Email received from RBT today.
Hey folks...first, thanks so much for the huge support over the past few weeks! It was a blast getting all of the Splinter and Milaana 2 finally built and shipped and I am exhausted and content. Currently working through the international wait list orders for Mi2 and going back through all the emails that I missed in the last few weeks. If I owe you missing items, or you have any issue at all please email me at
Ryan@rastabuddhatao.com and I will be sure to get back to you as I have made a commitment moving forward to keep up on it daily. It was really nice to get some of the notes of appreciation for both the Mi2 and the Splinter. After years of practice, I fell that the these two products, although still with artistic variation, have finally come into their own.
Once of my big realizations is that selling direct has limited volume. This is why you pay retailers a premium and VapeFiend as shown me that. If a retailer is good, he earns his money by generating sales for you with his brand. There are the 'big box' vape shops that get crazy margins to sell your product and then there are more mom and pop places that will work with you. The typical model is to by a vape from China for $20 and sell it to the retailers for $50 and then they sell it for $99. These numbers work for all concerned. In my model, I make a vape for $45, and still need to sell it for $50 for the average retailer to still sell it for $99 as that is what the market will bare. So, if you are pinned at market value and the retailer needs 50% margin, the american artisan vapor maker cannot survive unless it has a great collection of retailers that will work with you by reducing there margins because they believe in your products. There are not that many of these rare breeds in this business but I have found them. Because of these forward thinkers RBT will be bringing on the best in the business: 420 EDC, Planet Vape, Vaped.com, Herb Cafe, and VapeFiend and their EU partners like Weed Gadget... ah... yeh, no not VN, VW or N (aka big box). So, if you have a favorite online vaporizer retailer or large B&M specialty vape shop that you think can meet the MOQ send em a note and tell them to contact RBT.
So, with limited direct sales after completing the wait list I was once again saved by VapeFiend. George has agreed to take a fair amount of Mi2's off of my hands to provide the necessary cash flow to continue. Mark at 420 EDC has also agreed to take some Mi2 as well as some Splinter. I will reach out to my Canadian Friends Robert (Planet Vape) and Sashin (Herb Cafe) and knowing them they will be happy to support RBT with some sale of RBT US in the coming months. This will pave the way for RBT CHINA. Now with sales secured... back to business.
As you might know, I am a creative guy and looked for a creative solution to this problem in that all I want to do is build vapes for cool people like you. So, here is the grand plan. RBT will move to an RBT US / RBT CHINA model and it goes like this. RBT US will make a few more Splinters in the current design and will then upgrade to Splinter 2 which will feature choice of exotic woods and heavy wall German Schott glass and will be hand made in the US. This will allow for a small MSRP increase to $149 allowing it to be moved to our retailers along with Milaana 2. This move will put RBT into some sales volume quickly and pave the way for RBT CHINA. RBTC will start with the Splinter. It will obviously be made from China glass and will only be offered in one or two wood types. Initial assembly of the heaters will be done at RBT US to monitor initial quality and then RBTC will move to full on assembly. Once RBTC is in full production, RBT US made units will be sold primarily through RBT but any excess will move the retailers. RBTC will then move to be the primary supply for retailers around the world.
In the short term the changes are that VapeFiend, 420 EDC and possibly Planet Vape and Herb Cafe (Canada) will be carrying RBT US product in limited quantities. RBT US will continue to produce US Splinter and Mi2 and manage the development of the China Splinter over the coming months. RBT US will also be taking on the glass production but has plans to move it to a shop in Jersey possibly by year end. Splinter Z is in sight and should be a fun showcase for the Zion refined heater, Exotic wood and heavy wall German glass. Mi2 will look to include a video of the actual unit that is being purchased and the boxes will now be numbered to allow for unique identification for sale. Mi2 will be sold in limited quantities direct and stock might gap as Splinter and Splinter Z production takes priority. There also rumors of a high flow Splinter but there is not telling if they are true.
Over the coming weeks RBT will finally have a professional www store and will be stocked with Splinter and Milaana2 with time to attend to CS and repairs and things should be running smooth by the time Splinter China lands around holiday season. However, just now starting out direct sales are slow so look for special offers here soon that should help get things moving. As always, I will start here first with special deals and offers to the RBT Gold list as well as on the Sub Reddit so stop buy and hang out and ya just might get some good deals.
Peace,
Ryan
PS - Thanks again for the support and kind emails ... it's a really good feeling to know that after Zion, TOD, Milaana, Mi-Log, PAM, XL8R, Splinter and Milaana 2 that things are finally starting to gain some traction in large part to all you cool peeps. Tell the wold RBT wants to medicate them organically
. Here goes- from an email that Ryan replied to me a few days ago I am under the impression that THIS new batch of splinters will have a 19/19 female joint. The new stems will be backwards compatible with other RBT units but the 19/22 stems will not be usable with these new splinters or any production units henceforth.
