The title of this post is a question I get from time to time that I think it’s time I address it:
At $85.00, my DVDs certainly are not cheap. Sometimes people tell me they won’t spend so much for a low-budget, homemade DVD. I totally understand that and don’t look down upon a person who holds that opinion.
Over the years I’ve had many people contact me asking for personal lessons in whipmaking. I have had people offer to pay me to teach as well as cover the cost of my travel. Some even even wanted to fly here and learn from me directly. My thoughts were that I could create a DVD based tutorial to teach my techniques and that even at $85.00, it would be much more affordable than some of the things people have offered to do to learn from me.
Granted, the production had a lower budget than an Ed Wood film and I made it myself with the help of my wife and son. If you’re looking for a dazzling Hollywood production, you won’t find it here. It’s mostly footage of my hands plaiting and me talking quite a bit. In hind sight, there’s several things I wish we did better. I’m a whipmaker, not a movie producer. I did the best I could…
So what are people paying for??
They’re paying the opportunity to learn a craft from someone who’s had to figure out much of what he knows by himself for the better part of 20 years. They’re buying a front row seat to see exactly how I make a whip; something old-time whipmakers would never share with anyone no matter the price.
A person who buys my video is buying an opportunity. An opportunity to learn a craft that can result in people paying them for the whips they’ve made. I’ve lost count of how many people who bought my DVDs are now selling their own whips. It just happens. Most aren’t even looking to sell whips when they are starting out.
One final thing a person buys when they get my DVDs is follow-up help. I always try to assist my DVD customers with their questions and I share with them tips and tricks for learning how to make other whip lengths as well as other kinds of whips if they so desire. I don’t have all the answers, but I always do my best to help in any way I can.
Bottom line is that I’m a free market kind of guy. People will only pay what they think something is worth. If you feel it’s worth it, good. If you feel it’s not worth it, that’s okay too. But keep checking in because it may go on sale one day.
Monday I ended my 16.5 year career with Walmart. I spent 16 years in the Logistics Division and the past 6 months in the Retail Division.
