Tubular Pick

The reason I ask about a tubular pick is because I am newbie and only recently been getting calls for tubular type locks Thanks. William

Reply to
William S. Gilman
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This is a relatively expensive tool. You need to decide whether you think you're going to have enough requests for its use that it will give you reasonable returns on the investment. The answer depends on how many of these locks are in use in your area, which types are common, how often people want them opened nondestructively, how much they're willing to pay for that service, ... and how willing your are to explicitly send some business to your competetors, with the risk that it may not come back (which depends, in part, on whether you can offer other unique services that they might send to you in return.)

Since this depends on local patterns of use, it's hard for us to advise you from a distance. I'd suggest talking to locksmiths in your own area about how much demand they're seeing for each flavor of tubular lock. That sort of question is one of the things local trade associations can help you with, if there's one active in your area.

Reply to
Joe Kesselman (address as shown

Best answer ever!

Reply to
Glen Cooper

Thanks.

This is part of why I keep saying that if you're doing this as a business you should consider buying, or at least borrowing and looking thru, a Flat Rate Manual at some point. The ones I've seen all start with a good discussion of the fact that *everything* you're spending money on, whether it's tools or stock or storefront or vehicle, needs to be thought of as an investment (because that's money which is now tied up so you can't spend it on something else). Purchase decisions need tto be based on whether that particular item delivers better return on that investment than spending the same money somewhere else... or just leaving it in the bank and taking interest.

I have tubular picks. As a part-timer, I don't use 'em much -- but (a) I got 'em on sale (the maker was in the process of going out of business) so it wasn't as large an investment, (b) I had a specific immediate use for them, and (c) I will willing to spend some of my "hobby" budget on them as an exercise in continuing education.

One additional thought: Remember that if you have a local distributor, it's often possible to put off investing in tools until you actually have a need for them. Admittedly, tools such as picks where practice with them makes a large difference in effectiveness may want to be purchased ahead of time... but only if you really are going to "do your homework" and spend that time practicing.

Reply to
Joe Kesselman (address as shown

William --

If you are a newbie, then congratulations and welcome to one of the most interesting trades around. That said, understand that this newsgroup is not secured in anyway. Anyone who cares to do so can read it and it is archived in several places where it can be searched as well. It is a great start to meet others in the profession, however, I would suggest taking the next step and joining one of th esecured websites dedicated to locksmithing where you will be able to get lots of information from other professionals who will feel more comfortable speaking freely about sensitive topics including bypass techniques and tools and tricks of the trade.

Internet Locksmith which is free

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which is paid but last I remember offered a 2 week free trial
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There are certainly others, but since I use internet-locksmith I mention it, and since it is so popular I mention ClearStar. In either case you will have to provide some evidence that you are in the trade.

Reply to
Absinthe

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