Does anyone else feel like mouth call prices are getting high? Most are asking at least 8 dollars a piece for them and I have seen some as high as 10-15 bucks. Maybe I am missing something but isn't there less than a dollar worth of material and experienced call makers can make one in less than 5 minutes, maybe faster. Maybe I am just being cheap, ignorant of the cost and time, or both but I wanted to see what others thoughts on the current price of mouth calls? Thanks!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
its a pretty valid point you have.. Outside of Hooks its tough to find quality ones still priced around $5 and I don't think I would pay 10-15 there's just too much risk that the call won't suit me and I'll never use it at least other calls and strikers can be resold. Although when you find a good one it seems like a steal when that $8 call is perfection and lasts dozens if not 100's of hunts before falling apart.
They are a call with a lot of demand so I am sure that raises the call price.
I have paid up to $20 for a certain diaphram call. One of the best all around calls I have ever used. It fits me perfectly and I can run it extremely well. I look at it this way. It makes me more effective. Guys have no problem plunking down thousands on a custom tuned auto that won't kill them any deader than a remington 870 or mossburg 835. So which is smarter?
Sent from my SM-G800R4 using Tapatalk
Maybe it's just coincidence but a few years ago Primos came out with a line of calls that they advertised for $12-$15 a call and I've seen the prices of other calls go up accordingly. Hooks Calls have been my go to for several years and they have only went up about 50 cents in the last couple of years. A quality call for about $6.
I have seen the primos line but never run them. Have heard them but they were running a bit raspy for my taste. That's why I quit running Woodhaven calls. I am pretty picky and everyone has there own taste and what works for one may not work for another. The diaphram is my hands down favorite call to use and finding a maker that can give you the call you want consistently is worth a couple extra dollars to me. I have been impressed with the hooks executioner 2 tho. A very good call for the money.
Sent from my SM-G800R4 using Tapatalk
Tru tone are pretty good. Batwing orange n the split v purple call are pretty good. They're reasonable but the shipping on them is high. Hooks are better. The rest are too pricey. I try n order all mouth calls for the year from a supplier at one time.
Hooks n tru tone are it though. Speaking of hooks, what happened to the shockwave? I liked that call.
Savduck brought up a good point in another spot we were having the discussion. Cost of the call is not much, but when you add in the cost of packaging it does bring up the cost. For some reason the price of packaging did not cross my mind. I guess maybe I was just thinking of the way I have gotten calls in the past in a zip lock bag or such. He also pointed out latex has not been of the greatest quality as of late and some calls were replaced because of deficiency so that cost also needed to be recuperated by the call maker. Good points.
It's ridiculous!! I have seen people on Ebay trying to get 30 bucks!! The guys on here are pretty reasonable.
I just bought a bag of calls from gooserbat that were listed in the classifieds here. He said there were about 25-30 calls in the bag and offered them for $20 tyd. I bought them only to find out he lied to me. There were 37 in the bag and I won't need to buy another diaphragm for some time to come. Good deals can be found if one looks hard enough. Granted, most were V cut and someone may not like that but personally, that's one of two cuts I prefer. Personally, I'm satisfied and couldn't be happier.
I know what you mean. I generally wear a few out during a season.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I just went and checked my Ex 2 packaging from Hooks and each call is individually packed in a plastic snap locked box with a colorful card advertising the call and sealed in a plastic cover that is designed to be hung on store shelves and each call is still $6, so I'm not buying packaging as a Large increase in calls causing HIGH prices. My personal opinion is what the market will bear and price gouging on the part of some call makers. Most of the call makers on this site make a quality product and don't gouge their customers. But some of the high profile manufacturers are mass producing calls only for one reason. I'll stick with the low profile makers on this site, knowing I'll get top quality calls, stretched consistently, at a Fair price.
A larger call making company like hooks will produce more calls than smaller call makers and therefore their cost on packaging will be less because of having it done in larger volumes.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I can only speak for myself I guess, but, I have the cost of padded mailing envelopes, which I also pay shipping to get,. When you buy latex, frames etc you have shipping on those,. You have loss...as in not every call comes out right, your going to ruin some,...wasting material. Sometimes the US MAIL loses your package, you duplicate the order and resend it to the customer...As the maker I lose but that's just what you do. ...Sometimes the latex you get is so wrinkled it's unusable especially proph...the plastic can I use to ship the calls in cost more than the traditional little snap case but I use it cause it's cool and usefull. ..and on and on and on.
I'm nobody but I sell a few calls...and I always try to be fair. But yes, there's a lot of cost involved proportional to the actual cost of the call., unfortunately I do have to factor it in. Not out to make a killing, it just a sick hobby that needs to pay for itself.
Mark
Edit to say...not trying to justify anything or anybody just trying to shed some light on the subject overall.
Quote from: Lonehowl on January 10, 2017, 11:24:02 PM
I can only speak for myself I guess, but, I have the cost of padded mailing envelopes, which I also pay shipping to get,. When you buy latex, frames etc you have shipping on those,. You have loss...as in not every call comes out right, your going to ruin some,...wasting material. Sometimes the US MAIL loses your package, you duplicate the order and resend it to the customer...As the maker I lose but that's just what you do. ...Sometimes the latex you get is so wrinkled it's unusable especially proph...the plastic can I use to ship the calls in cost more than the traditional little snap case but I use it cause it's cool and usefull. ..and on and on and on.
I'm nobody but I sell a few calls...and I always try to be fair. But yes, there's a lot of cost involved proportional to the actual cost of the call., unfortunately I do have to factor it in. Not out to make a killing, it just a sick hobby that needs to pay for itself.
Mark
Edit to say...not trying to justify anything or anybody just trying to shed some light on the subject overall.
Your input is appreciated and those that actually sell can shed some light on things that those that buy never really thought of.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Quote from: Lonehowl on January 10, 2017, 11:24:02 PM
I can only speak for myself I guess, but, I have the cost of padded mailing envelopes, which I also pay shipping to get,. When you buy latex, frames etc you have shipping on those,. You have loss...as in not every call comes out right, your going to ruin some,...wasting material. Sometimes the US MAIL loses your package, you duplicate the order and resend it to the customer...As the maker I lose but that's just what you do. ...Sometimes the latex you get is so wrinkled it's unusable especially proph...the plastic can I use to ship the calls in cost more than the traditional little snap case but I use it cause it's cool and usefull. ..and on and on and on.
I'm nobody but I sell a few calls...and I always try to be fair. But yes, there's a lot of cost involved proportional to the actual cost of the call., unfortunately I do have to factor it in. Not out to make a killing, it just a sick hobby that needs to pay for itself.
Mark
Edit to say...not trying to justify anything or anybody just trying to shed some light on the subject overall.
Your calls and cases are great, Mark!! :icon_thumright: :icon_thumright:
XT Outdoors (XT Calls) are $5 each or 5 for $20. Great prices for solid calls. They have some higher priced ones too made with materials that arent available any longer. No shame there imo
You're also paying for consistency. Gooserbat, Hooks, a few others, if you find a call you like this year, you can buy one next year or in 3 years and it will run the same as the call you fell in love with. Of course this is barring the latex suppliers from changing the latex, which happens sometimes . . .
I know when started using mouth calls years ago I bought big names from walmart. Id usually buy 2-3 of each type and none of them played just a like. I did not pay much attention to that until I got on staff with Sam at Gooserbat and started using quality built, consistent calls.
When you sit down and say build 200 mouthcalls nobody thinks about how many times that call is actually handled. Stacking of reeds thats 600 times you handle one pc of latex on say a 3 reed call, I also process my own proph so we cut each proph reed that goes into a call, trim latex off frames thats 200 times, cut the top reed thats another 200 times you hold that call, tape that call thats another 200 times, die cut the shape of the call thats 200 times and packaging thats 200 times. Theres lots of times that little call is being handled. But most people dont count for all that time some one has in getting it ready to sell. Nobody thinks of actually how much time they have in preparing one package to be shipped... Theres alot of handling and time that goes into that cheap aluminum and latex. Most people never account for their time that goes into a process of manufacturing. JMO
Mine are cheap, I started making my own, sound better too. Mike
Quote from: Houndstooth Game Calls on January 14, 2017, 01:15:45 AM
When you sit down and say build 200 mouthcalls nobody thinks about how many times that call is actually handled. Stacking of reeds thats 600 times you handle one pc of latex on say a 3 reed call, I also process my own proph so we cut each proph reed that goes into a call, trim latex off frames thats 200 times, cut the top reed thats another 200 times you hold that call, tape that call thats another 200 times, die cut the shape of the call thats 200 times and packaging thats 200 times. Theres lots of times that little call is being handled. But most people dont count for all that time some one has in getting it ready to sell. Nobody thinks of actually how much time they have in preparing one package to be shipped... Theres alot of handling and time that goes into that cheap aluminum and latex. Most people never account for their time that goes into a process of manufacturing. JMO
And to think, as much as a call is handled, we still take it right out of the package and pop it into our mouth to run it... I kid, of course, as I assume the call maker is wearing gloves while making calls.
Quote from: deerbasshunter3 on March 23, 2017, 10:34:07 PM
Quote from: Houndstooth Game Calls on January 14, 2017, 01:15:45 AM
When you sit down and say build 200 mouthcalls nobody thinks about how many times that call is actually handled. Stacking of reeds thats 600 times you handle one pc of latex on say a 3 reed call, I also process my own proph so we cut each proph reed that goes into a call, trim latex off frames thats 200 times, cut the top reed thats another 200 times you hold that call, tape that call thats another 200 times, die cut the shape of the call thats 200 times and packaging thats 200 times. Theres lots of times that little call is being handled. But most people dont count for all that time some one has in getting it ready to sell. Nobody thinks of actually how much time they have in preparing one package to be shipped... Theres alot of handling and time that goes into that cheap aluminum and latex. Most people never account for their time that goes into a process of manufacturing. JMO
And to think, as much as a call is handled, we still take it right out of the package and pop it into our mouth to run it... I kid, of course, as I assume the call maker is wearing gloves while making calls.
Man I give mine a good mouth wash bath first.. gets that latex taste off too
Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
I know this much, I found two brands and some particular models I'll be sticking with all because of this forum, Hooks and Gooserbat. Not sure what the Gooserbat calls sale for as I won the two I have but the Hooks are 5.99 in Jonesboro, AR and I'm down there quite a bit. I know the same place sold Gooserbats so I should be in good shape. Nothing worse than paying $12-$15 for a call and it goes straight to the trash can. Especially when you bought the same call a few bucks cheaper a few years ago and it was a much better call.
Quote from: Rzrbac on March 23, 2017, 11:08:38 PM
Nothing worse than paying $12-$15 for a call and it goes straight to the trash can.
Every time I hear someone say that, I cringe. I used to do the same thing until I figured out how easy it is to make a lousy call sound good by just using scissors to modify the call to find out where the "turkey" is at in it. Sure, some calls still end up in the trash,...but a heck of a lot fewer than before I started modifying them to find that hidden turkey.
I can say a lot here but I'll try to keep it somewhat condensed. First it's not just a call your buying but it's the hidden overhead. When I burn gas running up and down the road to stock stores and spend nights in motels and live on McDonalds and gas station boritos the cost is over $100 per day. I spent over 10 days doing it this year.
Next is liability insurance. Another $1200.
Then the clamshell and insert for packaging that's expected by said stores (and goes straight in the trash).
Then the cost of a website.
Can't overlook the material cost including snap cases.
Then I have to sell wholesale at a margin that affords profit on both all the listed overhead and at least a reasonable percentage of time invested.
Then I show respect for my dealers who support me and keep my direct online price at MSRP while allowing those stores to offer at MAP price.
And then there's shows...At $500-$850 per table.
That's why premium mouth calls especially those from a company that builds less than 4,000 pcs annually cost around $10. (And I might add the majority of which are sold at wholesale not full retail.)
The flip side is the guy who sells a few from his truck or on Facebook or may have a website but doesn't wholesale can undercut someone like me who does wholesale.
I'm in no way complaining but just breaking down the facts of the mouth call buisness. I hope it's a little more clear as to why we as call makers have to price product in such a way other wise it's bad buisness and that means no buisness.
Too expensive & inconsistent, thats why I started making my own. Mike
My hats off to the good custom call maker,I've made few handmade calls but not a lot.That said in my opinion a good callmaker deserves every dime they can get from any call they make.The time and money spent ,the calls thrown in the trash ,trying to get the sound you want ,it don't come easy.there's a lot of what I would call fly by night people thinking its a thing ,they're going to do over night and make a big break and a fortune in the hunting industry.The one thing these people don't understand is you can't buy that ten to twenty years of experience that Good callmaker has that you got when you pull his call out to use.
With that blabbering done,it's fairly easy to get on the Internet and buy supplies and get instructions to make a call,I personally wouldn't pay some of the prices that out there,I learned a long time ago if you can't afford or just think its to high to buy make your own.
Just to be clear, I had to make some diaphrams & toss some before getting it right for me. Same with pot calls. Its was some work to get it right. It was a fun process though & always learning to make them better. In the long run the benefit to me is that I can get exactly what I want. I can also get another quick if needed. Mike