Just something I was thinking about while reading an email... On the issue of racquet pricing. Could giant companies like Yonex be charging more to other countries to make up for the loss in profit, because the sport isn't as popular in those regions??? For reasoning for this is because I was reading the other thread, and Byron stated the price of a few racquets in Singapore. Now, it doesn't take a rocket scientist, but they are indeed very low prices!!! There are literally millions, and millions of players in Asia who play our beloved sport of badminton. Which translates into more sales... Since the money may not be worth as much as say, the American dollar... they have to lower the prices, and literally flood the market in which they are supplying in Asia, so that the prices are low enough for the customers to still be able to afford their equipment. This will balance out their profit margins. Especially since their marketing is so strong in those Asian countries. Now on the flip side, we have North America... while Yonex still has a massive influence over here. It's obvious we have maybe just a few million players total if that many... inclusive of competitive, and recreational players alike. Since we don't have very many players, and the market is fairly small here... Yonex must raise prices, in order to balance out the profit margin which they enjoy so much in Asia. OK, so my posting is based solely on the sport of badminton... Now, as many of you know I'm a private individual vendor myself. I may view my products as being low in price compared to the competition. The norm for a decent racquet, at a decent price in North America seems to be roughly $100USD or so... Yet some retailers as mentioned earlier, charge upwards of $200+USD for equipment??? Forgive me for saying this but that is absolutely B.S. However it seems there's no control really. If we in North America want lower prices for our equipment we go back to Asia for our goods... correct? I've said this before, and I'll say it again. If we want to enjoy lower pricing... it will be through competition between manufacturers to give lower prices, while enjoying greater numbers of sales. In order to achieve this, it's every players duty no matter what country you're from to help get new players involved. When we get more people playing especially here in North America, you grow the market. As the market grows, you will have more people buying the goods, and thus your sport becomes more popular, as more people are indeed playing, and enjoying it. With that said, larger sport companies such as Adidas, Nike, even Prince, who still produces badminton products will return to North America, and help to popularize the sport even further, as they pay for air time, when we can get the sport onto TV. The more people that play, the more "superstars" can be born, and train independently before making it big. I'm sure there is an athelete out there, or a few atheletes out there that play badminton in North America, who are truly outstanding. I know Kwun, and Cooler know this, but without someone paving the path towards success, our sport will remain in the shadows of tennis and the like. Don't get me wrong... I've got a few plans in the works, for the future; and it is my vow to help contribute to the growth in popularity in this sport in North America. But without people's support, nothing will ever take place. I hope the next time you guys go play badminton... call up one of your friends, or other friends that doesn't play badminton, and invite them out for a night of fun. I guarantee that, while these may be baby steps. It's at least one step closer to helping this sport be widely televised, and become more popular as a whole. Thanks for your time. -Kelvin
wohoo wot kelvin says is 100% true. i have read a review of a racquet on the BC website with someone(i wont say who) who claims to have bought a high end Tonex Ti racquet for 245 usd! thats completely insane! he/she also spoke about it as if it was a great deal. this is definately not a good deal. The market place is minipulating us and making things seem like good deals when they are not. I want to watch badminton on tv not tennis! lets make this sport grow :smile:
I definitely agree with you Kelvin on this whole issue of racquet prices. If most of us are consistently using one popular brand, just because that's the brand used by most champions due to sponsorship arrangement instead of fair practical quality judgements, then all we are doing is perpetuating the trend resulting in the non-ending price mark-ups. Now on the issue of introducing badminton to the not yet converts, what you are suggesting is great but it will takes a good amount patience should be shared by many who have the same view. In my experience though there is a great deal of exclusiveness on the part of some who only want to play with the "already advanced" therefore isolating new comers and discouraging them from continuing. I am not saying that those "great players" should spend the whole evening with the new ones, but there has to be some innitiatives to encourage them to stay and improve by ways of first of all being friendly( frankly it does not hurt to say hi to new comers, unless you are born a snob ), welcoming and willing to teach a little. This is just my small view on the matter. Even though I am an Indonesian living in Canada, I am not a "great player" yet, as a matter of fact I just picked up badminton again just 2 years ago after having not played for many years, so I did encounter the situation I described above. In any event, I certainly hope your idea would be shared by many and consequently the game of badminton will be more popular and with crossing my toes the prices of the racquets will eventually become less insane.
