Valentine

It all comes down to meeting the needs of the archery market.

Every archer needs vane replacement of some type. FOB's meet the need of the infrequent practice archer-hunter, who doesn't need many replacements.
With niche markets the individual cost is higher per unit, but the total cost to the archer is less. FOB's might cost $1.66 to "vane", per arrow, while another archer can do it with regular vanes for anywhere from .40 cents to $1. In the latter case, the cost of revaning is cut to a quarter to less than two-thirds the cost of the FOB. But the advantage of FOB, important to some archers, is the total cost.

The FOB user can "vane" his 12 replacements, in total, to $20. The vane fletherer has to spend more initial money. For one the lesser cost of vanes, cost more in initial outlays. It might be money just for the minimum quantity of $20 to say $50 for the unused vanes. Then the price of glue at $5. And the cost of a fletcher that can run from $40 to $80. So to save money, the initial outlay is much greater. Making the appeal of FOB's, very appealing.

Of course, I would never consider FOB's. My flether of over fifteen years is paid for and technically costs me nothing. I bought vanes at 1995 prices, so I save every year. And the glue will cost me around $5. So I can re-vane an arrow, at less than .25 cents an arrow. Just because I'm an archer of long standing, spreading my costs over years.

And most of you thought archery had nothing to do with cost accounting.