[Available again! - BLF special edition light] new Sofirn AAA twisty high CRI 5mm LED

A 15 dollar light via the USA distributor will be devastating for non-US buyers, shipping abroad will more than double the price.

Yes, the $15 base price does not include any overseas shipping or customs fees.

People should definitely consider their location, shipping, and customs fees when ordering any light.

Fenix wants to protect its dealer network, and asked me where I was located. Since I am in USA, that is the dealer they want me to use. IF the dealer will sell the lights for less than $15, any discount will be used to cover shipping, but that may not be sufficient to cover overseas shipping and customs fees.

If the Kickstarter is not viable, and Fenix cannot be guaranteed a 1000 unit minimum order, then the alternatives are for someone else to buy, build, and sell the lights they want. That is what Vinh has done. His base price is $48 with free shipping to USA. But that also does not include shipping and customs fees overseas, afaict

If you can impress upon them that this is a global group buy and shipping from China is the most feasible way to allow non-US buyers to buy their product, maybe they would listen? From what you have said I don’t think they have any clue what’s going on in the enthusiast market… Maybe send them examples of previous lights like the BLF 348 that proved to be excellent sellers even after the group buy? Ultimately we are just telling them there is a market for an item, paying their initial costs with guaranteed sales, and anything after is essentially pure profit (manufacturing set up already documented, suppliers already sourced, market research essentially done, etc.).
If they have to have us go through their distributors… we’d probably have to work out some kind of deal with a central group buy paying multiple individual distributors, and that sounds like a nightmare.

I encourage you to contact them yourself, maybe if they hear from more than one person, it will seem like more than just a random dream to them. I dont think they are taking me seriously, yet.

If you like, I will also add you as a collaborator to the Kickstarter, and you can help me organize the group buy :slight_smile:
https://www.kickstarter.com/blog/create-and-collaborate

this is all new to me, I have no special relationship or superpowers, anyone that wants to contribute to making the project a reality is welcome to join and help

I’ll give it a go at some point and see if I can make some palatable word salad that’ll get them to bite.

I could probably help where I can, time permitting, but I know very little about Kickstarter. The most I could do is likely type up some copy and cross my fingers. :frowning:

No one does when they first try to help out with something like this. Knowing that and asking for assistance puts you ahead of many others I’ve seen attempt even bigger projects than this. :slight_smile:

I hadn’t thought of running this through kickstarter, but the idea makes sense. I will watch for updates.

If you’d like, I have images comparing a stock E01 to a similar (non-potted) light that may be useful for conveying the difference. I can provide copies for use with the kickstarter page.

maybe it would be fun for others to see the images posted here?

A few comments about the Kickstarter page

1. This link should be added to the OP if this is how the project is going to be organized.

2. You might want to clear the liberal use of ‘Fenix’ and Fenix branded lights on that page with the company. As far as I understand it, Fenix has tentatively agreed to partner on manufacturing, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they want their name all over the project. The current page looks as though it’s a launch of a new Fenix light.

Thanks for the feedback. The project has been declined as not meeting Kickstarter Rules. I have asked for clarification, but I think this is the rule that is violated:

Resale. All rewards must have been produced or designed by the project or one of its creators — no reselling things from elsewhere.

so, Im stepping aside… cancel the Kickstarter Idea.

jon_slider: That is fantastic news! Thanks for reaching out to Fenix. :+1:

The minimum order quantity of 1000 will be a challenge, although perhaps on the other hand, not impossible.

oh no :person_facepalming: Rejected by Kickstarter….

Somehow I got unsubscribed to this thread :person_facepalming: Especially unfortunate at a time of interesting developments.

(1) Still great news to hear that Fenix is able and willing to produce a modified E01, as long as the MOQ is 1000 pieces.

(2) What a pity Kickstarter rejected the project :frowning:

(3) I was wondering if there is another way to make Fenix understand that there is a market for a Yuji E01?

I have a feeling that once Fenix management understand that there is real money to be made simply by listening to flashlight enthusiasts, this would be a win-win for both Fenix as well as their flashlight buyers.

The problem is probably that they sell enough already, and have become stuck at a local optimum so to speak, while probably the potential global optimum for selling a high quality 5mm led flashlight is significantly larger.

Since it seems very unlikely to reach the quantity of 1000, would it be worth asking Fenix to quote a quantity of 100-200 lights? For example, if the 1000 LED order costs $120, and they build 120 lights, that is only an additional $1/light to cover the cost of the LEDs, which I believe most of us would be willing to pay. For sure, Fenix has a cost model for every light they make, and there is a price that they would accept to build 100-200 E01s with Yuji LEDs. Now is that price $100, $50, or $15, I don’t know, but my point is that if the minimum order of 1000 LEDs from Yuji is driving the minimum order of 1000 lights from Fenix, maybe this doesn’t have to be a showstopper since the cost of the LEDs would be a fairly low percentage of the cost of 100-200 lights even @ $15 each.

So what would happen to the remaining 800-900 LEDs? It would be awesome if Fenix shipped a few of the bare LEDs with each light they build, say 9 extra LEDs per light that we could use for projects, although personally I wouldn’t care if Fenix threw them in the trash as long as this project became a reality.

The minimum order of LED’s is probably not even a factor. The cost of the LED’s is so small. The cost of machining is about half per unit for 1000 vs 100, possibly more depending on their setup.

the Fenix Minimum Order Quantity is 1000.

nothing to do with the LEDs,

not an option

I do not see a 1000 units interest list being generated, it would take a long time and we may not get there at all.

But I do see a 1000 units being sold once they are available for a reasonable price ($15 shipped)

I suggest contacting someone in China to take the risk of order them from Fenix and then sell them. I think of Neal, he may be crazy adventurous enough to do this. :slight_smile:

Good idea djozz, something like this may get this get this project going.

Djozz: great suggestion.
Do you have contact with Neal?

No, I don’t. He is a member on BLF though (Neal).

Great idea djozz!