Reels Depreciating in value

[Djohn]

Never really cared much about resale or thinking I have to buy one of the big brands with all the hype. I've always bought a good quality reel ($150 or so) and I have never wore one out. i'm 64, fish 2-3 times a week, and I have reels that are 20 years old.

[mrpao]

Like you guys said, I dont buy a reel thinking about resale value. Its hard to say which reels will be in demand and which wont down the line.

I buy a reel that I think will perform good, meets my needs and looks cool. Admit it, we all buy reels because we like the way they look.

If I dont like a reel, I'll sell it. If i like it, I usually buy several more to cover my needs. Throughout the years, my reel collection has grown bigger and bigger. It's hard to get rid of a reel that still performs great and looks great. I just keep adding to my collection with the latest and greatest. 

Hmmm. I may have a problem....

[JediAmoeba]

22 minutes ago, mrpao said:

If I dont like a reel, I'll sell it.

I am trying.  Nobody wants them.

 

Again - I wouldnt sell them if they were serviceable for me.  They aren't my cup of tea and I am more upset of the hype behind these brands.  I don't care if it's a top of the line reel or a bargain end one - it should perform as the name suggests.  A person would be far off buying a shishamano, piscifun or similar reel over these "name branded" doyos IMO.  For the 500 dollars I spent on 4 reels I don't want i could have a Steez. 

 

4 reels that are less than 3 years old I can barely give away...  to me that says something about the brand.  

[Shimano_1]

I like to buy gear and do occasionally sell some. Obviously resale value matters but honestly if its what I want i buy it. Making statements about them being inferior based on resale is a little harsh. Daiwa and shimano have cult like followings. They both make great gear for sure but its hard to say they're superior.  What one thinks is the greatest thing since sliced bread is garbage to the next guy. I will agree abu doesn't seem to hold their value as much as even lews. Everyone says they're the same reels but in my experience lews are superior.  I'm sure someone will say the opposite.  If you're not satisfied with them don't buy them. I love my daiwas but also my lews. For heavier chuck and wind applications hard to beat a lews but for lighter baits or anything where i want a lot of control i prefer the daiwas. 

[JediAmoeba]

4 hours ago, Ogandrews said:

I want to hear the story, laughed pretty hard just reading this sentence.

I ran it over and chopped it up pretty good.  The only thing salvageable was the reel handle and knobs which went unscathed...  

My grass was a little long on the side of the garage and I forgot I had put the rod down...  pretty sure I ran it over a few times before I noticed the orange pieces.  Sigh.  

[Shimano_1]

17 minutes ago, JediAmoeba said:

I am trying.  Nobody wants them.

 

Again - I wouldnt sell them if they were serviceable for me.  They aren't my cup of tea and I am more upset of the hype behind these brands.  I don't care if it's a top of the line reel or a bargain end one - it should perform as the name suggests.  A person would be far off buying a shishamano, piscifun or similar reel over these "name branded" doyos IMO.  For the 500 dollars I spent on 4 reels I don't want i could have a Steez. 

 

4 reels that are less than 3 years old I can barely give away...  to me that says something about the brand.  

I understand the frustration I've been there. To be fair tho the gen 3 revos weren't well received and those lews aren't the popular models. The tournament mb reels for example would sell pretty quickly.  Those are good reels for sure im sure they will sell just give it some time. Plus the covid deal probably has some effect on it. The curado g reels weren't a hit but an e series still sells for a premium 

[Big-Bass]

On 5/4/2020 at 7:44 PM, fishwizzard said:

I have had maybe a dozen or so reels that have passed through my hands and the only ones I didn't lose money on were the higher end ones.  I try to buy all my nicer reels used as I know I can usually sell them for about the same amount, only losing shipping on the deal. 

The sv103 seems to be firmly in that category.  I have gotten more unsolicited "hey man, let me know if you want to sell it" PMs about them then seem reasonable.  

This is exactly why I have 11 SV103 reels.  I use three of them (one H and two XS).  The others are absolutely NIB and they are my favorite reels because of the platform (one even has the mailing labeled "SV103" cardboard box directly from Japan that I received in one order from The Tackle Trap.  Same reason why I have a buildup of NIB rare varieties of OG Zillion reels (Type-R, J-Dream, 50th, Megabass IP68, IP79, etc.) , NIB and Mint OG Fuego, and then the TD-Z's (2 NIB Ito, Type-R, Type R+, Mint PO, New TD-Z 103H, Mint Air Metal TD-X 105H, Mint Air Metal TD-X 103H, custom TD-Z's etc.)  I have others in most of those varieties that I am using in my lineup but that platform perhaps more than any holds its value and it also happens to be my absolute favorite for my hands and for customization.  Obviously, I have a reel collection that I enjoy which is part of the reason why I have so many in those mint states.  The Alphas/Sol/SV105 seems to hold a similar value.  The older Chronarch D used to hold it's value but that seems to be replaced by the Core 50 and the like.  I just know if modern reels will hold their value like that for bang for buck.  Hopefully they do!  Best wishes on the water!

[GReb]

I have a Lews MB and LFS that I need to sell. I’d be lucky to get $150 for both but honestly they perform way above that price point. I almost just want to buy 2 more rods lol

[Gazz]

13 hours ago, Shimano_1 said:

I like to buy gear and do occasionally sell some. Obviously resale value matters but honestly if its what I want i buy it. Making statements about them being inferior based on resale is a little harsh. Daiwa and shimano have cult like followings. They both make great gear for sure but its hard to say they're superior.  What one thinks is the greatest thing since sliced bread is garbage to the next guy. I will agree abu doesn't seem to hold their value as much as even lews. Everyone says they're the same reels but in my experience lews are superior.  I'm sure someone will say the opposite.  If you're not satisfied with them don't buy them. I love my daiwas but also my lews. For heavier chuck and wind applications hard to beat a lews but for lighter baits or anything where i want a lot of control i prefer the daiwas. 

Loves and prefers Daiwas but name is Shimano_1 and "Shimano4life" ? And I thought my old lady was confusing. 

[KP Duty]

On 5/4/2020 at 3:43 PM, detroit1 said:

I have never even thought of resale value...I buy what meets my needs and fish them until they're done.   ?

I 'liked' your post because I can appreciate this train of thought.  I am in both camps; I have reels that I use for tournaments and nasty environments and also several fancy reels that I like to fish while wearing khakis.  I'm kidding about the pants, but I want my higher end  reels to hold their value because I may upgrade to the latest and greatest in a couple years. The beaters will remain. 

 

[MassYak85]

I've sold reels before but rarely for more than 50 percent back. I don't consider resale when buying something for fishing usually. The swimbait secondary market is probably the only one you can expect most or all your money back for used baits. But that's cause of low supply and high demand for certain baits. 

[Columbia Craw]

Take care of them and they will take care of you.

[king fisher]

A general rule I have used for many years when buying or selling used sporting equipment. As long as the item being sold is in good condition, 50% of the cost of buying an item new, is a fair deal for both parties.  When I pay more than 50% it is most likely the Bait Monkeys fault.  

[NYWayfarer]

17 hours ago, JediAmoeba said:

I am trying.  Nobody wants them.

 

4 reels that are less than 3 years old I can barely give away...  to me that says something about the brand.  

4 reels? You mentioned 3 Laser MG, Laser Pro, Super Duty Wide Spool. You can’t mean the 4th is the Crush which you “Crushed”  with your mower? You can’t expect to sell that.. you probably could get $15 for the unscathed handle.

 

To be as respectful as possible this means nothing about the brand. No $100 or less entry level reel is going to hold its value. You can find those reels on sale for what people want to get for these reels used. The only argument you could make is for the Super Duty Wide Spool. I would have to know what you were asking for this reel. If you are thinking of getting close to it’s MSRP it’s not going to happen as this reel is still in production. Why would someone buy a 3 year old used reel when they can have a brand new one.

 

 

[JediAmoeba]

4 minutes ago, NYWayfarer said:

4 reels? You mentioned 3 Laser MG, Laser Pro, Super Duty Wide Spool. You can’t mean the 4th is the Crush which you “Crushed”  with your mower? You can’t expect to sell that.. you probably could get $15 for the unscathed handle.

Nah, the 4th is a 3rd gen Revo X

[NYWayfarer]

1 minute ago, JediAmoeba said:

Nah, the 4th is a 3rd gen Revo X

I am still hanging on to my Dad’s first gen Revo.

[GReb]

1 hour ago, NYWayfarer said:

I am still hanging on to my Dad’s first gen Revo.

First gen Revo was amazing

[NYWayfarer]

34 minutes ago, GReb said:

First gen Revo was amazing

It sure was and my Dad’s reel is mint condition. He used it once on a charter we took for Smallmouth fishing. Decided he didn’t like baitcasters and gave it to me. It’s been in the box ever since.

[jbsoonerfan]

Well maintained and cared for Vettes hold their value well. Well driven Geo Metros are hard to get rid of.

[Bermise1]

It’s true in my experiences, my used Shimano reels have sold faster and a better % value than other brands including Daiwa. 

[NOC 1]

On 5/4/2020 at 3:29 PM, JediAmoeba said:

 

Well, I'm 68 yrs old and have been fishing since I was a little boy. I can't remember ever selling but one rod and reel. It was a Daiwa Crossfire BC  6'6" Mh rod with a Daiwa Laguna reel on it. Only used it a couple of times. It was bought to kill an afternoon when I was on the road. I sold the pair for $20 to a guy I know that is stone cold broke. He had been using an old hardware store fiberglass pistol grip rod.

 

I'm sitting on maybe 40 reels now, and have probably given away a dozen or so.

 

Why would I buy a reel that I was figuring on getting rid of? Might as well just cut to the chase and not buy it to begin with.

[NOC 1]

Fell for it again...a 4 year old thread...Dohhh...

[FrnkNsteen]

7 hours ago, NOC 1 said:

Fell for it again...a 4 year old thread...Dohhh...

Me too!!

[bulldog1935]

and a thread thesis that was about to be proved wrong for the next 2 years.  

from the OP of this thread through the middle of 2022, you could sell anything for what you paid, because supply chain fell apart so nothing was in stores, and even if you could find it, the mail didn't work  

 

8 hours ago, NOC 1 said:

Why would I buy a reel that I was figuring on getting rid of? Might as well just cut to the chase and not buy it to begin with.

if you know your market, I've resold three bench-made fly reels (and many more antiques) for up to twice what I paid, after fishing them for 4 or more years.  

The value simply burns a hole in your pocket - you may want to fund a bike, kayak, or firearm.  

 

[NOC 1]

I

On 3/27/2025 at 7:18 AM, bulldog1935 said:

 

if you know your market, I've resold three bench-made fly reels (and many more antiques) for up to twice what I paid, after fishing them for 4 or more years.  

The value simply burns a hole in your pocket - you may want to fund a bike, kayak, or firearm.  

 

I suppose so, but I bought it because I want to have it. I can't have it and sell it too. On the few occasions where I for some reason don't want to have it, well I've given a few away to younger folks that don't always have the money to buy nice reels.

 

It is likely different for you as you seem pretty wealthy and apparently buy tons of collectables. I have some good older stuff, like a bunch of TD-Z, Steez, OG-Zillion, etc. but the closest I have to the esoteric reels like you seem to always have (at least pictures of) is a Steez LTD Toshi Namiki (Bass or Die). Maybe if I had your money I would do it differently.

 

Besides, I find that very few things actually appreciate in value. Sure, I could get $60k for a nice 67 Camaro that I paid $3500 for new, but the cost to replace that car is about $60,000. The original $3500 in 1967 was equivalent to 35 oz of gold. The 60,000 today is equivalent to 22 oz of gold...there is no real profit, just inflation.