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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[HMiller]

I sure love my sniper. I'll never let go of it now.

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[utah mason]

utility patents don' last 20 years. No one owns the Bazooka patent. Just the name.

Sorry I have to disagree with you. Utility parents have a 20 year expire date as long as you pay your yearly maintenance fee. And they can be revived if you let them lapse.

 

[wildminer]

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

Sounds like a good mom and pop operation. I'm interested and may be able to make it work, but the timing is not right for me right now.

 

[seekerGH]

Not a problem, software does not allow title changes after it is posted except by mods or admins.

Actually, if you go to edit your post, and at the bottom right you choose 'go advanced', you can modify your title...

 

[Goldwasher]

Sorry I have to disagree with you. Utility parents have a 20 year expire date as long as you pay your yearly maintenance fee. And they can be revived if you let them lapse.

The Schmidt patent was filed before 1995. The patent has expired, the rules are different now. So, yes now utility patents are 20 years.

 

[utah mason]

The Schmidt patent was filed before 1995. The patent has expired, the rules are different now. So, yes now utility patents are 20 years.

My wife is in i.p. Law, that's the only reason I knew I that. I had forgotten about the original Schmidt sluice.

 

[HardHatMatt]

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

Well, I'd find a way to get more orders. Better marketing, take some of the market share from inferior products like Keene, etc. Turn 3 orders a day into 10. This isn't rocket science for Christ sake.

 

[Goldwasher]

never said there weren't days with ten orders or dealers with more per order than ten. For a while Bazooka had MORE adverts than Keene. Factually Many widgets do because of Keenes age and established position.

A Keene A52 is not inferior to a Bazooka. they both lose the same gold. A Keene is actually more versatile.

Keene, proline ,angus, letrap, jobe as individual makers don't get ten sluice orders a day. From individuals. Prospecting stores are lucky to sell a sluice a week. In Gold bearing areas old sluices languish on Craigslist for cheap.

if a company garnered five orders a day twenty days a month a solid hundred a month that's twelve hundred a year. Assuming those with share to take are doing the same your at an average of 6k a year minimum, it doesn't sound like a lot. But the ranks of new prospectors is not some vastly growing thing. And Most serious prospectors are pretty geared up. And spend their money wisely.

The market for stream sluices is not as big as people think. Bazooka has nothing to do with the markets existence or growth.

The reason this conversation is happening is because someone wouldn't build the sluice boxes people were asking for.
We are seeing the results of what happens when you DON"T attempt to supply demand. Not the inability to.

On top of that the person in charge (owner not manager) resisted expansion, innovation, and growth at every point possible. So, it kind of make some points valid.
But, it isn't because certain people weren't literally screaming about what should be happening.

 

[Goldwasher]

Say you sold 1200 sluices at $125.00 that's 150k gross a year. Say you do 2400 300k gross as the Manufacturer. Throw a 30 to 40% cut at that for cost of goods and labor...maybe even other overhead not thrown in. Do you still like that number ?

Take the top three prospecting stores in California...including ones with an actual webstore. Or Consider Pioneer and Placerville Hardware. Two of the top walk in brick and mortar stores in California Gold Country that you can walk into and buy a sluice. Pville hardware has one of the best selections because he carries brands simultaneously when other shops wouldn't consider it. If you can catch Heather between cigarettes ask her about a Bazooka..You'll find out real quick how anti something someone can be...
Any ways I wonder what start date they would have to go back to, to Get the count up to 2400 stream sluices sold. It isn't this year or last year.

Building sluice boxes as a lucrative business if it is your main product is going to be a three man show at most.

But, by all means if someone wants to throw a factory at it give it a whirl!

 

[HardHatMatt]

Haha, okay...forgive my insolence, but it kinda seems like you're all over the map dude. First of all, wasn't it just a couple of months ago that you pitched a bit of a fit and insisted that you were bowing out of this whole Bazooka conversation because some peon had the audacity to disagree with you? If memory serves me correctly, you have also implied many times that you were toiling away behind the scenes to produce a new and improved Bazooka-like product, secure suppliers, etc, but implore patience because "these things don't happen overnight?" I guess I'm not sure why you'd go to all that trouble if there is no money to be made, even if one could take market share away from the bigger players (who apparently don't make any money either?) Have you not, in dozens of posts over the past several years, acknowledged the advantages of running more material without the need to classify? Yes, they may Have similar recovery rates for gold, but if you're running ten buckets instead of 5 or 2, well...you do the math. I mean, isn't there a reason you used Bazookas, went to work for the company and sang the Bazooka's praises to anyone who would listen? Now, apparently there are no advantages to running more material without classifying, you wouldn't ever bother to use a Bazooka again, there's no market share to take (even though at my local creek in Denver, I literally see probably 20 Keene, Royal, Jobe Hungarian riffle setups and 5 Angus/Le Trap drop riffle boxes for every one Bazooka...and have two or three people stop and ask me "What is that thing?" every time I use it) and no money to be made by anyone in the prospecting/mining industry, in general? Fair enough, I'll try to keep up with the Goldwasher gospel...just let me know what the flavor o' the day is tomorrow and I'll get in line!

 

[goldog]

Some interesting takes on the subject. We are certainly a niche market.

 

[Goldwasher]

Haha, okay...forgive my insolence, but it kinda seems like you're all over the map dude. First of all, wasn't it just a couple of months ago that you pitched a bit of a fit and insisted that you were bowing out of this whole Bazooka conversation because some peon had the audacity to disagree with you? If memory serves me correctly, you have also implied many times that you were toiling away behind the scenes to produce a new and improved Bazooka-like product, secure suppliers, etc, but implore patience because "these things don't happen overnight?" I guess I'm not sure why you'd go to all that trouble if there is no money to be made, even if one could take market share away from the bigger players (who apparently don't make any money either?) Have you not, in dozens of posts over the past several years, acknowledged the advantages of running more material without the need to classify? Yes, they may Have similar recovery rates for gold, but if you're running ten buckets instead of 5 or 2, well...you do the math. I mean, isn't there a reason you used Bazookas, went to work for the company and sang the Bazooka's praises to anyone who would listen? Now, apparently there are no advantages to running more material without classifying, you wouldn't ever bother to use a Bazooka again, there's no market share to take (even though at my local creek in Denver, I literally see probably 20 Keene, Royal, Jobe Hungarian riffle setups and 5 Angus/Le Trap drop riffle boxes for every one Bazooka...and have two or three people stop and ask me "What is that thing?" every time I use it) and no money to be made by anyone in the prospecting/mining industry, in general? Fair enough, I'll try to keep up with the Goldwasher gospel...just let me know what the flavor o' the day is tomorrow and I'll get in line!

First I said more versatile...I never ever said It didn't run more material than a Bazooka or as much or better. Nothing I said recently has negated what a bazooka does or the things I said I would do.
Making a self classifying sluice is still on my agenda and being developed to there is that.
I said I was done with the why the F can't I get the Bazooka I ordered thread and I was. I never said whole Bazooka conversation. Mainly so that anyone that does choose to get involved doesn't get burned.
" Toiling" "pitched a fit" "peon" "audacity" "to disagree with me" Matt you are projecting your feelings on me , putting words in my mouth and being aggressive for no reason.
I do have inside info and I have not bashed the product. And the fact remains that you don't know why Bazooka is failing and I do.

I sold my last two Bazookas so that one person could get one to make up for the one they ordered and didn't get. And the other so that a member here could get one at current retail prices. As you can't order them anymore directly and the in stock price will go up.

When I said I don't plan on or intent to or whatever I said it was because, I will not my self pay the higher price they will command. And because of where and how I mine I can't use on consistently.

If someone makes an affordable fluid bed that has good recovery and increases my production I will use it.

I'm sorry you think I'm so shallow that you thought I sold mine out of spite. I was using Gold Hog when worked at Bazooka because I can run more material through my set up and get my tailings farther away. And I can stay in one spot and can manage flow variables with the same sluice run. The smallest Bazooka I could feasibly use was my 36 prospector and because of the clay and hardened material and large flat slate It wasn't as fast as I need.
It is excellent for more manageable material. But, not on my claim.

I never said there was no money to be made and it's silly to think I implied that there is no market share to take. I am saying that you do not know the market as well as I do.

Just go ahead and keep calling me a liar or cheat or dumb or whatever makes you feel better. But just know that it doesn't make you right or helpful.

I will not forgive you as I was not rude or insulting to you. I just have a different point of view and the way you have talked to me is uncalled for. If you feel the need to fabricate hypothetical situations to call me out for than so be it. As that sort of behavior is probably pretty ingrained and There is not much I can do about that.

If i'm exploring new areas I'm panning and sniping anyways. And I strap an Angus to my pack if I know there will be water I can sluice in.

 

[HardHatMatt]

Well, there certainly isn't much common ground for a productive discussion when you refuse to take ownership of the definitive positions you have taken, despite the dozens of posts that spell out your position in plain English. Best of luck to you.

 

[Goldwasher]

I own everything I've said and have not switched positions. The Bazooka is one of many tools I have used for gold recovery. When they came along and I added it to my arsenal I didn't stop using other tools as it didn't replace them it just added more to use for different situations.

Even when I worked there and always on this forum I have spoke about using other sluices and gave advice on them. In my shop I carried bazookas and still carry other sluices.

I never had a definitive stance on sluice boxes that is an absolutely baseless comment. I've never told a person or potential customer that it was the only or last sluice they would need. I owned only two personally and own EIGHT other sluices for different situations. Anyone who knows me knows that. In fact one of the biggest problems I have had is the exclusivity issues dealers have with a shop carrying different brands.(there is not much wiggle room in the market as stream sluices are not their bread and butter so, I understand) I want to carry what customers want not what I want.

See the thing is you can't have a productive conversation when someone is making up the narrative to make them sound like they know stuff they don't. Or when they start out with insults and accusations.


Also I don't have any issue sourcing materials I already have a cnc locked in. The same one I offered to produce Bazooka parts on. Many here have had private conversations with me over the last year about me making a clone. The reason I didn't...THE ONLY reason was that the company still existed. And even though I knew this was going to be the outcome for a long time now...I feel like doing so would be Shady AF and that's why, I have a reputation as an honest and trustworthy person. I don't aim to change that perception of me. And again the way you have addressed me here is out of line and uncalled for.

 

[HardHatMatt]

Okey dokey...whatever helps you sleep at night. All the best to you in your endeavors! Take care.

 

[NorCalPilot]

Too bad to hear this news. I picked up my BGT directly from Todd at his shop 3ish years ago. It's a great product.

 

[Timbermusic27891]

I wanted to send a BIG THANKS to 425jesse!!

I called the Hardware store and talked to Phil about if they still had the Bazooka sluice you mentioned in your post previously on this thread. They actually had two left. I really only needed one but under the circumstances with the Bazooka company I went ahead and purchased both of them. I am very excited and feel very lucky to have been able to make this purchase.
They should arrive here in NC tomorrow. I can't wait to try them out.

 

[425jesse]

Nice Job Timbermusic! Phil is a member here too, doesn't get on much, but he goes by gnatnutz. You will absolutely love those sluices!!! Great purchase...now if only you were here so we could work them together, lol!!!

Cheers!

 

[63bkpkr]

425 Jesse & Timbermusic27891,
From my way of looking at these posts, you two have already been working together! The sharing of information on Tnet is so helpful to so many in so many different ways and you two exemplify the spirit and quality of why this blog exists.
Well Done!!...............63bkpkr

 

[Timbermusic27891]

63bkpkr
you are so right this is an awesome forum with a world of insight to so much and is addictive. I accidentally found this site while I was in the market to purchase a more advanced metal detector than what I had. I recently purchased a Gold Bug Pro. Now I have got gold fever and have been doing some panning in some of our near by small creek bottoms. Quite a bit of gold was mined not far from my house in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Can't wait to get the Bazooka sluices and put them to work.

425jesse
If you are ever in eastern NC look me up and we will dig some pay dirt looking for that once in a lifetime nugget

I would really be interested in purchasing what is left of the Bazooka sluice company if there is anyone that could lead me in the right direction far as names and phone numbers as who to contact. Thanks