Strother Archery bows are shipping/site up to date
01-17-2010, 05:10 AM
#113
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: CT, USA
Posts: 3,058
I think the internet and the real world are two different things when it comes to bow sales. Oh sure-you see a bazillion guys online buying an Elite, or a Strother. I bought an Elite because of internet talk! But locally no-one has a freaking clue.Far too much credence is give to poularity on the internet. My local dealer is one of the largest shops in the entire country-4 different locations in NY state, and has been written up lately in all the industry rags.
They have been an Elite dealer for a few years now- and can barely move more than 6 or 7 a year. Your average bowhunter has no clue who Elite is. They have no idea about the warranty. They have no idea who Kevin Strother is.
In some parts of the country I can see where some dealers who are selling just a couple of lesser know manufacturers can move alot of Elites- but for a dealer who has Hoyt, Mathews, BowTech, PSE, Martin, & Bear on the shelves- Elite (and Strother, and G5/Quest, and Darton, and Athens, and New Breed, etc) are not going to sell in any meaningful way. Especially as most of them don't advertise in the big archery rags to help sales for dealers. And because the dealer only buys a dozen (because they are hard sells) the dealer gets very little in the way of discounting, and they are not making as much on each sale. Not to mention these companies may or may not be around in a year or two or three. Or in Elites case-no warranty parts for models like the GTO/XXL, etc. Kinda tough when you totally sold a customer on that awesome GTO and then he needs parts, and you have to say "sorry, can't help you". Also Elite raised their dealer prices when Peter came on board. Yet MSRP stayed the same. so again less profit for the dealer (don;t get me wrong, I like Pete-just saying not a goodwill move for dealers-especially all those who had been burned with the patent fiascos)
As a Pro-shop owner, a stable bow company with large financial and production resources, AND good customer service are far more important to your livelihood than Kevin's name on it, or a few more FPS, camo patterns, or whether some guy who buys the bow used on Ebay still can get transferrable warranty. As a dealer I'd be extremely leary of buying anything associated with Kevin anymore because of his "questionable" business practices/sense. And heck I followed him around since the Oregon days. I like the guy. I picked his brain at a couple BTS/AT shows, and ate dinner with him. He makes great stuff, but thats not all there is to it.
They have been an Elite dealer for a few years now- and can barely move more than 6 or 7 a year. Your average bowhunter has no clue who Elite is. They have no idea about the warranty. They have no idea who Kevin Strother is.
In some parts of the country I can see where some dealers who are selling just a couple of lesser know manufacturers can move alot of Elites- but for a dealer who has Hoyt, Mathews, BowTech, PSE, Martin, & Bear on the shelves- Elite (and Strother, and G5/Quest, and Darton, and Athens, and New Breed, etc) are not going to sell in any meaningful way. Especially as most of them don't advertise in the big archery rags to help sales for dealers. And because the dealer only buys a dozen (because they are hard sells) the dealer gets very little in the way of discounting, and they are not making as much on each sale. Not to mention these companies may or may not be around in a year or two or three. Or in Elites case-no warranty parts for models like the GTO/XXL, etc. Kinda tough when you totally sold a customer on that awesome GTO and then he needs parts, and you have to say "sorry, can't help you". Also Elite raised their dealer prices when Peter came on board. Yet MSRP stayed the same. so again less profit for the dealer (don;t get me wrong, I like Pete-just saying not a goodwill move for dealers-especially all those who had been burned with the patent fiascos)
As a Pro-shop owner, a stable bow company with large financial and production resources, AND good customer service are far more important to your livelihood than Kevin's name on it, or a few more FPS, camo patterns, or whether some guy who buys the bow used on Ebay still can get transferrable warranty. As a dealer I'd be extremely leary of buying anything associated with Kevin anymore because of his "questionable" business practices/sense. And heck I followed him around since the Oregon days. I like the guy. I picked his brain at a couple BTS/AT shows, and ate dinner with him. He makes great stuff, but thats not all there is to it.
01-17-2010, 08:10 AM
#115
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location:
Posts: 21,043
bigbulls....
Do you own the shops? Only reason I ask is.....you said this (when asked about picking up or dropping particular lines):
If it isn't up to you, I don't understand your interrogation. If it is......I wonder why you said it wasn't.
Do you own the shops? Only reason I ask is.....you said this (when asked about picking up or dropping particular lines):
It isn't up to me
01-17-2010, 08:24 AM
#116
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location:
Posts: 7,367
I could answer that question from reading his posts.
Excellent post JeffB!
Dan
01-17-2010, 09:31 AM
#117
Banned
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: IOWA/25' UP
Posts: 7,145
JB, I am Glad I am just a bow hunter, archer, and NOT a dealer. That way I can just buy and shoot what is the best for me...and the way I like to trade and buy bows, the ones that have the BEST resale for my money. My experience has been, that I can move a used Elite for more money and a quicker sale, then I could my used Hoyts and Bowtechs. Archerytalk classifieds, the buzz about Elites on Archerytalk..other forums, is of course the reason for this. Because of the fewer Elite dealers, fewer used Elite bows on the market, I get more bang for my buck on resale. The AT classifieds, and local dealers(and nationwide dealers), Ebay, Craigslist, are full of used Hoyts, Mathews, and Bowtechs. Too much competition to get a good price for them used, and they depreciate worst then a used mobile home. But the high resale of the Elites still wouldn't matter to me, if the Elites weren't a superior bow to other brands I have shot.
Here is an example of why I KNOW these Strother bows will be a good financial decision. Here is a Strother Vanquish on AT in the classifieds. SOLD in one day. MSRP is $780 for the bow, and the guy sold it for $725. Try that with a used Hoyt, Mathews, or Bowtech. Isn't happening.
http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showth...quish+for+sale
Here is an example of why I KNOW these Strother bows will be a good financial decision. Here is a Strother Vanquish on AT in the classifieds. SOLD in one day. MSRP is $780 for the bow, and the guy sold it for $725. Try that with a used Hoyt, Mathews, or Bowtech. Isn't happening.
http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showth...quish+for+sale
Last edited by hardcorehunter; 01-17-2010 at 09:35 AM.
01-17-2010, 10:12 AM
#118
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Deer Country
Posts: 2,244
JB, I am Glad I am just a bow hunter, archer, and NOT a dealer. That way I can just buy and shoot what is the best for me...and the way I like to trade and buy bows, the ones that have the BEST resale for my money. My experience has been, that I can move a used Elite for more money and a quicker sale, then I could my used Hoyts and Bowtechs. Archerytalk classifieds, the buzz about Elites on Archerytalk..other forums, is of course the reason for this. Because of the fewer Elite dealers, fewer used Elite bows on the market, I get more bang for my buck on resale. The AT classifieds, and local dealers(and nationwide dealers), Ebay, Craigslist, are full of used Hoyts, Mathews, and Bowtechs. Too much competition to get a good price for them used, and they depreciate worst then a used mobile home. But the high resale of the Elites still wouldn't matter to me, if the Elites weren't a superior bow to other brands I have shot.
Here is an example of why I KNOW these Strother bows will be a good financial decision. Here is a Strother Vanquish on AT in the classifieds. SOLD in one day. MSRP is $780 for the bow, and the guy sold it for $725. Try that with a used Hoyt, Mathews, or Bowtech. Isn't happening.
http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showth...quish+for+sale
Here is an example of why I KNOW these Strother bows will be a good financial decision. Here is a Strother Vanquish on AT in the classifieds. SOLD in one day. MSRP is $780 for the bow, and the guy sold it for $725. Try that with a used Hoyt, Mathews, or Bowtech. Isn't happening.
http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showth...quish+for+sale
Its only superior to you. Not everyone agrees with what you deem superior over other brands, in fact most disagree.
Last edited by solocamcan; 01-17-2010 at 10:18 AM.
01-17-2010, 10:27 AM
#119
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location:
Posts: 7,367
Ok, I just sold my Mathews LX yesterday, on one of the mentioned websites, want to take a guess what it went for?It will throw your used trailer theory out the window. Humor me with your guess.
Its only superior to you. Not everyone agrees with what you deem superior over other brands, in fact most disagree.
Its only superior to you. Not everyone agrees with what you deem superior over other brands, in fact most disagree.
I've always been amazed at what my used BowTechs bring, although I Do take care of them and they are always in excellent condition.Dan
01-17-2010, 10:37 AM
#120
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Deer Country
Posts: 2,244
Sale $500.00
ELITE GT 500 NEWCOMPOUND BOWS ELITE ARCHERYRH 2780
I know NOTHING about Elite, so I dont know if this one of there top of the line models, but $500.00 for a new bow. I just sold my LX which is 6 years old I think, for $468.00 on Ebay. You maybe should have looked on Ebay before saying that, there are Elites listed on there right now anywhere from 300-600, dont see the huge value of resale you are claiming???
ELITE GT 500 NEWCOMPOUND BOWS ELITE ARCHERYRH 2780I know NOTHING about Elite, so I dont know if this one of there top of the line models, but $500.00 for a new bow. I just sold my LX which is 6 years old I think, for $468.00 on Ebay. You maybe should have looked on Ebay before saying that, there are Elites listed on there right now anywhere from 300-600, dont see the huge value of resale you are claiming???