New bow lines?

[The Archery Den]

Need everyone's input. As most of you know, The Archery Den currently carries Mathews and Mission. The 2010 models will soon be launching, so we'll be looking at possibly picking up some new lines. Lots of choices. Hoyt, PSE, TNT, Bowtech, Athens, Parker, Ross. Any opinions?

 

[Radar]

Bowtech , HCA , Ross, Hoyt.

 

[Rickym]

Hoyt would be a no brainer. Bowtech....I have heard horrible things about their customer service..so it could be a headache..Hearing alot of good things about Athens.. That Buck Commander bow they have is sweeeeeet looking.

 

[Hogbear]

I was really impressed with the Rytera Alien by Martin.

 

[Rackseeker]

Bowtech , HCA , Ross, Hoyt.

Is HCA still in business? I heard they may be shuting down.

 

[JayMc]

There are a lot of smaller line manufacturers that make good bows. I don't know the industry well enough to know if a shop becomes a destination shop where people travel from miles around for a small line though.

I do know that I've called every Hoyt dealer within 200 miles and the factory looking for a specific Hoyt to demo and have yet to find it. I know of a bunch of 3D shooters who shoot what they shoot because it's available at the local shop.

I don't know the right answer, but I'd love to see a Hoyt dealer in the metro area.

 

[ShaneHallum]

I'd like to see Hoyt and Elite

 

[Radar]

It's a double edged sword. I used to live (out of state) within 20 miles of an archery dealer that carried every bow on the market . It was great for the consumer ,but they went out of business after a few decades.......
Marketing is a big factor in the bow business . The companies doing the most marketing sell more bows , but that doesn't mean they are the best. It's up to the consumer to decide ,and the only way they can decide is to have a choice in the bow that suits their preference .

 

[dcsoldier44]

Hoyt would be a no brainer. Bowtech....I have heard horrible things about their customer service..so it could be a headache..Hearing alot of good things about Athens.. That Buck Commander bow they have is sweeeeeet looking.

ive heard that Bowtech fired there customer service "head" over the companys service record. ive dealt with them before and wont agian.

hoyt for sure.

 

[CBT HOYT HUNTER]

Hoyt- you should look at TNT Achery they make a nice bow, Relex bows are good to too

 

[paradis1142]

The Strothers bows look pretty awesome. I bet they will be some good sellers.

 

[Radar]

I would do a dealer search for the major bow companies and try to fill the void with a bow line without a dealer in the area .
There are very few Bowtech , Elite or Ross dealers in this area and too many Mathews dealers . Here are a couple of dealer searches.
http://www.elitearchery.com/ea_dealers.php
http://www.bowtecharchery.com/dealers/

 

[nabowhunter]

HCA and Martin have both impressed me lately. Hoyt would be a great choice and Parker is a great company

 

[UTGrad]

I second Parker along with Hoyt and some of the others. Problem with Parker is BPS sells them as well, but the Parker Blackhawk is a dealer only bow which is what I have and is an excellent bow.

 

[bobthebowhunter]

Elite, Bowtech, Strother, Alpine

 

[JayMc]

I wish I could whip out a crystal ball and tell you, but I can't. I have only shot Parker (past 4 years), HCA (12 shots), Whisper Creek (out of business), Headhunters PSE a few times and my bows Mission Menace a few times.

I really need to test some more bow before I can help you out with this. I am looking into getting a new bow after the first of the year 2010.

Whisper Creek is an interesting example. They are out of business per your post (I wasn't aware), but imagine the predicament a shop owner would be in if he sold a bow to someone then couldn't get parts to service it. That would not be good for the shop's credibility, especially in the early stages.

It's a business risk, but if I owned a shop I wouldn't take on smaller lines until the shop was well established and had some growth on it. I would stick to the major lines for a while who are going to do my advertising for me and offer little risk to the shop from a credibility perspective.

 

[Radar]

There is a big need for a Bowtech dealer in this area .

 

[JayMc]

There is a big need for a Bowtech dealer in this area .

I agree IF bowtech has truly overhauled its customer service function. If not a dealer could really feel some pain.

 

[Radar]

I wish I could whip out a crystal ball and tell you, but I can't. I have only shot Parker (past 4 years), HCA (12 shots), Whisper Creek (out of business), Headhunters PSE a few times and my bows Mission Menace a few times.

I really need to test some more bow before I can help you out with this. I am looking into getting a new bow after the first of the year 2010.

Whisper Creek is an interesting example. They are out of business per your post (I wasn't aware), but imagine the predicament a shop owner would be in if he sold a bow to someone then couldn't get parts to service it. That would not be good for the shop's credibility, especially in the early stages.

It's a business risk, but if I owned a shop I wouldn't take on smaller lines until the shop was well established and had some growth on it. I would stick to the major lines for a while who are going to do my advertising for me and offer little risk to the shop from a credibility perspective.

But that is the biggest problem in the archery business . Dealers focus on one or two brands , leaving the smaller bow companies behind . Without a dealer base ,smaller companies cannot survive.
Two of the best shooting bows I have owned were from small bow companies that had no dealer base . If dealers don't start taking a chance and carrying something besides Mathews , the market will turn into a monopoly .

 

[JayMc]

I completely agree Scott, but I'm thinking from the shopowner's perspective instead of the industry as a whole. I study and roll out business models for a living and can't help but think that way even after work hours