Metal detectors seem to be over priced

[mainer]

You cant put a price tag on happiness.

 

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[jeff of pa]

You cant put a price tag on happiness.

Humm. I Can

Price everything at $19.95 or under & I'll be happy

at least till I Find
something else to complain about

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

You cant put a price tag on happiness.

Humm. I Can

Price everything at $19.95 or under & I'll be happy

at least till I Find
something else to complain about

 

[Joe Hoo?]

You cant put a price tag on happiness.

Humm. I Can

Price everything at $19.95 or under & I'll be happy

at least till I Find
something else to complain about



HH

 

[relichunters]

Well people look at a Discovery detector or some crappy one from Dicks sporting goods, or Radio shack and think well $60 is a decent deal I will get one.

Then they look at Whites, Garrett, Bounty Hunter and think OMG $400 for a detector? $600? Those people are out of their minds.

But these companies aren't snap together China made crap. These are heavy duty and can go 10 - 20 years without needing servicing. The control box is well made and can discriminate out better, they don't give many false signals if any at all, they go deeper, etc.

Price depends on preference. Like if you want a sound adjust button to turn your sound down or up, well that will be on a more expensive detector. Point is, all detectors do the same thing, but some go deeper, discriminate better, and have more bells and whistles. $200 would be a great starter detector that is professional and not something that will break in two weeks.

 

[Jimmy(PA)]

Well people look at a Discovery detector or some crappy one from Dicks sporting goods, or Radio shack and think well $60 is a decent deal I will get one.

Then they look at Whites, Garrett, Bounty Hunter and think OMG $400 for a detector? $600? Those people are out of their minds.

But these companies aren't snap together China made crap. These are heavy duty and can go 10 - 20 years without needing servicing. The control box is well made and can discriminate out better, they don't give many false signals if any at all, they go deeper, etc.

Price depends on preference. Like if you want a sound adjust button to turn your sound down or up, well that will be on a more expensive detector. Point is, all detectors do the same thing, but some go deeper, discriminate better, and have more bells and whistles. $200 would be a great starter detector that is professional and not something that will break in two weeks.

To me it's not worth detecting with a cheap detector, I have gone so many times with people using lower end machines, I would get a loud signal, they would come over to check and not get a blip. It would frustrate me to no end knowing I am walking over targets. Then again cheap detectors are what most of us start out with, I know I had my fair share of Radio Shack machines but instead of getting frustrated like a lot of people and quieting I saved up, got a better detector, and never looked back.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Well people look at a Discovery detector or some crappy one from Dicks sporting goods, or Radio shack and think well $60 is a decent deal I will get one.

Then they look at Whites, Garrett, Bounty Hunter and think OMG $400 for a detector? $600? Those people are out of their minds.

But these companies aren't snap together China made crap. These are heavy duty and can go 10 - 20 years without needing servicing. The control box is well made and can discriminate out better, they don't give many false signals if any at all, they go deeper, etc.

Price depends on preference. Like if you want a sound adjust button to turn your sound down or up, well that will be on a more expensive detector. Point is, all detectors do the same thing, but some go deeper, discriminate better, and have more bells and whistles. $200 would be a great starter detector that is professional and not something that will break in two weeks.

Detectors are a lot like cars, someone could have bought a Yugo, Ford Pinto, Chevrolet Vega or Covair, cars that would have got you where you wanted to go eventually maybe, they were not a lot of fun, they broke down, they were not dependable, efficient or comfortable, but they rolled. These cars sold because they were cheap, not for their reliability or efficiency.

If your going to enjoy the hobby and actually have a good chance of finding some nice "treasures", you want a detector that is reliable and efficient. It doesn't have to be the Cadillac of detectors, but you sure as heck do not want the Yugo of detectors either.....

 

[minton7]

dealer markup is about 30-40% minus shipping to them in many cases

 

[minton7]

I just thought about this a little more.. let me give you an example of a dealer not making money or lsoing even at list price:

Coinmaster costs me 139.95
shipping to me for this machine from my supplier is about 10 bucks
customer buys using credit card or paypal... I lose 3% of the retail... even at 179 full list I get about: 25 bucks this is if I do have to drive to meet the customer or ship it out... either of these cases mean I might make 10$ or break even

 

[Iron Patch]

I just thought about this a little more.. let me give you an example of a dealer not making money or lsoing even at list price:

Coinmaster costs me 139.95
shipping to me for this machine from my supplier is about 10 bucks
customer buys using credit card or paypal... I lose 3% of the retail... even at 179 full list I get about: 25 bucks this is if I do have to drive to meet the customer or ship it out... either of these cases mean I might make 10$ or break even

That's why I had no interest staying a dealer. Most sales for the small time guy are the starter units and there's absolutely nothing to be made on those when it's all said and done. I can buy a coin off Ebay to flip and make $25 so there's no point shipping big boxes and answering a million questions.

 

[UncleVinnys]

You cant put a price tag on happiness.

Yep!

And look at my photography hobby.
About $1000 invested and NO return on it,
but it sure is a lot of fun.

 

[smittyw]

Have an $800 one on layaway. Compared to my last hobby, racing 1/8 scale 4hp dirtoval car R/C cars costing about $1000 each by the time the hop ups were installed, this is a real bargain. Because I can how find something that will help pay for the detector.

 

[Clay Slayer]

My main hobby is Sporting Clays and it is by far the most expensive hobby I have ever taken part in...but it is also the sport I get the most enjoyment out of. When I first started the sport seriously about 6 years ago I was blown away at the price of an entry level "quality" SC shotgun. I started out with a Beretta 391 TG auto, about $1400...not too bad. Well, as I got more serious in the sport I moved up to a quality O/U (over and under) shotgun. The prices range from about $1500 or so for an entry level model from a respected manufacturer. I shoot what would be considered a middle of the road model, a Beretta 682 GoldE...about $5000 for my model. AND they just go up from there. A base model Krieghoff K-80 will run you about $10,000 and it's not uncommon for me at a large tournament to see more than a couple of various shotguns that I know are in the $15,000 to $20,000 range.

Add to that practice. During tournament season I usually try and shoot between 250 - 500 rounds a week between the tournaments on the weekends. That's about $75 - $150 for ammo a week just to practice. Oh, also include club fees everytime you go there to practice, about $75 a week...and then the tournament fees...usually about $100 a week, if I include 5-stand. Sooo...about $1200 bucks a month. WHAT! I wish I hadn't done the math, I never knew I spent that much!

Funny thing is, very rarely is it some guy shooting a $10,000 shotgun that wins HOA, etc. Most of those guys just enjoy their hobby, have an appreciation for fine craftsmanship, and have a hell of a lot of expendable cash!

My point is, while the tool is important, it's the user who puts in the most time and becomes the most familiar with their equipment that usually ends up with the best results in the end. Metal detecting is a bargain in my book.

 

[Rockin Chairs Gold]

Webster Dictionary - Hobby: something a person especially likes to work at or study apart from his main business, a favorite past time. Another words a diversion away from his day to day means of living, something to get his mind off those subjects he enjoys a lot less.

Many of us use this hobby to get away and find a place of solitude, to let off steam, and to be alone in our own thoughts.

In many ways it gives us time with a favorite friend or family member. In my case a little friendly competition between me and my son. It's all in fun but as I get older some great memories as well. Try to put a price on that. It ain't all just dollars and cents. Rick

 

[NGE]

My wife is a good cook, she collects cook books, she has never cooked anything from them books for me . Oh her books are paid for...........by me. But, she will never win a cooking contest with any recipes from her books, But, who cares, at least she's happy, that's all that matters to me ......NGE

 

[Eric Willoughby]

It's actually one of the cheaper hobbies. I paintball and use to race bicycles too. A good paintball gun is about 1300 add in the loader and tank and its about a 1700 dollar investment. A good mountain bicycle is about 5-6k and a good road bicycle is about 8-9k now. I play hockey also by the time you factor in 500 dollar skates, 200 dollar sticks, helmets, pads, all the other gear and rink fee's is several grand. None of those other hobbies make me any money, they make me lose it.

I'm a huge paintballer myself. I used to practice with the old title-winning teams of the early era (Bushmasters, Team Vindetta, Predators, Brush Bandits, Team Nemisis, ect)


That's a hobby/sport I really love.

 

[Frankn]

It all depends on how you look at it.
I worked in electronics for 32 years and I can tell you there is a tramendis mark up in the industry but with the economic downturn some things are starting to drop. A camera I have my eye on has droped $40 in the last 2 mo. This is an interchangeable lens model.
Price wise compared to cost--They are grossly overpriced.
Satisfaction wise--They are a bargain.

​

 

[Daedalus]

I can say as working as an Engineer for most of my life the cost add up for production of equipment like the Metal Detector.
Like the mold for the plastic case for the electronics , a cheap one will cost $250.000 to $275.000 . And then you have the up keep and the machine that it takes to run the mold. Most are the 700 ton and up machines.
Then you have the cost of the electronics , when using good quality parts then this does cost more than one thinks.

And then you have the over all development of the product , that is the real cost. It can run into many many thousands of dollars to get this item up and running.
Assembly of the unit, that is a recurring cost on every unit.

The mark up may look like it is way to much , but when you add in all the other cost around it against how many units will be produced in the run then it is not as much as one thinks on profit end . Do they make a profit ? Sure that is part of it. They have to .
And what I have posted here is the very basic total , it can and does cost much more on most product runs .

But like the the others here I do try to buy the American made products, they might not have all American parts inside but that is normal as most electronics are made over seas and shipped here to be assembled .
But I like to support the company's here over the ones over seas.

And everyone we buy from a Dealer here in the U.S keep dollars and Jobs were they count the most right now , In the U.S.A !

Also I buy from dealers here on this board , this is just good business for us all as they keep the store open and we get the benefits all around that goes with them being here in the forum.

 

[Frankn]

let me bring up a few points. Look closely at the new detectors. The one time cost of the mold is spread over many models. Look at Garret ts ace and T models. Same mold used with different color plastic injected. Take a look at First Texas. It looks like most of their new models of many different brandings use the same case. Now for the circuit boards. Most new circuit boards use direct deposit technology which means they are made completely by computer controlled equipment. In fact these boards are so cheap to make they are just tossed and replaced for a repair. Look closely at the displays. A large percentage of them are the same with different overlays to make them look different. Markup! I personally know of one manufacturer that made an item that cost $6.60 and sold it for $660. Don't ask! As far as engineering, that cost is spread over many models and many years. In my 32 years in electronic and mechanical engineering I have been in thousands of companies and seen how their operations work. Sure they have to make a reasonable profit to exist, but look at all the millionair cor perate ex upper levels floating around on their golden parachutes!

 

[LM]

Metal detectors have gotten cheaper and better over the years. There are a few glaring factors, though, that make MD'ing in 1977 very, very different thing than the same pursuit today.

According to a fast and dirty online inflation calculator (consumer price adjusted, up to 2009), a $300 metal detector in 1977 would be laying out $1050 worth of today's buying power.

The money you found with that $300 metal detector in 1977 had almost 4X the buying power then as it does today. Finding a quarter back then was like finding $1 today. Further, there was *a lot* more unworked territory back then in terms of parks, beaches and other 'places people congregate' where coin and jewelry bonanzas were a regular occurrence. You could take out your $300 ($1050 spending power adjusted) metal detector and find $30 ($120 spending power adjusted) worth of coins and from time to time, silver coins worth more than their face value, gold and silver jewelry, etc- all this in an era where minimum wage $2.20 an hour.

The 'profitability' of MD'ing was a very time sensitive affair that heavily factored in the value of the dollar (and in turn, the spending power of the coins you might find with a MD) and the availability of virgin grounds to hunt, where lots and lots and lots of coins and jewelry could be found.

The economics are very different today. Now, the value of the dollar is garbage. Metal detecting is more an easygoing hobby than a 'gig to make a few extra bucks' - so you can't really buy gear expecting a big financial return. Also, 99.9% of the prime grounds have been worked. Buy some treasure and MD mags from the 60's and 70's and read about what the guys back then might find during a typical day wandering a beach or a park. Today's grounds are *nothing* like that.

Still, there's enough random stuff out there that you'll probably pay for your machine in time, but your hourly rate won't be nearly as desirable as it was years ago when there was a lot more to find and the value of what you found went a lot further. Back then, you could actually 'make money' with a metal detector. Today, it's pretty much nothing more than a good way to have something to occupy your mind when you're out taking a walk.