disc golf poverty

After reading some of these posts on this site, you'd think that the average disc golfer lived in the street, finding scraps to survive.
Is life that bad?
How many disc golfers are facing foreclosure?
The comments make some sound irresponsible.

A lot of 'disc golf' is done for FREE by your local organizer.
The 'stuff' they do takes time, thought and effort.
Basically they work for FREE, for you the player.
Respect that. They are not perfect, if they do it wrong, help out.
Even the public course you play on was most likely, designed, installed, tee pads, signs was done for FREE.

How many work for FREE during the week?
As far as distribution and selling of equipment, the prices are not outrageous.

This is a fun sport, but this fun will not spark the big money corporate sponsors to just give money away without a return or profit.

For the 'little' most put into this game, what a bargain!
What do most think?

[Kyle Jacob Smalling]

:) Yay! A topic referring to my posts, I always make things sound bad.

But, You're right, things are done for free and we need to appreciate those things and the people that did them

[beatz]

Thats one of my biggest pet peeves, I can understand if you say you dont have money to buy a disc i get that. But to cry about having to buy this or that is ludicris. There are wants and there are needs. To play you only need one disc. One of the best players i know of in my parts only played with putters for years. HE is now throwing 500 plus feet easily. I want to buy new discs one because i like to see what they do, will i ever use them again most likely not but, considering what i used to do with my money i think this is a much better idea.

[John Hodgkins]

It's easy for those of use with a limited income to complain about how much the sport costs but you have a great point DPS. There are a ton of people who pour a ton of time and effort for little to no return. Most of those people don't do it for money because they love the game, that's all.

I think that disc golf growth is a double edged sword. On one hand we have more competition, more people to buy our goods and a lot more people who are quick to jump on a cause (no matter what that is) which this week seems to be why are disc distributors/Bag Strap Producers are screwing the little guy by charging twice as much as they should be.. Frankly if some one is willing to buy a bag for $40 rather than $20 than I have to agree with P.T. Barnum's famous quote "There is a sucker born every minute." Now that said and before I take a huge amount of flak I have been buying my discs for a little more locally rather than order them online for $2-5 less than I could get them online (including shipping) because I also believe in supporting local players/sellers rather than feed the beast that is 1. A box store (Like Big 5, Sports Authority etc..) 2. Roll the dice with an online seller that may or may not ship my stuff (Although I have had great luck with Dynamic Discs, lol).

[Disc Player Sports]

Myself, I am not a rich man.
I do believe in getting what you pay for though.
Shop wisely and get your moneys worth.
It is better to spend a little more on a better product, than to buy 'two' that wear out compared to the 'one' more expensive, durable item. Those two items end up in the landfill, and all the packaging to boot, while you are still using the 'one.'
You end up spending more on the 'two' than the 'one' most of the time. If you don't have the money this week, save for the next. Who needs more 'junk' produced.
"Good tools" make all the difference. Not everyone needs a BMW or Mercedes, but buy quality.
How do think China is becoming a superpower, we Americans made it so by price, not quality.
Manufacturers are pretty much 'forced' to have things made overseas.
With the cost of 'shipping' maybe that will change.

[Eric Sears]

Well I purchase from a actuall store by the course I play at. Yea their prices are more expensive due to more overhead. I give em grief about the prices all the time and its funny getting a reaction outta them, but in the end I shop there because its actually nice to have a store close by and I dont mind support the local crowd that way. 20 Bucks for a Sparkle Z Force bah lol.

Doesn't Karma have alot to do with this subject?

-Eric-

[Eric Sears]

Mark Stephens said:

Ummm...

That IS the price that Discraft tells us to sell the disc for. It is a limited release fund raising disc.

Eric Sears said:

Well I purchase from a actuall store by the course I play at. Yea their prices are more expensive due to more overhead. I give em grief about the prices all the time and its funny getting a reaction outta them, but in the end I shop there because its actually nice to have a store close by and I dont mind support the local crowd that way. 20 Bucks for a Sparkle Z Force bah lol.

Doesn't Karma have alot to do with this subject?

-Eric-

yea bad example lol.

[John]

when paying more for bags it comes down to quality and what fit's my needs and as for how much it is should is demtermined by who buys it, I rip bags like crazy so I got a 120 dollar rev and I'm very happy with it and with the quailty and that it's made in america and not over seas is also great
so it's not about being a sucker it's about saving in the long run

John Hodgkins said:

It's easy for those of use with a limited income to complain about how much the sport costs but you have a great point DPS. There are a ton of people who pour a ton of time and effort for little to no return. Most of those people don't do it for money because they love the game, that's all.

I think that disc golf growth is a double edged sword. On one hand we have more competition, more people to buy our goods and a lot more people who are quick to jump on a cause (no matter what that is) which this week seems to be why are disc distributors/Bag Strap Producers are screwing the little guy by charging twice as much as they should be.. Frankly if some one is willing to buy a bag for $40 rather than $20 than I have to agree with P.T. Barnum's famous quote "There is a sucker born every minute." Now that said and before I take a huge amount of flak I have been buying my discs for a little more locally rather than order them online for $2-5 less than I could get them online (including shipping) because I also believe in supporting local players/sellers rather than feed the beast that is 1. A box store (Like Big 5, Sports Authority etc..) 2. Roll the dice with an online seller that may or may not ship my stuff (Although I have had great luck with Dynamic Discs, lol).

[Kyle Jacob Smalling]

John Hodgkins did make an excellent point though;

It does NOT cost anywhere near 40 dollars to make some phenix straps. I Don't know the number for a sure, but I do know it costs less than 40. I'm going to guess it'll cost them about 20 bucks to make a set of straps, at the most. So that company is basically killing us there.

I personally, am going to get one of those Fade bags next season, and hopefully it'll last.

But payin 40 dollars for straps for a 45 dollar bag is VERY crazy.

Don't mean to make anyone mad, but I just feel those straps are a lil bit crazy priced.
I don't mind at all paying 45-60 dollars for a GOOD bag. (those 120 revolution ones are a lil crazy tho)

[John]

my rev bag was the best buy every almost 2 years now and it still looks new i was buying 2 40 dollar innova bags a year
Kyle Jacob Smalling said:

John Hodgkins did make an excellent point though;

It does NOT cost anywhere near 40 dollars to make some phenix straps. I Don't know the number for a sure, but I do know it costs less than 40. I'm going to guess it'll cost them about 20 bucks to make a set of straps, at the most. So that company is basically killing us there.

I personally, am going to get one of those Fade bags next season, and hopefully it'll last.

But payin 40 dollars for straps for a 45 dollar bag is VERY crazy.

Don't mean to make anyone mad, but I just feel those straps are a lil bit crazy priced.
I don't mind at all paying 45-60 dollars for a GOOD bag. (those 120 revolution ones are a lil crazy tho)

[Kyle Jacob Smalling]

Dear other John,

Dude, you throwing dynamite in those sucker!? How do you go through 2 of them in 1 year!?

[Disc Player Sports]

As far as I know the hippies were in the 1960's.
I was a youngster then.
Now they are retiring,
The 'frisbee culture' started in the '60s.

Anything worthwhile requires time and effort unfortunately.

[Hootie]

DSP... another great topic mate! I think the finance side of it applies mainly to the younger players.... but back in the dark ages when I was a kid, I got up six mornings a week to do a paper round for $20 a week..... now I didn't have any other expenses, so this entire pay packet could have bought me a shiny new "premium" disc each week if i wanted to. Bags and straps are optional equipment. Anything else that we choose to purchase is just that: optional. All you need to play is one disc. Disc golf is the same as any other segment of the capitalist market: price is dictated by supply and demand. The cheaper manufacturers will look to get the big sales volumes, the more expensive will look to push the quality aspect. You choose how and when you'll spend your hard-earned cash.

On the main thrust of the topic though, we do need to support the people who work tirelessly to promote the the game and improve things for us as players. If a prominent disc golfer in your area decides to start selling discs, it might be an idea to support his business venture. We have a guy in our area who does this, he might make a small profit (if anything) off the discs, but he and his partner donate money/discs/equipment for tournaments, they volunteer to help out whenever they can, and its guys like this that have a passion for this sport. Why shouldn't they be able to make a profit from a sport they're giving so much to?