Is there a run on used clubs right now?

[RogerinNewZealand]

Two months ago i bought mint dark sm7 54s in nz and so listed my mint 2006 54sm ..upgrade cost $10! Right now g410 ex demo,and these look like two year hire clubs,eg 4/10..$240us.... the g410 5 wood with alta cb reg 65 is the one i want!

[enduro]

Prices are ridiculous on Ebay right now, but there is still a few deals to be had on Kijiji at least in Canada. People will ask for inflated prices but nothing sells locally unless prices are marked right down.

 

 

I sold a bunch of my extra golf clubs in early August but once September arrives nothing moves in my area   

[ChipNRun]

Two factors to keep in mind... COVID crisis and earlier tightening of supply chains

 

Amid the COVID crisis, more people are starting to play golf, or current players are retooling their games. As several golf-related professionals have said, outdoor golf is one of the few sports activities that's still going strong, in part because it's easy to stay 6 feet apart.

 

An independent full-service golf shop that I frequent has just a scattering of used clubs on the rack. I asked the owner if sales were good, and he said the local Play It Again Sports (PIAS) has them on consignment. A trip to PIAS showed just four full iron sets on the rack. In May, their 10-club display racks were full, with bundled sets leaning against the wall.

 

In long clubs and wedges plenty of lefty gear... but not much left for righties.

 

The PIAS manager "pinged" me for telling him about used clubs I had rather than bringing them in for sale. (He's a great guy, I really enjoy talking to him and his crew.)

 

A couple of days later I called Callaway Preowned about availability of a Rogue 7W; only two Rogue fairways were showing up online. He said that turnaround on preowned had been brisk, especially since late May. He told me to monitor the site: clubs come in regularly, but don't stay for long.

 

I'm thinking about hitting up some estate sales in the ritzy neighborhoods to see if I could get some golf gear and turn it around for profit.

 

Finally, the COVID is interacting with a move by Callaway and a couple of the other big OEMs to better manage their supply chain. Circa 2015 the regional Callaway rep said the company was going from push to pull marketing. Basically,  Callaway won't automatically push a new line of clubs onto the market on some schedule made up two years ago. Rather, they will let demand pull the new clubs onto the market as numbers of the prior model start to dwindle in supply chain.

 

Case in point was the Rogue iron family. I had considered getting the Rogue Pros in summer of 2019, but it was too late. Callaway quit taking custom orders on the set in July rather than waiting until Christmas. This also shows up in Callaway wedges. Any choice in the MD4 model was pretty well exhausted by Thanksgiving last. At the Novermber Gateway PGA clearance sale, most of new MD4s were 58* and 60* LWs.

Edited September 7, 2020 by ChipNRun

[setter02]

I've made out really well on finding good to great deals on clubs this year, but have all been newer.  People are asking completely stupid prices on older gear either due to sheer stupidity or greed.  One of my favorites was a TS3 driver with a big dent in the crown that was listed for $350, saying it was 'only cosmetic'...

[pkshooter]

In my opinion it has less to do with more people playing golf now due to covid and more to do with the major golf club manufacturers not pumping out as much new stuff and longer lead times on custom orders.  
 

For example, if the price difference between a new set of irons and some lightly used ones on eBay is $100 or less, I’d just be inclined to order new ones.  However, if I can get the eBay clubs in 4 days and it takes 6 weeks to get the new clubs from Ping, I’m going to be willing to pay the higher prices in the used market.

Edited September 8, 2020 by pkshooter

[braincramp52]

There are idiots trying to sell used LH G400 drivers for between $400- $450 when you can buy a new G410 for $399!

[Duffner's Waggle]

1 hour ago, pkshooter said:

In my opinion it has less to do with more people playing golf now due to covid and more to do with the major golf club manufacturers not pumping out as much new stuff and longer lead times on custom orders.  
 

For example, if the price difference between a new set of irons and some lightly used ones on eBay is $100 or less, I’d just be inclined to order new ones.  However, if I can get the eBay clubs in 4 days and it takes 6 weeks to get the new clubs from Ping, I’m going to be willing to pay the higher prices in the used market.

Good point. I’ve made that decision myself

[bnperrone]

After reading all of this I definitely need to take some garage clubs to Ebay

[Lemonde]

10 hours ago, minhjn said:

Kinda related but I feel like it’s impossible to find 5 and 7 woods. The high lofted wood is pretty hot right now

That price is nuts. 

[setter02]

1 hour ago, pkshooter said:

In my opinion it has less to do with more people playing golf now due to covid and more to do with the major golf club manufacturers not pumping out as much new stuff and longer lead times on custom orders.  
 

For example, if the price difference between a new set of irons and some lightly used ones on eBay is $100 or less, I’d just be inclined to order new ones.  However, if I can get the eBay clubs in 4 days and it takes 6 weeks to get the new clubs from Ping, I’m going to be willing to pay the higher prices in the used market.

 

But have OEM's really slowed down releases and the amount of clubs the manufactured isn't likely any less than in previous years.  I believe that it has more to do with a huge inflex of new/youth to the game.  And I don't even mean kids.  The one local range I would go to in the evenings used to be empty (the main reason I went there), but this year it will be rammed with a line up.  Lots of university kids and early 20s with nothing to do.  Good for the course, good for those who sold them over priced equipment, bad for the turf of the range...  

 

Our local PIAS used to have decent gear in it, now they have virtually nothing in stock, nothing in irons at all.

 

In reality for most courses here in Southern Ontario (except bottom end public that always open early), this later start was nothing more than recovering from a bad winter, so time frame not out of what can be planned for initially.  But courses are setting record numbers of rounds played now.

[bird_4_3]

Hey Duff,

As many 3 woods that you went through a few years ago, you could be sitting on goldmine ?

[braincramp52]

7 hours ago, bird_4_3 said:

Hey Duff,

As many 3 woods that you went through a few years ago, you could be sitting on goldmine ?

 

You got that right. If I had all of Duf's 3 woods, I wouldn't need my 401K!?

[Duffner's Waggle]

3 minutes ago, braincramp52 said:

 

You got that right. If I had all of Duf's 3 woods, I wouldn't need my 401K!?

I’m a changed man! I have exactly 2 right now. A gamer and a backup. Shoot, if I had what I used to have, I’d get real liquid and start playin 1 of 1 Miuras or something!

[Lemonde]

7 hours ago, Duffner's Waggle said:

I’m a changed man! I have exactly 2 right now. A gamer and a backup. Shoot, if I had what I used to have, I’d get real liquid and start playin 1 of 1 Miuras or something!

So you have two 3 woods.  As that one in your bag not a 4 wood though? Lol.  I used to have the G15 4 wood.  Was amazing.  

[Duffner's Waggle]

Just now, Lemonde said:

So you have two 3 woods.  As that one in your bag not a 4 wood though? Lol.  I used to have the G15 4 wood.  Was amazing.  

Sorry i have two fairways. Actually no 3 woods ? a 4 wood and a 5 wood. Who am I

[braincramp52]

6 minutes ago, Duffner's Waggle said:

Sorry i have two fairways. Actually no 3 woods ? a 4 wood and a 5 wood. Who am I

 

This is one of the most disappointing days I've experienced in this forum. ?

[Duffner's Waggle]

50 minutes ago, braincramp52 said:

 

This is one of the most disappointing days I've experienced in this forum. ?

I mean...I'd be lying if I said I didn't look at every single 3W posted in BST. But I'm trying to stop hoing those because honestly it was hurting my game a ton lol. But boy the chase was somethin...

[Duffner's Waggle]

53 minutes ago, braincramp52 said:

 

This is one of the most disappointing days I've experienced in this forum. ?

Also, not to mention, per this thread title....it's not as simple to ho 3 woods as it used to be. It's freaking expensive. Some of these newer fairways like a Mavrik with a Ventus are like $400 used.....get outta here man. That's insanity

[ajestrada3]

I check ebay almost daily for deals, starting around when covid hit, and prices have definitely gone up on used clubs.

[animalgolfs]

2 hours ago, Duffner's Waggle said:

Also, not to mention, per this thread title....it's not as simple to ho 3 woods as it used to be. It's freaking expensive. Some of these newer fairways like a Mavrik with a Ventus are like $400 used.....get outta here man. That's insanity

A $35 Steelhead from '98 has Duff all over it

[Juice1121]

I have noticed prices are a bit higher and deals are harder to find, but they are out there. I have gotten a few putters and some iron sets, but I think I paid a fair price (albeit slightly high) considering their conditions. I will say that I have noticed Scotty Buttonback prices skyrocketed. I bought one a few years ago for 650 and sold a year later for like 775. Now you can't find one for under 1500. I'm not talking Circle T or anything, just a standard button back.

[RoyalMustang]

On 9/7/2020 at 8:53 AM, JDennis said:

Prices have been crazy. From what I have heard, any of the outdoor activities that you can "social distance" while doing have gone through the ceiling on prices. Also was told that since many people are working/staying at home more and not traveling, they have more time for outdoor activites.  I know that this year, I have played the most golf I ever have averaging 2-3 times per week. 

 

Deals on golf and especially bikes are slim to none to find. Only deal I have been able to score on golf clubs was a mint used set of Mizuno MP-H5 for $350

 

I sold 5 older road and cyclocross bikes I had laying around, for asking price, on CL within 2 days of listing them.  Pricing was between $750-$1600, or about 65% of retail. That NEVER happens! 

 

I can't say for golf equipment: 65% of retail on a one-year old set of clubs seems about right to me, but what I do I know about the golf industry?   They can't start overproducing as the demand will fall off at some point.  It isn't as if a bunch of "new golfers" are being minted. More likely, people who used to play, such as myself, are back at it.  I still don't see many younger people flocking to the sport. 

 

A bit off topic:  Let's face it: golf is a huge time commitment.  Comparing it to riding my road or mountain bike again:  6 hours a week on my road bike is about 120 miles and a solid amount of riding.  I can still go out and race the Cat 1 field mountain or cyclocross on that amount of training and be very competitive (the equivalent of a being a 0-4 handicap in golf) 

 

6 hours of golf a week is 1 round, 1 range session, and maybe a putting session.  That isn't enough time to keep most people in the 0-4 handicap range on the course!   Once people become busier again with commuting and whatnot, golf participation will go down.  I am hitting the course for at least a practice session 5x a week; this time last year, it would have been 1x, if that!   It is a big reason that where I lived, and in most places on the West Coast, the traditional "doing business at the golf course" has been replaced with other activities. I can't tell you how many times the movers and shakers of my city would go out and network during a brisk 25-mile noon ride; get out, ride, shower, and back to work in 90-100 minutes.  A busy professional with a family doesn't have time to play a round on a weekday without feeling like a absentee father!  

[ajestrada3]

Back when Covid first hit and quarantines were starting and people weren't working, i got an almost brand new set of the new lefty Cobra Forged Tec Irons 4-GW with recoil F4 110 shafts on ebay for 700 and a basically new Sim Max 3 wood for 200. Deals were so good back then. 

[ChipNRun]

This Forbe's magazine article describes sales jumps at PGA Tour Superstores. Part of success: attracting beginners.

 

 

Edited September 9, 2020 by ChipNRun
Redo link.