Are Scotty Cameron Putters Still Highly Coveted?

[ChetlovesMer]

I happened to be in a PGA Tour Superstore the other day. One thing I like about PGA tour superstores is that they have a ton of putters out on display and a huge putting area on which to try them out. 

I wasn't seriously shopping but I tried out a few. Then I noticed that they had 7 or 8 Scotty Cameron Putters. The Scotty Cameron putters were the only ones that were locked up. You had to ask an associate to get them out of a locked display case for you to try.

I found this fascinating. I started to wonder why are the Scotty Cameron's locked up? My first thought was that they are the most valuable. But no. All the "Scotties" they had were the same price. They were all $399.00 each. There were a bunch of Odyssey Putters that were $425.00 each. Their were Bettinardi's that ranged from $400 to $425. There was a LAB putter which had a $625.00 sticker on it.... Seriously? Most of the LAB's were about $400 though. There were $430 Evnroll putters. There was a $550 SIK putter. Most of the SIK's came in at $425. But more than one was over $500. Even Taylormade and Cobra had a special limited edition model or two that were $450. None of these expensive putters were locked up. 

So, why are they locking up the Scotty Cameron's? 

I'm guessing because they have always done that? From back in the day when Scotty Cameron's were the "only" real high end option. I can remember a day when Scotty Cameron's were $400, just like they are today. But all the other putters were under $200.

I don't think Scotty Cameron putters carry the mystique that they used to. 

What do you guys think? 
Are Scotty Cameron putters still coveted? 

Or are we treating them special just out of habit? 

[mohearn]

Totally just speculating, but I'd guess it has more to do with sales/marketing. People want to demo, and requires engagement with staff to unlock, and thus opportunity to sell the prospective customer on the benefits of scottie cameron putters. Adds to the cachet of the putters.

 

[ChetlovesMer]

3 minutes ago, mohearn said:

Totally just speculating, but I'd guess it has more to do with sales/marketing. People want to demo, and requires engagement with staff to unlock, and thus opportunity to sell the prospective customer on the benefits of scottie cameron putters. Adds to the cachet of the putters.

 

That does make sense. Seems as reasonable an answer as anything I came up with. 

[boogielicious]

I have a different take. They get stolen more. The same reason a similar priced Honda has twice the insurance cost than a Ford. They get stolen a lot more. A putter can be a relatively easy thing to steal as compared to a driver or other club in that price range.

[mohearn]

Yeah, might be.  Do people actually buy these new putters for such astronomical prices? While I guess it's true that if one had  truly bad putter, then yeah, getting something better would make sense, but from  strokes gained perspective, really? Not that there's anything inherently wrong with buying new gear.  I go into Dick's and see all their putters lined up, and never anyone buying.

[Double Mocha Man]

1 hour ago, mohearn said:

Not that there's anything inherently wrong with buying new gear. 

not-that-there's-anything-wrong-with-that-gifs.htm

1 hour ago, mohearn said:

Not that there's anything inherently wrong with buying new gear. 

<div class="tenor-gif-embed" data-postid="10732604" data-share-method="host" data-aspect-ratio="1.33333" data-width="100%"><a href="https://tenor.com/view/seinfeld-not-that-theres-anything-wrong-with-that-gif-10732604">Seinfeld Not That Theres Anything Wrong With That GIF</a>from <a href="https://tenor.com/search/seinfeld-gifs">Seinfeld GIFs</a></div> <script type="text/javascript" async src="https://tenor.com/embed.js"></script>

Well, I royally screwed that up.

Edited January 7, 2022 by Double Mocha Man

[phan52]

I have a friend who worked for Titleist for decades. Every once in a while Scotty Cameron would come out with commemorative putter (what they commemorated, I have no idea) and he would buy one each time, I assume at an employee discount. Since he retired, he has occasionally put them up on e-bay and he gets a lot of money for them. 

[Shorty]

5 hours ago, boogielicious said:

I have a different take. They get stolen more. 

It's as simple as that. The perception is that they're "the best" for whatever reason/s and that makes them easier to sell by thieves and more desirable to buyers. Especially at a bargain price. Objectivity has nothing to do with it. Everyone knows that there are dozens of putters that are equally "great" and in any case it comes down to what suits you.

It would be like someone thinking that Rolex watches are "the best". You cannot buy a steel sports Rolex at an authorised dealer. Saying that they are "mid tier" does not make them less desirable. Telling someone that a "better" and even more prestigious watch can be had for half the price of the secondary market Rolex selling at 3 x RRP is pointless. Even people who know nothing about the subject recognise the brand.

Value retention is also important. You will have no trouble selling legitimately your sourced Cameron putter without taking a bath on price.

 

Edited January 7, 2022 by Shorty

[dennyjones]

I've putted with several at Carl's.   They are nice but I didn't feel they were for me.    They weren't under lock and key there.    Brands seems to always follow the rules of supply and demand unless there is some ridiculous peak of interest which will create a phantom  price peak.    Since the price of the SC hasn't varied much there must be a demand for them at their current price point.   I believe the hook is still Tiger.   He won so many tournaments with his that people want to get some Tiger magic.