Modding supplies

Homebrew · 03-31-2002, 09:29 PM

This is my first post here, i've been lurking here and some other places for quite some time. I've been working on opening an online computer store for the past few months. I've actually had pretty much everything setup, just haven't put up a site. Lately though, I've become very interested in carrying modding supplies such as lazer cut fan grills, cold cathodes, etc. The problem is i've been having trouble finding manufacturers and distributors for these products. I see alot of modding stores carrying the same products(lazer cut fan grills, window kits, cold cathodes, etc), but i'm unable to find who the manufacturers/distributers are for these products. Take the lazer cut fan grills for instance. Who makes these? I know a few different stores make their own, but there is a specific lineup of these that many different stores sell. The biohazard, atomic, radiation, and hurricane designs seem to be sold at quite a few modding stores. However i can' t seem to find out who the manufacturer of these is. Basically i'm looking to find manufacturers/distributors for modding products. I've also been looking into watercooling products as well. I had been talking with people at aqua-computer.de about importing their products, but recently dtek customs has shown in an interest in selling their products and i'm not sure its wise for me to try and compete with them on these products before my store gets an established reputation. At any rate, i'm hoping you guys can give me some insight as to what kind of products you guys look for the most when shopping for modding supplies. As well as suggestions for product lines and some ideas on who makes some some of the more widely distributed modding products. Any information/suggestions/ideas on the subject would be greatly appreciated. I hope this sort of post isn't frowned upon. its not really an idvertisement, so i think i'm ok. Thanx for reading.

-Kevin

Kevin · 03-31-2002, 09:31 PM

Well, first you need to focus on a niche. I think if you try and sell everything and anything, your focus will be too narrow. Are you going to be like a CaseEtc or a 2Cooltek? Or something else?
-Kevin

Homebrew · 03-31-2002, 10:03 PM

Originally, i was intending to focus on hardware/software. But lately i've been so focused on modding. I'd like to carry an overall selcection of computer supplies. I'm thinking about a good modding supply selection along with a limited selection of hardware/software. A selection of a few hard drives, video cards, sound cards, MB's, etc. Not a huge selection of the hardware and software, but enough for a customer to build a system. I think this would make a good focus for me. I think its probably hard to compete the purely modding market without having unique products of your own to offer. Water cooling is good example of this. Most of the companies you see offering water cooling products are makers of their own products/kits. Therefore they may have a specific product that none of their competitors offer because they make it themselves. Also, alot of modding products are nickle-dime products so to speak. Most of them are $30 or less. If you're reselling someone else's products, your not making but a few dollars at most per product. This means you would have to do alot of business to make a decent profit. This is why i would like to offer hardware/software as well. Eventually i would like to sell at the computer shows in my area and the modding market at the shows in my area is untapped. There have been no modding products at any of the shows i've been to in the past year or so. I realize it sounds as though i'm trying to take on alot, but i'm stilling just planning right now. I don't want to jump into anything to quickly, so i'm still looking into the options and deciding what the best way to go is.

-Kevin

SonixOS · 04-04-2002, 09:00 PM

i noticed that ur from MD. where in MD do u live? How much capital u got for this business? btw- aim for a professional looking site. if got one of those yahoo sellers website, only cheapos will buy from you. just a tip

Sonix

Brad · 04-05-2002, 04:32 AM

the thing you need to remember is that everyone is allready buying from caseetc, heatsink factory, kdcomp etc, and are happy with those places. You therefore need something unique over your opponents, which is why I think hardware + modding + cooling is a good scope. Instead of buying some stuff from DDen, some from KDComp, some from Caseetc, make it so you can buy a P4 2.2, Abit BD7, the ram, hdd, case, psu, pump, waterblock, led's, fans, cold cathodes, etc all in one store.

Homebrew · 04-05-2002, 05:29 AM

I'm in Clinton in PG county Sonix. Thats exactly what i was thinking Brad. Originally when i first considered modding supplies, i was hoping to get an exclusive deal with
aquacomputer.de but it looks as though i thought about it for too long for that. I thought being the only seller for their products here in the U.S. would really jump start me. People who wanted aquacomputer.de products would buy from me and i could establish a reputation from there. My biggest obstical is going to be getting off the ground. But basically, being a one stop shop(to an extent) is what i was aiming for. Carrying the more popular products all in one place. Thanx for your replies guys, but i'm still trying to find info on who makes alot of the popular modding parts. I imagine CC's and fanbus's and such are made in house by some of the modding stores, but things like certain lazer cut fan grills are being offered by more than a few stores. I can't find any info though on who i can contact to buy these products in bulk from. I see pcmods.com offers wholesale sales, but for many reasons i'd prefer not to go that route. I'd prefer to deal with the manufacturers direct or an actual wholesaler. The modding supplies are my only hold up. I'm signed up with wholesalers for the hardware, software, and such. I just need to find where i can modding supplies in bulk. Some things like thumbscrews and such i've already located some fastener distributors i can use. One other wholesale hangup is for cooling supplies. HSF, fans, arctic silver, etc. My current wholesalers have alimited selection of HSF's and fans. Again thanx for your responses everyone, but unfortunatly no one yet has had any of the info i'm searching for. The answers are out there somewhere, LoL. I just hope i can find them soon.

-Kevin

Leuf · 04-05-2002, 09:22 AM

Some of the things most of the modding stores don't carry:

- The 2 part mb connector for the case leds that lian li cases come with - nobody carries anything like this that i can find

- 90 degree molex connectors

One specialty area you might focus on is the mini pc area. I think Shuttle has demonstrated the market is there. You really have to scavenge to put together something like that on your own.

-complete systems like the sv24/25

-small cases (chilli, lian li pc 30/42, yy-102)

- Enclosures - plain plexi/al boxes - Didn't take me much searching to find acrylic display box suppliers, but AL I haven't found anything suitable.

- Micro and flex atx mbs

- 1U/2U/micro atx psus

- pci/agp riser cards

- slim cd/dvd roms

And the list can go on with more normal components and more obscure stuff.

03-31-2002, 09:29 PM	#1
Homebrew Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: MD Posts: 7	Modding supplies This is my first post here, i've been lurking here and some other places for quite some time. I've been working on opening an online computer store for the past few months. I've actually had pretty much everything setup, just haven't put up a site. Lately though, I've become very interested in carrying modding supplies such as lazer cut fan grills, cold cathodes, etc. The problem is i've been having trouble finding manufacturers and distributors for these products. I see alot of modding stores carrying the same products(lazer cut fan grills, window kits, cold cathodes, etc), but i'm unable to find who the manufacturers/distributers are for these products. Take the lazer cut fan grills for instance. Who makes these? I know a few different stores make their own, but there is a specific lineup of these that many different stores sell. The biohazard, atomic, radiation, and hurricane designs seem to be sold at quite a few modding stores. However i can' t seem to find out who the manufacturer of these is. Basically i'm looking to find manufacturers/distributors for modding products. I've also been looking into watercooling products as well. I had been talking with people at aqua-computer.de about importing their products, but recently dtek customs has shown in an interest in selling their products and i'm not sure its wise for me to try and compete with them on these products before my store gets an established reputation. At any rate, i'm hoping you guys can give me some insight as to what kind of products you guys look for the most when shopping for modding supplies. As well as suggestions for product lines and some ideas on who makes some some of the more widely distributed modding products. Any information/suggestions/ideas on the subject would be greatly appreciated. I hope this sort of post isn't frowned upon. its not really an idvertisement, so i think i'm ok. Thanx for reading. -Kevin

03-31-2002, 09:31 PM	#2
Kevin Slacking more than your weird uncle Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: San Diego, CA (UCSD) / Los Angeles, CA (home) Posts: 1,605	Well, first you need to focus on a niche. I think if you try and sell everything and anything, your focus will be too narrow. Are you going to be like a CaseEtc or a 2Cooltek? Or something else? -Kevin __________________ I used to throw hot coffee all over the ass of the horse there, then whip him while he was kickin' at me. Those f***in things are crazy.

04-04-2002, 09:00 PM	#4
SonixOS Cooling Savant Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Silver Spring, MD Posts: 282	Question i noticed that ur from MD. where in MD do u live? How much capital u got for this business? btw- aim for a professional looking site. if got one of those yahoo sellers website, only cheapos will buy from you. just a tip Sonix

04-05-2002, 04:32 AM	#5
Brad Thermophile Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Nuu Zeeelin Posts: 3,175	the thing you need to remember is that everyone is allready buying from caseetc, heatsink factory, kdcomp etc, and are happy with those places. You therefore need something unique over your opponents, which is why I think hardware + modding + cooling is a good scope. Instead of buying some stuff from DDen, some from KDComp, some from Caseetc, make it so you can buy a P4 2.2, Abit BD7, the ram, hdd, case, psu, pump, waterblock, led's, fans, cold cathodes, etc all in one store. __________________ 2x P3 1100's at 1400, Abit VP6, 2x Corsair 256mb PC150 sticks, 20gb 'cuda ATA-III, 2x 40gb 'cuda ATA-IV in raid 0. 20" Trinitron. No fans 2x 2400+ at 2288mhz (16.0 x 143), Iwill MPX2, 2x Kingmax PC-3200 256mb sticks, 4x 20gb 60gxp in Raid 5 on a Promise SX6000. Asus Ti4200 320/630. Cooled by Water

03-31-2002, 10:03 PM	#3
Homebrew Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: MD Posts: 7	Originally, i was intending to focus on hardware/software. But lately i've been so focused on modding. I'd like to carry an overall selcection of computer supplies. I'm thinking about a good modding supply selection along with a limited selection of hardware/software. A selection of a few hard drives, video cards, sound cards, MB's, etc. Not a huge selection of the hardware and software, but enough for a customer to build a system. I think this would make a good focus for me. I think its probably hard to compete the purely modding market without having unique products of your own to offer. Water cooling is good example of this. Most of the companies you see offering water cooling products are makers of their own products/kits. Therefore they may have a specific product that none of their competitors offer because they make it themselves. Also, alot of modding products are nickle-dime products so to speak. Most of them are $30 or less. If you're reselling someone else's products, your not making but a few dollars at most per product. This means you would have to do alot of business to make a decent profit. This is why i would like to offer hardware/software as well. Eventually i would like to sell at the computer shows in my area and the modding market at the shows in my area is untapped. There have been no modding products at any of the shows i've been to in the past year or so. I realize it sounds as though i'm trying to take on alot, but i'm stilling just planning right now. I don't want to jump into anything to quickly, so i'm still looking into the options and deciding what the best way to go is. -Kevin

04-05-2002, 05:29 AM	#6
Homebrew Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: MD Posts: 7	I'm in Clinton in PG county Sonix. Thats exactly what i was thinking Brad. Originally when i first considered modding supplies, i was hoping to get an exclusive deal with aquacomputer.de but it looks as though i thought about it for too long for that. I thought being the only seller for their products here in the U.S. would really jump start me. People who wanted aquacomputer.de products would buy from me and i could establish a reputation from there. My biggest obstical is going to be getting off the ground. But basically, being a one stop shop(to an extent) is what i was aiming for. Carrying the more popular products all in one place. Thanx for your replies guys, but i'm still trying to find info on who makes alot of the popular modding parts. I imagine CC's and fanbus's and such are made in house by some of the modding stores, but things like certain lazer cut fan grills are being offered by more than a few stores. I can't find any info though on who i can contact to buy these products in bulk from. I see pcmods.com offers wholesale sales, but for many reasons i'd prefer not to go that route. I'd prefer to deal with the manufacturers direct or an actual wholesaler. The modding supplies are my only hold up. I'm signed up with wholesalers for the hardware, software, and such. I just need to find where i can modding supplies in bulk. Some things like thumbscrews and such i've already located some fastener distributors i can use. One other wholesale hangup is for cooling supplies. HSF, fans, arctic silver, etc. My current wholesalers have alimited selection of HSF's and fans. Again thanx for your responses everyone, but unfortunatly no one yet has had any of the info i'm searching for. The answers are out there somewhere, LoL. I just hope i can find them soon. -Kevin

04-05-2002, 09:22 AM	#7
Leuf Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 56	Some of the things most of the modding stores don't carry: - The 2 part mb connector for the case leds that lian li cases come with - nobody carries anything like this that i can find - 90 degree molex connectors One specialty area you might focus on is the mini pc area. I think Shuttle has demonstrated the market is there. You really have to scavenge to put together something like that on your own. -complete systems like the sv24/25 -small cases (chilli, lian li pc 30/42, yy-102) - Enclosures - plain plexi/al boxes - Didn't take me much searching to find acrylic display box suppliers, but AL I haven't found anything suitable. - Micro and flex atx mbs - 1U/2U/micro atx psus - pci/agp riser cards - slim cd/dvd roms And the list can go on with more normal components and more obscure stuff.

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