[QUOTE=Clogston29;542848]supply and demand

The demand for plugs is more a demand to add something to a collectiom not a demand for something to strictly catch fish with. I am willing to bet that a black gibbs danny will catch just as many fish as all these pretty black silver purple green, scales, floreascent with glow in the dark eye plugs will. BUt for some reason people have an obssesion with theses peices of wood that are supposed to be used to catch fish. Now they are looked at as artwork and collectors items. If the demand was purely fishing related you would not see prices so high. Do you think a fish can tell the difference between a Beachmaster danny that is black or one that is black with scales??

Yup! The scales might add a bit of visibility, a bit more action as it would appear in the water as opposed to a "just black" of the same model. Everyone has their own beliefs as far as what plugs work for them, what colors, sizes, action, etc. So there is a few good reasons to have such diversity in all plugs.....its what puts the fisherman in his comfort zone! Having what he/she likes at any given moment on the water. Just my .02 cents Max.:wave:

Confidence is one thing, I feel more confident with my conventional compared to my spinner, do the fish care?NO but i still insist on using my conventional. Is the fish not going to eat a plug that doesnt have scales or all the bells and whistles? No. But if it helps you feel more confident than use it, because confidence does help.

Yes but your fishing rod is not in the water with the fish thinking whether they should inhale it or not. That one little thing that the plug might or might not have might make all the difference in the world.....problem is you will never know....but the fish will.....if it takes!;)

More to the point Max, what plugs and colors of those plugs do you like? I know you like yellow w/red head pencils......but does the fish care???? Probably not...but you still like to throw that yellow/red head right? I just think its a shame that guys that want the plugs to fish have to shell out for them on the secondary market or just not have them.....thats what sucks!

True, but bunker spoons have consistently produced LARGE, this season and seasons past and all they are a giant peice of metal. These fish cought on the boat are the same as the ones cought in the surf.

not in the least. but i'm pretty sure that the fact that a bm swims much more consistantly than a gibbs makes a difference. and by that, I'm not saying that no gibbs dannys swim, but they are less consistant out of the package and often take on water resulting in variations in how they swim in my experience.

give me black, yellow/white, blue/pink/white and white and I'm happy - no scales or eyes necessary - but make it swim right

I bet you there are commercial and private builders silently licking their chops for the opportunity to raise there prices due to this high price aftermarket purchasing. However, without mentioning any names, I would like to thank the few builders that have always kept there prices at a modest/conservative value.

The fish don't give a crap how pretty the plug is, it's the motion in the ocean...

you want real pretty plugs???ones that swim right??at a modest price??and are available?? buy BigFish Lures....Ive seen Larry test these and have done so myself .. there as good any and even better than some.
Don AfterHours plugs are pissa too and Salty makes some great stuff that is very reasonable...
I'm not saying anything that hasnt been said already, but there are options out there if you want plugs to fish(and catch).....
If people want to spend double for a hard to get piece of artlurecollectablewoodplug whatever you want to call it... all the power to them...I think it's foolish but maybe theyre having fun...

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raise to what?? a couple bucks more??
nobody would pay the aftermarket prices as asking price off the shelf.....
The guys who make customs are doing it for peanuts...there isnt any money in it....you would probally make more flipping burgers at McD's

:bc::bc::bc:

the way i look at it a plug builder should set his price so that whatever it is will yeild him a profit of whatever he deems necesary to make a decent wage.i have no pity on those builders crying that they aren't making any money or how they are slaving to make a buck.once the builder sells his plug to a shop the shop owner sets his price by what he pays for the plug and how much profit he has to make to run the shop and make a living.once some buys that plug it is no longer anyones concern what that person does with the plug, fish it or resell it.as far as the high price of certain plugs it is the internet hype that has created this demand.just 2 years ago there were shops on LI that were selling certain plugs for 18 dollars, these plugs were definetly fish catchers and used by many . they didn't fly out the door but sold at a steady pace, now they go for 60 bucks.and the poor guy that has been fishing them for the last 25 years is out of luck unless he knows someone or has deep pockets.

I think eyes make a big difference sometimes. I also know that there were days when several different color and shape poppers would not work but a small chrome creek chub would. Not sure why but I like having the plugs available in different styles and colors.

If they dont they will be out of business soon.

Maybe we can get some of the local plug builders of the site can help us understand how they price their plugs?

Do they set their price for them to make a profit? Do they set the price for what the market bears? Do they set the price based upon what the local shops will buy them for?

Ii can't afford them at $10 each!! I am still waiting to be a try it guy and get for free

The plug builder doesn't get the $20 you pay at the tackle shop. He probably gets $12 (60%). Out of that he has to pay a 10% Fed tax and pay for materials (you don't get crok/spro swivels and triple split rings and hand tied bucktail tail hooks on the chinese plastics). If he sells direct he has to deal with the costs of attending shows/flea markets and/or packaging/shipping for mail order. If he's efficient he makes a profit.

If you're unhappy with the cost of customs and happy with the chinese plastic, stick with them. The chinese make great lures (however not all are that inexpensive. Good plastic is in the $10-15 range). If you happen to want a descent needlefish or a large swimmer or a canal size pencil popper, you're SOoL because the demand isn't high enough and they don't exist in plastic. The custom plugbuilders fill a need, and if you think the price is too high, build your own or do without.

The idea that the plugmakers manipulate the demand and price for their product and that that is unfair and makes them bad people is ludicrous. I guess you expect that Lexus for the same price as the Camry too. I bet you always buy your rods/reels at Walmart too and don't have a Lami custom wrap (or it's equivalent) in your arsenal:spin:, because they're too expensive. Of course builders want a demand for their product that exceeds supply! Who wouldn't! It's great for the ego, if nothing else.

I build my own, trade a few, give a bunch to friends and catch a lot of fish on them (best fish this year, 75# SBFT on one of my needles this summer), and don't sell. I couldn't make a descent dollar with my production methods selling to shops. But I've seen most of the products by the current builders and am impressed with the work that went into them. In the right cicumstances, customs can be the only producers. The needle that I made and used for that Tuna was something that there is no plastic equivalent, and we had been trying everything in the tackle box to no effect. We have used the same needles on stripers to great effect when they wouldn't touch sluggos. Are customs worth the money? On some days they are priceless. You want one of my needle fish? And you thought $50 was expensive!;)

KarlF

When do I start saving money? I got more plugs than I'll use in a lifetime, and am already planning this winters production, and the cost of tooling and materials is more than I ever spent on lures.:huh:

Put 'em up for sale online or in some Long Island B&Ts and I will buy them.:D

I bought my Beachmasters for $18 a piece. I remember people bitchin because they came with no hooks. Now they go for $45 and up on fleabay.


I will, just put 'em all up for sale online or in a B&T on Long Island.:D

If in this post , I repeat what others have posted please excuse me.
I do not log on as mush as i would like and I do not read all the posts all that closely as I should....

I would luv to be able to purchase plugs from all the small commercial builders on this site and by them direct and from the local B&T stores, but I cannot afford it and personally I cannot justify paying $25.00 or more for something that I could loose in the first cast...This is not to say that they are not worth the money... I dable in making a few plugs a year ( 10-15 max) for myself , family and friends. It takes time to make each plug and in no way or form do they match the quality of 99.9% of the ones I see on this site for show and or ones for sale.

If those that want to pay top and over the top $$ for a fishing plug or any other item then that indiviual made the decision to spend their own money....Those that inflate a price and recieve the money, well thay have done nothing wrong unless they do not deliver on the product they advertised. If there is a limited supply of a item for whatever reason and a demand for the item..well the cost to purchase will be higher...Were all adults for the most part and if you want it, purchase it , trade for it and or make it....

Merry Christmas to all and to all may you get many plugs to fish next season....

absolutely - some people have no patience or a lot of money to waste making some stuff in-accessible with is bs :realmad:

Chris can I have a plug, it is the holidays and all :hf1:

I recall my first RISSA show in Providence at the Hab's booth. I was the first to arrive to check out the merchandise which were two needlefish (olive and white colors). I decided to purchase only one the olive color because of the high cost. After an hour or so I decided to go back and purchase the white needlefish but none could be found. I said to my friend " I should have got the white needle when I was here before". Well guess what, this look hair dude (Chris L) whom I didn't know at the time hands me this white needlefish that he was intending to purchase for himself. That was really nice of him.

i have about 1,000 old style (no eyes) beachmaster dannies, jointed dannies, atom 40's, cowboys and needles in various sizes and colors.

new.

Asking $50 apiece, or $50,000 for the lot (I'll drop ship to your location).

Add $3 for Paypal

bob I dont give anything to anyone during the holidays . but you are more than welcome to receive one next time I see you .

I'll give you $49,968.25 shipped.

cashier's check, and you might have a deal. :eyes: