Years ago I thought I could make some money selling Flurs: Spinning lures with the ability to attach flies on the end. LFC stood for the Lewiston Fly Company, a business I was pursuing. However, I realized that I couldn’t make much money as each fly cost me about a dollar to produce. They are very pretty though.
Why could I not make money? Well, at the time the ebay posting fee was 50 cents (now one gets 50 free per month and then 30 cents each after that). Ebay gets 10% of the sale: sale price + shipping. After that, PayPal charges 2.9% + 30 cents. Then there is the Federal Excise Tax of 10% for fishing gear. Then I would have to send California 8.25% in sales tax. After determining my net profit after materials, I would pay personal Federal and State Income tax. Running the numbers, if my cost was $2.50 and I sold an item for $9.00 and $3.00 shipping, I would make $2.36 after all the expenses.
So why am I posting now? A neighbor in the park has not been able to catch fish. A fisherman taking his boat out of the water talked with my neighbor, explaining that he used “Joe’s Flies” and gave him one. It turns out that Joe’s Flies has been in business since the early 60’s—so my idea wasn’t new or unique. However, I thought I could make something similar. So, I sent an order in to Jann’s Netcraft for a spinner making / wire bending kit.
The great thing about these spinners is I can make them for about 30 – 40 cents each, not counting the flies (another 25 cents in materials). I don’t think I’ll make a ton of money but I might be able to sell them locally for Lewiston Lake. The difficulty is I have to demonstrate that they work. That means trolling with a spinning rod, and trolling is not a lot of fun for me. Good thing that I’m retired and have lots of time to do dumb stuff!
On the training for my bike trip across America, I’m up to 30 minutes rides of about 4 miles. I don’t do well on hills and have to use low gears even for the gentlest of slopes. No problem. I plan to work my way up to one hour riding in flat terrains. Then I will start attacking hills along with endurance training along flats. And yes, there will be an electronic assist attached to my bike fo rthe trip. For helping an old man in the mountains. Maybe not a “pure” trip across America, but one that I can survive.
The sad truth is my bike has a maximum weight rating of 300 pounds. Currently my weight and the weight of an electric assist system and battery puts the weight on the bike close to 300 pounds. Therefore, if I want to carry 40 pounds of panniers, bags, and supplies I have to lose 40 pounds before the trip. I have 34 weeks before my trip so I have to keep training (4 – 5 days per week) and eat properly to lose the needed weight. Aarrgghh. Oh well, preparation is vital to the success of the trip, so away I go!
Tight Lines!