nismo98 wrote: ↑Fri Nov 17, 2017 1:25 pm
If somone can make the same product and sell it for less than half the cost then maybe the industry price point is the issue. I want a second wing but 500+ for a peice of glass is ridiculous. Am I just as Immoral by borrowing friends high end wings for moulds and making my own wings to save money or should I be happy to overpay through industry just to support possible new r and d that is fractionally better at best?
In a tiny industry, not having R&D is obviously going to decrease the price. Marginal improvements end up creating new and way better products down the line. Imagine riding kites from 2000 today? The new kites have enabled new, better and safer riding. I cannot understand why this is not obvious to everyone.
Somewhat simplified if you buy from the copyists all development stops (or is put on everyone else) and your current product stays as long as you keep buying, but no new innovations will be done.
To me if you copy it and make it for yourself, it is a bit better. You can always evolve to become your own R&D and develop products on your own. If you start selling those pure copies it is not okay anymore. If you start with a template you like and start evolving the product you make it your own again. This is how innovation works.
Understand that these chinese copies aren't kiters, they will not develop anything, they probably barely have seen images of how a foil even works. I am willing to bet that they are not kiters at all. All they do is to suck resources out of an already small industry.