Big Boys Hobbies

It's surprising how sluggish all the 'Classifieds' have been. ????

M

Monte

"In Memory of"
Joined
Oct 14, 2007
Messages
785
Location
Farr West, Utah
I have sold a few detectors, but still have an F5, Omega-8500 both new, and a Simplex + 'back-up' unit and pristine Bandido II µMAX that are getting viewed, but no bites. So I cruised around several 'Classified' forums and was surprised how long sellable items have been hanging around those, too.

A lot of very good detectors offered out there, but it is very sluggish. I wonder what it is that has caused it to be so slow? It can't be everyone waiting a brand new model release. Can it be blamed on a lot of folks out of work due to some virus and spendable funds being short? Are there a lot of places that are not huntable right now? Have we reached another point in the progression of time where there are simply fewer people involved in this great sport? I know the industry kind of peaked about '83 to '87, so is this a sign on another decrease in detecting hobbyists?

Curious what your thoughts are?

Monte
 
I am a big fan of buying used detectors, but it's the crazy low prices of new machines. You can now get a multifrequency machine for 199$ and a waterproof one for 254$.
 
I don't think it's a matter of fewer people involved in the hobby. I'm of the opinion that there are many, many, many newbies coming into the hobby each and every day. I'd have to say that it's quite possibly a money issue. Some folks out of work or maybe worried that they will be out of work in the future.
Also, there are times when someone puts something up for sale at a price that just isn't attractive enough to a potential buyer.
 
I think the global pandemic and financial struggles is part of the reason. But I think another part of the reason is that most used machines are overpriced.

Like Coinboy mentioned, there are a lot of very affordable, high tech machines out there. But people are still selling their machines using what they paid for it (or how rare it is) as the benchmark for how it should be priced. Instead, they should be using what other people are willing to pay for it.

For example Monte, I saw your Bandido II µMAX posting and you were asking for what...$350 or so for it? Really? You're telling me it's better than a Vanquish 540 or Simplex? Okay, I can see how that might be true in certain contexts or for certain types of detectorists. But will the average detectorist buyer see that? These are the type of people who think the AT Max is the best machine on the market for any terrain, even salt water beaches.

But you might try selling it in a place like this, where are far more experienced detectorists out there who appreciate the nuanced advantages of certain machines. But we are a very small potential market. Not to mention, we are going to be more judicious with our detecting funds, given our relatively high level of knowledge over what else is available for sale.

I've noticed that when trying to sell a unique product among "experts" in a hobby-related field, the prices commanded are usually less than more general markets, like craigslist, FB or eBay.
 
Coinboy said:
I am a big fan of buying used detectors, but it's the crazy low prices of new machines. You can now get a multifrequency machine for 199$ and a waterproof one for 254$.
Click to expand...


Same for me. Hard to justify spending so much when the new machines are priced so well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Being semi-retired now my income went from over $6,000 take home a month to around $2,000 a month. I'm just slowly building my funds to get a new detector or two. Tax refund and a stimulus would do the trick LOL. Hello, Equinox 800 and or E-Trac.
 
Several reasons for me , I'm retired and on a set income , the cost of everything is going up , detectors from now non-existent companies are either hard or impossible to get repaired . I also expect taxes and the price of gasoline to rise very sharply . Also , the detectors I presently own are more than adequate for my needs .
 
I think it is the lower price of NEW machines.
I wanted to fool around with a CORTES but at $450.00 used asking price you could get into a NEW machine with more options.
 
Soil Surgeon said:
That is an incredible price for an Etrac and that selection of coils . I'm surprised someone hasn't snapped that up already . :?:
Click to expand...

Because depending on how you look at it, it's not an incredible price.

Given what it's original price was, along with the original price of the coils, yes, it's a great deal. But compare it to an Equinox 600 (for $650). Is it still a great deal? I think it is, but only for a very small, select group of experienced/knowledgeable metal detectorists.

Or compare the Etrac to a Vanquish 540 Propack from the view of the average metal detectorist consumer. I know the eTrac is a more advanced machine, but will the average consumer know, let alone understand that?
 
mh9162013 said:
Because depending on how you look at it, it's not an incredible price.

Given what it's original price was, along with the original price of the coils, yes, it's a great deal. But compare it to an Equinox 600 (for $650). Is it still a great deal? I think it is, but only for a very small, select group of experienced/knowledgeable metal detectorists.

Or compare the Etrac to a Vanquish 540 Propack from the view of the average metal detectorist consumer. I know the eTrac is a more advanced machine, but will the average consumer know, let alone understand that?
Click to expand...


Ok .
 
I think it's the new detectors with all the features and pricing more than anything. Also a lot of people are pretty proud of their used stuff....even if it's in excellent condition I won't buy a used machine unless it's heavily discounted. When I sell a used machine I also don't expect to get "new machine money $....but that's just me.
 
aaronc said:
I think it's the new detectors with all the features and pricing more than anything. Also a lot of people are pretty proud of their used stuff....even if it's in excellent condition I won't buy a used machine unless it's heavily discounted. When I sell a used machine I also don't expect to get "new machine money $....but that's just me.
Click to expand...


Same here. And I don't think you or I are alone in that respect, either.
 
longbow62 said:
The RnB 3400 ought be icing on the cake. Go figure!
Click to expand...

Wow , I was so overwhelmed by seeing the machine and the coils that I
missed spotting the RNB ! Don't worry , there will be someone that prefers
the Etracs over other detectors and will realize just what an incredible , I repeat ,incredible deal they are getting .
 
longbow62 said:
The RnB 3400 ought be icing on the cake. Go figure!
Click to expand...

Not necessarily, and for several reasons.

First, it uses lithium tech. Lithium batteries are a crapshoot when it comes to longevity and tolerance to abuse. A prospective buyer has no way of knowing the current state of those lithium cells in that battery pack. Even if you babied that pack and followed the instructions to the letter, there's still the fact that lithium cells start to degrade the moment they come off the assembly line.

Second, even if the RnB battery is in excellent shape in terms of condition and performance, AA NiMH battery technology has come a long way in the last 10 or so years. LSD (low-self discharge) NiMH AA cells are widely available and offer great performance without worry about batteries losing power over time during storage or losing performance/capacity when stored with a full charge (like lithium batteries do).

Plus, AA batteries are used is a wide variety of devices. So someone can use their AA NiMH cells in their Etrac, but also their flashlights, smoke detectors, remote controls, clocks, etc. That RnB battery, from what I understand, can only be used in FBS Minelab detectors.

I'm not trying to tell you to lower your price. I'm just trying to explain why, what you think may be a selling point, may not matter to certain buyers, especially those with more advanced knowledge about batteries than the lay person (which is more common for metal detectorists).
 
Monte, I agree with most here, it's the cost of quality low priced new machines.

BTW Monte, I was through Vale last Saturday. Don't worry, I was rock detecting, not metal detecting.
 
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