BP/W and high prices??

[Vicente]

I believe you are addressing two entirely different topics and intertwining them unneccessarily.

1) BP/W costs to profit margin.
I'd start with the BP. A back-plate made of stainless steel and cut in smaller numbers is going to cost quite a bit more than than the common injection-molded plate that is turned out in the thousands. I'll leave the rest to itself. You can figure it out.

2) Internet sales
There is already quite a lot of internet sales. If you failed to look around at Crazy John, or DSS, or any of the other online sources of BP/W that is hardly my problem. It exists, you are apparently just unaware of it.

 

[MSilvia]

Why are these BP/W priced so high??

Because they can be. Some people will pay top price for brand-new, brand name, niche-market gear.

I'm not trying to be rude, but I fail to see how someone i.e. like a Halcyon can charge $600-$700 for a BP/W like the eclipse model??

Again, because they can get that much for it, and the quality of the materials and workmanship (and therefore associated costs) are on the high end.

I understand the cost of production, but isn't there quite a markup on these things. Now, if I'm wrong set me straight.

Yeah, there is almost certainly a substantial markup. That's because they're in it for the money.

Just because the off-the-shelf LDS cost of top-of-the-line brand-name gear is high doesn't mean you don't have other options. I have two BP/W rigs, one dedicated to single tank diving, and one for doubles. By shopping around, looking for deals, and knowing what I wanted, I was able to get a new Abyss backplate with rigging and a gently used Halcyon wing for about $300, and a "no name" aluminium backplate with an OxyCheq wing and rigging for about $275. If you don't like Halcyon's MSRP, don't pay it. It's that simple.

You can get a rigged backplate with single tank adaptor from Hammerhead for $100. Scubatoys carries Oxycheq single tank wings for $255, and I believe they have a discount for SB members if you ask for it when you order. Unless you really want to buy Halcyon gear from your LDS, you don't need to pay anywhere near the price you quoted, even for brand-spanking new high quality stuff. Shop around, and you're likely to do even better than the $355 example I gave you.

 

[dbombtek]

So how do we stick it to the man.:no

 

[rockjock3]

Another issue with the cost of BP/Ws (tell me if I am wrong Tobin) is that BP/W is still more of a niche market. Due to that nature, a niche market within another niche market, pretty much all of the BP/W makers do not have the demand to utilize full scale mass production. They produce most if not all of their product completely by hand (yes they use machines such as stampers and sewing machines) construction techniques. This utilizes more people vs. robots and automation so the cost is higher and the quality also, I believe. Most if not all of the BCD makers utilize much more automation. They can do this due to the fact that there are many more divers who use BCD than BP/Ws so their target population is much larger. By manufacturing in this way their costs are cheaper, then add to that if they are using overseas labor, child or not. This adds to bring the price down even more. Then there is also the fact that they probably are able to buy raw materials in much larger proportions than most of the BP/W makers. Then finally add that Plastic is much cheaper to buy than steel and aluminum. Oh, did I mention that it breaks much easier to?

This is just my .02.

 

[iowasnowboarder]

BTW, how many gas fills have you gotten from ScubaToys or any of the other online dealers? How many classes have you gone through online? (yes I've heard of the crappy PADI class.)

 

[divad]

So how do we stick it to the man.:no

Become the man.

 

[Mo2vation]

So how do we stick it to the man.:no

Easy - let someone else overpay.

Let some newbie diver buy it brand new from an LDS, wait until he's ready to move on, and you pick it up on eBay.

duh... :10:

---
Ken

 

[dbombtek]

................

 

[SkiDiver]

You can get a rigged backplate with single tank adaptor from Hammerhead for $100. Scubatoys carries Oxycheq single tank wings for $255, and I believe they have a discount for SB members if you ask for it when you order. Unless you really want to buy Halcyon gear from your LDS, you don't need to pay anywhere near the price you quoted, even for brand-spanking new high quality stuff. Shop around, and you're likely to do even better than the $355 example I gave you.

I think you're leaving out the harness and cam straps, but otherwise that looks like a decent way to go. (HH sells a BP and STA for $100, but it doesn't include a harness or cam straps, I don't think.)

 

[*Floater*]

You can get a rigged backplate with single tank adaptor from Hammerhead for $100. Scubatoys carries Oxycheq single tank wings for $255, and I believe they have a discount for SB members if you ask for it when you order. Unless you really want to buy Halcyon gear from your LDS, you don't need to pay anywhere near the price you quoted, even for brand-spanking new high quality stuff. Shop around, and you're likely to do even better than the $355 example I gave you.

I think Hammerhead's $100 price only includes the plate and STA. The hog harness is another $45 IIRC. Their site is down so I cannot check. A pair of cam straps is another $30 (plastics buckles, doubles with steel buckles). Also, most people will probably add some SS bolt snaps and pockets of some sort.