# Decoys must not depreciate? Buying new vs used



## weuk (Dec 19, 2010)

I personally buy almost everything used in life and have bought all used decoys for my spread through the years which are all bigfoots. I have been looking to expand out into full body dakota or ghg ffd. Ive found with my search everybody wants about new price for their deeks or not far off even for 2-3 year old or older spreads. Now im comparing this to the sale prices at the online stores. 
Im far from where most the goose hunting is so i cant save the price in gas to get a spread at those prices.

Here have been some of the prices ive found:
For example: ghg ffd lessers with bag free shipping $110/6 from gander mountain recently and there arent many that would even sell their used ffd lessers for that even two year old. Typical asking price is $150/6 and cheapest ive had was $120/6 new from private seller. 
Ghg pro grade honkers were on sale at Cabelas for $59.99/4 during black friday and most people want that or more for well used progrades. 
For bigfoots there are some dealers who have contacted me for $25 each new and people usually want $18-20 for some 12 years old to more recent with no flock and lot of wear and tear. 
The funniest of all are the people that bought avian X before the sale price at Cabelas now and want more than new and justify it because THEY paid x amount so.... 
In saying this Im finding out sometimes to buy new and waiting for a sale than spending hours trying to finaggle the right deal and drive a long ways to get it. But then again sometimes we find that right deal that saves us a couple hundred bucks which makes a tightwad like me feel good about the 50 hours spent finding the right deal.


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## shooteminthelips (Jun 13, 2007)

I see smoking deals on all the outdoor forum classifieds everyday. Most for less then half price of what they would be new. I have picked up 14 dozen Dakota Lessers and Honkers in the last couple months and on average have paid half of retail for them. Keep your eyes open.


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## Beavis (Jan 30, 2012)

i assume the reason GHG are selling cheaper in retail stores is they want to get rid of what they have in stock for the new honkers GHG is coming out with this fall. Cabelas basically forced ZInk to get the avains out before Fred got all the kinks worked out. Thats why they had them on sale for $150/6 for fully flocked. Again to sell them so they can get new ones this fall...


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## weuk (Dec 19, 2010)

shooteminthelips said:


> I see smoking deals on all the outdoor forum classifieds everyday. Most for less then half price of what they would be new. I have picked up 14 dozen Dakota Lessers and Honkers in the last couple months and on average have paid half of retail for them. Keep your eyes open.


Thats about what i need to find. I need about 8-10 dz. I just talked with a guy who wanted $230/dz for lessers and $280/dz 7/10 condition for honkers without bags. That would make lessers $30 cheaper for the dozen than new. Im guessing people pay these prices to avoid taxes or something because it would be worth me buying new just for the warranty factor these huge retailers have.


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## dakotashooter2 (Oct 31, 2003)

Keep in mind that decoy prices have risen at least $10 per year in the last 3 or 4 years. That means that if you base your used price on what new ones are going in many cases you can charge what you paid for them 3-4 years ago and get away with it.

You have to be carefull of some retailers this time of year. One retailer is advertizing their bigfoots as sale priced when their decoys are old stock and their "sale" price is actually their regular price from last year.

Most of the real deals come from guys that bought a spread for the fall but really can't afford it. As soon as season is over they have to dump them for cash.


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## weuk (Dec 19, 2010)

If we all would have known to invest in gold and decoys! Ha 
Point taken. Thanks.


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## jpallen14 (Nov 28, 2005)

Sold three year old FFD lessers for the exact same price I bought them for a couple years ago. But the retail price also went up $40 per six during the same time. Shipping decoys also cost a ton.


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## BirdJ (Aug 24, 2011)

Depends on what you want? I bought new a used DSD's this last fall and the older ones still looked brand new! I bought used GHG lessers flocked and painted ones and they looked like new. It just depends on how much you want to spend. I just depends how people take care of their stuff!!!! What I saved per dozen of the DSD's buying them used, and yes the newer ones are sweet, even though they were the older style I probably saved myself $300.00 per dozen!!!! I can't afford to buy new stuff every 2nd or 3rd season like some people can so I take care with what I have!!!! I still have 6 dozen of the orignal Fred Zinks GHG fullbody goose decoys so what does that tell ya!!! Get pics or if you can? Go see them for yourself if you can! Thats what I did a couple of times.


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