Is 2nd Swing Golf gone?

[Jeepthrills]

I don't know about nationally, but I just tried to call all of the 2nd Swing Golf stores in the Suburban Detroit area and they all came up as disconected. Did they go under nationally or is it just here?

[Ogg]

I think they went under. There was one here in NC near my house and it is no longer there and I recall someone telling me last year that they were going out of business.

[Jeepthrills]

That sucks. They always had better used club prices than the other stores and they gave far more on their trades. I guess I'm heading to Ebay.

[Q.Q.Quillume]

Last October on my way from N.C. to Luray, VA for a golf trip, I stopped at Central Park (Fredericksburg) to visit a 2nd Swing Golf store & it, too, was gone. I googled "2nd Swing Golf" and got this article from September 23, 2006: http://www.findarticles.com/p/articl...3/ai_n16749221

[Fisherdude]

I went into the local one about 3 or 4 years ago. I was looking for a 5-wood to match the driver and 3 I already had. They had one, so-so condition. They wanted more for it USED then I paid for the 3-wood NEW. I never went back.

2 years ago one of my friends went to one in his home town. He bought a set of used Ping i-3 blades, and paid, if I recall correctly, around $400. He didn't care for them, and took advantage of the return and trade for something else policy.

When he took them back, they refused to honor the policy because it was a "mixed set". They offered him $250, take it or leave it. My friend said he didn't understand, this was the identical set he just bought a few weeks ago. They pointed out that the set was all i-3 blades, except for the 5-iron, which was an i-3 O-size. He said that was the set they sold him. They said tough. He never went back.

As far as I'm concerned, it's another perfect example of a store crapping on its customers and getting its well deserved reward.

Bankruptcy.

[Q.Q.Quillume]

Sounds as if there are some good reasons 2nd Swing Golf is no longer with us. I went into one of their stores two or three times, just looking around to see if they had something I couldn't live without but never bought anything or traded anything in.

[BigAl5150]

I don't know about nationally, but I just tried to call all of the 2nd Swing Golf stores in the Suburban Detroit area and they all came up as disconected. Did they go under nationally or is it just here?

Unfortunately, they went belly-up. I frequented their stores up here in the Twin Cities (their HQ was up here too) and always was treated quite well by their staff. One of the main reasons they went under (IMO) is the obscene amount of inventory they took on. All the times I went to the stores, I never saw them turn away clubs and they gave high trade-in value. The stores were packed with merchandise and it just didn't seem to moving very quickly. Even when they were trying to liquidate it took quite a while since the pricing was too high.

[golfchief]

Yes Jeep their all gone.

[Everardo]

Heard through the grapevine they may be coming back, don't know how much there is in that.

[BigAl5150]

Heard through the grapevine they may be coming back, don't know how much there is in that.

From the ashes of the bankrupt 2nd Swing comes...2nd Swing.

[Jeepthrills]

Unfortunately, they went belly-up. I frequented their stores up here in the Twin Cities (their HQ was up here too) and always was treated quite well by their staff. One of the main reasons they went under (IMO) is the obscene amount of inventory they took on. All the times I went to the stores, I never saw them turn away clubs and they gave high trade-in value. The stores were packed with merchandise and it just didn't seem to moving very quickly. Even when they were trying to liquidate it took quite a while since the pricing was too high.

I was always treated well at the two stores in the Detroit area. Of course, that's not to say they didn't have some stores where the opposite was true.

I agree with you about the inventory thing. They had good prices, but some of the stuff they took in had no market. Most of the people that went there were guys like me. Serious golfers that were looking for an upgrade but would take last years model instead of this years. Case in point. Last year I traded in a Nike 275CC driver for a 983K. I didn't want to drop $400 on the 905 at the time, but could get the 983K for $150 and got $40 for my Nike. Now they need to try and move my Nike for more than $40 just to break even. That might be tough as it was a smaller head and the Nike Ignite was already a year old at the time. I figure they made about $40 after my trade in credit and what they likely paid for the 983K. Those are tough margins. Thats why they sell some of the better stuff for more than you would think it would go for. At the same time, they were still usually less than Golfsmith and the other big boys on their used club prices. Well all that said, I should get my 905R tomorrow that I bought on Ebay for $156 with shipping. The only downside to this is I now need to do something with the 983K. I guess i will look at what they are selling for on Ebay and see what Golfsmith will give me for it.

[Guest]

There was an article on the Minneapolis newspaper today that said they're coming back in the Minneapolis market! http://www.startribune.com/535/story/1068633.html

I am excited to see that Simon Kallal, the original founder, is back at it. He always treated his customers so well, and trained his staff to do the same. I used to buy ALL of my clubs from 2nd Swing, so I for one will be visiting them this weekend!!

[nogoodhacker]

They went under here in Cincinnati end of last summer. I thought they had a great idea and trade value was always a little better than at any of the other retailers.

The manager had played on tour before and he always treated me well. I am still just learning the game and the fact he did not talk down to me made shopping there a great experience.

[Guest]

That's a great story -- just goes to show the importance of customer service in this type of industry. I know some of the guys that are going to be working at the new locations in Minneapolis, and they're top-notch!!

[Jeepthrills]

I just got my 905R that I bought on Ebay. It was a painless transaction and the club came to me better than advertised. It got me thinking about the used club market.

2nd Swing was great. I could walk in and trade in my clubs and walk out with something better. They gave you a good, but not great price for your clubs and sold their stuff for decent prices. You could inspect everything and hit a few balls.

EBay allows you to find clubs literally all over the world. You can get a great deal. As a seller you can get more than you would on a trade in. However, you run the risk of not getting what you want and with all the listing fees, you can see your margins drop quickly. I am contemplating putting my 983 on there, but with all of the costs, I wonder if I can make enough to out weigh what Golfsmith would give me on trade.

Any input? Who else here has sold on Ebay? What type of results did you get?

[sunchopper]

A friend of mine bought some like new nike irons, 2006 model, last year at a 2nd swing in Greensboro, NC for $200.

[jhauser77]

They went under here in Cincinnati end of last summer. I thought they had a great idea and trade value was always a little better than at any of the other retailers.

There were 2 in Cincinnati and the Springdale store was managed by a guy named Steve. Steve is now in charge of the pro shop of the Fairfield Driving Range on rt 4. I think his plan is to build up used inventory like 2nd swing. If your in Cincinnati, stop and see him and see if you can strike a trade.

[digger21]

Unfortunately my brother was a casualty of 2nd swing goin down. He managed the one here outside of Denver and its a shame. They were such a great shop, not to mention with my brother being on the inside I could basically get whatever I wanted at great prices so I was always able to find something that worked for me. I really miss em as a company, they were great.