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I have thought about this a little, not much, but I am debating finding a good source of very small rare earth magnets and putting them for sale on our webstore.

I know I use them a ton, they are perfect for making GW kits modular, the vehicles and the troops. I would have to put some good money down to get a good price for people, but they would be pretty cheap, and easily available.

I know what sizes I use the most. Do you guys think it would be convenient to buy them from a bit place instead of hunting them down in ebay or other sellers?

Poll up and feel free to make suggestions on selection and if you think it would be a good idea business-wise and for the hobbyist.

Nick

If you sell the right sizes that fit in well with magnetizing infantry models and vehicles I'd say go for it.

I don't really order bits; however, if I did, I would gladly buy magnets along with them.

I have thought about this before and I am not sure it is a great idea to invest heavily into magnets. Although it would be nice to be able to get magnets, I doubt you will end up selling that much.

You do sell bits though.... interesting. It sounds like a gamble, and a slightly risky one at that.

Chapterhouse wrote:I have thought about this a little, not much, but I am debating finding a good source of very small rare earth magnets and putting them for sale on our webstore.

I know I use them a ton, they are perfect for making GW kits modular, the vehicles and the troops. I would have to put some good money down to get a good price for people, but they would be pretty cheap, and easily available.

I know what sizes I use the most. Do you guys think it would be convenient to buy them from a bit place instead of hunting them down in ebay or other sellers?

Poll up and feel free to make suggestions on selection and if you think it would be a good idea business-wise and for the hobbyist.

You need a "value added" proposition, as you don't want to compete on a pure price basis with internet magnet stores.

I'd suggest bundles - sell the magnets, along with the appropriately-sized drill bits to sink them. Heck, for some of your products, you may be able to predrill the holes (or cast with the appropriate holes), and then you just have a shopping cart option: "2 appropriately-sized magnets, $0.99."

Magnets would be good.

Plasticard and associated stuff would also be an idea. I know I have a baer of a time finding the stuff when I am looking for it.

Although I recently determined that the handful of ballpoint pens on my desk will get sacrificed to the Hydra gawds.

Hasslefree Mins sell them in the UK and it would be easier to get them from somewhere you have already shopped or to combine with other items.

I've bought two lots of magnets from two different firms a year apart. I don't even remember which companies they were. The next lot I need I'll probably get from Hasslefree. I almost bought some this week when I ordered some figures but I don't need any at the moment.

This is a very long way of saying yes.

I use the disc type magnets because it's easy to drill a hole for them. Rod type would probably work well as long as there is enough thickness to drill into.

Yeah, I have the option of going all out

Drill bits of the appropriate size for the magnets. Comboing the magnets with certain bits, plasticard itself...

Could be a can of worms.

I think I could get away with investing 2-300$ in magnets, I dont expect to make much off them, but it would be nice for the customers and convenient. I know there are 2 sizes I use a ton of, the 1/8th diameter circles, there is a real thin one and a thicker one.

So...

Drill Bits
Magnets
Plasticard

Anything else?

You probably don' need my advice on business matters but I'll offer it anyway.

Firstly, you know how many customers you have.
Secondly, you can probably guess they are the kind of users who are into converting and are more likely to have the need and skills to use magnets.
Thirdly, it's not about price competition with web stores. The postage cost of buying a small stock of magnets is going to wipe out a lot of the possible saving, then there is the waste of time spent searching for them. You can offer convenience.

I don't know if your other products would work as bundles with magnets but if they do, a bundle where you get the best magnets to use with the conversion items would be a great ide.

I would find it very handy for a bitz store to sell magnets, plasticard, glue etc.
While people are looking for those bitz they need, they can also pick up the stuff to put 'em together with

Small magnets for infantryman arms, and others for vehicle guns would be my preference.

Janthkin has a point about bundles and drill-bitz. One Value-Add you have is knowledge of final use:
A bitz store, knowing what use the magnets are for, can make sure they have he right ones, and even advise on size etc, whereas a Magnet Store will not necessarily know much about 40k models.
The option of pre-drilled/cast pieces, bundled with the right magnets is a good plan.

Now to hunt down some wholesale supplier of said items.