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I started making parts as Scope Restore over 15 years ago. The demand is so low and the cost of production so high . First you have to come up with the ideas, then buy the materials, set up the equipment, time, time time, build a tool to make a tool that doesn't exist, time, time, advertising, visiting clubs (petrol), push your product, lack of demand. I still have over 40 finderscope mounting brackets to take from 30mm to 50mm finders, I still have six 8" mirror cells, four 10" mirror cells, truss tube telescope front ends and backs for which I had to design and build: a 1/2 tonne press; a bending machine; a rolling device; and several mandrels from 20mm to 500mm accross. There is just not enough demand for multiple production. We have around 10,000 amateur astronomers in OZ compared to over 200,000 in the USA. Once you have the market flooded with goods, the demand drops. And once you do have the ability to produce these things, along will come some Chinese guy who looks at your website and starts to manufacture the same thing at a fraction of the cost. Just look at the Rigel Systems original Skylite Torch. It retailed for about four years before the Chinese close copied it and flooded the market with the clone. It once cost around $36 now you can pick them up for $15. Rigel Systems went and reinvented the Starlite making it waterproof and giving it white and red LED's that are variable in intensity. Who will take the bet as to how soon the Chinese will copy this one? Hmmm? Sorry for being so cynical, but a balanced view is good.
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