I would say that moments after an iHybrid disappeared from my cart when I hit the checkout link. Lol.
Someone explain squonker prices to me...
- Thread starter Dropmyload
- Start date
- th_trl_thread_readers 0
- Status
^^^ yup,
I have bought some Mechs in the past that a lot of folks would use the "$200 for a metal tube? C'mon!" deal and the only real reason for getting them was because I liked them.
For instance I bought a Turtleship and a Chi-you Megan last year and neither one of them have had a battery put in them ,,, yet.
Maybe one day they will , maybe not but I could if I wanted to.
Bottom line if you like it , can afford it ( sometimes I cant afford it, but buy anyway, ) then get it.
My take on it anyway ,,, buy it or walk away,,,lol
I have bought some Mechs in the past that a lot of folks would use the "$200 for a metal tube? C'mon!" deal and the only real reason for getting them was because I liked them.
For instance I bought a Turtleship and a Chi-you Megan last year and neither one of them have had a battery put in them ,,, yet.
Maybe one day they will , maybe not but I could if I wanted to.
Bottom line if you like it , can afford it ( sometimes I cant afford it, but buy anyway, ) then get it.
My take on it anyway ,,, buy it or walk away,,,lol
I met another trucker a couple years back. He went to his vape shop and asked what was the best vape $ could buy. They told him an iHybrid, so he dropped $320 on one. He had vaped it for 3 years when I met him. Every week he went to his local vape shop and bought one bottle of juice and had them rebuild it for him. I wonder how many iHybrids I could've bought in those 3 years with the other vape gear I had burned through.
In a Free Market, does the concept of Exploitation even exist? Or does Laissez-Faire Philosophies and the "Invisible Hand" dictate Market Price?
Clearly, buyers have choices. And are Free to Exercise them. As do Seller's have the Ability to set Any Price they choose for their products. And the Only Restraint on Price is the directly proportional effect on the Seller's Profits.
IMO. If the Price paid for a Mod is solely evaluated on the Hit you get when you push the button, then the Mod's price Max's out Very Fast.
But (IMO) the Price a person is willing to pay Isn't solely base on the Hit they receive. And Ethereal things like Looks/ Feel and the Subjective Assessment of Quality are factors in how much a person will pay for a Mod.
Although the worth of such factors are Different for different individuals. They are Factors none the less.
It's futile to try to find a general "are they overpriced" yes/no statement. Some are, some aren't, it's a case by case answer.
Small batch small manufacturer production in a western country can't be the same price as full scale production in China, makes no sense to compare the prices.
Let's build a high quality 3d printed mod then, shall we.
DNA250c board - 70$ (well actually 80$, I guessed how much cheaper it would get if you buy 500-1000)
small stuff (buttons, 510, gold/silver battery contacts, screws, magnets, bottle) - 10$ (likely more that that)
high quality 3d print of a housing + door - 40$ (includes best materials (glass bead reinforced nylon or alumide) and surface finish on an industrial 3d printer, likely will be more than that)
assembly - 6$ (assuming it's 20 min of someone getting paid 18$ an hour)
That's 126$ for the production of a small series high quality 3d printed (no amateur cheese grade print) DNA250c regulated squonker without any packaging or distribution and then you didn't earn anything yet.
If you don't 3d print but use stabwood or resin instead that won't lower the cost but make it higher.
I'm not saying all expensive devices are made like that, eg some skimp on 3d print quality (looking at you, boxer), some may get better prices for all that, but the price will never ever go down to China prices, you simply can't compare them. I also don't imply the device must be better than a chinese one, that's entirely up to the designer (like the dotsquonk isn't cheap but has some serious flaws), the question was to explain prices and I just tried to get in the rough ballpark.
If you think you can produce a high quality regulated squonker for 20$ - be my guest. Also, I'll buy it
Small batch small manufacturer production in a western country can't be the same price as full scale production in China, makes no sense to compare the prices.
Let's build a high quality 3d printed mod then, shall we.
DNA250c board - 70$ (well actually 80$, I guessed how much cheaper it would get if you buy 500-1000)
small stuff (buttons, 510, gold/silver battery contacts, screws, magnets, bottle) - 10$ (likely more that that)
high quality 3d print of a housing + door - 40$ (includes best materials (glass bead reinforced nylon or alumide) and surface finish on an industrial 3d printer, likely will be more than that)
assembly - 6$ (assuming it's 20 min of someone getting paid 18$ an hour)
That's 126$ for the production of a small series high quality 3d printed (no amateur cheese grade print) DNA250c regulated squonker without any packaging or distribution and then you didn't earn anything yet.
If you don't 3d print but use stabwood or resin instead that won't lower the cost but make it higher.
I'm not saying all expensive devices are made like that, eg some skimp on 3d print quality (looking at you, boxer), some may get better prices for all that, but the price will never ever go down to China prices, you simply can't compare them. I also don't imply the device must be better than a chinese one, that's entirely up to the designer (like the dotsquonk isn't cheap but has some serious flaws), the question was to explain prices and I just tried to get in the rough ballpark.
If you think you can produce a high quality regulated squonker for 20$ - be my guest. Also, I'll buy it
@Asbestos4004
You're absolutely right there.
But that doesn't make those 200$ metal tubes less of a rip-off. In most cases.
You're absolutely right there.
But that doesn't make those 200$ metal tubes less of a rip-off. In most cases.
$200 for a mod might equal a rip off to you, but it probably equals money well spent to the person who wanted a mod that was made with care by a person who put time and effort into creating it.
I find it ridiculous that I pay $40 for an empty plastic box with some holes in it and a door that fits. It's a plastic box! Damn Italians!
What about $20 for a 30ml bottle of juice? $100 RTA? $10 for a bag of cotton? $20 for a spool of fancy wire? Face it, it's all a rip off
Is the difference so noticable? Both are mechs, so no chip to cause variation as long as rda and battery are the same?
Easy, substract the 70$ for the board from the 126$ and you're at 56$ pure production cost. Put packaging and distribution on top and double the price to make some money, you'll be well over 130$. Make it out of stabwood and your price goes up further.But if we're talking about mechs, your calculations still don't justify prices over 100$.
200$ may be a bit high but try and find a machinist that makes that "metal tube" for 50$. They'll laugh at you and throw you out of the shop. It's not just a tube you can buy at a hardware store, is it.
Btw. you can get high end hand machined mech tubes for 80-100$, the 200$ ones are the exception (only 2 or 3 manufacturers come to mind) and some may be more expensive due to additional steps (elaborate engravings/knurlings coloring/anodizing).
Here's a simpler high end one:
InTaste
Like I said it's a case by case basis. If you want to better know prices for machining I'm sure you can get a quote from a machine shop if you give them specs for all the parts you want.
Yeah....
Big wheel keep on turnin'
Proud Mary keep on burnin'
Rollin'...
Rollin'...
Rollin' on the River
I feel you, I also don't want to pay a boatload for a device I like. The most expensive mod I ever bought is a therion 75c squonk, I'm no high end junkie either.
If you want a mech then the easiest way would be to produce it yourself, gets easier if you know a carpenter with a mill. Get a nice piece of wood or stabwood and some mod parts, together with what you'll owe your carpenter friend in crates of beer you'll be around 60$-100$ depending on what you're willing to spend on material.
I'm personally willing to pay much more for a solid regulated mod than a mech. I consider regulated a feature.
I'm not a high wattage vaper, not worried about voltage drop in an inexpensive mech or the like. I'm perfectly fine with a Pulse or even a Wotofo Nudge. Actually, I have both. Inexpensive and will 'hit' just fine for me I'm sure. I got them for under $30 each at the time.
However, I also picked up two Asmodus Lunas, becuase I liked the stabwood and design. They aren't fancy high end mods, but I bought them because I liked them. They probably aren't worth the cost to other folks though. I could have bought an Inbox V3 for less but for some reason, these unregulated squonks were attractive to me.
We're all willing to pay more or less for certain features that are important to us. I'm sure I can get a better vape off my Inbox compared to the Luna (since I prefer regulated), but I liked them for different reasons.
At some point, I may want a RigMod mech or something a little higher end than my Pulse or Nudge. The Pulse and Nudge will certainly fit the need of why I bought them though. An inexpensive squonk that I can use as a 'beater'.
Every mod doesn't need to be nice or fancy. They fill different needs.
My backup devices are cheaper reliable products. My dailies are mid-high end whose features are wasted on a vaper like myself. Don't regret a single penny spent on them, love using them and am happier with my vape than I was before dropping the money.
You can just quit... no more vaping
Let's face it the prices are ridiculous and for what? Inhaling and exhaling?
You can do that free..
- Status
Similar threads
