People don't value what they didn't pay for

[Bob La Londe]

When I was first learning to make molds I had no intention of being in
the mold business. I was just making them for myself. I did play with
the idea of making baits for sale, but I didn't plan to sell molds. In
my learning process I would find people on the tackle making web forums
who were trying to get something done, and sometimes if it looked
interesting I would offer to make it for them for free. I didn't even
charge them shipping. For me it was an opportunity to learn how to do
something new.

When I started putting it out there I was interested in selling baits
and showing some of my work I got ten "prostaff" requests asking
explicitly for free product for every person who asked for a price.
Some took no for an answer with class, but a surprising number climbed
up my ass for it. I also gave away a lot of baits to friends and
fishing buddies. One I thought was a friend would never even try my
stuff, but one day he came and asked me to make something custom for
him. A brand new design for a particular application which would
require making a new mold. I asked him if I made them how many would he
be willing to buy. None. He wanted me to create a brand new mold
design and make a bunch of baits for him to try out for free to see if
he liked them or not. He acted highly offended that he even had to say
it. I was highly offended. This same person once asked me to make a
bunch of plaques and a commemorative plaque for a fishing tournament he
was running. I did it for free out of my pocket because it was a good
event, but I was a bit surprised when neither my name or company name
was on the thanks and appreciation banner. At the time he seemed to act
like I should be fine with it even though folks who done little more
than donate some promotional swag like hats and beer cozies were. No I
didn't do it for the recognition, but to be shut out was a bit offensive
at that point. I did real work for this and was not mentioned. If I
had not also donated some company hats nobody would have known I did
anything at all.

Still thinking about being in the bait business another fishing buddy
acknowledged my stuff was good and caught lots of fish. He later told
me that many of the damaged baits I left in his boat he glued back
together and caught lots of fish on. When I asked him if they were good
enough to buy he said, "Oh, I would never buy baits from you since you
are not a big famous bait maker." To say I was disappointed would be a
bit of an understatement.

I decided being a bait maker and seller was not for me. Besides I was a
full time licensed contractor and that paid a lot better anyway.

Getting back to when I was learning to make molds and taking he
occasional free mold job. I made 8-10 custom molds for free for people.
I also occasionally gave away a mold. Some were good and fit somebody's
needs. Others were marginal and I was trying to ask more experienced
bait makers how they would change it to make it better. I might have
given away around 20 molds to people for free. Not a single one of
those people ever bought a mold from me later when I started doing it as
a business. Not one (1).

More recently I taught a fishing buddy how to make soft plastic baits.
One day we setup my work bench and ran off several hundred baits which I
gave him. We used my material and my molds and made baits. He was
somebody I considered a friend. A few days later he started sending me
pictures of baits he made in his garage. He got the bug. I didn't
recognize any of the baits he made, but I figured he just wanted some
variety. I asked him when he was going to buy some of the molds of mine
he liked and his response that he would just come over and borrow my
molds when he needed some of those baits. I was a bit disappointed to
say the least about that attitude. A few days after that and we had a
conversation where he was making it clear with long list of reasons,
excuses and asking for stuff he knows I don't make they he would never
buy any of my molds. I lost it. I get that I don't make everything. I
have loyal customers I actually send to other mold makers for some stuff
when I know they will be happy with it, but to basically say they would
never pay me for a mold and they expected to use my stuff for free when
they wanted to was a bit much. Maybe they were offended or disappointed
that I was not willing to be their forever free source of loaner molds,
but I was furious. I said and not very nicely, "You know if the next
time I come over to your house and see you have purchased fifty molds
from other people, but none of mine which you clearly said you like we
are done!" I was so angry I was still angry about it a day later.
Enough to create this post

The last time I was this angry was probably around 2004 or 2005 when a
friend who had clearly stated they would back my position at a fishing
club meeting surprised me by flip flopping 100% on his position at the
meeting and never even gave me a heads up. I was so surprised I didn't
even standup to voice my position.

Anyway, whether its friends and family or strangers. Generally people
do not place any value on things they don't pay for, and they hold it
against you if the well dries up. They are almost always more upset
that you quit giving them free stuff then appreciative of the free stuff
you gave them. Most people place no value on things they didn't pay for.

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Bob La Londe
CNC Molds N Stuff
http://www.cncmolds.com

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