[Recommend] Disc Inventory for a Small Hobby Shop?

[DiscgolfStu]

Hi there, not sure where to post this, so feel free to move if necessary...

I recently got a buddy of mine into disc golf :hfive: and he owns a small sports collectible hobby shop in our Village. He now wants to stock some discs. He'll be the only guy in the area selling discs. He's asked me for some advice on what to carry, and I have an idea, but I imagine the collective experience of this board will overshadow what I can come up with. So, my question is this:

If you were to begin selling discs out of your store, 1) what type of plastic would you be selling and 2) how would you decide on what to carry, with respect to % of putters, mids, fairways, drivers? 3) Disc golf is relatively new to the area and most customers will be noobs.

I guess some other info that would be useful is that we're located in Canada, so cross border pricing will be an issue. Not necessarily looking for Disc manufacturer recommendations, but if one company's whole sale prices are better than the rest...well then, you know, would love to hear about that too!

And to be honest, I don't know what his budget is yet, but lets say it modest (like, the most modest, lol)

And for the record, I was going to suggest that he stock a bunch of cheape, easier to throw DX style drivers, fairways and putters, and compliment that with a handful of premium drivers until the masses come back for more, but I really don't know.

Thoughts?

 

[Quinntastic]

How big of a market are we talking about? 5,000? +10k? Is it a primarily middle and upper income brackets? All can have an effect. I've never had a disc golf business, but I come from a family of entrepreneurs and wheeler dealers so I understand basic economics. If your looking at a decent sized market (10k or more population or more in 20 mile radius) with expendable income your in good shape for a decent stock. If not then your attitude of more DX oriented could be a good way to go.

Thing with noobs, most times, is they buy into the trends. They "have" to have the good plastics, or most popular molds. I would say a good stock of DX is necessary because it's a cheap intro, but premium plastics are what most casual players want.

I would say carry a wide variety of putters. Most players I know are most particular with their putter. Having a variety is a good idea for this to help make sure customers find what they want.

Stock lots of the common molds (roc, buzzz, aviar, destroyer etc) in the premium blends and wide variety of DX. See what your customer likes before investing in premium molds people won't buy.

Tell him best of luck, hope my limited knowledge helps


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[art_vandelay]

Most of the disc manufacturers have "starter" sets. They usually contain a putter, mid and driver. If it were me, I'd pick a couple of brands and try that. If those sell, I would start stocking more stuff as people learn the game in the area or start asking for other discs. This I think would get their toe in the water without investing in an inventory that may never sell. Heck, I bought my first starter set from a head shop and went from there.

 

[brutalbrutus]

If nothing else premium, get some Star Destroyers. I've seen many a *D in someone's bag just because, "it says Star Destroyer"...

 

[Moose33]

If your in a small town you could start with base plastics and starter sets with a few higher end things sprinkled in as the market develops.

Since your in the great north, maybe get in touch with Mike at Daredevil discs. They aren't the Cheapest in the US, but since they are in Canada they might have better overall pricing. They make a good product too and their DX like plastic is very good, and they have some very cool flexible stuff for grip in the cold.

 

[DiscgolfStu]

How big of a market are we talking about? 5,000? +10k? Is it a primarily middle and upper income brackets? All can have an effect. I've never had a disc golf business, but I come from a family of entrepreneurs and wheeler dealers so I understand basic economics. If your looking at a decent sized market (10k or more population or more in 20 mile radius) with expendable income your in good shape for a decent stock. If not then your attitude of more DX oriented could be a good way to go.

Thing with noobs, most times, is they buy into the trends. They "have" to have the good plastics, or most popular molds. I would say a good stock of DX is necessary because it's a cheap intro, but premium plastics are what most casual players want.

I would say carry a wide variety of putters. Most players I know are most particular with their putter. Having a variety is a good idea for this to help make sure customers find what they want.

Stock lots of the common molds (roc, buzzz, aviar, destroyer etc) in the premium blends and wide variety of DX. See what your customer likes before investing in premium molds people won't buy.

Tell him best of luck, hope my limited knowledge helps


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This is good advice, thanks!

 

[Reniger]

Well, Innova is the most recognizable, but from my friends that run DG shops, Dynamic is by FAR the most retailer friendly. Not to mention that they run the "Buyback Program" which allows players to try different discs if they get something that doesn't fit them. This increases repeat business and encourages sales that people may be on the fence for.

For straight $$$, the high speed drivers are what every joe blow will go after, but if your friend educates himself some on DG and can give knowledgeable advice, stocking 25/25/25/25 for putters/mids/fairways/drivers with a small display of bags and maybe one basket (all available for great prices with Dynamic Discs) it may grow into something.

Granted, I am not at all a Trilogy fan, but the 3 friends I have that run shops swear by their retailer program and service.

 

[Dingus]

Discraft has very attractive dealer pricing and they are easier to order from than Innova. If there is no competition I would absolutely go through Discraft; you get a complete catalog with lower wholesale.

 

[Dingus]

Discraft has very attractive dealer pricing and they are easier to order from than Innova. If there is no competition I would absolutely go through Discraft; you get a complete catalog with lower wholesale.

Oh and an extensive used rack. The used discs have a great margin. I don't know the best way to acquire them in a virgin market, but going forward he should be buying used discs off people for a couple bucks.

 

[smarkquart]

I worked on the wholesale side for a little while, and what was most requested from small retailers were colors and stamps. Brand name almost seemed secondary. Northern retailers liked the bright colors like pink, chartreuse, and orange, while southern states seemed to like blue, red, and white (and not for patriotic reasons) but absolutely abhorred pink as much as snowy states hated white.

However, if ordering directly through the manufacturer, you usually do not get this option.

The question is, who are you more likely going to order from? From the manufacturer or a wholesaler? You get better prices from the manufacturer but more control over what you receive from a wholesaler.

As for what to order, Dynamic and Innova are the best choices because they seem most active on social media. Newer players who type in generic inquiries on the internet are likely going to come across their ads first. Within those brand news, as much as we want to educate the throwers, from a purchasing point of view, drivers always sell the best. Everyone is going to need a putter, but most beginners will not likely get more than one or two. For whatever reason, midranges are not exciting unless it has the name Buzzz or Roc on it. It is the drivers that is going to make the most profit. They are the ones that get seasoned the most or lost most frequently. Finally, it seems that within the drivers categories, it is the speed 9-11 that sell the best. Newer players may gravitate to the newest, fastest discs, but most return business comes from players that know something and reach for multiples of what works best - Destroyers, Wraiths, Valkyries, Sheriffs, Trespasses. Name recognition always helps as well - TeeBirds, Firebirds.

 

[XC_Eddy]

Oh and an extensive used rack. The used discs have a great margin. I don't know the best way to acquire them in a virgin market, but going forward he should be buying used discs off people for a couple bucks.

I'm all about the used rack as a consumer. The hard part is getting the used discs. He may be able to buy some lots online if he's knowledgeable to know what a good deal looks like. Other than that offering people a few bucks for trade in even when it's a much better deal for the merchant seems to work well. It amazes me how many people will willingly sell their discs to the shop for $3 a piece only for the shop to sell them for $10 a pop. The more serious players will eventually find the online market and start selling them for $10 each themselves, but in the meantime, the shop may as well benefit from peoples' willingness to get a little something out of discs they no longer want in exchange for new plastic.

Just got to get a few people hooked for it to work. e.g., 75% our local shop's used bin is composed of one guy's discs.

 

[MarkDSM]

Just avoid big lot purchashes of Quest or Salient Discs.

 

[SD86]

How popular is DG in your area? Are there courses nearby?

There's a place in the ATL area that sells other stuff, and has one rack of discs. Mostly Innova, had a decent selection of the more popular molds.

My suggestion, especially if the clientele will be new to DG, is starter sets from Trilogy and from Innova, then augmented by putters and some DX mids and 'slow' drivers such as (DX) Leopards, Cheetahs, Teebirds, etc. if the clientele has some DG experience, add Valkyries, Terns, Destroyers, etc.

 

[DiscgolfStu]

Cool, so he's got a sweet order in from a Canadian distributor that includes some Innova, Discraft and Trilogy. He's got some starter packs, starter bags and a display rack. I think it'll be good! Thanks again everyone - advice helped.