Two years ago you could get a 5/6 wt 2 piece 9 foot rod combo for $59.95 at wallmart.
Last year they added an DVD to the combo and raised it $69.95. they also came out with an 8 wt combo and a four piece combo for the same price.
I just went in and this year they have appearantly droped the two piece, now they have 4, four piece combos that appear the same as last years combos except this year they have added a cheep fly box and a few flies.
retailing at $79.95 they are as follows
An 8 wt combo marked Bass
a 6 wt combo marked Trout
a 6 wt combo marked Panfish
a 6 wt combo marked youth.
The Three six weights all have the same rod reel and line, they may have different flies.
I guess the extra $10 dollars this year went into the extra packageing. If you have been thinking of buying a SA combo at Walmart check and see if you can still get last years model before the price goes up
Well, let’s see, inflation added a couple of percent… fly rods, reels, and lines (and fly boxes) are all made with plastic, which is made from oil… and shipping costs went up with oil costs as well… And, frankly, most people who buy entry level combos at wal-mart probably benefit greatly from having some flies included.
As I see it there is no evil conspiracy here. Take a look at any of the other rod companies out there. Orvis adds $9 to their entry level rod when you choose 4 piece over 2 and Cabela’s does about $10.
When you factor in a fly box and some flies no matter how cheap they are and possibly a DVD; a $10 increase seem fair to me. It isn’t like they are selling the SAME 2 piece combo for $10 more.
I’m all for making a profit, a 25% increase in two years is a little much, the four piece and the two piece were the same price last year, the only difference this year is the packaging and 5 fies.
BTW wall-mart.com still has them at last years price in last years packaging, with free shipping to your local wally world.
When you consider that an Eagle Claw glass rod will set you back about $20-$25 just for the rod I don’t think Wal-Mart is out of line charging that much for a graphite combo with the extras. Also I believe that the cost of motor fuels increased, on average, more that 35% over the last year.
This time of year, hen’s lay fewer eggs because their laying is tied in to the number of hours of sunlight that they are exposed to every day. To force the hens to lay, they are being exposed to several hours of artificial light. Wanna guess how much it takes to light up a barn like it is daylight?
Of course, they can just bring eggs from the Southern Hemisphere. Care to guess what the price of fuel has done to the price of perishable airfreight?
Then there is the fact that feed has basically doubled in price over the past year. That might have a little something to do with the price of eggs, and, ummmmm HACKLE !!!
(Denny, please feel free to correct me anywhere you see a flaw in my post.)
Actually the real reason for an increase in the price of eggs is that the hens themselves have unionized and successfully struck for higher wages, better benefits and shorter hours. Plus the size of the eggs has decreased in size by 12% to conform with the normal business practice of charging more money for less product. Don’t even get me started on the market effects the bird flu scare had on the flock. ( Denny please correct me if I’m wrong or If you see any flaw in my logic. } :mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen:
