> The worse thing I ever read about Phil Green (and I agree that he is very
> good) is that he sells seconds (I think this was mentioned in a Canoe and
> Kayak paddle review). Most of us would be happy to own one of his seconds.
> But how does a fellow who lays out 20K feel when someone else pays a less
> for a second that for all prectical purposes looks like a first?

I have a hard time someone like Phil Green would even sell seconds. Both for the reason you stated (How do I look to my $20K paying customers?) and that he could end up with a blemish so large it could even be sold at all. I can't think of any mistakes that aren't repairable beautifully enough to still sell the boat at full price. If there were serious material defects, like, building an entire boat while severely intoxicated, then you probably couldn't even sell the boat for the price of a Royalex one.

> When a "buyer" rather than a "looker" comes along - I add
> features until we come up with a boat and price we can live with. (Bait
> and switch ???)

Hmm...no, just sounds like you're building the boat to the customer's exact specifications, at a price that will remunerate you for your time, materials, and knowledge.

"Hey, how 'bout a woodstrip canoe for $600?" "Okay" "But it's only 18" long!" "Oh. How much will an 18 footer cost?" :)

Shawn