Anyone else hate advertising way in advance of production?

W

W.T. Beck

Joined
Jul 9, 2001
Messages
1,411
The last Blade Magazine I recieved features a picture of the new Benchmade fixed blade Resistor knife on the cover. It is a very attractive knife, and I immediately decided I wanted to buy one.

But nobody's got them yet. One online store says they expect to get them in beginning July 15.

I find this very aggravating. Why show the public a neat knife weeks or even months before it will become available? I wasted a good bit of time trying to find who had them, and emailing dealers to ask if they knew when they would have them in stock. One responded "I have no idea!"

I wish the manufacturers would quit showing us knives until they are available for sale, or at least not more than a few days before they are distributed. It is frustrating to try to find the knives or find out when they will be available.
 
I'd say the reason is to allow sufficient time to get the unwashed masses worked up and excited about the new product so they'll rush out and buy it as soon as it hits the stores.

Maybe I'm just a little too cynical!

:rolleyes:
 
That's part of the marketing of a new product. It's suppose to cause a demand for that new product. They keep advertising in advance to increase demand. They will also send out a limited amount of product in the beginning to also increase demand. It's called supply and demand. All companies do it. I love Thompson Center single shot handguns, and when the Encore was being introduced I wanted one yesterday. When they started to advertise, the gun wasn't even in full production yet! Another year before it was available to the public! It sucks but you'll just have to be patient.
 
I have been told that Benchmade's policy is to release new knives to Brick & Mortar establishments 3-6 months before they are released to online only knife sites. Greg from Skylands Cutlery has told me this on numerous occasions when I asked if he had a particularly new BM in stock yet.
 
It's a bad habit and used by some companies as a cheap way of doing marketing research. Real disasters ? Ruger advertized a large version of their Mini 14 but in 308. Due to big problems with prototypes they never produced it. Often it's not just the marketing types that push it but technical problems that come up.The companies loose customers because of it , that's why I don't have a Dominator.
 
Also has a lot to do with lead time in making a magazine. I don't have the numbers in front of me, but I seem to recall that most of a magazine's content (including ads) is put together at least a few months in advance of the time it hits the street. If a company has a hitch with producing a new knife, then it could seem like a long time between seeing the first ad and the "street appearance" of the knife.
 
WTBeck,

A quick heads up.. A dealer on Unsual Suspects network posted that he has received a delivery of several of these knives. The post was made on 6/11/04

The URL is:

www.edcknives.com
 
Advertising comes from the sales department, not production. Salesmen never have any sympathy for the poor guys on the workfloor !!! :D
 
W.T. Beck said:
The last Blade Magazine I recieved features a picture of the new Benchmade fixed blade Resistor knife on the cover. It is a very attractive knife, and I immediately decided I wanted to buy one.

But nobody's got them yet. One online store says they expect to get them in beginning July 15.

I find this very aggravating. Why show the public a neat knife weeks or even months before it will become available? I wasted a good bit of time trying to find who had them, and emailing dealers to ask if they knew when they would have them in stock. One responded "I have no idea!"

I wish the manufacturers would quit showing us knives until they are available for sale, or at least not more than a few days before they are distributed. It is frustrating to try to find the knives or find out when they will be available.
Click to expand...

LMAO, Spyderco is the greatest at getting people hyped up. They do it in three ways:

1. Calypso Jr. way: Have everyone beg to bring the product back over a long long time. Finally get an ok, and then wait while it comes into production. This way isn't that bad, because you make small decissions in the meantime like what kind of clip finish, color of FRN, and steel type. (And Sal gets the total votes and choses)

2. Paramilitary way(this also counts for spyderfly, yojimbo, etc.): Talk about it for the longest time in advance, show prototypes at knife shows, and post prototype pictures online for some of them. Then EVENTUALLY they come out. This way is really hard to cope with as while you are waiting you have to continually dream about the knife.

3. Spur and Goddard way: While waiting for a "Paramilitary way" knife to come out, release the secret sprint run of two discontinued knives with upgraded materials and rake in the cash! This way is the fun way that makes the company and knife knuts happy.

I love Spyderco even for all the emotional rollercoasters they make their loyal following go through. :D
-Kevin
 
I don't mind advanced advertising. If I really like the knife it gives me time to get the money together.
Good collecting !
JOCKO
 
Well, I still say it causes people to waste a lot of time trying to find out when and where they can get a certain knife. Also, I expect knife dealers would just as soon not have to keep answering inquiries and telling people they don't have the knife and don't know when they will have it stock.
 
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