Bazooka Gold Company Status?

[gldguy1]

I just saw this in sluicing board so thought I would post incase some of you haven't been over that way and own bazooka products

 

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[crusty]

Definitely going to have to find a used one before word gets out and prices shoot through the roof! lol

 

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[Au dave]

Definitely going to have to find a used one before word gets out and prices shoot through the roof! lol

Too late ... I checked fleabay Aus last night and they have risen by $A120 since last week .

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[KevinInColorado]

My three are 'mine, all mine'!

 

[Goldwasher]

I sold the last one I had, and don't expect to own another.

 

[Oregon Viking]

I was hoping that there was an assembly line, a CAD. BGT's being hand built? How long does it take to build one?
If you have to start/build an assembly line.... And the patent is expired. Why not just start from scratch?
You need to be able to build enough units so that there is no waiting, and they need to be shipped fast, that's how it works today.
If everyone that wants one....gets one...then what? Are there enough NEW prospectors out there?

 

[The Aluminum Monster]

Uggghhhh. I am so sad to hear this. When I got my tax return, I was going to buy a few snipers and send them to my brother-in-law(ish) in Colorado so we had them to use when I would go out and visit him. I'm not hauling mine out there when I visit. ESPECIALLY now when it can't be replaced.

We don't have great gold out here in my area without several hours of travel, but my BGT has been very successful in keeping it if I am on it. I am so saddened by this news.

 

[Goldwasher]

I was hoping that there was an assembly line, a CAD. BGT's being hand built? How long does it take to build one?
If you have to start/build an assembly line.... And the patent is expired. Why not just start from scratch?
You need to be able to build enough units so that there is no waiting, and they need to be shipped fast, that's how it works today.
If everyone that wants one....gets one...then what? Are there enough NEW prospectors out there?

nope so what do you do with an assembly line when you get three orders a day?

 

[Goldfleks]

I sold the last one I had, and don't expect to own another.

Arrives today, thanks again!

 

[placertogo]

Personally, if the patent matters permit, I would like to see Doc of GoldHog do a manufacture of this sluice using his state of the art technology. The quality would be top notch and the service excellent.

 

[bcfromfl]

Personally, if the patent matters permit, I would like to see Doc of GoldHog do a manufacture of this sluice using his state of the art technology. The quality would be top notch and the service excellent.

I agree that Doc could do a bang-up job of re-creating the design, however, after all the reading and watching videos of the Bazooka I've done over time...and despite all the great reviews from users...I'm not convinced it recovers gold better than Doc's stream sluice with Gold Hog mats. At the risk of sounding like a fanboy, a single drop-chamber/fluid bed just doesn't seem like it has the same potential as multiple drop zones like a series of Gold Hog mats has.

One of the main criticisms of the Bazooka I have is that there is no washing/tumbling action like there would be in a more traditional setup. Material dumped into a Bazooka just seems to slide along the header area, and I've actually seen in videos clumps of material going right over the grizzly and out the end. If your material is clean and loose, then no problem, but any clay or stickiness to it is going to be problematic.

I'm sure Doc wouldn't want to sell something at a similar price point to his existing products, that didn't offer the same value. Bazooka has a considerable following, but, at the very least, I see it at odds with the Gold Hog business model. No reason for Doc to cannibalize sales of his already great line-up.

 

[goldog]

nope so what do you do with an assembly line when you get three orders a day?

This is what I wondered. Three a day is around 100/mo, 1000/yr. in (very) round numbers. Next question , is man hours. I did some , again, very rough estimates on what may be there.

A $200 prospector I would guess, is $50 materials, 60 labor and let's say 30 in "overhead". Leaving a moderate profit of around thirty dollars. Am I in the neighborhood? If these assumptions are close, someone could make it work. Not get rich but not starve either.

 

[Goldfleks]

I think part of the problem was the product line in itself. There really was no reason to have 3 different models of the same sluice. Miner/Prospector/Sniper/Mini was fine. There was no need for 24" Sniper, 30" Sniper, 36" Sniper. Having such a large amount of product diversity really inhibits your ability to mass produce/stockpile inventory. Not to mention configure your cutting pattern to maximize useable surface area and minimize waste. If someone wants a sniper, just offering the 36" model would have been fine. Everyone would of purchased it. But when you give multiple different models of the same sluice you have people ordering all different sizes of the same sluice. You're losing money when someone purchases a 24" sniper at $145 vs the 36" at 165, when the labor to make them is the same not to mention you're forced to make them on demand because you can't predict if the 24" the 30" or the 36" is going to sell more that moment. So you can't stockpile inventory to meet future demand.

Late X-Mas gift to myself. Can't wait to get her in the river Monday.

 

[Goodyguy]

Anyone know the asking price for the BGT business?
Just curious,
GG~

 

[arizau]

I think part of the problem was the product line in itself. There really was no reason to have 3 different models of the same sluice. Miner/Prospector/Sniper/Mini was fine. There was no need for 24" Sniper, 30" Sniper, 36" Sniper. Having such a large amount of product diversity really inhibits your ability to mass produce/stockpile inventory. Not to mention configure your cutting pattern to maximize useable surface area and minimize waste. If someone wants a sniper, just offering the 36" model would have been fine. Everyone would of purchased it. But when you give multiple different models of the same sluice you have people ordering all different sizes of the same sluice. You're losing money when someone purchases a 24" sniper at $145 vs the 36" at 165, when the labor to make them is the same not to mention you're forced to make them on demand because you can't predict if the 24" the 30" or the 36" is going to sell more that moment. So you can't stockpile inventory to meet future demand.

Late X-Mas gift to myself. Can't wait to get her in the river Monday.

As far as the different lengths of the same model; as a woodworker, I can see where the same tapering jig could be used for all lengths for all models so that seems to me to not be an issue. Other cuts are parallel so no jig required. Some additional waste could be though. Due to a relatively low amount of orders (an average of three per day as stated by an insider in a previous post) labor is an issue since, day to day, it is an unknown as to how many hands are needed to cut, assemble, package and ship the units in a timely manner. If it was not a personal issue then part of the solution could have been to institute no direct sales from the shop. Let retailers order and market what and how many they want and they would have incurred the product inventory expenses. The shop could have committed to not even starting to build additional units until they had a set number of units ordered by retailers. Then they could hire part timers to build that set number of units. Retailers, unlike consumers, are pretty patient when it comes to waiting for a product that is a hot seller.

Just my perspective as a casual observer.

 

[crusty]

Definitely going to have to find a used one before word gets out and prices shoot through the roof! lol

Problem solved! Quick search of local Craigslist and found a 36" prospector AND a Gold Miner wheel with upgraded pump and the 110v converter (Gold Miner Spiral Gold Panning Machine: Spiral Pan Gold Prospecting Machine, Automatic Gold Panning Machine) and a Garrett pinpointer for $400!! Both are damn near brand new! Can't wait to try them out!

 

[rodoconnor]

Meanwhile the oldest manufacturer/builder in the business Keene, keeps plugging along . Maybe Pat and Mark ought to look into this.

 

[utah mason]

Anyone know the asking price for the BGT business?
Just curious,
GG~

I was wondering the same thing. I sent them a couple of p.m. inquiring about sales price and if they let the patent expire or if it reached its 20 year exprire date. Haven't heard back. Image that.

 

[Goldwasher]

I think part of the problem was the product line in itself. There really was no reason to have 3 different models of the same sluice. Miner/Prospector/Sniper/Mini was fine. There was no need for 24" Sniper, 30" Sniper, 36" Sniper. Having such a large amount of product diversity really inhibits your ability to mass produce/stockpile inventory. Not to mention configure your cutting pattern to maximize useable surface area and minimize waste. If someone wants a sniper, just offering the 36" model would have been fine. Everyone would of purchased it. But when you give multiple different models of the same sluice you have people ordering all different sizes of the same sluice. You're losing money when someone purchases a 24" sniper at $145 vs the 36" at 165, when the labor to make them is the same not to mention you're forced to make them on demand because you can't predict if the 24" the 30" or the 36" is going to sell more that moment. So you can't stockpile inventory to meet future demand.

Late X-Mas gift to myself. Can't wait to get her in the river Monday.

Amazing observation skills located HERE ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[Goldwasher]

I was wondering the same thing. I sent them a couple of p.m. inquiring about sales price and if they let the patent expire or if it reached its 20 year exprire date. Haven't heard back. Image that.

utility patents don't (pre 1995) last 20 years. No one owns the Bazooka patent. Just the name.

 

[Goldwasher]

it was never a template issue or the ability to "keep up"