Just curious to what everyone's take on the current bow prices is. Over the past several years we've witnessed a steady and hefty increase in price in our favorite bows. I for one am starting to lay off buying a bow as often as I did. I love to tinker and play with the new stuff, but its becoming increasingly difficult for me to warrent the 700+ price tag on these things. Most have no more machine work than those of a few years before. Where is all the added cost coming from? I realize that advertising money has to come from some place.
I remember, in 2001 I bought a Hoyt Cybertec for a price of 575.00. This year, the new Hoyts are in excess of 700.
When is the price going to top off for these things?
I agree to some extent that a bow should not cost more than a good rifle. I do understand some of the cost increases. Anything that has a petroleum base (plastics and such) have had very high increases over the past year. The cost of tooling has also risen, strings and cables are different materials than before. Camo coverings are different than just spray painting and then you have to pay the use cost of Mossy Oak or Real Tree for the camo patterns. Many bows come with vibration damping and that is a bit more cost to the bow. So it guess it all adds up, somewhere there will be a back lash that people will not purchase bows as often as they did before, but then maybe we can trade inour present bow for a newer model, then in ten years the market will be flooded with used bows. Sounds a lot like the auto industry wouldn't you say.
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"live and learn, some people just live"
The price isn't going to top off, with the market still paying the manufacturers and resellers will continue to raise them until the market pops. Add in market inflation for our growing economy and that will raise this stuff too.
If you like the toys, why not wait till a couple months for used new models to pop up? I would bet that if Bowtech for example starts shipping 07 product in November, you will see the first ones popping up in Dec/Jan timeframe in the archerytalk.com classifieds.
Alot of these companies have to pay PSE royalties, since PSE is the one that came up with, and patented, a lot of the newer modifications. Those companies can't eat it, so they pass the extra expense to the consumer.
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If you're not leaning, no one can let you down.
So exactly what Month , day, hour, minute and second am I supposed be able to get myself a Bowtech Guardian? Or at least stand in what will be the longest line in history, to get to shoot one. I hope there will be enough to go around.
I have owned three PSE's in the last fifteen + years ( one was a x-bow ), and I might just have to jump on the Bowtech Bandwagon now. Or at least that's what I am planning.
you know what i think is really sad is the bow manufacturers that advertise half as much as the big 3 for 06 are still charging the hefty prices..no wonder why their(pearson,darton, pse,...alomost everyone but the big 3)sales are way down dispite putting out some great products(i think a price drop is necessary, maybe they will figure it out)...God bless america[&:]
Some of the increase can be attributed to inprovements in design and improved quality and service. However, IMO the biggest part of the increase is simply because they can get it. They would be fools to charge $500 for a bow that they know they cansell for$800.
Simple capitalism and supply & demand.
I've bought 2 new bows in my life and probably won't buy another one. The AT classifieds and the used racks at the local shops have everything I need and if I wait long enough I'll get the price that I want.
I love the guys that have to have the latest and greatest. They drive the market and supply the used bows that I'm looking for.
Now if I can just get a Barnsdale Ultimate X with the bamboo limbs for $200 I'll be set.
What percent of people actually use their warrenties and customer service...those 2 contribute a very small amount into the price of a bow...imo. They are making bows faster and for less money than ever these days...but we are dumb enough to pay record prices(so they can have record earnings)for these products. some companies costomer service is almostnon existent...leaving the retailer to pick up the slack...with that in mind maybe the retailer is jacking up the prices.
Too many people are just willing to fork over the suggested retail. I bought my 06 Allegiance last year for $200.00 to $250.00 less than most people on the various forums were paying just by taking the time to shop around.
Bow Prices
