"Real" value of old irons?

[MacgregorFan]

Been thinking about clearing out my old irons.

I've perused the PGA Value guide as well as Ebay and Craigslist.

C'MON!?!

You're telling me, a set of Ben Hogan PC irons (1 thru E, Apex 4) is only worth $20.00?!!?? They are good enough (including the grooves), I would put them back in my bag if I had to.

My Wilson Staffs & FG-17's (1-PW) are only worth $18.00/set???!! That's just crazy! Granted - the Staff's aren't in the best condition.

And value of refinished 1977 MacGregor VIP (heads only with teardrop backs)?

I understand that prices are driven by what the market is, but still...I'm thinking I could take them into a steel recycling facility and get more money!?

[SNIPERBBB]

You might get 20 cents scrap price at a dollar per hundred pounds. There's a glut of used clubs out there. Heck ive got 5 iron sets at my house that aren't in use and most aren't mine.

[RayGorman]

The PGA value guide doesn't take into account any "intrinsic" values. Only what they'll pay for a trade. It isn't a "Collector's guide to Club Values". A set of clubs that has some historic interest is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it in the right situation. and that would certainly be more than the PGA guide.

[puttingmatt]

Everone uses the pga value guide, barring collectable status, its a good start. Its handy, I have used the guide at rummage sales. Saves the buyer some money, seller not so much

[Nard_S]

Decent barometer is go on eBay, bring up iron and then select "Sold/Completed", see price and match it to condition with the pictures you can access. FWIW, there are few irons that command real money. Some collectable Hogan's are very expensive, very desirable one's (Redlines as ex) command $300-$450 in excellent shape & FG 17 in good shape do fetch some doe but nothing crazy.

[sdandrea]

Sell them to BigStu! He loves the classics. ;)

[ohioglfr]

Kind of irks me that the PGA Value Guide doesn't include some credible brands such as Wishon, KZG and Maltby.

[JD3]

Id say Ping Eye2's. The original ping shafts are poor, and the lofts are weak by today's standards. But they usually wear well over time. For around $150 tops where I think they can be had on eBay, they're still a good deal. If they come with the wedges it's that much better as they had real nice grinds

[phatchrisrules]

> @ohioglfr said:

> Kind of irks me that the PGA Value Guide doesn't include some credible brands such as Wishon, KZG and Maltby.

 

KZG and Wishon I could see, but Maltby? No chance. Even Wishon is a bit of a stretch. How much is someone going to pay for a used head that costs $30 new? Maybe $5 if they are in great shape so they can try and sell them at $12-15 a head? Not worth their time for the $100-120 especially considering it's a brand that most casual players have never heard of. Unfortunately (and fortunately) components cost so little because they have almost zilch in the resale department. It's a benefit because we can buy them cheaply for an experiment but I always question the people who put $700 into these when they could pick up something used with almost identical specs that actually has some resale value for the same if not cheaper.

[dcopp7]

I sold a set of FG17s for $75 on eBay yesterday. Search SOLD LISTINGS

[@_the_crook]

you won't know until you list them and get some offers.

a reseller is going to offer you low dollar.

[BCULAW]

It's an interesting perspective. I've recently reevaluated the priority I place on equipment. Fact is, you can have a lot of fun on the course with a set of beater clubs. I am a bona fide iron junkie, and I can drive myself crazy looking for the perfect set, but the most fun I've had in a round this season was with a 30 year old set of MP-14s. Sometimes I get so caught up in having the latest that I lose sight of those pieces that I feel are the greatest. If a set speaks to your soul, its price is irrelevant, and its value is relative.

[oiler45]

Used golf clubs are only worth what someone is willing to pay for them … which for most people is much lower than what they think. Golf clubs by and large are a poor investment. I laugh at people who use iron head covers due to resale value - fact is 5 year old irons are worth about the same if they are pristine or show their appropriate age. I say use'em, abuse 'em, give them away to charity and buy some new ones.

[MacgregorFan]

Yes, as I said, I understand that whatever people are willing to pay is the price you can get. AND, I understand everyone's desire to get something as cheaply as possible (me included).

Still, there should be some type of "realistic" pricing guide.... in a perfect world ;)

Having used the PGA Value guide in the retail industry, I don't feel it's realistic. Alot of times, the shaft alone, in a top of the line used driver or fairway wood, is worth more than the PGA Value guide for the whole club.

Thanks for your comments.

 

 

[MacgregorFan]

> @oiler45 said:

> Used golf clubs are only worth what someone is willing to pay for them … which for most people is much lower than what they think. Golf clubs by and large are a poor investment. I laugh at people who use iron head covers due to resale value - fact is 5 year old irons are worth about the same if they are pristine or show their appropriate age. I say use'em, abuse 'em, give them away to charity and buy some new ones.

 

I get your point (and valid).

But I like the "shiny", "new" look by using iron headcovers - especially for my forged irons.

After all, I'd rather drive a shiny sports car than a beat up sports car. In the end, both get used and abused, but one just looks nicer - regardless of resale value. :)

 

 

 

[MacgregorFan]

> @BCULAW said:

> It's an interesting perspective. I've recently reevaluated the priority I place on equipment. Fact is, you can have a lot of fun on the course with a set of beater clubs. I am a bona fide iron junkie, and I can drive myself crazy looking for the perfect set, but the most fun I've had in a round this season was with a 30 year old set of MP-14s. Sometimes I get so caught up in having the latest that I lose sight of those pieces that I feel are the greatest. If a set speaks to your soul, its price is irrelevant, and its value is relative.

 

Oh wow....must be the softest feeling irons, from what I remember.

[MacgregorFan]

> @JD3 said:

> Id say Ping Eye2's. The original ping shafts are poor, and the lofts are weak by today's standards. But they usually wear well over time. For around $150 tops where I think they can be had on eBay, they're still a good deal. If they come with the wedges it's that much better as they had real nice grinds

 

Weak lofts? Might explain why most of us carried Ping Eye 1-irons in high school. But I preferred the Wilson R-90 and R-20 wedges - Personal grinds....I ground them myself. :)

 

Hey! I'm trying to get rid of clubs...not add to the collection ;)

[oiler45]

> @MacgregorFan said:

> > @oiler45 said:

> > Used golf clubs are only worth what someone is willing to pay for them … which for most people is much lower than what they think. Golf clubs by and large are a poor investment. I laugh at people who use iron head covers due to resale value - fact is 5 year old irons are worth about the same if they are pristine or show their appropriate age. I say use'em, abuse 'em, give them away to charity and buy some new ones.

>

> I get your point (and valid).

> But I like the "shiny", "new" look by using iron headcovers - especially for my forged irons.

> After all, I'd rather drive a shiny sports car than a beat up sports car. In the end, both get used and abused, but one just looks nicer - regardless of resale value. :)

 

I get it - I could not possibly care less if people use iron head covers - I just don't feel it has any effect on resale values. If you like to keep your clubs shiny and new looking - use your covers - all the power to you.

Your car analogy is spot-on - my black car is absolutely babied - washed and dusted nearly every day - won't affect my resale value when I do sell it, but I loathe driving a dirty car. Have a good day ….

 

 

[ohioglfr]

I think you miss the point. The value guide is for complete clubs, not "heads". So, if, for example, someone has a lightly used set of Maltby DBM's with high-end flighted shafts, you're saying they're basically worthless because they're not the popular, mass-marketed brands? I'd sure like to know how much it costs to manufacture a "major" brand head made in China or Vietnam!that they're > @phatchrisrules said:

> > @ohioglfr said:

> > Kind of irks me that the PGA Value Guide doesn't include some credible brands such as Wishon, KZG and Maltby.

>

> KZG and Wishon I could see, but Maltby? No chance. Even Wishon is a bit of a stretch. How much is someone going to pay for a used head that costs $30 new? Maybe $5 if they are in great shape so they can try and sell them at $12-15 a head? Not worth their time for the $100-120 especially considering it's a brand that most casual players have never heard of. Unfortunately (and fortunately) components cost so little because they have almost zilch in the resale department. It's a benefit because we can buy them cheaply for an experiment but I always question the people who put $700 into these when they could pick up something used with almost identical specs that actually has some resale value for the same if not cheaper.

 

[phatchrisrules]

> @ohioglfr said:

> I think you miss the point. The value guide is for complete clubs, not "heads". So, if, for example, someone has a lightly used set of Maltby DBM's with high-end flighted shafts, you're saying they're basically worthless because they're not the popular, mass-marketed brands? I'd sure like to know how much it costs to manufacture a "major" brand head made in China or Vietnam!that they're > @phatchrisrules said:

> > > @ohioglfr said:

> > > Kind of irks me that the PGA Value Guide doesn't include some credible brands such as Wishon, KZG and Maltby.

> >

> > KZG and Wishon I could see, but Maltby? No chance. Even Wishon is a bit of a stretch. How much is someone going to pay for a used head that costs $30 new? Maybe $5 if they are in great shape so they can try and sell them at $12-15 a head? Not worth their time for the $100-120 especially considering it's a brand that most casual players have never heard of. Unfortunately (and fortunately) components cost so little because they have almost zilch in the resale department. It's a benefit because we can buy them cheaply for an experiment but I always question the people who put $700 into these when they could pick up something used with almost identical specs that actually has some resale value for the same if not cheaper.

>

 

But the shafts are the least important part of the aspect. You can have literally any shaft in a set of Pings for example and not have the price change. So why would that suddenly change for Maltby? It wouldn't increase the value at all. I could put in a full set of Graphite Design AD iron shafts into a set of Pings that cost close to $150 per shaft compared to the stock Alta CB and it won't change the graphite trade-in price. I'm not saying they're worthless, I am saying they are unknown brands that very few know about. It's like if you walked into a big box store and grabbed the first person you saw and said "hey guess what I have an Axivcore 69 in my driver!" Chances are 9/10 people are going to give you a blank look and say something along the lines of "that's nice" and walk away. The same would happen if you tried to sell a set of Maltby's. Working big box it was a crap shoot if the person I was talking to had even heard of Cobra, Wilson, or Srixon. Some barely had heard of Mizuno or Titleist. Marketing sells.

[GoIrish17]

PGA value guide is a huge oxymoron, it’s just a way for big box stores to grossly underpay for trade-ins. It is based on what clubs can get in resale, and places no value in the very things that folks who would be interested in your clubs would find important - collectibility, desirability, rarity, age, condition, etc.

 

I think someone else mentioned above, check completed auctions on eBay to see what similar items are going for. That’s an item’s value in the truest sense - what the open market will pay. You want to find out what your stuff is really “worth”? List it on eBay in an auction and see what it ends at. Who knows? Maybe you’re the only person out there that thinks your irons are worth more than $20, or maybe you’re sitting on a goldmine. There’s only one way to find out.

 

 

[Bad9]

In all honesty all the models you've listed have a very limited market and aren't widely collectible so you see the prices you are offered. Even on Ebay very few of these vintage clubs seem to get sold and most are relisted any number of times. The few sets of Hogan PC's on Ebay that seem to have actually been sold have all gone for less than $55. That would be right around what the trade in value would justify.

[VNutz]

> @GoIrish17 said:

> PGA value guide is a huge oxymoron, it’s just a way for big box stores to grossly underpay for trade-ins. It is based on what clubs can get in resale, and places no value in the very things that folks who would be interested in your clubs would find important - collectibility, desirability, rarity, age, condition, etc.

>

>

>

 

Agreed, and additionally that price doesn't reflect the market value of clubs, it reflects a trade in value, in other words the price they pay you before they list it for sale somewhere else at market rate. It's just like the offer a car dealership makes when you want to trade in your old car, you'll never get full value as they want to make money on it after. Don't let people get between you and your item so they can take a cut, just go to the source in selling and take care of it there.

[GoIrish17]

 

> @JD3 said:

> Id say Ping Eye2's. The original ping shafts are poor, and the lofts are weak by today's standards. But they usually wear well over time. For around $150 tops where I think they can be had on eBay, they're still a good deal. If they come with the wedges it's that much better as they had real nice grinds

 

What is this post even talking about?

[grm24]

> @VNutz said:

> > @GoIrish17 said:

> > PGA value guide is a huge oxymoron, it’s just a way for big box stores to grossly underpay for trade-ins. It is based on what clubs can get in resale, and places no value in the very things that folks who would be interested in your clubs would find important - collectibility, desirability, rarity, age, condition, etc.

> >

> >

> >

>

> Agreed, and additionally that price doesn't reflect the market value of clubs, it reflects a trade in value, in other words the price they pay you before they list it for sale somewhere else at market rate. It's just like the offer a car dealership makes when you want to trade in your old car, you'll never get full value as they want to make money on it after. Don't let people get between you and your item so they can take a cut, just go to the source in selling and take care of it there.

 

The PGA Value guide site does offer an estimated resale number as well. Hard to say how accurate it might be. Curious to know what the OP thought a 40+ year old set of irons might actually be worth. The checking of completed auctions on Ebay is a better barometer for current prices for clubs.

 

http://valueguide.pga.com/library/709/iron-set/wilson/staff-fg-17/

 

 

 

 

[phatchrisrules]

> @grm24 said:

> > @VNutz said:

> > > @GoIrish17 said:

> > > PGA value guide is a huge oxymoron, it’s just a way for big box stores to grossly underpay for trade-ins. It is based on what clubs can get in resale, and places no value in the very things that folks who would be interested in your clubs would find important - collectibility, desirability, rarity, age, condition, etc.

> > >

> > >

> > >

> >

> > Agreed, and additionally that price doesn't reflect the market value of clubs, it reflects a trade in value, in other words the price they pay you before they list it for sale somewhere else at market rate. It's just like the offer a car dealership makes when you want to trade in your old car, you'll never get full value as they want to make money on it after. Don't let people get between you and your item so they can take a cut, just go to the source in selling and take care of it there.

>

> The PGA Value guide site does offer an estimated resale number as well. Hard to say how accurate it might be. **Curious to know what the OP thought a 40+ year old set of irons might actually be worth.** The checking of completed auctions on Ebay is a better barometer for current prices for clubs.

>

> http://valueguide.pga.com/library/709/iron-set/wilson/staff-fg-17/

>

>

>

>

>

 

My guess is they thought they had a goldmine of rare items because everything that is "vintage" is worth it's weight in platinum, right? As much as the OP claims, I don't know a single person who plays golf halfway seriously that willingly would put a set of 40 year old blades in play. They are a nightmare to reshaft, they have zero forgiveness, and honestly, don't really feel all that great compared to more modern irons of the mid 90s and onwards, IMO. This is coming from a guy whose dad semi-collected these old gems and I owned an old set of Titleist Square Toe blades from roughly the same vintage of when I was born along with an old set of Spalding blades someone gifted me from the 60s or 70s and they felt horrendous, even on middle strikes, compared to even the Tiger Woods original Nike blade from close to 20 years ago.

[Tzoid]

They are worth whatever someone is willing to pay you for them........ Most Irons lose their value quickly but as a rule of thumb all clubs are worth pennies on the dollar .

[CrushSticks]

Just for reference, PGA Value Guide uses data collected from 3rd party sellers and auction sites(like eBay) to create their prices. As sad as it can look some times, their numbers for resale value are actually very accurate. They may miss a price drop on a newer item from time to time and actually be a bit on the high side, but like others have said, if we are talking about a bone stock off the rack club, the average price of recent eBay sales will usually line up with their resale value.