Do blades experience Inflation?

[Michael Zhuang]

I haven't been following blades that long, but have blades experienced much inflation?

YEO is $50 today, what was it 10 years ago?
Viscaria is $180, what was it 10 years ago?
Acoustic is $170, what was it 10 years ago?

 

[Kolev]

I remember Viscaria at 80€ . Must have been around 2005

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

Viscaria is the only one that has really undergone a significant increase in price. When ZJK was using a Viscaria they actually discontinued it and then started making it again. And when they started making it again the price was $120 USD. Not sure what it was before they discontinued the blade. But with how popular ZJK became and how many people wanted to use the Viscaria, the started making it again. And I guess, since then, it has just increased in price.

But TT equipment inflation does not have much to do with real world economic pressures. When Butterfly first started selling Tenergy the price was not so big. I can't remember but, maybe $35-$40. And when they realized how everyone started using Tenergy, and at that time there really was nothing even close to as good, they raised the price to $45, $50, $55 and then $60 in a very short amount of time.

 

[cytivrat]

I bought Timo Boll Spirit somewhere around 2002, it cost me around $60, that was including very nice discount. Official price was definitely less than $100, maybe $80 or something like that. Last time I saw it on en.butterfly.tt it was definitely around 120-130 euro (not quite sure, maybe even more).
On the other hand Samsonov Alpha seems to cost almost the same as it was in 2000. Maybe Butterfly blades cost significantly more now and others are around the same price tag?

 

[Michael Zhuang]

So is the price increasing only on individual blades because of their popularity?

Or does the price increase in general with general economic price increases?

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

For the most part, Butterfly increases their prices based on what they think TT players are willing to pay. Most other companies, the price does not change that much.

I think I looked at the price of an Acoustic in 2010 and it was $169.95. And I think it is still about that same price. Right?

Carl

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

Here. This video is comedy. But it is not entirely untrue:

 

[Kolev]

Actually Viscaria seems to be the only blade from the older gen alc which is still in production. (No more TB Spirit, Iolite, M Maze, Keyshot, KLHS)
On the other hand Stiga, Yasaka, Avalox, Donic still produce and sell their most popular old models at about the same price as 20-25 years ago

 

[brokenball]

My TBS cost $90 in 2009
My TB ALC cost $135 a 6 or 7 years ago.
My c-pen YEO cost me $45 about 6 or 7 years ago.

 

[Michael Zhuang]

I guess that means that if you're planning on getting a blade, don't wait a few years in the future when its more expensive. Might as well just get it now before inflation hits it.

 

[dajdosta]

You sound like you are going to sell a blade 😁

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

You sound like you are going to sell a blade 😁

To me it sounds like the worst case of the EJ Virus I have seen in a long time. I prescribe changing hobbies. Try biking:

This bike is only $16,400.00 USD.

https://www.racycles.com/bikes/road/colnago/colnago-c64-disc-corsa-pro-bike-24182

 

[Konrad Bak]

deleted

 

[Comodoensis]

It seems Butterfly is the 'economic' brand among all, by implementing one aspect called 'inflation' 🙄

 

[Kolev]

For me the price of premium equipment is qoing up and normal equipment has the same price, people wants extra equipment so IT is normal that good expensive blades will be more expensive than IT was 10 years ago

Premium equipment? What makes it premium? The endorser's name or the price we pay, or both? Most of us know the price of the Viscaria 17 years ago and way back then this blade by all means was not THE reference premium blade available. Now it is more than double premium just because it became the choice of someone ....and now we have the new endless products tripling the premium with triple the price. I followed this madness up to a certain point till I realized how stupid am I to play their game and meanwhile there are so many interesting and inovative blades at down to earth price.

 

[ttarc]

Some got cheaper, some stayed the same and some are now much more expensive...
https://forum.tt-news.de/showpost.php?p=870836&postcount=24 (contains some pages from an old 1985/86 tt catalogue)
Donic Offplay Persson (afaik this is the Persson Powerplay today) 40 DM, Stiga Offensive 58 DM, Stiga Clipper 89 DM, Butterfly Grubba 37 DM and the single ply Hinoki Tibhar H-1-9 was 61 DM.
Mark V rubber: 39 DM
Using the purchasing power equivalents 1) the prices in 2021 Euros would be:
Offplay around 37€, Stiga Offensive 54€, Clipper 83€, Grubba 34€ and the H-1-9 57€
Todays MSRPs are:
Persson Powerplay 32.90€, Stiga Offensive 54.90€, Clipper 62.90€, Grubba 39,90€ and the H-1-9 is sold for a whopping 229€.
And the Mark V 38.90€...

1) https://www.bundesbank.de/resource/...her-betraege-in-deutschen-waehrungen-data.pdf

 

[dajdosta]

Inflation or not, blades are cheap compared to rubbers.
Even if someone buys "premium" blade for 200 EUR it's still not too much, the blade is usable for many years.