K&K Fly Shop

[Skeeter ZX190]

K&K went out of business last December 31, in the Kansas City area.  There is an online auction going right now for the leftover inventory.  Here's a link.

https://www.oldhamauctions.com/auctions/detail/bw139092

Maybe you can find a deal.  Downside is that you have to pick the merchandise up in Odessa MO.

[Ryan Miloshewski]

Don't remind me. It has been an absolute nightmare getting materials since Kevin shut down. Rainbow just isn't a good shop, sadly. 

[tjm]

Online sales will eventually kill all the shops that don't have a great online storefront. We as fly fishers are very small niche market for relatively expensive gear and since most of us don't buy new gear every year, but want it avaiable to look at,  the inventory can far exceed the annual sales.  I have chicken necks and fur bits that I bought 40-50 years ago that I'm still tying with so once the shop sells that prime skin at a modest profit, it may be a long time until they sell me another. Throw in the rest of the factors like rent and upkeep of premises, salaries of employees insurance costs, etc.  and I'm kinda surprised that any fly shops not part of a resort are still going. I suspect that any material one wants is available fast and cheap on eBay. 

[Flysmallie]

16 hours ago, tjm said:

I suspect that any material one wants is available fast and cheap on eBay. 

I can't pick up any material and hold it in my hand on ebay. I can't cast a rod. I can't wander around and buy things I would have never thought of. I can't tie flies. I can't get something special ordered. I can shoot the bull. 

The same thing could be said for camera stores. But the good ones are still thriving. 

No matter what, you have to be good at business to survive. Period. 

[tjm]

It's absolutely good business to close the doors and and scrap the inventory when the "customers" are fondling the merchandise rather than buying it. The shop owner can't put all that fondling and casting and bull shooting in the bank or use it to purchase new stock. Personally I always buy something  at every trip to the fly shop, honestly the $20-30 purchase probably doesn't net the shop owner enough to have kept the lights on while I browsed. I love to hang out in a fly shop, but I've always thought that the shop owners could have made more money selling anything else. Good fly shops that are successful always seem to be tied to another business; resort, bait shop, guide business, a corner of a drug store, liquor store or gas station. 
I think it'd be interesting  to see what an initial inventory of a fully stocked fly shop would add up to plus the overhead costs and what the projected return is. And after a year how the actual costs and profits compared with the set up plan. Would you stock one each of all the available fly rod brands and models in each weight? In 'glass, carbon and bamboo? Whiting feathers alone must have 500-1000 products if each color and quality is counted? Would you stock all brands and styles and sizes of hooks?