In the 40 some years, I've been at it, I have seen some real slick ideas and some real slick salesmen selling worthless junk and ideas.
What's the worst gimmick you've seen ?

i think 1 is that molded foot print to leave tracks on your pattern......

All the hype in some catalogs.

"Instabeds"...

IMO there are far fewer gimmicks in the trapping market than the deer, turkey and fishing markets.. No doubt there has been some real wieners in the trapping market but they never seem to last long.... I think trappers are a much harder crowd to fool that the tree stand warriors and bank thumpers...

Harder to fool Forrest or cheaper? There is a difference.
Dang Aaron I always liked those. I was just too cheap to buy them.

Bull crap in adds for lure/scents - about the wonderful & rare ingredients that have been used in this lure for a couple of hundred years which was all the mystery concoctions of the great real mountain man who was well known - but secret in his methods. Or some such garbage.

Valid Point....

However Trappers seem to have a much more intimate knowledge about trapping and animals than you average weekend warrior does about hunting or fishing...

X2
Could not agree more. My experience is that trappers are much more Practical Outdoorsman.

black trap wax in another gimmick that gets the "gimmick" label

Selling popcorn salt as antifreeze! They just forget to tell you it's salt.

I think selling sodium benzoate by volume containers is also a gimmick. So much for a gallon container? When you buy something in bulk by the pound the only reason I can see to sell it by volume is to make money! Not a really bad thing but if you buy something by weight that's how you should sell it. Just my two cents. I never buy it by volume.

Big bear coni traps years ago.

I think the scent eggs.Probably work fine but theyres so many other things that are from cheap to free you could use instead,

Worst Gimmick? I would have to say,selling JUNK foreign made,"knock off' traps,at a reduced price.

Let the flaming begin.

Charlie

The use of words like NEW, BEST, IMPROVED, or GREATEST in a video or book ad.

Formally of michigan !

Why were big bear coni traps a gimmick?

To me they were just a trap design that didnt work. Just like some other brands.

Wouldn't classify this as a gimmick, but I have found that you get more bang for the buck on books versus videos. A good book is about 1/3 the price of a video, has more helpful info, and is instantly available to you at anytime, anyplace. A good video is no match for a good book as far as volume of information.

Unless you write down the info.