My Reel Rant

[90sBlackjabiru]

Range = confusion = impulse = more profit
Top end reels are not the earner you may imagine for the retailer, but because they are a must have stock they are a good earner for the importer.
The days of building reels that last are as gone as service and warranty support. Like your $1500 smart phone it has a built in life that can only be tweaked with careful use, service and maintenance.

[nagz]

I miss the days when there used to be Daiwa Tournament Dealers

I felt that it was easier then as you knew precisely where to go for what you wanted when it came to high end

It also used to be good when you rattle off a model number, the sales staff actually had a clue about what you were talking about

I guess it’s all too easy nowadays if you just buy it from Japan. Their websites sh!t all over most local ones and they actually have things in stock and reflect that statistic on their site

[sevric]

That is an issue that i had never thought about Nagz. I guess as a fishing shop owner or floor staff it would be almost impossible to have knowledge of each and every model that the manufactures produce. Can't tell you how many different models of spin reels that Shimano and Daiwa have between them but in Australia i would guess it would be approaching 40 or more and add to that the range the the OS shops have that we don't get here and it boggles my mind. In my view this is totally unnecessary, it is simply stupidity and a short sighted short cut to economic suicide not to mention getting the customers off side. Simply produce 5 or 6 models across the range, make them reliable and make parts available. Like you i miss the simple days, Daiwa Tournament Dealers who knew what they were talking about alongside some great Shimano gear that were very good at separating their ranges from Stella down. Despite the lower Aussie dollar it is still a viable option to purchase OS on some models. i am sure i am not the only one that has turned this way.

[90sBlackjabiru]

Originally Posted by sevric

That is an issue that i had never thought about Nagz. I guess as a fishing shop owner or floor staff it would be almost impossible to have knowledge of each and every model that the manufactures produce. Can't tell you how many different models of spin reels that Shimano and Daiwa have between them but in Australia i would guess it would be approaching 40 or more and add to that the range the the OS shops have that we don't get here and it boggles my mind. In my view this is totally unnecessary, it is simply stupidity and a short sighted short cut to economic suicide not to mention getting the customers off side. Simply produce 5 or 6 models across the range, make them reliable and make parts available. Like you i miss the simple days, Daiwa Tournament Dealers who knew what they were talking about alongside some great Shimano gear that were very good at separating their ranges from Stella down. Despite the lower Aussie dollar it is still a viable option to purchase OS on some models. i am sure i am not the only one that has turned this way.

You are now the owner of a tackle shop.

Standing in front of you is the rep. a condition of your account is that you pre purchase 3 months ahead.....you know before you start that each and every top end reel you order is going to be sold at less than its cost you to put on the shelf.
You also know that there are better home market reels that you can't access but can be purchased online.......

The tackle industry is a hard hard game to play.

[sevric]

Don't get me wrong. My beef is with the big 2 manufactures / distributors possibly others as well. They make it hard and expensive for everyone with their greed. My point has been that they could all make just as much money by reducing their model lineups and improving their after sales service and spare parts availability.

[manno]

I hear ya. Its all crap mate. But they know that everyone has a different fav colour.

If i had the means to start fishing reel manufacturing this is what it would look like. A build your own reel type setup.

There would only be a single body/reel shape. Machined out of your choice of material (alloy, engineerig plastic, titanium, whatever selections were offered...)

You select whichever option suits your needs/budget.

Then you select everything from there. Such as amount/location and type of bearings or bushes. Basic or high perfprmance materials for gear options and other internals. Basic or high quality and diff colour trim options. Every option has a $ figure attached to it so with each selection you make the price is calculated accordingly.

From the one platform you could build yourself anything from a freams all the way up to an exist.

Parts and servicing would be about as easy as it gets.

And you could also upgrade the performance of your reel as your budget allowed. Or change the colour/trim to match your new handbag.

Wouldnt be for everyone but thats what id like to see!

[sevric]

Bring it on, me too!!!