Price of Sticks is Getting Ridiculous

[Puckstop40]

The new Bauer and Easton high end sticks have reached $260. Every year the price creeps up at least $10. Why is this? Is this new technology making a considerable difference to previous year's models?

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[rinkrat22]

it is getting crazy, especially when you look at the fact that for the most part Softball bats and golf clubs (drivers and fairway woods) have pretty much stagnated in price.

 

[hitmanjat]

I've never paid full retail for a top end stick because i do agree its ridiculous.

I usually look for deals on ebay or classifieds

 

[SCBruCrew4]

I'd never give up $150 for a stick, at least at the level I play at. But then again you can always look for last years models for cheaper. HockeyMonkey and Pure hockey have sent me emails for high-end sticks for more than $100 off now that the newer ones are out.

 

[WasteofTaffe]

Its not just the sticks, skates have reached ridiculous prices too. The bauer total one is 800. Closeout/previous model sticks arent too crazy if you can find your curve and flex, just got an s19 for 130 shipped.

 

[kr580]

Why is this?

They throw out hype words and people buy them up in bunches. If they're selling, why not?

 

[thom]

Can some one tell me if SBK HOCKEY is still in business it was delisted from TSE IN january?They had good ideas and equipment.

 

[AIREAYE]

Inflation, rising input costs.

 

[OpenIceHit42]

I couldn't stomach paying $260 for a stick. I'm fine with my $89.99 Warrior AK-27's

 

[PerpetualTankYear]

What new sticks? Didn't they just release the Nexus, and MAKO?

 

[SCBruCrew4]

What new sticks? Didn't they just release the Nexus, and MAKO?

Mako came out late last year, the Nexus came out this summer and Bauer is also releasing a new TotalONE Stick called the NXG. CCM also released a new stick called the RBZ. I have a feeling Warrior is also going to release something new soon too, because they have all their sticks from last year on clearance for dirt cheap prices on Hockeymonkey.com.

 

[AIREAYE]

Mako came out late last year, the Nexus came out this summer and Bauer is also releasing a new TotalONE Stick called the NXG. CCM also released a new stick called the RBZ. I have a feeling Warrior is also going to release something new soon too, because they have all their sticks from last year on clearance for dirt cheap prices on Hockeymonkey.com.

Mako was a Spring 2012 release, not last year. Warrior released their Covert DT1 and DT4 on the same day as the RBZ with the rest of the line arriving in the fall. The RBZ will also have at least one other stick in its line, with the RBZ 60 as it's sidekick $100 pricepoint product.

 

[PerpetualTankYear]

Won't even be touching these. I'm a Bauer guy (hate easton sticks) and like the Vapor line over the Supreme. I havn't tried a Nexus yet.

 

[SCBruCrew4]

Mako was a Spring 2012 release, not last year. Warrior released their Covert DT1 and DT4 on the same day as the RBZ with the rest of the line arriving in the fall. The RBZ will also have at least one other stick in its line, with the RBZ 60 as it's sidekick $100 pricepoint product.

I satnd corrected. What I did mean by last year was last hockey season. Not the actual "year". Stupid mvoe on my part for not clarifying but I'm working the overnght shift..I have an excuse! lol

 

[Jarick]

So buy the models 1-2 down. Easton Mako M5 is the same as an old Easton ST. Bauer APX 7.0 is super close to the old X:60. Warrior Dynasty is like the old Dolomite. You can get sticks from Base for $150.

Top end sticks are WAY better than they were 10 years ago, so if you want the technology from 10 years ago buy a cheaper stick.

 

[OpenIceHit42]

Won't even be touching these. I'm a Bauer guy (hate easton sticks) and like the Vapor line over the Supreme. I havn't tried a Nexus yet.

I'm a Warrior guy, love my AK27's (bought a couple of bundles from HM.com) but I want to give the Nexus 4000 a try however my LHS does not carry the "pro" 102 flex".

 

[ChiTownHawks]

I'm a Warrior guy, love my AK27's (bought a couple of bundles from HM.com) but I want to give the Nexus 4000 a try however my LHS does not carry the "pro" 102 flex".

Man if the Nexus 1000 is $250 I wonder how much the 4000 is?

 

[thrillhouse99]

it is getting crazy, especially when you look at the fact that for the most part Softball bats and golf clubs (drivers and fairway woods) have pretty much stagnated in price.

Golf clubs have actually pulled back quite a bit over the years. In the late 90's/early 2000's a top end driver would cost you $600 and a set of blade irons ran about $1400. Now drivers retail in the $400-$450 range (with ping being around $350) and blade irons run about $1000-$1100.

$300 for a hockey stick seems a little crazy, especially considering that they break and I would assume that a high level peewee or bantam player must go through as many as ten sticks a year (am I wrong?). It's a lot of money for someone to shell out, especially a parent!

 

[rinkrat22]

Golf clubs have actually pulled back quite a bit over the years. In the late 90's/early 2000's a top end driver would cost you $600 and a set of blade irons ran about $1400. Now drivers retail in the $400-$450 range (with ping being around $350) and blade irons run about $1000-$1100.

$300 for a hockey stick seems a little crazy, especially considering that they break and I would assume that a high level peewee or bantam player must go through as many as ten sticks a year (am I wrong?). It's a lot of money for someone to shell out, especially a parent!

I just bought a RBZ driver this spring, it had been about 7 years since I had bought a new driver. I paid $299. Its one of if not the hotest drivers on the market. of course I'm still playing my hogan Irons from around'97 but you just cant replace perfection. I kknow some of those drivers got a little rediculous but at least there aren't supposed to break. sticks on the other hand...

 

[ponder]

The new Bauer and Easton high end sticks have reached $260. Every year the price creeps up at least $10. Why is this? Is this new technology making a considerable difference to previous year's models?

Inflation, mostly. Tonnes of products are rising in price by 5% or more per year, especially in America, where they've been absolutely flooding the market with currency after the 2008 financial crisis. If you want cheaper sticks, buy cheaper sticks. You can get a bad stick for as little as $20, and plenty of decent sticks can be found at roughly $100.

 

[thrillhouse99]

I just bought a RBZ driver this spring, it had been about 7 years since I had bought a new driver. I paid $299. Its one of if not the hotest drivers on the market. of course I'm still playing my hogan Irons from around'97 but you just cant replace perfection. I kknow some of those drivers got a little rediculous but at least there aren't supposed to break. sticks on the other hand...

Exactly, $299 and you won't have to buy a new driver for another 7years unless you want a new one. It's a completely different expenditure than a hockey stick.

What hogan irons? Apex blades? Those are beauties.

 

[rinkrat22]

yup apex blades, and I paid 799 for those, 15 years ago. now forged clubs are over a grand but you get so many years out of them the value is there. A stick that you know is gonna break for 250-260 is crazy. I'm on my second totalone and paid 200 for those, I cant see another 50.

 

[noobman]

R&D costs, manufacturing costs, higher input costs, inflation in general. Given some of the drastic redesigns you see every couple of years, I wouldn't be surprised if the yield rate was fairly low on certain sticks.

 

[OpenIceHit42]

Man if the Nexus 1000 is $250 I wonder how much the 4000 is?

Good catch. Fat fingered that one.

 

[GrafSk8r12]

http://www.hockeymonkey.com/clearance-sticks.html