gr8fuldoug
Camera Land / Supporting Vendor
Today was the opening day of SHOT Show and a busy day it was.
My first meeting was over at Vortex and I think it was very productive.
I saw lots of their new optics and I must say, as in years past, they did not disappoint.
I had a few minutes before my next meeting over at Leica so I stopped by a few smaller vendor booths that were on my list.
1st was T-REIGN Outdoor Products who make retractable gear tethers and cases used to secure electronics or tools when hunting, fishing, hiking, tracking or for any outdoor activity. T-REIGN products are rugged and corrosion resistant, and many offer a lifetime service policy. Every retractable gear tether is designed and assembled in their factory in California.
I have had great success with their line at my offshore fishing store, Pelagic Outfitters and thought it was time to add their products to the Camera Land product line-up.
Next stop was to at ScopeCoat to visit with Annie and see what was new. Part of what makes coming to SHOT great is seeing all the folks that I only see but once a year and Annie is one of those folks. I was excited to see they have added covers for the Leica CRF-1000 and 1600 series. We'll be getting these in shortly after I return.
We will also be carrying their spotting scope neoprene covers for Zeiss and Swarovski spotters.
Having grown up in the industry I know many of the industry people basically all my life as they have been selling to Camera Land for decades. One such person is now with Carson so I stopped by to say hi. I was thrilled when he showed me their new Universal Optics Adapter. This unit pairs your smartphone to spotting scopes, microscopes, binoculars, telescopes or night-vision scopes for easy viewing and close-up photography. It attaches in seconds to all popular smartphones, with or without a case, and self-centers automatically. An easy to use unit that we will be able to offer for about $70.00 and will work with any phone with pretty much any optic.
It was time to run over to Leica for a meeting with the boys in charge to see what was what. Things are progressing on the Geovid HD-B delivery status. They say that 2014 should be a better year. We sat down and formulated a plan to keep inventory levels flowing. I believe it will make things much easier and prevent many of the out of stock issues we have had.
They also, as in years past, sold us the contents of the booth. Hopefully we will have the delivery within a week or so and be able to offer great savings across the board on these now sampled Leicas.
The buzz at the Zeiss booth was their new 15x56 Conquest binocular. At $1599.99 it is a big $$$$ jump in their Conquest line, however, with the change in the now discontinued Swarovski 15x56 SLC @ $1599.99 being replaced with an upgraded $2500.00 version it should be a lateral replacement for the now discountinued Swarovski with what they claim is equal quality (Obviously, I had no way to do a side by side of those two but this is their claim).
I had a nice sit down meeting with Trijicon. We discussed delivery times, product development and what direction our future working together is headed. More to be revealed later this year.
Time to get an ice cream cone for my burning throat and call it a day. I think I walked at least 5 miles and talked 3 days worth. Nothing like the first day of SHOT.
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Day Two:
Minox was a VERY good meeting as they have an exciting 2014 ahead....
As a camera dealer we have sold Nikon since we opened in 1957. It's always more of a visit than a meeting for me when I go to "Fort Nikon". If you've ever seen their booth at SHOT you'd understand the "Fort Nikon" term as it is a two story log cabin looking booth with a center section sporting a "campfire". I always feel like its "Fort Apache" from F Troop (I know I'm showing my age here). Anyway, during our visit we discussed their new Aculon laser rangefinder which will sell for $169.95. With a range of 6-550 yards and a size of only 3.6 x1.5 x2.9 in it should be a great addition to their line.
We are also discussing some super deals on some of their demo EDG binoculars so stay tuned for more details on that.
I was looking forward to arriving at Swarovski as I have some very good friends there. Today is social as well as business. I kinda figured day two would be good for this as it takes some of the SHOT pressure off. After shooting the breeze about kids and how things have been I was shown the new Swarovski SLC 15x56 WB and was informed they should be available in the Spring. These are a streamlined designed 15x56 and lighter weight than the one they are replacing. Very narrow IP which for those of you with close set eyes is a major plus. HD glass gives these improved edge sharpness. They also feature a bigger ocular for more eye relief. Yes, these are a bit more expensive than their predecessor, however, they recreated them and did make significant improvements.
Last SHOT we got more active with Meopta. We had been selling a few of their items but not too many and last year we expanded what we offered, somewhat. My issue with Meopta is a simple one....They make a great product, however, they keep it a secret. They do very little marketing so most people are unfamiliar with their line.
Leupold signed us up as a dealer last year at SHOT and it was a great year with them. We baby stepped our way learning about their products as well as which products best suit the needs of our clients. Overall it has gone great and we look forward to an exciting 2014 growing our relationship with them.
We do still request your assistance in knowing what we should keep in stock. Their product offerings are way too vast to always have everything here in the store. If you enjoy a particular Leupold item and feel it is something we should stock please let us know. We can only serve your needs if you work along with us. We do appreciate your assistance.
Yesterdays ice cream cone was so refreshing I went off to get another one. This one too was very good and just what my throat needed.
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Day Three:
Today I only had a few meetings and then I wanted to walk the show a bit and also see about adding one more optics line. Each year at SHOT I try to add a new line that during the prior year people have requested we look into. We do not feel adding more than one optic line a year would be advantagous to our clients as it is near impossible to learn one line a year so more than one would not be a good idea. This year we met with Nightforce. The meeting went well, IMO, and we applied to be a dealer. They have a very exciting line of optics including their new SHV hunting scope. Once all is gtg we will let you know. As with Leupold we request your assistance in guiding us with what to carry in inventory.
Next stop was to my buddies at Pentax with hope in my heart and doubt in my mind. Their product line has been so stale for so long that it is more of a social call than anything else. As with Nikon we, as a camera store, have carried Pentax products forever and I know a couple of the Sports Optics folks for more than 25 years.
I arrived at the Pentax booth to see a large Ricoh sign above it as now Pentax is a Ricoh owned company. This is great for the camera side of the business but apparently not for the Sports Optics side. They will no longer offer riflescopes in their line of Sports Optics as Ricoh is a worldwide company and the detail of worldwide riflscope distribution is not something they want to contend with. Too many regulations I assume.
They have assured me that they have warehoused a generous quantity of riflescopes to cover any repair/replacement issues.
They showed me a new Porro Prism binocular they have in the works, 8x30 and 10x30. I guess the folks at Ricoh never saw a Vortex Raptor 8.5x32 or a Leupold Yosemite 8x30 as they are planning pricing around 50% higher than those sell for. IMO they just don't get it. A shame as they offer great glass.
After more than 20 someodd years of being my Swarovski rep my friend Mark was downsized. He is now with Celestron. I spoke with him last month and set up a meeting. He feels a few of their products may be a good fit for us. More research will need to be done before a decision can be made. He feels they have some products that offer more for less $ as well as some products with a difference making Celestron a possible addition sometime in the future. We will keep you posted as this develops.
Yes, one more ice cream cone was waiting for me. Yes, as good as the one from yesterday. There is never a time, nor an age, that a good ice cream cone does not hit the spot.
Today was my last day as I have some family things that needed attention. I did my best to cover the show and work with the mfg's to arrange for new product delivery, demo/samples and inventory control to keep the "out of stock" issues to a minimum.
If I can answer anything for you as always it will be my pleasure. For those of you who took the time to read this entire report please mention this to me when you place your next order and I'll add a bonus into your shipment. Nice to know that you're taking the time to read the whole thing when I take the time to write it, lol.
As always, thank you for all the support we receive. We are nothing without you, and we know that.
Have a great day