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Selling Rocks on the Internet

OnTheWrox

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Oct 14, 2019
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I'm Amy, I've known many of you for sometime yet haven't been active or engaged with the forum. Just wasn't on my radar since I have offline friendships with folks on here. Yet I've attended a Fastlane Summit which is where I met some of the coolest people that I'm happy to still be friends with.

I started selling whiskey stones, actual soapstone used to chill your bourbon or whiskey. I decided to differentiate myself through the packaging since there's only so many ways to dress up a rock. When searching for product to test sell, I ended up speaking to the largest seller in the nation (unknowingly) who basically told me i shouldn't get into selling these stones and that everyone lies, steals, cheats, etc. The guy was an a**hole, that point I wanted to be a competitor to them.

Long story short, took me two years but i'm finally a competitor at least in my state. I'm selling in Total Wine & More here in my state of New Mexico three locations. I'm in several local retail stores as well as selling on Amazon. I did FBA for awhile but when their prices increased I bailed-- they shipped me remainder of my inventory which was completely ruined. I'm in the process of sourcing stone to be fabricated here in my home town rather than shipping from across the U.S. Once I'm able source here in NM I will be able to apply for New Mexico True label which for selling purposes in my state is like a gold star. I've got etched stones that I also sell which have mainly been wholesale. Although I've applied with Total Wine which my local stores are chomping at the bit for big time. Waiting for corporate approval at the moment. Few other products coming down the line as well.

I thrive when around the entrepreneurial spirit. I enjoy learning but also providing value where I can to others. It's an energy and life style that for those are willing to be the outliers believe there is something far better and contribute to the world - those are the people I want to be around. One of the few things that make me the most happy is building business, blazing a new trail, and connecting with like minded people.
 
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RazorCut

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Hi Amy,

Well done on building your business. I have some whiskey stones in my freezer which were a present from my daughter (though chilled whiskey isn't much of a thing in the UK).

I can see them making good impulse buys in stores.

Look forward to hearing more of your endeavours.
 

MHP368

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Whats the brand? , Why your stones instead of another?

Thats what jumped out at me here , it seems like a commodified product. Someone who drinks only needs so many of these so you aren't getting repeat business. Have you considerd expanding in some way to other drinkware or bar paraphenelia?

Also way to go sticking it out and carving yourself out a business on this.
 

Entre Eyes

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Congrats and Welcome and thank you for the insights into your biz.

Yes do expand I would even be specific and say find a way to go or add DIGITAL.

It is a lucrative market and just makes good dollars and cents/sense.


01:41 Vaynerchuk: So, dad dragged me into liquor store when I'm 14, I hate it, two bucks an hour. I realized people collect wine the way they collect baseball cards at 16, fall in love with it, joined the family business at 22, and really start driving operations, launch winelibrary.com in 1996, very early second e-commerce wine business. And in a very short period grew up from a four to a $45 million business, kept innovating, started a wine show on YouTube in 2006 called Wine Library TV. It was me, thank you. It was me sitting in front of a table like this, drinking four bottles of wine for about 25 minutes at a time.
 
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Ernman

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Amy - congrats on your success thus far and all the best for the future. Back when I was into gin, I tried using such rocks to keep my martinis cold. Of course, I had to use a different style of glass which seemed to ruined the whole martini experience :cool:

But it did get me to thinking...are there other marketable uses for these cold stones? Could you create a market keeping other drinks cold without watering them down? If you think there's something there, please feel free to run with it. I'm headed in other directions.
 

OnTheWrox

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Oct 14, 2019
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Hi Amy,

Well done on building your business. I have some whiskey stones in my freezer which were a present from my daughter (though chilled whiskey isn't much of a thing in the UK).

I can see them making good impulse buys in stores.

Look forward to hearing more of your endeavours.
Thank you, much appreciated!
 

OnTheWrox

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Oct 14, 2019
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Albuquerque, New Mexico
Amy - congrats on your success thus far and all the best for the future. Back when I was into gin, I tried using such rocks to keep my martinis cold. Of course, I had to use a different style of glass which seemed to ruined the whole martini experience :cool:

But it did get me to thinking...are there other marketable uses for these cold stones? Could you create a market keeping other drinks cold without watering them down? If you think there's something there, please feel free to run with it. I'm headed in other directions.
Hey it's all good!

Yes in fact the stones can be heated up and used in a cup a tea. I've chatted with spa owners thinking maybe the stones can be used in massages or to reduce puffy eyes. I'd need to change the shape of the stone so it would be useful. Now that I'm sourcing my own stone I can have my fabricator play around with the cuts. I'm etching the stones which has really set things apart in that sense. Also various cuts can be another way to scale. Thank you for the input.
 
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OnTheWrox

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Oct 14, 2019
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Albuquerque, New Mexico
Hi Amy,

Well done on building your business. I have some whiskey stones in my freezer which were a present from my daughter (though chilled whiskey isn't much of a thing in the UK).

I can see them making good impulse buys in stores.

Look forward to hearing more of your endeavours.
Thank you for the good juju!
 

OnTheWrox

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Oct 14, 2019
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Albuquerque, New Mexico
Congrats and Welcome and thank you for the insights into your biz.

Yes do expand I would even be specific and say find a way to go or add DIGITAL.

It is a lucrative market and just makes good dollars and cents/sense.


01:41 Vaynerchuk: So, dad dragged me into liquor store when I'm 14, I hate it, two bucks an hour. I realized people collect wine the way they collect baseball cards at 16, fall in love with it, joined the family business at 22, and really start driving operations, launch winelibrary.com in 1996, very early second e-commerce wine business. And in a very short period grew up from a four to a $45 million business, kept innovating, started a wine show on YouTube in 2006 called Wine Library TV. It was me, thank you. It was me sitting in front of a table like this, drinking four bottles of wine for about 25 minutes at a time.
I'm not sure how I would go digital. Although there have been various ways one of which I teamed up with a beard oil company. I bought cigar boxes along with the beard oil made a kit with stones. They killed it! I thought about changing the packaging but eh... the etched stones seem to really be a kicker. Plus I've got some local distilleries interested so folks could order their drink with stones and go home with them made the purchase when drinking their liquor. Few years back I teamed up with a start up out of Arizona that was doing a whiskey of the month club, they would ship out stones as an add on. From what I gathered because they were a start up themselves they didn't quite get off the ground.

Wine is such a touchy industry, very impressive that you got in there and made it really work. The YouTube channel was brilliant idea. From the little I know of the wine world it's hella competitive I work with a local vineyard here in New Mexico and all the stuff they share about mixing with juices vs actually using their own grapes. It's an interesting world with everyone who is an expert. So kudos to you!
 

OnTheWrox

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Oct 14, 2019
22
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Albuquerque, New Mexico
Whats the brand? , Why your stones instead of another?

Thats what jumped out at me here , it seems like a commodified product. Someone who drinks only needs so many of these so you aren't getting repeat business. Have you considerd expanding in some way to other drinkware or bar paraphenelia?

Also way to go sticking it out and carving yourself out a business on this.
Hey, thank you!

Yes I'm in the midst at the moment ordering silicone pint glasses and wine glasses. The logo I had designed it's a very popular state symbol that everyone tattoos LOL I wanted something people could use when they go camping or at the lake. For now those types of products wouldn't be relevant to the rest of the country mainly just local.

I'm having whiskey glasses designed with same state symbol which I'll make a kit with the stones. At some point I will go ahead and find other designs depending on the state. I sent an inquiry to this database that manages all the frat & sororities latin symbols to see if I can pay the royalty fee to use those symbols etched on my stones. Right now I'm also doing custom orders which seem to be well received.
 
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