I think so,, if this said plug swam and did the job it was meant to do - sure....
I'm bad when it comes to buying the fancy air-brushed "baitfish" patterns,but I'll take a plain old yellow,black or white hunk of wood
anyday also.... Good Quality Doesn't Always Have To Be Pretty To Work...

Bottom line is, if you can afford it and want it, buy a custom plug. You don't need $20 + plugs to catch fish, but you don't need a $300 rod or $900 reel either. You can go out and catch a 50lb bass on a $30 rod and $40 reel if you know what you are doing. It's just like buying a car. When I was a kid in college, I bought a piece of junk car because it was what I could afford. It got me to work and classes, but was not much to look at. Now that I am in a position to spend more on things, I buy much nicer vehicles for my wife and I. It is still just transportation, but it makes getting to where we are going a little more enjoyable. I still use cheap plugs as I mentioned earlier in the thread, but I get real sense of enjoyment out of catching a nice fish on a custom plug. Maybe it's because it validates the price I've paid, or maybe it's because I just appreciate the talent it takes to produce these works of art.

plugs are like match box cars, gotta have all the ones u think are cool and purdy =)

I will pay more for a custom plug if it is better. By better I mean better at catching fish. For example Habs Needlefish are worth every penny. LIfishinVT Darters just swim better and therefore catch fish. Bob Hahn metal lip swimmers catch fish and are half the price of most custom, so I choose to fish Hahns. I know they don't have the fancy finish or scaled paint job, but (and I hope RM does not mind if I quote something he posted on another site about plug colors) as RM Smith says "Dark, medium and light is all you really need. Everything else fancy, is more for you than the fish
I'm guilty of fancy myself, makes it more funner."

$20 buys a lot of snag hooks....:smash:

You all make a valid points, but I think the only thing a flashy expensive plug catches is the fisherman.

Plug prices indicate what people will pay.That's all, they could be tulips. It's about desire and the ability or need to pay.

On Canal fishing; I'm gaining a real appreciation of the ART of that craft. It ain't easy. At first I thought it was, then I realized that bumping a jig across the bottom is the most mentally challenging thing that I've done for fun ever. And when the current changes direction the game changes,too. So many subtleties in that art, cool as all hell though.

You can still find well made customs for $15.00 and under. Most are made by smaller builders that are not the star attractions for the must have crowd. Most don't advertise, it's more a word of mouth thing. You just have to find these guys, they are out there.

This has been one interesting thread. I do think some of the commercial plugs are way overpriced compared to the work of the plugbuilders on this site. When I say that I have to back up my feelings. It takes a lot of effort to turn a plug and put the hunk of wood thru a process to finsh it. A properly turned plug is made from quality stock, turned, drilled, sanded and sealed. Then the artistry takes over. Custom paint is time consuming let alone all the fancy stuff many builders throw in. Through wiring and quality hardware contributes to a fine end product.
If the plug is a swimmer, proper tuning comes into play. I have purchased swimmers at a premium and on first use I find the plug is junk. As an example there are a couple of builders whose plugs swim right from the first cast on - Karl for one and also Rockfish 9. If one takes the time and swaps a few plugs they will be amazed at the difference. The plugbuilders here not only turn out plugs - they fish them. If the price of the plug was to reflect the true time and cost a fancy plug is well worth the 25 to 35 buks. A hand carved plug like numbskull, RM and a few others make is worth far more than 20 buks. Look at the smile on slips face and that tells it all.

It's all about perception and perceived value ... but the work that goes into them and the way they work, I feel they are worth the money. Say you spend $20-$25 on a plug, you catch a 30-pounder on it, would you pay that much to catch a 30 pounder? Absolutely.

These guys work hard to build what they are selling, a lot goes into it. Also, everything costs money ... even fishing from a boat, snagging bunker ...the boat, fuel, insurance, etc. all adds up to extra money during a trip.

The old vision of fishing being a cheap pastime isn't as true as it once was, but again, it's still cheaper than many other things, so it's all worth it IMHO.

I bought a lot of plugs out of inexperience and from listening to other people's opinions - people with moe experience. Now I'm not saying I'm done buying lures, but my attitude has definitely changed. I have enough to last me a while.

I'm not surprised prices are going up. If you're a plug maker and your stuff sells out of a shop in a day, why wouldn't you raise prices? After all, you're obviously not charging enough. I can't believe Habs doesn't charge $45 a plug.