Do you feel like prices of pot calls are getting higher and higher? I understand the price of wood may increase some, especially exotics, but I'm not sure some of the prices are justified. From a business stand point its supply and demand. The demand for certain calls is high and hunters will pay whatever the price may be within reason. Average prices of a lot of calls seem to be $70-100?
What are your thoughts an opinions?
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Nope because to me time is money and money is time...I don't make calls but I don't think people understand the amount of work that goes into one.
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I think that price range is reasonable for a quality custom call
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The resale price is out of hand. The call makers have stayed pretty consistent.
Quote from: Fieldturkey on February 12, 2018, 09:28:28 PM
The resale price is out of hand. The call makers have stayed pretty consistent.
This is also the reason call makers are raising their prices too... Why not capture a minimal portion of that market without bumping too many customers out of their price range. After all they're the ones that put all the work into making it, not the one looking to flip for profit.
More power to them if they can get the money.....a turkey call is only worth what someone will pay.
It seems the longer the wait, the more they charge.....if they were hungry, they would work more, for less money.
It would take something really special for me to pay the $100 or more some of these pot calls are going for. I do not mind paying for quality but there is a competitive market and I could care less what awards the judges in Nashville and other places hand out.
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As a call maker/small business owner, I'll add that taxes for online sellers have changed for many states over the last couple of years. The government taxes a business for forming, selling, and making a profit. A lot of times the sales tax is shifted to the burden of the consumer, unfortunately.
I like the prices between 40$ to 80$ or so on pots I figure I don't need the 120$ pot call to kill a turkey so I just won't buy them. There are a lot of good hunting calls around the 50$ mark
Quote from: Chris O on February 13, 2018, 04:46:37 AM
I like the prices between 40$ to 80$ or so on pots I figure I don't need the 120$ pot call to kill a turkey so I just won't buy them. There are a lot of good hunting calls around the 50$ mark
^^^^ this
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The price of Woodhaven a mass produced call is crazy to me. Any time there is one in the classified it is lucky to fetch half of what you paid for it!
Not only can the price of calls is outrageous but consider what call makers ask for exotic wood striker?
This is a very interesting topic to me as a call maker. I get comments all the time, had one yesterday, about the fact that I only charge $60 for a pot and the sound, fit and finish are superior to mass produced pots that are selling in stores for $75-100. I always just smile when I hear this but the fact of the matter is several things. 1) yes material prices have gone up in the last few years, especially wood. 2) the cost of mass produced calls have gone up the last few years and this sets the bar for a lot of our prices. If you're getting a mass produced CNC call with a basic finish and a basic wood and paying $75-80, then a truly custom call with a higher grade of wood, fit, finish and most importantly sound would be of equal or greater value by that logic. The market is driven by customers and influenced by average big box cost. For me, I'm staying between $60-75 for an AVERAGE cost of my pots and $120 for a box. I feel it's a fair price to my customers and that's what's important to me. Not everyone is the same though and some will be higher of lower.
The cost of pretty much everything rises each year. This is especially true with things realted to hunting.
No call makers needs to explain their costs. Simple supply & demand...if your product allows you to sell it for $200.00... Do it.
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You have to keep in mind when running your own business you are expected to pay both halves of Social security, Medicare etc., so right off the top that's around 50% of any profits. I know its not the same but I am a photographer and people ask me about my rates all the time and then I start explaining to them about expenses and taxes and in the end there isn't as much left over as you might think especially considering the time involved.
Quote from: FL-Boss on February 13, 2018, 08:02:51 AM
The cost of pretty much everything rises each year. This is especially true with things realted to hunting.
No call makers needs to explain their costs. Simple supply & demand...if your product allows you to sell it for $200.00... Do it.
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x2
Quote from: 243kid on February 13, 2018, 07:45:23 AM
The price of Woodhaven a mass produced call is crazy to me. Any time there is one in the classified it is lucky to fetch half of what you paid for it!
Not only can the price of calls is outrageous but consider what call makers ask for exotic wood striker?
t
Amen
Maybe if they were stamped made in China they would be out of hand but a custom call made here in the US is worth what the makers asking price is. The production calls I can see being cheap cause a lot of them are made cheap.
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This goes with many things beyond brand/name, it does get into the quality of product you are buying (beyond turkey calls). Don't know this at all but I would believe some makers are a part-time business and for some it may be their livelihood. I have a few custom calls that had a bit of a price tag to them but for me were well worth the price.
When looking at any product there are always "grades" quality differences to those products, you can compare these quality differences and make your decision from there. What the demand for said products can increase the price as well (what the market bears) Of course the final choice comes down to you and what you feel you are willing to pay for said product. As for myself if I know I am looking for a certain quality of product and said product lives up to that expectation I have no issue with paying more to purchase it.
MK M GOBL
There's certain companies, woodhaven, Zink to name a few that are way too proud of their calls. Anyone who supports that hasn't thought things through IMO.
Custom makers, I mean real custom makers are putting out calls and often if you consider the stories guys tell when they call, the same story they retell next time they see the guy, the texts, calls, running calls, honoring a product by swapping things out if you're not happy etc. The fit finish and neatness involved as well as matching strikers, tuning box calls, etc all take time.
Than there's the calls that just don't sound right and get tossed. Who eats that?? Sounds like the calls are priced cheap. I don't see most of the guys driving Mercedes Benz.
I know it's a labor of love for most guys. A few bucks is way fair.
Everything has gotten too high in cost.
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Good materials, electricity, time, taxes etc. factor in. SHIPPING is a real killer when you buy materials, especially wood. Some guys have a place close by to buy their wood from, others have to order online. You have to pass that on in the price. Also, bigger companies can take advantage of pretty good discounts by buying in bulk, small timers usually do not. Website maintainance etc. If you are retailing, they get 30-40%, so you have to price accordingly, and hopefully move enough calls to profit from it a little. All kinda stuff to consider as a call maker.
In the end, I love having lots of choices. It would be real boring to just have a few big companies selling calls. Handmade, custom stuff doesnt always mean its better, but its different at least?
Mark
There are many that have to adjust prices to trim the market demand.
It's then on the consumer to decide if the value is worth the purchase, for most of us it is some it will not be. They still have a customer base but can meet the demand and still make money allowing them to do it with less orders thus also cutting down wait time.
When I buy a call i generally don't like spending over $60 ish range. That's not to say I won't, and in fact very well may this week at the convention. I just haven't played one of the expensive ones yet that I personally felt like was worth an extravagant price. I'm not a name chaser and I buy calls to hunt with so having a call made by a specific person or that is very decorative isn't my thing.
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I think that as call makers it's important to start your prices on the lower end of the spectrum. Once he has established a name for himself, sold calls and heard good things, and generally become in demand a little more, he has to raise prices in order to keep making calls. A $40 pot leaves someone with very little profit, as I imagine a $60 box would.
You've got wood, sandpaper, glues, surfaces and soundboards, electricity, gas when driving to stores, TIME, shipping, new equipment and tools when they wear out ,taxes if you are making enough calls to warrant them, etc.
For someone to sell pots for $40, he is making enough to buy more stuff to make calls, but not put any money in the bank. In the past I made everything with a lathe, and that is very time consuming compared to some other methods.
It really adds up!
I know people who figure the more they pay for something the better it has to be, hence Woodhaven. I suppose if you want to give $210 for a pot call or $16 for a mouth call and you're happy, more power to ya. I'm not buying anything from a company that IMO is way way to proud of what they're selling. And the audacity of them to include the word "custom" in their name is a mystery to me, hell you can go to any Academy store and find them in bubble wrap packs.
The true custom call maker, from what I see are not over priced. Just my opinion