[muherd]

Is it just me or does it seem like bow prices just keep going UPUPUPUPUP......I like to hunt I like to shoot but prices are getting crazy.

 

[BradleyP]

I think more companies are producing higher quality bows but I can remember looking at new Hoyts 6 years ago for the same money you pay for one now.

 

[Spikers220]

Everything else in the world is going up too...The cost of the parts, costs of the tools to produce the parts, the engineers paychecks, their light bill, everything goes up so does the bows....Etc

 

[Baby Bow]

I believe you get what you pay for. I really don't see the equipment as being that bad. Look at everything else you own. I have knives in my kitchen that are worth houndreds. I have one pot that I cook with that was $150.00. I am not rich but it will last the rest of my life. I look at other sports out there and what I spend for my children to play and compete and I don't see archery and it equipment as being that over priced.

Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[JawsDad]

Same with everything else. Consumers continue to pay the bill..

 

[BOHO]

It's a combination of everything posted above. Plus the companys know they will sell for what they ask so they ask what they think they can get.

 

[AKDoug]

Just got the news today. Health insurance coverage for my company went up 14.8 %. Fuel for my trucks and heating...up 45% this year. Electricity up 20%. Phone actually went down. Liabilty insurance for my company and it's vehicles..up 17.2%. Employee wages up 12%.

It's depressing :sad:

 

[Marcus]

And scores are going up to eflect the quality of the gear.
I remember thinking $30 for an ACE when they came out was crazy, now they are twice that, and I shoot X10's that are 3 times that.
But that's the price of accuracy.

Problem is that everyone wants somethng for nothing
We want huge payouts for pro shooters at competitions
We want bows of the highest quality and cutting edge designs
We want arrows that perform better than ever befoe with perfect tolerances
We want to pay nothing for it.

If bows are too expensive then buy a cheaper one. Plenty of bows at the $400 mark.

 

[bowtechhunter]

I think because the marketing and the research that goes into bows today.
None of this is cheap.The competition is fierce and the big bow companies want to stay on top.Now bow companies have engineers working for them all these costs adds up.We all wanted better faster bows and now we are paying out the butt for them....But when i think about what i paid for a whole new set of golf clubs last year my bow was a still.:wink:

 

[DFArcher]

Is it just me or does it seem like bow prices just keep going UPUPUPUPUP......I like to hunt I like to shoot but prices are getting crazy.

Licenseing fees...everybody is paying everybody else for the patents they are using. Thats a big factor for say Bowtech who pays a buch vs Fred Bear who pays nothing except for cammo and everone does that. Not saying A new Fred Bear Element is as good as a Tribute, but I also would not say a guy with a Tribute has a bow thats 2 1/2 times better than a guy with a new Fred Bear. :wink: :wink:

 

[possum trapper]

Because we will pay $750 and up for bows.Everything thing is priced for what the consumer will pay(for the most part)Its crazy sometimes to see the % of earnings that companies post in a 1\4 year but if we will pay for it thats means it must be worth it.Look at pro athletes salaries most people say they are overpaid but if the owners will pay them that money must mean thats what the market calls for who's going to turn it down

 

[Jack NZ]

I've just payed $220 more for a new model Martin than I payed for an old stock resently discontinued model 10 years ago.
I'm not complaining.

 

[JLMoore1956]

I have to agree they are super high. Won't say outrageous yet, but I will honestly say, for the price for a bow, and the time and practice needed, almost can understand why guys go to gun rather then bow..... I mean, a nice rifle or shotgun can be had for half the price or more of a bow. Then yes, it does require time on range and practice and scouting, but not nearly everyday in the summer and early fall to climb into a tree stand. With a gun you can practice, 10 rounds or so here, 10 rouonds there, few more 10 rounds then off to the woods. Minimal time investment and minimal cash investment and can still put meat in the freezer.

So guess what I am trying to say, we might be pricing would be archers out and into the gun world. And with the 'push' so to speak for a new bow every year or two, most guys (people) say phooey! Know I would if I didnt already have a Mathews I got for a steal. I would not have gotten back into archery after returning from Germany...... and unless I am wrong, most folks just can't afford archery anymore..... again just my opinion and rambling thoughts.....

 

[qkdraw]

I think some of the cost is to cover all the bows that did not sell. I see many bow from several companies that set all year(s). A bow for most people last many years. I have shot my bow for eight or nine years. Then there is plain old free enterprize....get all the market will bear. The invention of the CNC machines have given some manufactures help in quality and production speed. The cost of everything is climbing and bows will to.

 

[SteveR]

I would suggest that in a market as saturated as bow making, that the product is not over-priced. If it was, there would be room for many more manufacturers. If the market isn't being served, you can count on more companies being created to fill the need - at much lower prices. You also wouldn't see bow companies failing as frequently as they do.

You can buy a $150 bow or a $1200 bow. The expensive bows are priced at that level for a reason and it's not just because we're willing to pay it. There are always people ready to create a less expensive product of equal quality, if there is money to be made by doing so. We don't have bows using top-of-the-line materials selling for $350.00, because you can't make money doing it at this time.

Think about it. If bows are over-priced, you could easily create a successful company by offering bows made with the best materials at huge discounts. You'd have tons of business right away. Lots of enterprising people would be jumping on this right away.

It's true that some companies are able to make a higher profit margin, but they've earned it by offering better service, a more desirable product or maybe a more reliable one. They can even make more money simply because they are larger and can build them for less. However, in the end, they can only charge more at equal quality, if they offer value that other companies aren't. That doesn't make it over-priced. It is priced appropriately. If it wasn't, the company would go out of business.

 

[EPLC]

A fair price is determined by the amount people are willing to pay.

Example: Mathews top of the line bow listed for under $800 prior to the introduction of the Apex. The Apex lists for $1249 and people are flocking to get in line to order them. A nice bow, but what do you think that does to the price of apples?

 

[Mr. October]

I have to agree they are super high. Won't say outrageous yet, but I will honestly say, for the price for a bow, and the time and practice needed, almost can understand why guys go to gun rather then bow..... I mean, a nice rifle or shotgun can be had for half the price or more of a bow. Then yes, it does require time on range and practice and scouting, but not nearly everyday in the summer and early fall to climb into a tree stand. With a gun you can practice, 10 rounds or so here, 10 rouonds there, few more 10 rounds then off to the woods. Minimal time investment and minimal cash investment and can still put meat in the freezer.

So guess what I am trying to say, we might be pricing would be archers out and into the gun world. And with the 'push' so to speak for a new bow every year or two, most guys (people) say phooey! Know I would if I didnt already have a Mathews I got for a steal. I would not have gotten back into archery after returning from Germany...... and unless I am wrong, most folks just can't afford archery anymore..... again just my opinion and rambling thoughts.....

I really doubt this is the case. There are inexpensive bows to be had just like you can buy inexpensive guns. If someone is at all serious about shooting any sort of competition with a gun, a base level competition gun in ANY format FAR exceeds the cost of the most expensive target bow.

You can also buy really good bows without spending a lot of dinero. Reference the Martin Bengal, the Fred Bear Line, the Reflex Line, the Diamond Line, the Cabelas Line . . . there are plenty of good bows out there without breaking the bank.

As far as overall prices consider the cost of fuel is affecting EVERYTHING. Materials and finished product all must be shipped multiple times. Prices of aluminum are throught the roof. Carbon fiber prices are getting high because of military demand.

Add to that that every year we archers want to see a whole new line of bows from all the manufacturers. A few years back they just didn't come out with new bows all that often. Or at least not the amount they are expected to produce now. R&D is expensive. For every model that gets added to a lineup there were a bunch of expensive prototypes and a bunch of models that didn't make it. A company loses money on every one of these they produce.

Finally, there is the basic law of supply and demand. Archers keep paying the prices . . . so manufacturers keep asking them. I relate this to the price of gas. Everyone whines that is it expensive but I haven't seen a significant decrease in the number of big trucks, suvs, or V8 powered cars on the road. Why would the oil companies do anything different if consumers continue to buy their product at whatever price they ask? :noidea: No different with archery . . or any other business.

 

[BOOTOXEN]

Just the opposite here. Shot rifle competitively since a youth. Got tired of reloading shells, travelling to ranges. At that level I practiced everyday. Arrows can be reused and are cheaper. Plus I can shoot bow up to 40yds in my yard.

I can't justify spending $700 for a bow (not at this point in my life anyway), and I've shot the "top" hunting bows, the $400 class of bows is fine for me. I to remember new Hoyts costing $6-700 6 yrs ago. So not that bad...

I have to agree they are super high. Won't say outrageous yet, but I will honestly say, for the price for a bow, and the time and practice needed, almost can understand why guys go to gun rather then bow..... I mean, a nice rifle or shotgun can be had for half the price or more of a bow. Then yes, it does require time on range and practice and scouting, but not nearly everyday in the summer and early fall to climb into a tree stand. With a gun you can practice, 10 rounds or so here, 10 rouonds there, few more 10 rounds then off to the woods. Minimal time investment and minimal cash investment and can still put meat in the freezer.

So guess what I am trying to say, we might be pricing would be archers out and into the gun world. And with the 'push' so to speak for a new bow every year or two, most guys (people) say phooey! Know I would if I didnt already have a Mathews I got for a steal. I would not have gotten back into archery after returning from Germany...... and unless I am wrong, most folks just can't afford archery anymore..... again just my opinion and rambling thoughts.....

 

[badfisherman]

i think your high end bows are getting ridiculous, but they will go up as we continue to pay the price. however i also think that a majority of your low end bow quality has REALLY gone up and the price of those hasnt gotten to out of whack.......yet. i think we will see relief in hunting bows this year, fred bear has some excellent stuff that wont break the bank and a few others are coming out with some adjusted prices. also the shop near me is clearancing all of last falls stuff for about $150-200 less and those bows are six monthes old. so there are deals out there.

 

[BOOTOXEN]

yeah,

I have competition 22 rifles that cost me $3k and that was 10yrs ago! Match .308 that were $2k plus all the extra goodies, new barrels..yikes hate to think about what I have into them. BTW, they collect dust while my bow gets used everyday.

I really doubt this is the case. There are inexpensive bows to be had just like you can buy inexpensive guns. If someone is at all serious about shooting any sort of competition with a gun, a base level competition gun in ANY format FAR exceeds the cost of the most expensive target bow.

You can also buy really good bows without spending a lot of dinero. Reference the Martin Bengal, the Fred Bear Line, the Reflex Line, the Diamond Line, the Cabelas Line . . . there are plenty of good bows out there without breaking the bank.

As far as overall prices consider the cost of fuel is affecting EVERYTHING. Materials and finished product all must be shipped multiple times. Prices of aluminum are throught the roof. Carbon fiber prices are getting high because of military demand.

Add to that that every year we archers want to see a whole new line of bows from all the manufacturers. A few years back they just didn't come out with new bows all that often. Or at least not the amount they are expected to produce now. R&D is expensive. For every model that gets added to a lineup there were a bunch of expensive prototypes and a bunch of models that didn't make it. A company loses money on every one of these they produce.

Finally, there is the basic law of supply and demand. Archers keep paying the prices . . . so manufacturers keep asking them. I relate this to the price of gas. Everyone whines that is it expensive but I haven't seen a significant decrease in the number of big trucks, suvs, or V8 powered cars on the road. Why would the oil companies do anything different if consumers continue to buy their product at whatever price they ask? :noidea: No different with archery . . or any other business.