Falling off the map results in sticker shock

[Troy Breeding]

I'm sure the topic has been covered in the past but, I must say it can be a jolt when you really get to looking.

Five years ago broadheads averaged $25-$35 for a six pack. Bows on average ran $600-$700.

Arrows, depending on wether you made you own or paid for custom built ran $30-$85 dozen.

I understand materials and labor cost have gone up. Add in the advancements in tech. and price increases will be higher today.

But really,,,,, todays prices could scare a fellow to death.

Today it's not uncommon to see broadheads at $50-$100 for a three pack.

Bows at $1000 plus

Arrows (no lets just look at shafts) running $75 for three to six.

Will prices increase this much or more over the next five years?

I may be beating a dead horse on this one, if not, getty up jughead......

Troy

[Kentucky Jeff]

I just bought two first class custom bows on the secondary market and have less than $900 total for the pair.  

You can still buy aluminum shafts for a lot less.  Carbon shafts have always been expensive.

I just bought a pack of six Zwickey eskimos for $22

Not seeing it....

[Rob DiStefano]

whoa there, welcome back troy!  where you been and what you been up to?  you still building those slick t/d longbows?

as to yer post - welp, i guess there's a market for everything and everyone.  whilst there are $1000 bows, $25/ea arrows and $50/ea broadheads, thank goodness there are still available a heapin' handful of great quality bows, arrows and heads that won't break the bank and will bring home the meat.

[Eric Krewson]

Troy, now you know why cheapskates like myself make all of our archery equipment. My bows total costs are less than $2 and a little time in the shop. The down side there is also a bunch of  time behind a chainsaw in seemingly impossible places, log dragging as well as lots of  exercise with splitting wedge and sledge.  

Might be time to dust off your forms and start producing again. You made a mighty fine bow, people are still talking about and missing "Troy's arrows".

[Bowhunter4life]

Hey Troy!  Welcome back!

I guess everyone finds their "niche" both buyers and sellers.  If they can get the asking price you can't blame the sellers, and if you have money to spare you can't blame the buyers either...

[Patrick55]

I here ya on that one Troy,
Due to work, building a house and moving, I was forced out of trad for a while. Now that things have settled, I am back at it.
When I started building arrows back in the late 80s I could get some fine POC for about $8.00 a dozen. Now, OH MY GOSH!! Some times over 30 bucks and that’s buying them by the 1000.  Let’s not even talk about feathers. Retail at $.42 each for plain ol solid colors and the barred feathers!!! RETAIL AT A WOPPING $.72 EACH!!!!! Kinda makes you what to visit the creek and cut some river cane.
 

[Troy Breeding]

Rob,

You really don't want to know what I've been doing for the past several years. Lets just say I couldn't stand the heat if everyone knew.

As for the bows??? I'm still playing around with a few, just stopped offering them to the public. If I ever started back I'd have to buy another insurance policy and would only build and sell. Custom orders can get to be a pain.

Just finished a recurve for myself and a T/D longbow for a little buddy of mine in MO.

Like you I still find good deals around on what I call commonly used items. However, like I said, I still play around with bows and my cost for building one has only went up slightly.

The biggest shock came from looking into some of the new broadheads.  OUCH!!!!!

I guess being able to make most of what I use is where alot of this is coming from. Not only that but, I still have enough shafts and feathers from the past to cover me for several more years.

Add in the fact that I still have several years worth magnus and zwicky heads tells me I'm glad I want have to buy anything for a long time.

Troy

[Rob DiStefano]

i think a huge part of the subject that troy brings ups is, what does it really take to be a successful trad bowhunter?  

welp, imho, the tackle part plays a far lesser role than we think.  

a simple but very effective stick can be anything from a board bow to a cheap used wood/glass laminate.  and effective arrows can and have been made with hardwood dowels, freely harvested goose feathers and inexpensive but worthy broadheads.

[Ric O'Shay]

Hi there Troy! Glad to see ya' back here.

There'll be and are folks that will pay those prices and there'll be folks that will charge them as long as there's folks that will pay them. It's difficult for me to justify that so long as Zwickey is still makin' broadheads.

[John Scifres]

The high end broadheads are ridiculously expensive but that's why I am not a high-end buyer.  Pretty much everything gives me sticker shock anyhow.  I am cheap to the extreme  

I think I might have already told you but since you live so close now, please consider coming to the 5th Annual Southern Indiana Bowhunt.  It will be October 7-9.  I'll post details on another thread.

[Troy Breeding]

Eric,

Bows are just a hobbly now...

Arrows,,,  I lost interest in building them when shaft quality went to heck and back. Besides, I did my best to produce a better shaft, but when I lived down ther suitable materail was a bigger pain to find.

Patrick55,,,

Feather prices almost blew my mind. I looked at the price I was selling for before falling off the map and compared them to todays prices... Holly @#@@!

Jeff,,

I guess your right. If you have that niche and can get the price, go for it...

I guess I'll have to stick around with the average fellow.

Troy

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally posted by Troy Breeding:
... I guess I'll have to stick around with the average fellow.

Troy

yer in BIG and GOOD company, troy  

[hunt it]

Troy,

You'd better buy 5 or 6 grand worth of stuff quick cause in 5 years gonna be double again    It is actually because the craftsmen and women of trad gang make such nice stuff we all thought they should get paid more. Money's made for spending, can't take it with you. There are much worse habits to invest one's money on.

[Troy Breeding]

David,

Before posting this thread I thought "lordy mercy when my supply of materials are gone I'll have to take a morage on the farm to restock".

Thank goodness I have a good supply....

Troy

[hvyhitter]

Some people still want the newest an bestest and will pay to get it. The rest of us hoarders buy cheap, buy lots, and keep the stuff forver.

[Troy Breeding]

John,

Please, besure and send me info on that hunt. Still having trouble finding places to hunt around here. I only have five acres and the locals around here still look kinda funny at me when I speak. Guess they never heard redneck before.... Even though I did manage to poke one deer behind the house last season, it looks like I'm going to be forced to travel if I want to hunt a bigger plot of woods.

Troy

[cedar]

I recall reading somewhere awhile back that Magnus sold their line of glue-on broadheads to someone else.  Now I see the price went from 21-22 to 31.  I'll be looking for another broadhead for use this fall.

[Troy Breeding]

John,

Yep, that is a pretty good jump in price. Still, it's in a fair range. If I remember right I was selling magnus heads for something like $25 a half dozen. Thats only a dollar each increase. Exceptable in my book.

Troy

[TIM B]

That's exactly why I have shot the same SKY longbow for the last 20 years!!
TIM B

[Jake Diebolt]

This is how I outfitted myself when I started.

Martin Hunter: 550
6 XX75 gamegetters: 30
6 woodman broadheads: 40.00
Miscellaneous (feathers, glove, glue, rests, spare string): Probably about 200.00

I've spent more since then, but what's listed above is plenty to get started, and cost me under 1000.00. If I'd gone for a cheaper bow, I could have saved a couple hundred bucks.

The high end stuff is expensive...the question I always ask myself is: is the extra money proportional to the extra performance? If so, then maybe I could justify it. But for the most part, I can keep my archery supplies pretty cheap. I don't see myself buying another bow for a numeber of years, and my arrows will probably last until I lose them or they bend. Aluminum arrows are still pretty cheap, there's still afforable broadheads out there, and even some brand new bows can be obtained for under 500 bucks.