David, since I doubt anyone here can really answer your question, I'm going to guess, you are asking for our guesses.
Here's mine. It takes far more money to bring a product to market today than it did yesterday.
The cost of attending trade shows has gone up considerably, as has the cost of showing at one. Considering the travel costs, folks are not so willing or able to travel to the events, so now there are far more, smaller show...vendors can only afford so much (or should I say, we can only afford them to afford so much).
Trade magazine advertising is out of hand. That coupled with the circulation not really being all that high of our trade magazines...just does not pencil.
Forums, free or pay have become the most effective way for a vendor to bring new product to the attention of the users with the least amount of cost.
I look at the vendors involved in this case also. They are not the big power vendors of JDS, Conde, Epilog.... They are little guys with few products in the barn. If they spend big money promoting the product, we the user would be charged more.
Just my guess.
Doug
Lavivrus Woodworking
www.tileframe.com |