plug prices
 

what is everyone opinion on someone buying a plug for 20 dollars then once the supply is gone trying to sell it for twice of what they paid?

I think if we the plug buyer refuses to pay there price it will do 2 things
1) it will not drive the prices up
2) it could stop the guys from buying up all the plugs when they first arrive at the store,not leaving enough for others.

Alot of guys seem to feel it is okay to take advantage of there fellow fisherman. It seems to be happening more on ebay and sol I don't see it here

I don't think it happens here because most of us know each other. It's more anonymous on sol and e-bay.

It is very frustrating to see plug prices increasing. It would be nice if there were limits on the number of plugs a person could buy at a shop or even directly from a builder.

A few weeks ago M&Ds had a limit on the number of plugs a person could buy so the horders do not buy them and ultimately resell them "for what the market can bear". I hope other shops take the same steps so the plugs get to as many fisherman as possible and not to a select few.

"for what the market can bear" = the seller is going to fleece you

I personally will fish every plug I buy no matter who made it.

I guess it is just the way things are... supply and demand. Hand made, hand painted, high quality components, hand assembled in the US in small batches. They are probably way underpriced to start with... If you are lucky enough to be in a shop when they come in, you get em at a reasonable price. Some guys who can't get em will pay a premium. So then you get guys who will take advantage of it. I jsut try to control my desire for them... Do I need a troublemaker surfster or a jointed RM to catch fish? No, so I try to prevent the "I need it" urge and be happy with what I have. I think I have a very small supply compared to most guys, but I still have way more than I need.

Thing that gets to me is that I become afraid of using certain plugs since I know what they are worth. Does it make sense to throw a $50 needle or danny with the chance of losing it on every cast? I could sell it and buy 3 others that probably work about as well and not have to worry about it... Then I get into not wanting to feed the fire.

oh I forgot... if you are buying em with the intent to resell at a profit, you are scum :yak6: :chased:

If people bought them strictly to fish and not hang on the wall and post pictures on the internet of their "collection" they would not be as expensive.

It seems like some of these "resellers" are making more off the plugs than the plug builders themselves. Now that's just not right!

Cheers to M & D's, and TimS for limiting how many plugs people buy from them.

TattooBob is right! Man it is running rampant on SOL! You can say to folks..."Hey don't pay that" but there will always be the opportunistic scumbags who will be right there looking to make a buck off someone else's sweat!

Conversely, I don't think plugmakers do much to stop this by producing plugs in such limited quantities and releasing them in such a way that there is perverse incentive to 'hoard'. Not that I fish BMs and other rare stuff, but if I did, I'd have to hoard to have enough. As far as reselling for profit - I really don't see the argument against it - unless you want to get away from the free market, comrade.

The worst thing about the behavior is that it creates an incentive for the makers to raise prices, but I guess this would only happen until the price gets to a point where they're not fished anymore. Anway that hasn't happened yet as the makers keep the prices pretty steady despite market pressure to raise the price. Also, as long as there are low-cost high-quality alternatives, I can't get that mad. A $50 needle would only be necessary and therefore tragic if there wasn't a $15 Superstrike, for example.

Another unfortunate thing is plugs that sell for >$50 probably don't get fished (at least not much), and that's a shame. Especially when the plugs are available in limited or finite quantities.

Now its the builders fault??? Thats a funny one!:laughs::bl::bl2:

Builders want them fished...not hung on the wall! We want them beat up, broken and lost to fish! Flattered when they hang on a wall but I would rather mine hang on the lip of a slob!

AMEN!!!!!! What the F^%$# is the purpose of hanging a plug? They are made to be fished for cripes sakes... I used to build I'd be pissed if my plugs weren't fished...:realmad: They were made to be fished..Not collectors items..

I can tell you're not a builder. It's pretty much impossible to produce mass quantities of "hand made" plugs. Not the builders fault at all..

I just painted a dozen and a half "Bunker" colored "Prey" swimmers.......you should see what I go through to paint those!

I think the re-sellers are just practicing the American way. They are buying the plugs and taking a chance on being able to make a profit. The stupid ones in this practice are the buyers. I keep seeing people willing to pay $50. for a plug that retails at 18. This practice is being driven by the buyers not the re-sellers. I hate to tell you, at least in my opinion, a beach master is not worth 50 when there are other plugs out there that are real close in performance for 20. People just need to get their heads screwed on right. Even if 50 means nothing to you put the money to better use, help someone who needs it rather than hurting other fisherman.

But herein lies the question: Do the fancy paint jobs catch more fish or more fisherman?

Both if the plug is made well, swims as designed and......catches fish!:bl:

If I was a plug maker I would use the increase in oil price as an excuse to increase the price of their lures.....what the hell every other business does!

What they cost in 1980
 

Well they were a lot less expensive then. But jigs were one side or the other of $2.
I think they have the Danny pictures mixed up

And gasoline in 1980 cost about .75 cents a gallon. How much is it now?

It doesn't matter to me whether people want to sell plugs for more than they pay or not, there will always be people that do it! If they see something they think will be hot, there will always be opportunistic people that will try to take advantage of it (and other anglers).
The idea that any of it is the plug makers fault is ridiculous!!! Having seen first-hand what a plug maker goes through from start to finish with the creation of each plug, it's easy to see why they don't make a million of each!!!!!
I think the idea is to get the plugs that are hot, that catches your eye, that catches the fish and to actually use them, not to horde them, hang them and not try to make more money off each of them than the people that made them do!!!!

4x as much
It's not a comment that the price of plugs is incorrect, in fact if you look at it that way the Gibbs are just about the same now, adjusted for inflation.
I thought it was interesting that jigs and redfins have only doubled in price.
Myself I would like a Beachmaster Cowboy but I will not pay $50 for one.

You get what you pay for. Gibbs are very good.......customs cost more because alot more goes into them.:huh:

Plugs have been collected long before all of us were born and I`m 54 now.

How can you take advantage of fellow fishermen when its their decision to buy a plug?

Don`t want them don`t buy them :rolleyes:.

Well, you're right that I'm not a builder. I'm not talking about all hand-made plugs, but look at the way some are distributed, and tell me the builders aren't at least aware that the way that is done leads to hoarding or reselling at high prices. Now I'm not talking about some guy with a lathe in his basement - I'm talking about professional operations with packaging, distribution, etc. Maybe that wasn't their goal when it started, but if the product is released in a certain way, and you don't like what's happening, why keep releasing it in the same way?

And it's clearly not impossible to make usable quantities of hand made lures. Afterhours, Tattoo, #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&, certain RM Smith (but not all) are pretty much available, Habs were as in demand as anything and even they were pretty much available (needles anyway).


With all that said, I still don't see how you can fault someone for reselling a plug that he has bought. These plugs that are flipped are sold at less than market value in extrememly limited quantities. What do you think is going to happen?

If I was a builder and my plugs were flipped for double retail that can only improve my business with hungry demand. An ideal product situation.

I agree with Mike. I don't pay too much attention to the gouger sales. There are certain few that do this. They don't fish those plugs, they just gouge 'em!lol:rotfl:
It is what it is. I focus on what I like. I use 'em, and sell what I don't need, usually less, or what I got 'em for. This is just for the time being, on the other site. The ones that do this, I think, out smarted themselves. IMO
How many plugs would a maker sell, if the maker jacked his prices up, to where they would not be profitable to the maker? Also how many would buy?
A plug maker, make his wares, because of the passion in his heart, for what he does. The gouging buyer see's $ signs. The collector sees works of art. I love what I have collected over the years, and won't part with the ones I like. No way!
If enough folks make a stink about it, it will stop. Then the real collectors can do what they like. It's just the way things are right now, a selfish program. They'll play with their toys and eventually get bored.:rotfl:

I know I have no clue about the plug business but if the demand is so high for plugs it should be feasible for the plug maker to increase their prices. To me, plugs are like red sox tickets...if the demand is there INCREASE THE PRICE!! I would love to see the plug makers get most of the profit and not the $hit bums reselling plugs.

its the buyers fault . those that are willing to pay what ever to buy a plug . dont pay more than makes you comfortable . I have a limit on price . I would rather give a plug to someone than charge them .

lol. The ones with all these shiny plugs in packages aren't fishermen, no way just opportunists! lol:rotf2:
Folks should not buy 'em if the prices is marked up tremendously.
Suffer with 'em!lol:smash:

Exactly, most guys that pay ass-tronomical prices for plugs are either DEVOTE plug collectors or pretend fishermen. They fish alot ONLINE but hardly ever wet their reel line :hee:
Is there alot of money in "flipping" plugs? NO, you ain't retiring or buying real estate with your profits that's fer sure, you're just making a little bit of money to cycle on something else. I don't fault people who do that, but I also don't consider them serious fishermen, they are not people I'd want to spend the night chasing fish with, all they'd do is talk about "their" plugs or deals...:yawn:
It probably pissses off the builders, but what can they do? MOst builders care about other fishermen in general and wouldn't let that effect how they price their tackle. Eventuallly it's the buyer who pays the big ticket who will end up being the fool.

I cringe at $20 a plug. I am not a builder, however in knowing a few of them personally...I understand the price. I've seen the hard work and TIME SPENT perfecting the action as well as the TIME SPENT in production...but I still cringe at $20 a plug because I've caught the same size and bigger fish on production line plastics. There's obviously a difference in quality, but my intent is to CATCH the FISH, not impress the FISH with a higher quality, prettier painted plug. Fish don't care what it's made of. As long as I have confidence in the construction of the plug, I'm satisfied. Whether it cost me $17.99 or $5.99 -

I have a lot of respect for most of the builders out there today. Building plugs takes away from their fishing time, their families as well as other hobbies they used to enjoy. They have FULL time jobs other than plug-building, (at least the few that I know personally)...they enjoy making the plugs and enjoy it even more when they hear of people catching with them.

If I made plugs and sold my plugs, I would feel disrespected by some of these clowns who are in it just to make a few extra dollars at my expense and labor....but it's a FREE America, so what do I know.

I just wish Mac still turned wood and not just carved it. :D

supply and demand

if there were more of the "in demand" plugs out there, there'd be less demand and the price would go down. BM and Habs have been around a long time, have stood the test of time and are therefore in high demand - higher than either could/can maintain. Also, the fact that they're in demand, makes them more in demand because those that don't know why they are so in demand want to get some to find out. I hope that some of the newer builders have equal success over time. That will bring the market back down to reason. Example, if someone makes a danny that fishes and holds up like a BM (hopefully the bigfish) and is readily available (that will be the tough part), the demand for the BM danny will decrease. The problem is, that its almost impossible for a small, custom builder to keep up with demand when he comes up with something that everyone wants. whenever something is done in a limited run (plugs, baseball cards, sneakers, etc.) they're worth more.

Once the builder sells it , its not his business what the next guy does with it. Each person who owns one has the right to do what he wants with it.

i may sometimes laugh at people paying $100 for a plug and think they are crazy but its up to them if they think its worth it.

Anyway , I have no issues with people buying and selling anything in a free market. If you want them cheaper than an ebay reseller is getting , go to the tackle shops daily or get friendly with the owners of the shop so that you get some at original retail. I do not buy and sell plugs but i have no problem with those who do. Its part of the game.

BTW , I won't pay even $20 for a plug anymore. I bought tons when they were $7 but none at $20 (bought about 50 gibbs for an average of $7 when they were originally selling the business and simply kept them for use or to give as gifts ). There are jigs and plastic and eels and metal lures ,etc.

Sexy sells fishing lures and many other things...............:uhuh:

Personally I have a difficult time throwing some of my purchases in the water, not for the money, but some are truly works of art. I understand why is causes alarm when a plug is resold for huge money. The person who made it should be flattered though not dismayed. Peope that pay $100.00 for a plug dont fish, they collect.

I wiil not pay over 12$ dollars for a lure! I cant afford it I a have a family, and with the price of gas, and amount of time i spend traveling for fish I just cant spend the money.I wish I could there is some great looking plugs out there.

The American Dream
 

Does it make one a plug flipping, price gouging, scum bag to capitalize on an opportunity to give your family a better standard of living by taking advantage of supply and demand? Is it bad to spot a good investment and profit from it? Perhaps the gumint should run all the custom plug shops and force us to stand in line for our ration of BMs, wads and pikies. The Plug Nazis- NO WAD FOR YOU!:laugha:

I have paid too much for plugs and gotten double six months later. How can that possibly be anyones business other than mine?I'll have to ask Donny Musso if it bothers him. Nah, I don't care.Most of the plug sharks overpay and then use them to trade. If a person has a problem with others profitting off of their sweat they are in the wrong business,PERIOD.This issue seems to arise due to envy,pure and simple.

like most of the people on this site, i fish all of the plugs i own. even the hab's.... cause thats wat he wanted!!! i can understand if only like 100 plugs were made of a certain kind like hab's jersey devil being put on the wall but i say fish all the rest and only buy one or two of each lure with the intent to fish them. not buy 10+ to sell at a higher price a year later like wat is happening on SOL. i love all the custom lures that are out there, but it is getting harder and harder to get one because they are being horded by so few.

To each his or her own.

I couldn't possibly fish all the plugs I own, and I consider what I have a modest collection, compared to some I know of. Many that I like a lot, or are extremely nice pieces of woodworking and finishing, are hanging on exposed beams in my den. I like having fishing gear around, especially to get me through the winter months. I will have our Christmas tree adorned with plugs as well.

When Luds came by for a bite before a night of fishing on the boat, he told me that there were a couple that were in high demand. I guess I'm clueless on that front... I do have some Mac's, some for show, some to fish. Some of those were bought directly from Mac in the first years he was building, some at the end. Many in the collection have come via raffles/fundraisers, so how much did they cost me?????

That said, having changed the primary type of fishing I do from surf to boat, if I had a need to raise funds for a T-Top, or a primary high end boat reel, would I consider my collection as a source of funds??? Absolutely. And I would certainly look to see what market value was on various classified boards.

Lastly, if I were only able to procure custom plugs on the retail market, I would now have a small fraction of the collection I now enjoy. I recognize and admire the work that goes into each plug. But no way I could see myself going out and paying even just the retail prices to replace what I have. And the workmanship is probably worth more!!!

And I have yet to sell a plug, ever....

Ya got some nice pikies. :heybaby: