Which company will be gone by 2014

[texhop58]

So we all know it happens. With all the new disc companies coming in over the last few years and the saturation of the market with new molds that are awfully close to other molds. Some company will more then likely end up going under.
Innova-people have complained about their quality on this site over and over, but will a giant fall?
Discraft- with most of its teams members moving on, is it a sign of their disc in general?
Prodigy- too good to be true? Too much hype? Even it's simple disc names could be its undoing. Especially since we disc golfers like animals and catchy names on our disc
Vibram-some call it a niche? Can rubber really make a run or fall flat?
MVP- gyro? You buying it? Too many molds too fast?
Dynamic- spreading itself to thin with tourney, disc production and everything else?
Lat 64- "that ain't American" actually had people say that. Wonder who will break that to the dynamic throwers
Westside- can it get a grasp in ther America's?
Time to debate

 

[texhop58]

On I forgot gateway- "do they make anything besides a wizard" another line I have heard a few times.

 

[thrembo]

I thought Lightning was already gone?

 

[All Day]

I don't really know a whole lot about Lightning, but I don't think any of these companies are going anywhere. Even Gateway, who is my personal favorite. They supposedly sell as many Wizards as the rest of their molds combined, and could probably stay alive just selling Wizards. Their putters really opened my eyes to the rest of their lineup that is highly underrated, and I don't think they are any more inconsistent than other companies. Ever thrown a Sabre or Element? You'd be surprised.

Vibram? No way. Unmatched durability and grip. Gaining a cult like following.

Innova? Discraft? No way. Too much history and decades of momentum.

MVP? No way. Another cult like following with several molds selling like crazy.

 

[bradharris]

None of the above.

 

[Terry 44]

Man, what a gloom and doom thread. Hopefully none of them. The sport is growing, maybe demand will keep up with supply.... IMO companies go under cause they are run poorly, or because they did not evolve. People buy stuff, make said stuff..... make money. Evolve with peoples wants, stay alive as a company.

 

[rd.bittle]

Hopefully none of the above.

You also forgot to put Prodigy an the poll.

 

[smyith]

The ones you have listed all having a loyal fan base except Lightning. But RIP, DKG, and Daredevil have it pretty rough. So I wouldn't be surprised if they bite the bullet. Hopefully they don't. But I am a disc junkie and have had no interest to purchase....so.....

Forget Legacy as well.

 

[wkelly42]

You also forget that Vibram has a business outside of disc golf. If nothing else, they can operate the DG division to offset profits from the shoes.

Steve Dodge also seems very committed to the disc golf end of the business, so I don't see it going anywhere any time soon.

 

[crashzero]

you forgot prodigy, abc discs, dynamic discs and whoever makes the rampage

 

[Monkeypaws]

Aerobie? Ching? Quest?

 

[Cgkdisc]

Probably better to discuss what disc models might go out of production since the companies will all probably survive. Possibly five years from now, a company or two might disappear, not necesarily due to failing, but being bought by another company.

 

[texhop58]

Dynamic is up there and I did Miss prodigy on the list. I figured it just made for an interesting convo that actually hasn't been done yet. I honesty believe it may be 3 to 5 years then it would be just two. Maybe a buy out of one company to another

 

[texhop58]

And with lightning I thought I saw an advertisement in the disc golfer magazine recently. I may of been wrong

 

[bradharris]

Dynamic is up there and I did Miss prodigy on the list. I figured it just made for an interesting convo that actually hasn't been done yet. I honesty believe it may be 3 to 5 years then it would be just two. Maybe a buy out of one company to another

I'm struggling to see how Prodigy is going to survive. They're sponsoring a boatload of pros and the first three months of public existence have really been a PR nightmare.

I can't imagine their business being sustainable is sustainable in its current state.

Of course, I don't think it will be over this year. I see it as several years of trying to stay afloat before eventually caving.

 

[DiscJunkie]

"There are levels of survival we are prepared to accept."
Paraphrased from one of the Matrix movies.

I think all the disc companies will survive. The profit margin for discs manufacturers is large enough that they can survive.
My biggest concern will be the companies that sell the discs, the distributors.The profit margins for discs is way too low for a lot of these companies to survive.
A few have gone, a few more will be gone in the next year or two.

 

[elmexdela]

if lightning isnt gone yet, i doubt any of the others will be the first to go. i honestly dont know a single person with any lightning disc in their bag.

 

[Jukeshoe]

I voted Gateway.

They sell the rights to the Wizard to another player in the market and go under. opcorn:

 

[cassinator]

if lightning isnt gone yet, i doubt any of the others will be the first to go. i honestly dont know a single person with any lightning disc in their bag.

I have one that I bought a few years ago before I knew much about the discs. Really light #1 driver or something. Still keep it in my bag, though I don't throw it much anymore.

 

[Stankyjahnke]

Quest I hope maybe abc discs don't see much love for them except the flying squrriel.