Equipment Resale - Buying into the hype?

[Sekiro]

I don’t know if many of the people on here are also part of the Facebook ”Buy, Sell & Swap” golf pages but one thing I’ve noticed over the last few months is the huge volume of this years equipment already up for sale, some are even listed with info such as “only tried twice at driving range” or “played 1 round with it”... we aren’t talking cheap stuff either, it’s nearly always a driver that’s cost upward of £350-400.

For me I find this rather strange, how can two trips to the driving range or a single round be a definitive on if the club works for you, second to that did these people just buy off the racks without even considering a fitting (I’d be getting fit if dropping upto £500 on a single club). I just can’t get my head around it, it seems like they’ve bought into the equipment hype and sales pitch “DISTANCE!” but then don’t even give it chance to bed-in before selling it on at a fairly hefty loss... have they been tricked by flashy advertising, key buzz words and pro sponsorship deals into thinking that said driver will change their 250 drive suddenly into a 320+ beast?

I’ve played a lot of other sports but I’ve never seen anything quite like this, maybe its down to a lot of people trying Golf this year, or maybe it’s just how golf is in general when it comes to buying and selling (I guess those of us who buy second hand win out here). Or is it that I’m just too poor for golf and loosing £100-200 in 1 round/couple of weeks would seem like total madness to me...

What do others think of the buy/sell/swap market in golf currently and has it always been this way?

 

[Deleted member 23344]

Or are they lying about the number of times used? If you treat a driver carefully, it could still look “as new” after several rounds (mine certainly does), but saying that it has only been used once will probably command a higher price. If it’s not that, then it is puzzling.

 

[robinthehood]

Also a lot of fake stuff about, so buyer beware...

 

[Orikoru]

Yeah I don't get it either. If I get a club I'll use it for at least a month on the course (so 4-6 rounds maybe) before I make any decisions on getting rid of it. A few slaps at the driving range don't tell you anything.

 

[patricks148]

will be plenty, buy new stuff under the belief it will be better (longer) than what they have esp drivers. and certain amount of Kidoligy goes on at demo days by OEMs

 

[Junior]

Or are they lying about the number of times used? If you treat a driver carefully, it could still look “as new” after several rounds (mine certainly does), but saying that it has only been used once will probably command a higher price. If it’s not that, then it is puzzling.

Or they enter opens with fudged handicaps, win top prize and £££££ in pro shop vouchers (or new clubs) and then pawn the gear off on these groups and eBay. Me, cynical, never

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Here's a thought that popped into my head off this discussion. If such as a driver is looked after and kept in mint / as new condition, then what does it matter whether it's been hit once or a hundred times - or indeed a thousand times?

 

[Sausagefingers23]

I don’t know if many of the people on here are also part of the Facebook ”Buy, Sell & Swap” golf pages but one thing I’ve noticed over the last few months is the huge volume of this years equipment already up for sale, some are even listed with info such as “only tried twice at driving range” or “played 1 round with it”... we aren’t talking cheap stuff either, it’s nearly always a driver that’s cost upward of £350-400.

For me I find this rather strange, how can two trips to the driving range or a single round be a definitive on if the club works for you, second to that did these people just buy off the racks without even considering a fitting (I’d be getting fit if dropping upto £500 on a single club). I just can’t get my head around it, it seems like they’ve bought into the equipment hype and sales pitch “DISTANCE!” but then don’t even give it chance to bed-in before selling it on at a fairly hefty loss... have they been tricked by flashy advertising, key buzz words and pro sponsorship deals into thinking that said driver will change their 250 drive suddenly into a 320+ beast?

I’ve played a lot of other sports but I’ve never seen anything quite like this, maybe its down to a lot of people trying Golf this year, or maybe it’s just how golf is in general when it comes to buying and selling (I guess those of us who buy second hand win out here). Or is it that I’m just too poor for golf and loosing £100-200 in 1 round/couple of weeks would seem like total madness to me...

What do others think of the buy/sell/swap market in golf currently and has it always been this way?

Wish I had a 250yrd drive in the first place!

 

[Grant85]

I think it's probably a case of people having time on their hands & a bit of money due to no holiday, train tickets, lunches at work etc. Folk taking an interest in golf and 5 minutes later are parting with £450 at their nearest American Golf.

 

[jim8flog]

There is one guy at our club who is very well known for buying the 'latest thing' and selling it a couple of weeks later - if there is one........

My last driver purchase from a pro shop was a TM M4 in absolutely mint condition bought just a few months after they came out.

There is a driver in my spares bag bought and used just twice on the course, the one bought was not the same as the one on the demo day.

It happens.

 

[harpo_72]

There is one guy at our club who is very well known for buying the 'latest thing' and selling it a couple of weeks later - if there is one........

My last driver purchase from a pro shop was a TM M4 in absolutely mint condition bought just a few months after they came out.

There is a driver in my spares bag bought and used just twice on the course, the one bought was not the same as the one on the demo day.

It happens.

I heard this 20 years ago, so I said I would take the demo club ... was all okay, kept working long after the demo day ?

 

[Blue in Munich]

I heard this 20 years ago, so I said I would take the demo club ... was all okay, kept working long after the demo day ?

If they won't sell you the demo club, don't go near it was the general idea. Whether that's as relevant with adjustable shafts is debatable.

 

[Grantley1988]

I bought and sold a Ping driver after one round. Hit it well but couldn’t stand the noise it made!

 

[Britishshooting]

I’m terrible for moving on to new clubs but I’m talking months after purchase not weeks. For instance just sold a TS3 driver mainly as I fancied a change, there isn’t a major difference in performance. I also find selling clubs prior to the next release cycle means I don’t lose as much money from what I paid. TS will drop with the new release impending.

I saw somebody on one or said pages the other day bought a full set of P790 irons that weren’t standard spec so assume was fitted and he was selling them after several rounds. You could tell they were like new.

I do wonder sometimes if people maybe get drawn in and make a purchase that they then can’t justify and sell to recoup as much as they can.

As mentioned by somebody else plenty of fakes knocking around too which is why I avoid second hand sales personally.

Even if they have a reciept they could buy one legit set, buy ten fakers off a dodgy website and cash in.

 

[patricks148]

i guy i know who had PXG clubs last time i played with him was telling me 2 weeks ago in a comp how good his new CF set of Epon, clubs were, he had driver and 3 wood with exotic shafts which alone were over £500 each, full set of irons, wedges... he couldn't be happier he said.


up on the local FB buy sell and swap they were all up for sale this weekend

 

[Imurg]

My new SIM Max 3 wood, which is awesome off the tee, is out the bag after a handful of rounds.
Never thought I'd be spending 200 quid and not using it but I prefer the M2.
Ridiculous ?‍

To be fair I've always found the fairway woods to be the hardest to change....
Mine's from 2014 at the moment.....can't find anything that j feel as comfortable with

 

[Tashyboy]

During the lockdown I bought a ping 410 hybrid and a truss putter. Bought them both cheaper than what they were going for on eBay as used.
Both instances they were from pros at golf clubs, I did a bit of digging to confirm they were who they were, checking the golf clubs web site etc. The savings were unreal Compared to rrp.
I put it down to Covid hitting sales. Good thing about the truss putter, the pro even asked which grip I wanted on as there was a choice Re hand size.

 

[fundy]

To be fair I've always found the fairway woods to be the hardest to change....
Mine's from 2014 at the moment.....can't find anything that j feel as comfortable with

The forums own Henrik Stenson

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

The forums own Henrik Stenson

I have 2 spares of my wood in the garage incase anything happens to mine

 

[harpo_72]

I have decided to have a clear out of some gear.
I have noticed that some people are actually turning a lot of kit over. Lots of buying and selling and also it looks like some asset protection. If you put something on cheap there is a few bids to take it up to what these guys are stocking and it’s them who are bidding.
The other one was I put a 9 yr old driver up .. immaculate and it didn’t finish its auction it was bought for the buy it now price within 2 days of a 7 day listing. Which left me wondering did I under price it .. but I cannot find any evidence to suggest that. The buyer looked like some one who does a lot of dealing so we will see.