Kathleen Elkins via Helium 10
“Tennis grip tape”:
Kathleen Elkins via Helium 10
Pickleball paddles were the most intriguing, at least based on search volume and BSR, but with an average price of $63, we wondered if they’d be too expensive to make on a $10,000 budget.
We sent our list of racket-sports products and accompanying Helium 10 data to Reeves and Walter ahead of our call, not entirely sure what to make of the numbers — and not entirely sure we were even using the software correctly.
When we met over Zoom, Reeves helped us nix a few products right off the bat. Tennis ball tubes, for example, had a low search volume, signifying low demand, and they were irregularly shaped, which means they’d likely be difficult and expensive to ship. He asked us, as tennis coaches, if we used tennis ball tubes. The answer was no — another reason to pass.
We ultimately narrowed the list down to overgrips (a cloth-like tape that you wrap around the grip of a racket) and pickleball paddles. Grips were the cheaper (and, therefore, safer) option for first-time Amazon sellers but you could feel the energy behind the paddle idea. It would be easier and more fun to market, there was competition but notable demand as the sport continued to grow in the US, and the margins seemed excellent based on back-of-the-napkin math.
The one catch was the cost. Reeves estimated that our first inventory order alone could wipe out our $10,000 budget.
He recommended we talk among ourselves and sleep on it, which we did, but the decision already felt made.
It was time to make a pickleball paddle.