Muzzle-Loading Business

[Buck Conner1]

At the time Cache La Poudre Rifleworks was in business I had a muzzle-loading shop 20 miles away. That worked out handy for buckskinners they would play both shops against each other (that's good customer awareness on pricing). My shop Buckhorn Rendezvous was located near Estes Park CO so we got all kinds in the store, tourists to mountainmen (each enjoyed the other). After a decade of running my store I was transferred to South Denver 75 miles one way. Running the store for most part by himself my employee decided to quit, had to sell at that point. 

Cache La Poudre Rifleworks asked if I was interested in selling what was left in my operation, made a deal - now he's the only one within a 100 miles that handled black powder. Soon I was working with him buying any shop, kitchen table operation or blanket trader that wanted out of this type business. In little over a year we had gobbled up a more than a half dozen of these operations, fun times. Now it's either Cheyenne or North Denver for black powder, need more interest in this type of business ....

 

[Buck Conner1]

Take a blanket, usually its $10 for a blanket trader. You'll get lots of folks looking at anything new. Good luck, don't let anyone beat you down on your pricing. You may be able to pick up a few interested in being dealers too. Have pricing for both retail and dealers.

 

[Buck Conner1]

Boy this posting went good for a little spell then it died Pete.  :dodo:

 

[Buck Conner1]

We were talking about jumping into the muzzle-loading business.

I have personally been a "Blanket Trader", shop owner (muzzle-loading only - mountainman supplies), wholesale muzzle-loading supplies, then went off in another direction with "correct period foods, cultivated and foraged". Stopped for a few years now involved with "GRRW Collectors Association" and building muzzle-loaders. Once you get your feet wet its hard to let them dry out, kind-a-like Pete and his squaws ....   ete slap:

 

[exMember]

man the rendezvous is small so far. Smaller than last year. Talked to a few of the traders and they also had the same feelings as me, advertise more! The booshway apparently isn't into advertising and the suffering shows this year.  I think im going to take this personal this year and start doing the advertising myself and getting the rendezvous known better. Im going to email and talk to some people at the whittington center where this rendezvous is based and let them know myself and many others are not to impressed with the lack of work being put into this event to draw in a  crowd.

 

[Buck Conner1]

man the rendezvous is small so far. Smaller than last year. Talked to a few of the traders and they also had the same feelings as me, advertise more! The booshway apparently isn't into advertising and the suffering shows this year.  I think im going to take this personal this year and start doing the advertising myself and getting the rendezvous known better. Im going to email and talk to some people at the whittington center where this rendezvous is based and let them know myself and many others are not to impressed with the lack of work being put into this event to draw in a  crowd.

NRA use to do a good job advertising for the Whittington Center, but the lack of that and some of the lost interests in traditional muzzleloading has hurt it too. They need to look at what the larger rendezvous are doing.