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Bear spray / Repellent Idea - what do you think?

Idea threads

Raymi

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Hi guys, here is my idea, please give me your opinions.

So, I live in Romania, also in Szeklerland, where there is a Hungarian minority in the country, about a million of them. In the last ten years, bears have become very common here, as they are a protected species in the country, and applying for an exit permit is a very bureaucratic process. The number of bears in the wild in the country is currently around 10 000, with a significant proportion of them in Szeklerland.

There are a lot of bears in the predominantly forested area, and from spring to the end of summer there are almost daily reports of bear attacks in the local newspapers - I work for a newspaper. Most of the population lives in rural areas and is engaged in agriculture or forestry.

Politicians have long been promising to find a solution to this, but for years there has been no change, and every year there are more and more bear attacks.

What I have noticed is that in Szeklerland - where the majority of the population are Hungarians - there is not a single Hungarian-language webshop where you can buy bear spray, which, let's face it, can be very useful here. You can get them on Romanian sites, but they are rare there too. The price of a spray is around 100 euro.

I had the idea to create a webshop where you could brand such a spray. I wonder if they should be ordered or if it would be better to produce them and then sell them. However, when it comes to production, I have no experience at all in this area.

In any case, the idea is worth discussing, I thought, which is why I posted it here. What do you think about it?

here is an article on the subject: Protest in Szeklerland: Are the lives of bears or humans more important? - Transylvania Now
 
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ljean

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I bought a bottle on Amazon before my national parks trip this summer. I also saw it being sold in Costco out West. I think it was $25 a bottle.

Build a site, order a case and see how it goes. I doubt you'd want to bother with formulating a custom recipe. You'd probably have to custom label with usage instructions in your local language. Maybe you can just wrap some imported bottles with a nice sticker to start.

I think the hardest part would be convincing people this is something they need. Maybe some facebook ads would be good for awareness.
 

Stargazer

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Seems like a good idea to me. Well worth testing.

Is there a specific reason why it's not stocked in the region you live in? We don't have bears here so that would be understandable but if thousands of attacks are reported each year where you live there must be a reason.

Dan
 
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Roli

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Hi guys, here is my idea, please give me your opinions.

So, I live in Romania, also in Szeklerland, where there is a Hungarian minority in the country, about a million of them. In the last ten years, bears have become very common here, as they are a protected species in the country, and applying for an exit permit is a very bureaucratic process. The number of bears in the wild in the country is currently around 10 000, with a significant proportion of them in Szeklerland.

There are a lot of bears in the predominantly forested area, and from spring to the end of summer there are almost daily reports of bear attacks in the local newspapers - I work for a newspaper. Most of the population lives in rural areas and is engaged in agriculture or forestry.

Politicians have long been promising to find a solution to this, but for years there has been no change, and every year there are more and more bear attacks.

What I have noticed is that in Szeklerland - where the majority of the population are Hungarians - there is not a single Hungarian-language webshop where you can buy bear spray, which, let's face it, can be very useful here. You can get them on Romanian sites, but they are rare there too. The price of a spray is around 100 euro.

I had the idea to create a webshop where you could brand such a spray. I wonder if they should be ordered or if it would be better to produce them and then sell them. However, when it comes to production, I have no experience at all in this area.

In any case, the idea is worth discussing, I thought, which is why I posted it here. What do you think about it?

here is an article on the subject: Protest in Szeklerland: Are the lives of bears or humans more important? - Transylvania Now

Seems like a good idea, hopefully some more of our American fastlaners can give you some advice, I think this is quite a mature market over there. Perhaps even it would be where you would initially import from. Check out @Walter Hay he is very experienced in importing and sourcing.
 

Walter Hay

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Seems like a good idea, hopefully some more of our American fastlaners can give you some advice, I think this is quite a mature market over there. Perhaps even it would be where you would initially import from. Check out @Walter Hay he is very experienced in importing and sourcing.
Thanks for tagging me. Bear Spray could present a major problem in satisfying shipping providers, because the propellant is most like flammable. Also clearing Customs in Romania could be difficult because chances are that as in the USA and Canada it is illegal unless used for protection against bears.

The active ingredient is red pepper (Capsaicin), and because its use by private individuals for purposes other than as a bear spray makes it illegal in many countries, finding it within Europe is unlikely. Finding a contract aerosol filler willing to pack it would also be difficult.

Sorry @Raymi about seeming negative, but this is a product that will not be easy to obtain.

Walter
 
Last edited:

Roli

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Thanks for tagging me. Bear Spray could present a major problem in satisfying shipping providers, because the propellant is most like flammable. Also clearing Customs in Romania could be difficult because chances are that as in the USA and Canada it is illegal unless used for protection against bears.

The active ingredient is red pepper (Capsaicin), and because its use by private individuals for purposes other than as a bear spray makes it illegal in many countries, finding it within Europe is unlikely. Finding a contract aerosol filler willing to pack it would also be difficult.

Sorry @Raymi about seeming negative, but this is a product that will not be easy to obtain.

Walter

I knew you'd be the man Walter. I'm wondering, do you think that it's worth trying to overcome the difficulty (maybe another ingredient other than Capsaicin could be used) or is the barrier to entry just that bit too high for the individual?
 
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biophase

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Find out who supplies the Romanian stores and buy it from them and set up your website. 100 euros is a lot of money compared to the prices here in the USA.
 

Raymi

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Thank you all for your replies, yes indeed the barrier to entry can be high here due to hard to obtain products or ingredients, and it is not easy to comply with product laws.

I would primarily see the production as a handful, but I would also need to look carefully at the product legislation with the help of a lawyer.

For the time being, I see it only as an idea, as the relevant laws can have quite a lot of influence on production or ordering.
 

Simon Angel

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Maybe you can just wrap some imported bottles with a nice sticker to start.
Find out who supplies the Romanian stores and buy it from them and set up your website.

This.

Is there a specific reason why it's not stocked in the region you live in? We don't have bears here so that would be understandable but if thousands of attacks are reported each year where you live there must be a reason.

Dan

I wouldn't be surprised if there is no reason. Things are just different in the Balkans, lol
 
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Raymi

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I wouldn't be surprised if there is no reason. Things are just different in the Balkans, lol
Yes, the Balkan countries are an interesting place, things are a bit different here than further west, lol
 

woken

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This.



I wouldn't be surprised if there is no reason. Things are just different in the Balkans, lol
Once Amazon builds a fulfilment centre in Romania, you’ll have problems. Unless you’re the top seller there too.
Just something to keep in mind.
 

Raymi

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Once Amazon builds a fulfilment centre in Romania, you’ll have problems. Unless you’re the top seller there too.
Just something to keep in mind.
yes, Amazon is already preparing to set up in neighbouring Hungary, and will be here soon
 
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Walter Hay

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There are a few contract fillers of aerosols in Europe, and there are a number of peppers that can be used but their effectiveness on such large animals as bears is unknown.

You should certainly check out the legalities before having samples made.

Testing the product would be the only way to be sure that your formula works and that could be very dangerous.

I would prefer to locate suppliers of proven products and negotiate a price that allows you to sell at a reasonable profit margin.

Walter
 

WJK

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Hi guys, here is my idea, please give me your opinions.

So, I live in Romania, also in Szeklerland, where there is a Hungarian minority in the country, about a million of them. In the last ten years, bears have become very common here, as they are a protected species in the country, and applying for an exit permit is a very bureaucratic process. The number of bears in the wild in the country is currently around 10 000, with a significant proportion of them in Szeklerland.

There are a lot of bears in the predominantly forested area, and from spring to the end of summer there are almost daily reports of bear attacks in the local newspapers - I work for a newspaper. Most of the population lives in rural areas and is engaged in agriculture or forestry.

Politicians have long been promising to find a solution to this, but for years there has been no change, and every year there are more and more bear attacks.

What I have noticed is that in Szeklerland - where the majority of the population are Hungarians - there is not a single Hungarian-language webshop where you can buy bear spray, which, let's face it, can be very useful here. You can get them on Romanian sites, but they are rare there too. The price of a spray is around 100 euro.

I had the idea to create a webshop where you could brand such a spray. I wonder if they should be ordered or if it would be better to produce them and then sell them. However, when it comes to production, I have no experience at all in this area.

In any case, the idea is worth discussing, I thought, which is why I posted it here. What do you think about it?

here is an article on the subject: Protest in Szeklerland: Are the lives of bears or humans I more important? - Transylvania Now
I live in Alaska. We have LOTS of bears and yes, we carry bear spray when the bears are awake.
 

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