TaylorMade Woods Value

[jamo]

Everyone knows that Taylor Made comes out with a new driver about every 2 hours, and usually this is detrimental to their value after a couple months. For instance, the r7 Limited can be had for $150-200, the 07 Burner is $150, the Tour Burner is $200, and the 09 Burner (their best selling driver ever) is $200. But many of their clubs keep their resale value way longer than they should. On Edwin Watts Golf's website they have the r7 Quad TP for $300, the r7 425 TP for $300, andthe r7 CGB Max (a driver that sold terribly) for $300. At my local Dick's Sporting Goods, they sell the r7 Superquad (another very good selling driver, and the one i use, but one that is 4 years old) for $250, and the r7 Superquad TP for a whopping $500! I wouldn't pay that much for that model new, and yet they charge $500 for a club thats been sitting on their shelf for 4 years!

This is also shown by their Fairway woods. on Edwin Watts Golf again, the Burners are $129, and the Burner TPs are $200. They also sell the r7 TP fairway woods, which i believe are over 5 years old, are $250, and the r7 ti woods are $150.

So it seems the TP models keep their value way past the normal clubs. But some of these, like the r7 CGB Max, are flabbergasting. I don't get it. Anyone know why Taylor Made's retail values are so sporadic?

[patriot07]

I saw an 580XD last month at the local Dick's sporting goods for $150. I couldn't believe it. That club was released 7 years ago. No way you should pay $150 for it anymore. For some reason they get reluctant to drop their retail prices past the $150 mark. But that's better than Ping, who kept the G10 at $300 for like 2 years. At least with TM's ridiculous release schedule, their new clubs always drop a decent bit within the first 12-18 months after release.

[boogielicious]

Jamo,

Maybe it's just Dick's Sporting Goods. I got a R7 CGB Max Driver at the Golf Zone in Woburn, MA fo$199. I also saw it for the same price at Sports Authority.

Scott

[jamo]

I saw an 580XD last month at the local Dick's sporting goods for $150. I couldn't believe it. That club was released 7 years ago. No way you should pay $150 for it anymore. For some reason they get reluctant to drop their retail prices past the $150 mark. But that's better than Ping, who kept the G10 at $300 for like 2 years. At least with TM's ridiculous release schedule, their new clubs always drop a decent bit within the first 12-18 months after release.

Well i can understand the G10, that was the only model they had out of its kind. They went a couple years before releasing the G15's. On a slightly unrelated note, Ping's G5 irons are very similar to the G15's, and a fraction of the price.

Anyway, the 580XD i don't really get either, but i think that they just don't want to be selling a (still brand new) Taylor Made club for anything less than $150.

Jamo,

Yeah i've seen that too. I got the $300 price from edwinwattsgolf.com.

[LBlack14]

You all need to stay out of retail stores.

[Crey23]

Everyone knows that Taylor Made comes out with a new driver about every 2 hours, and usually this is detrimental to their value after a couple months. For instance, the r7 Limited can be had for $150-200, the 07 Burner is $150, the Tour Burner is $200, and the 09 Burner (their best selling driver ever) is $200. But many of their clubs keep their resale value way longer than they should. On Edwin Watts Golf's website they have the r7 Quad TP for $300, the r7 425 TP for $300, andthe r7 CGB Max (a driver that sold terribly) for $300. At my local Dick's Sporting Goods, they sell the r7 Superquad (another very good selling driver, and the one i use, but one that is 4 years old) for $250, and the r7 Superquad TP for a whopping $500! I wouldn't pay that much for that model new, and yet they charge $500 for a club thats been sitting on their shelf for 4 years!

Well this is something that I struggle with quite a bit. I can't understand why retailers are not aggressively pricing clubs. At a local Golf Smith, the price of used clubs is about 10% less than new...I think that is down right ridiculous. A club should sell based on age and wear, not simply brand. For example I saw a used 909 D2 for $20, than the new one...with noticeable play marks and a dirty grip. While I understand the need to sell their inventory, I'm sure that I would be more likely inclined to buy more there, if could get a fair shake on the their used equipment.

You all need to stay out of retail stores.

This is also a problem... You want to help your local retailer, but some are getting downright nuts. At most Pro shops you are looking to spend 10% more than big chains, and that is somewhat fine, given the location and convenience, but retail should try to keep the pace with online retailers. I mean at my local Golf Galaxy 909D2 was recently $399, while TGW was already selling at $299. The Cally Ft-9 i-mix head was full price, TWG was $299, and at RBG it was $120.....with such price differentials it does not make sense to buy local.....

Don't get me wrong, I spend alot of time at GG and GS, trying out new equipment, lessons, gear purchases, and certaily don't want to see them go away, but they need to become a little more competitive with online stores. These prices drive players and players to-be to shop elsewhere, such as e-Bay....and then you get stuck with cheap counterfeit equipment....how is this helping the game?

[Joeyvee]

I know a guy who owned and operated a golf shop in a pretty busy market. Their best profit margin on clubs was like 20 percent. And on the bags and stuff now they still only get like up to a 30% margin. That SUCKS. Think.. restaurants have like a 300% margin and they go out of business all the time. Most retail places shoot for a 50% margin based on cost. Now figure in overhead, rent electricity, health insurance etc.. So if you see an old club for $150, they probably paid $200 for it, but they cant just price it at $60 just cuz YOU want em to. And yeah, sure we would buy more. If you buy thousands of dollars in clubs from them AT A LOSS they go out of business anyway. It used to be a lot better before the internet but now that has driven the margin down ridiculously low on everything. Clubs are the worst but where you think they really make their money (balls, gloves, bags, crap etc.. ) its still stupidly low. Feel bad for them. Online stores dont pay as many employees health benefits, or RENT or electricity etc.. etc. So if you like to be able to go in and ufck around and swing all the different clubs support your local owned golf shop. And NO I DO NOT own a golf shop. And I dont even wish i did. My friend went out of business and sold his house and now lives in an eh neighborhood and a small apartment. AND he doesnt have the time or $$$ to golf anymore cuz hes working for someone else.
You're local, stay local, buy local.
Ok. Im done preaching.

[jamo]

So if you see an old club for $150, they probably paid $200 for it, but they cant just price it at $60 just cuz YOU want em to.

That is sort of the point i was trying to make in my last post. But they have to ask themselves a question: would they rather sell these old clubs at a loss now, at a bigger loss later, or not at all? I mentioned the $500 r7 Superquad TP at my local Dick's Sporting Goods, that club isn't goinf to sell now, it isn't going to sell next year, and it isn't going to sell 5 years from now. Why? Because if you really want a TP, you are more likely to buy the R9 TP for $100 less, and 4 years newer. I couldn't even justify buying the r7 Superquad TP brand new. I bought the non-TP for $400, and the only difference is that the TP has grooves on the face and a "better" shaft. I just don't really get that.

[patriot07]

I totally agree with supporting local places. I try to split mine like 75/25. Occasionally, I'll buy something online if I just can't find what I'm looking for locally and it costs way less to get it online. But if I'm going to Golfsmith every other week and spending 2 hours in there trying different clubs, I owe it to them to give them the majority of my business.

Also, if you have a warranty claim, you have to use a local authorized retailer to get service. I have had Golfsmith take care of 4 or 5 warranty claims for different clubs over the past 10 years, and they're always more than happy to help and don't charge to ship my club back. No way you can ignore the customer service and ability to test clubs that a local store can give you to save some money online. If the price difference is ridiculous, it's no big deal to buy some stuff online. But if you're paying over 50% of the price to buy it new in-store, and you use the store's services as much as I do, I think I owe it to them to give them my business. Just my $.02.

And to jamo, who said the Ping prices didn't drop because they didn't release a new club, I understand that. But a club with 2 or 3 year old technology shouldn't be the same price as it was 2 or 3 years ago.