Sovereign GT increase

[synthnut]

We're not getting ripped off ....We're buying into the whole scheme of things ...... The music industry is the same way ....Guys buy stuff before it even hits the streets , and there are guys out there that put a spin on these items and everybody lines up for them .without even knowing if they are any good or not .....We're to blame , not the companies ....They're in business to make money ....Nobody said you have to buy anything ...... We're all gluttons for punishment !!!.......If we stopped buying into this crap , we would be the ones with control , but we're not gonna stop looking for that bigger, faster , cheaper , deeper, newer , bluer , detector ......Jim

 

[erikk]

Hey everyone, I don't have a dog to hunt in this increase on the Sov but am I the only one who thinks
all detector prices are too high and getting out of hand?
Unfortunately for all of us, ML has set the prices on most mid to upper priced detectors.
I doubt very seriously flagship metal detectors from the other brands would cost 1000 to 1500
if ML hadn't set their prices in the past few years.
Now don't get me wrong, I use an old XS Explorer and bought it new for 900 dollars many years ago
however I thought that was way too high even back then and yet they keep adding more price increases
every time we turn around.
They may have a few hundred dollars in a top of the line but that is all.
No other consumer product users are getting ripped like we are.

When was the last time you bought diesel?

 

[erikk]

We're not getting ripped off ....We're buying into the whole scheme of things ...... The music industry is the same way ....Guys buy stuff before it even hits the streets , and there are guys out there that put a spin on these items and everybody lines up for them .without even knowing if they are any good or not .....We're to blame , not the companies ....They're in business to make money ....Nobody said you have to buy anything ...... We're all gluttons for punishment !!!.......If we stopped buying into this crap , we would be the ones with control , but we're not gonna stop looking for that bigger, faster , cheaper , deeper, newer , bluer , detector ......Jim

Well lets see: In early 60's I paid $250.00 for a D-Tex pro (BFO) that on a good day could hit a silver 1/2 at 4 inches Back then $20.00 would get you 4 big bags of groceries with a bunch of good meat. Today that $20.00 gets you 1 small bag with maybe some baloney. In today's dollars the price of detectors with the technology they provide is very inexpensive and we are not being forced to buy anything

 

[goodmore]

Very interesting when you add it up like that. My personal opinion is the Sovereign is being killed on purpose. I hope that Minelab has something new coming. I love my Minelabs. There is an opportunity here to make the ultimate salt beach detector. To stomp on all other water detector sales. I hope the sponsors read the threads once in a while. The GT hopped right over the Safari in Price didn't it. i know the Safari is on sale for the holidays, but still.

 

[Steve(MS)]

perhaps they will heed.
Allow whatever the market will bear, hey that ought to make the brands, distributors and dealers happy.
Say maybe in a year, we can pay mucho more than what they charge now!
But you are correct, we don't have to buy them and I haven't in a long time and will likely buy used next time...
but would prefer to buy new but like to get my money's worth....at these prices, nope, they aren't worth it.
The old line "opinions are like........" well this is mine.

 

[erikk]

perhaps they will heed.
Allow whatever the market will bear, hey that ought to make the brands, distributors and dealers happy.
Say maybe in a year, we can pay mucho more than what they charge now!
But you are correct, we don't have to buy them and I haven't in a long time and will likely buy used next time...
but would prefer to buy new but like to get my money's worth....at these prices, nope, they aren't worth it.
The old line "opinions are like........" well this is mine.

Well IMHO as long as my detectors continue to find more gold rings than what I have to pay for a detector (and they do many times over) I will be satisfied, and a diamond every once and a while for the wife doesn't hurt either. Checked gold prices lately? $1414.00 oz last time I looked. The price of a NEW excal with some gas money left over. Besides for me there can't be a price put on seeing a nice shiny gold ring in the bottom of your scoop
My 1975 Dodge 2500 4x4 cost 5K, my 99 was 34K and the 04 43K. guess which one was the best.........

 

[JHM]

Not everyone lives in a place where detectors pay for themselves so quick. I wish we all did. Maybe we wouldn't be having this discussion. Like someone wrote earlier. I can't see someone buying a sovereign for $900 plus a meter for $150 for $1050 when an SE is a little less than $1100. The safari would be cheaper. I think the sovereign's days are numbered. As time goes on I've come to realize I don't have to have the best detector on the block to make decent finds. The ones I have will do me from now on, provided they don't break down. I don't need a great beach detector. I don't live next to a beach. I really don't give a rat's behind if they go to $5000 each. I might sell mine, buy another whites, and have some gas money left over." That about all I've got to say about that."

 

[erikk]

Not everyone lives in a place where detectors pay for themselves so quick. I wish we all did. Maybe we wouldn't be having this discussion. Like someone wrote earlier. I can't see someone buying a sovereign for $900 plus a meter for $150 for $1050 when an SE is a little less than $1100. The safari would be cheaper. I think the sovereign's days are numbered. As time goes on I've come to realize I don't have to have the best detector on the block to make decent finds. The ones I have will do me from now on, provided they don't break down. I don't need a great beach detector. I don't live next to a beach. I really don't give a rat's behind if they go to $5000 each. I might sell mine, buy another whites, and have some gas money left over." That about all I've got to say about that."

Is paying off the detector the prime reason to buy one? I always thought one bought a detector because the enjoyed the hobby. If you don't need the best detector to make decent finds then why worry about a price increase. Buy an Ace 150 or the like & go for it, or buy the SE & be happy. Detector prices WILL NOT GO DOWN.......

 

[larryk56]

Here's something else to ponder!

There are other brand that cost more money
and they are single frequency machines.

Yet ...some of those single frequency machines
don't come close to the capability of the Sovergn GT.

It's nice to know the value of my Sovergn increased
so quickly. No complaints here!

Making the decision to buy a Sovergn was a great find!

$200 Savings! KaChing!!

 

[Steve(MS)]

is because a lot of folks like them and know that they can keep up with flagships.
And maybe ML sees more are buying them but this is speculation.
I do see a lot of incentives by dealers right now on the most expensive units so
that tells me a lot of people agree that those prices are too high for metal detectors
of any sort.
So we will see how this works out, I got the feeling most in the market for a detector
are unlikely to pay 950+ for one.
Maybe ML will get some competition on multi-frequencies in the near future?

 

[larryk56]

Hype plays a huge role in these detector sales!

Last year another popular brand was "hyped to high heaven" !
and these companies are clever.

Get the rumor out that a new machine is in the works .....
a few details leak out ....
the hype machine begins .....

and when the companies see the hype-o-meter going nuts
from everyone on the forums ..... they think they are more inclined
to jack up the price because they know some will buy at any price.

Give it a year later and when the hype machine ends on a
particular model .....then come the specials.

It took me awhile to learn that the highest priced machines are not
always the best. I had a $700 machine out hunt a $1,300 machine
over and over again.

I concluded .....keep it simple with a good coil and learning a
simple machine well will out many others.

No matter how you slice it ....a machine no matter what brand is
only what people are willing to pay. We are the "market" !!

 

[jbow]

I believe some of their patents expire soon but I am not sure.

It has never entered my mind to try and pay for a detector until I recently bought a used Compadre, and that thought was really a whim because the machine was so cheap... I haven't even had a chance to use it yet though.

I don't think prices are too high considering what you get for detectors like the E-TRAC and V3i. I have tested a pile of detectors on a 10" minnie, buried for 10+ years and while several machines hit it ok only two machines hit it hard enough to stop me in my tracks when walking up to it swinging as if hunting and as if not knowing it was there and they both were gave me a correct TID... they were the E-TRAC and the V3. The F75 LTD... I would not have stopped, Most machines would hit it if I tried to hit it, knowing it was there and lingering over it. However, every place is different and depth is not everything but the top liine detectors give you depth, seperation, unmasking, and good TID.

The Sovereign is a great machine on the beach or in the woods, set it right and it will stop you on a deepie. It is also very comfortable to use gliding the coil over turf, it is very well made. I like my Sovereing but not for most of my hunting. Some places though it is the most stable machine and the best choice. It is a great coin and jewelry machine and worth the price.

There are also some good mid priced machines. I talked to a friend yesterday who was using his Omega in AM mode, wide open in the woods, neutral sandy soil... digging minnies at 14" by listening for a change in the threshold... the Sovereign will do this too in AM mode.

I don't think it is that the detectors are over priced but rather that the money is becoming more and more worthless. It wasn't very long ago when if a trip to the grocery store cost over 100 bucks I was shocked... these days a trip is rarely under 300 bucks for the same stuff. When we were married in 1978, cbow and I, I brought home a little under 80 bucks a week, we had plenty to eat, paid the rent, all our bills, and had beer money. We didn't use food stamps or welfare either... try that today. Everything is relative.

J

 

[ML]

I love my Sov GT's (as well as my Excal) but don't think too many people are gonna run out and spend $1,000.00 for one. I could be wrong and I'm certainly not comparing it to an AT PRO but I'm sure that Charlie Garrett is real happy with this increase.

 

[larryk56]

Julien,

Again .... I heard such good reports on the Compadre and the Omega 8000.

What's interting ... I called Tesoro a few weeks ago and I was really
suprised that they said the Compadre was one of the best tot lot machines,
said many people love the machine. They could of eaily tried to steer
you to a higher end machine but this showed me that the needs of the
customer came before company profits. Did not try to oversell or push
high end machines.

Someday ..... I would like to try the Compadre and the Omega 8000
which one do you like best ?

 

[jbow]

Well, I haven't used the Compadre yet but the Omega is IMO the biggest bang for buck detector available. I have used the Compadre on some surface targets in the yard and some buried. It isn't very deep, it will hit a quarter at 6" but not a dime.. at least not one buried about a year. It seems to lose a lot of sens as the disc increases too but I hope to get to use the Compadre a little next week.
The Omega is a coi an magnet, just an all around good performer and fun machine.

It won't replace my E-TRAC or my GT.

J

 

[JHM]

You can't beat Tesoro or Whites when it comes to customer service. I wonder how they make a profit?

 

[larryk56]

Even if the company broke even on the detectors
they sell ....they know many users would buy
more than one or want other items.

Many mail order companies factor in the
back end sales that are projected which helps
the companies bottom line overall.

 

[erikk]

Even if the company broke even on the detectors
they sell ....they know many users would buy
more than one or want other items.

Many mail order companies factor in the
back end sales that are projected which helps
the companies bottom line overall.

Let me see if I under stand this: A detector company that makes detectors sells them at a price that they break even in the hopes of selling other items at a price to make a profit??? Sell a $1000.00 detector for lets say $600.00 losing $400.00 and then selling a battery holder for $2.99 and making maybe $2.00? We know that people will buy more than one detector so that means that they will buy many battery holders to make up the difference!
I also think there are may people in Washington that subscribe to this way of thinking and that is why out economy is in such great shape. BTW was able to go out for a bit yesterday with my overpriced excal and prepare for the next obscene increase

 

[larryk56]

First ....you need to understand how to read what I said. I did not say they make detectors to
break even. What I said was ...that they could make them at break even and still make a profit.
Common sense dictates that of course they are making a good profit of the various factors
of the market.

What I said was ....there are companies who can sell products at break even and still make
profits from back end sales.

As far as the economy goes ....it was in a big mess long before Obama took office.

Thanks to the lack of banking regulations that allowed the fun and games between the
banks and the crooks on wall street.

 

[erikk]

First ....you need to understand how to read what I said. I did not say they make detectors to
break even. What I said was ...that they could make them at break even and still make a profit.
Common sense dictates that of course they are making a good profit of the various factors
of the market.

What I said was ....there are companies who can sell products at break even and still make
profits from back end sales.

As far as the economy goes ....it was in a big mess long before Obama took office.

Thanks to the lack of banking regulations that allowed the fun and games between the
banks and the crooks on wall street.

Can U say SUB-PRIME mortgages sponsored by Barny Frank & Chris Dodd
4.5% unemployment was a real mess HUH
How is Hope & Change working for Ya???