one for a land owner that lets me hunt or as a gift like a birthday or repayment of a favor too. I have had friends of friends come right out and ask for one, no way. Mike
Have them pay for the materials at least and have them cut your lawn or have them detail the wifes car or do some work around your house for you etc. Trade offs... They will get the idea. It takes time to build calls and I am sure it is hard to make the time with the way things are today.
About 3 years ago I made a couple of calls for a guy and just gave them to him because he seemed t really appreciate them then last year he had the nerve to ask me for 8 more. I told him I was all out of wood for now
I have a buddy getting into making and selling calls, and oh my at what I've heard! I tried helping him on here and he's asking $50 for a pot and custom one piece strikers. Most every PM I received wanted him to sell it for $20 or less "because that would get his name out there". My buddy works in the oil field and is home half the year or less. That's when he makes his calls and like you have said his time is valuable with his family as he has less of it as most of us. I found it appalling that some people on a respected sight as this wanted his calls for basically nothing. Common decency would be if you're not interested in paying $50 just keep your mouth shut and buy one that fits your fancy, not ask a man to make you one for nothing.
Awesome remarks buster!!! I am starting to see a few think they are the bomb because the calls they have acquired. Heck, anyone can get on a list and eventually get what they want. Too many utilize their inventory as they should be able to price down others and their products. Some of the nerve but then again I am in a profession where people try to always negotiate. Seriously, we should look out for those up and comers because who knows maybe those calls will be worth double of what you actually paid for it. They are trying and many of them work numerous jobs. Supply and demand is a major problem in this issue. Just my thoughts or better yet the way I see it!!
I could see talking down the price of a car, used tools, yard sale stuff...ect. But geez just give a guy what he is asking for the call or whatever he makes and sells. A lot of guys that sell calls don't do it for their primary job. They know how to do it, love doing it, and would love to supply other people with calls. But it cost us money, so in turn we have to charge for our calls. It just puts a bad taste in my mouth when people see your calls, want one, and then try to talk you down in price. And I've heard the old "sell your calls for $5 it'll really get your name out there" bid. I'm not trying to make myself a millionaire off of turkey calls. I love making them, other people want them, nothing in this world is free. That's just how it is! If I could I would make them free for everybody out there but i just can't! Lol okay second rant done.
Never asked for a free one nor would I. Won't lie though, when someone has a used call offered in the classifieds, I do try to get the best deal possible. I'm always a bit Leary about buying used calls being unaware of the history. Did they drop it and knock the sound board loose? Are they getting rid of it because it just sounds dead? I mean, the list goes on but human nature is to negotiate. If both parties reach a reasonable term and both are satisfied, I see no harm in that. However, taking a mans passion and trying to degrade it to nothing, I just can't get into it. As I've stated several times on here already, my partner and I started a business last summer. We do pool and spa maintenance and repair. If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me to open or close their pool for free just so they could tell someone what a great job we've done, I could retire already. We're already way cheaper than any of our competition and that's going to have to change soon to make it profitable enough to stay afloat. I've gotten to the point that I tell them I'll open the pool for free but the charge is $65/hour. It works out to more in the end. They get the point kind of quick. Also, they ask for free chemicals. I love that. I tell them the chemicals are free but the containers are super expensive.
Good post , glad you made it because I've had a few things on my mind
About 7-8 years ago when we started OG , there were throngs of so called " prostaffers" or wannabe prostaffers , Internet turkey hunting heroes.....they would systematically solicit callmakers for free calls ,the typical song and dance is they would promise to kill lots of turkeys and promote the calls in that manner . Many of these folks caused so much drama it wasn't even funny , they relentlessly plug calls on any thread where someone asked a simple question , also thread bumping their call makers posts to the top , and knocking others down , this caused infighting with callmakers at the time - some actually treated the callmakers ( and me ) poorly and used them for everything they could get and then moved onto another and repeated the same process .....a popular tactic is when the so called prostaffer finally got the boot , he would run around and cause even more trouble for the call maker , dragging his name down ......in the short of a long story.....don't mess with Internet hero prostaffers , if you do I suggest it's one with real world credentials like major accredited call comp ribbons , and years and years of hunting turkeys
Be very wary of Internet prostaffers they are like Gremlins , once they get a taist of the good life of free stuff , they get addicted to it , the stature of being a "expert " online and want to maintain that fake online persona ....this not only includes turkey calls , but choke tubes and amunition .....A another ( thrown off/run off )notorious pro staffer ( choke tubes) that bounced about and was famous for product bashing , bashing me .....bashing other companies .....bashing outdoor editors etc....relentlessly had about 10,000 posts everywhere and was the uttermost authority on turkey guns and anything to do with chokes , he was a black ops seal team 6 keyboard commando , at last count I believe he had 6 or 7 turkeys killed to his credit you see on the Internet ......everyone is a expert legend ......I've had people argue with members on the forum that shooting turkeys on the limb was legitimate ....I've had people argue and or subversively promote with the forum members (OPENLY !!!) that shooting turkeys at 100 , 90 , 83 yards whatever was acceptable ...... I throw their sorry pot shooting azzes off , they run over somewhere else and complain like a b#tch as girl ......sneak back in running the same game 4 years latter ...I throw them back off ..... But anyways ..... You can't make everyone happy , might as well make the real turkey hunters happy :wave:
But anyways Back to selling calls , take good pictures and make good videos of running them those will move more calls than any , Internet prostaff seal team ninja , and won't cause you or anyone else any trouble
Shannon
well well well here we are with a post that makes sense.....so many call makers and so many grave diggers looking for hand outs and freebies galore! been there done that and like so many other call makers who are making calls because we love the challenge and the craft, we have been subjected to numerous fraudulent offers of "hey let me try this for ya" or " i can get you tons of sales" or the biggy..."don't you think your prices are a tad too high?" :blob10: :blob10: I sympathize with any new call maker who is trying to improve his product and has suddenly tons of friends coming out of the woodworks asking for free calls....if i had a nickel for every free call i was suckered into giving away.... :z-guntootsmiley: my retirement would be spent on the beach in Monaco instead of my workshop....do I mind giving calls away to folks i know and just like to help out every so often, of course not...because i enjoy a helping hand myself every once in a while, but...... to discredit a man's passionate affair with call making...by simply implying he should give away his time and materials...is plum wrong. And to have someone say "cut your prices so you can get your name out there"...HAHAHA...I sold so many 10 dollar calls over the years it ain't funny, and you know what it go "out there" was my neck around a noose....it takes years and quality to get your name out there, and if you aren't looking for a NAME because you are just enjoying making calls, the best thing to do is to just keep making 'em selling 'em and giving 'em to friends and family .....and let the rest of the world of grub hungry loafers move on....to the next sucker...and to all those ( pro-staffers)
been there too....they are trouble with a Capital T I am still waiting on hearing from one.....who is on TV a lot nowadays....guess my freebies just aren't worth the effort to return a call....
:popcorn:
I've been reading this and have been interested in what each of you have said. Not much to add other than this. I love to give calls away. At the onset of this topic I began to ask myself if I agreed with the OP. I can give calls away because I want to. I make a fair number a year and have never really tried to sell them. I make them because it is a joy to do. I work a 40 hour a week job for the Ag. Research Service and I pastor a small church. Always something or someone pulling me in a different direction. I can turn in the lathe or sit down and checker a box or whatever and the world kind of melts away for a while. Never did it for money or notoriety, I just love to build calls. That being said, when I give a call away it is on my terms. A grown man who has the means to go hunting has the means to buy a call if he wants it. Someone just getting started is a bit of a different story and I like to help that kind of person. Just last week an 8 year old girl from church asked if I would build her a call. Just as fast as I got the chance I turned her a Purple Heart slate and was tickled to do it. (Ironically her mother hasn't been real happy about it. Evidently she has been calling turkeys everyday in the house) I guess my point is we all make calls for different reasons and we all get to decide what is tolerable for us. I won't make a blanket statement about giving stuff away because every day is a new day and I may just act differently tomorrow. But for today, I love to give them away on my terms.
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Boys, do what I've done the last few years. When someone asks for you to give them a free call, ask for their name a phone number. If they asks you why you need that? Tell them it's so I can give you a Free Call!
I've delt with so many free call askings over the my history of call building that I couldn't begin to count how many promises people try to feed you to get one. I only make free ones for the people I hunt with or a family member that hunts with us. You even have to watch some of the family members, they ask for a call to give to their best friend for a birthday present, and then tell you they had great success using your call and would like 4 more to give to their friends. I say sorry, but if their friends want one, I do sell them. If you have to give them something just to be a big shot or to gain their friendship, they aren't worth have as a friend anyway!
Quote from: WillowRidgeCalls on May 23, 2016, 10:11:14 PM
Boys, do what I've done the last few years. When someone asks for you to give them a free call, ask for their name a phone number. If they asks you why you need that? Tell them it's so I can give you a Free Call!
:TooFunny:
Wow thanks for the responses everyone! I guess what sparked the thread was when I got asked to make a couple of calls (which johndoe needed by the weekend) for a big shot that was coming into a fellas work. This guy makes in the $150,000 range salary a year and was asking for freebies because he could "get my name out there". I love giving people calls who are just getting started or close friends and family or just a little bit less fortunate than others.. This guy brags about how many hunts he goes on all over the country every year. If he can spend that kind of money on hunting he can surely afford to drop some $$ on a couple custom turned calls.