A little rant about boutique (rare) discs

[Blake_T1]

what i have learned with disc golf is that there is always latest and greatest. always. there is always the older version, which was better for various reasons.

my advice:
if you find a disc you love (that is standard production, or can still be easily obtained at standard retail), go buy 10+ of them right now. it will change. the latest and greatest will come out and the old will be gone.

in the 6 years i have been disc golfing, i have had a dozen of my favorite discs get drastically changed or flat out discontinued. with many of these, i had 10+.

about two years into latest and greatest, people always blow a gasket upstairs and are willing to spend obscene amounts of money for discs that were never that great in the first place, but they got so used to them that mentally, they cannot throw well with other discs.

at that point, take your 10+, sell them, making a killing, and buy 10+ of your new favorite disc while pocketing the change.
you'll thank me for it.

now to those that are in the position of their favorite disc being long gone, but still stuck believing it is the only disc you can throw well, i have three words for you: DON'T DO IT.

that next time your finger is lingering over the buy it now button for a $75 4x jk valk, seriously, don't do it. the latest and greatest is on the way.

out of production discs aren't like out of print records, books, movies, etc. there is no permanence, no experience that can only be had with that particular piece of media. discs are discs, we throw them, and they fly. if you are a low level am and you absolutely positively must have that 10x kc teebird... buying one will not make your game better, it just makes your wallet thinner and you are still a low level am.

don't do it.

five years from now when the "super-primo-deluxe-edition" (will be known as SPDE plastic) discs are in full swing, there will be someone locked into the mindset that their game will absolutely dissolve if they don't have a gummy pearlescent opaque champ orc. if you have 15 of them, by all means keep throwing them. if you don't have your 10+, in 2011 come find me and i will shake you and scream "DON'T DO IT!" if you have your 10+, in 2011 i will tell you to hop on ebay and laugh all the way to the bank because haven't you heard? the latest and greatest is here.

to reiterate:
if there is a disc you absolutely love, go buy 10+. it may be gone tomorrow to make room for the latest and greatest.

if you don't have 10+ and it's already been displaced by the latest and greatest: don't do it. seriously, don't.

as more and more people get to know who i am around the country, a lot of them try to show off their rare plastic to me (that they throw). a lot of them go "hey, check this out!" and hold up their newest ebay fodder that they paid $100 for. i give them a puzzled look. they always ask what my thoughts are.

typical dialogue:
"why?"
"why what?"
"well, one, why did you spend $100 on that, and two, why are you throwing something you spent $100 on?"

no one wants to admit that i have a point... is it made out of solid gold? no. does it water your plants and feed your cat when you are out of town? no. is it the miracle cure for cancer? no. it's a piece of plastic that two years ago someone paid $10 for and just sold it to you for $100.

next time you have $100 burning a hole in your pocket, here are some ideas:
1) take your golfing buddies out for a bite to eat after the round.
2) buy 101 double cheese burgers at mickey d's, eat your fill, and pass the rest out to starving homeless people. drop remaining penny off of tall building to see if it will really cut a person in half.
3) buy the wife/gf some flowers and take her someplace nice to eat (reverse genders/titles if you are reading this and are heterosexual female).
4) sponsor an under-privileged child in africa for 142.857 days, or 142.857 children for 1 day.
5) diversify your portfolio by purchasing 10 of the latest and greatest with the intent of turning a 1000% profit 5 years from now.
6) bury in mayonaisse jar in back yard.
7) contribute to emergency fund while waiting for price of gas to reach $100 per gallon... well, technically it would be $99.999999999999 per gallon.

the list goes on and on.

/rant off

 

[twmccoy1]

I agree. All the discs I like (orc, flash, beast, crush, spider, buzz, flick) I have multiples of. Sure, there will always be new cool discs, but I will always keep a good stockpile of old stuff for the future. I think 1X beasts will become a hot commodity sometime down the road. BTW, I still routinely find CE eagles, firebirds and even a couple valks. Yes, people do throw that stuff in the lake.

 

[Jones1]

In the beginning of the year, I went to an Ice Bowl tournament out of town that was very crowded, and noticed a lot of people threw CE Plastic. 2 guys on my card mostly threw plastic that was out of production. I mean there can't be much difference in a Champ Firebird vs a CE Firebird to warrant spending quadruple the money on one. I think if you threw the champ enough youd like it more than the CE because you got used to it. That goes the same for a lot of first run discs like the buzzz. I was throwing a friends CE Valkyrie last week and, not suprisingly, it flew just like other valkyries of Innovas plastics I've thrown.

Now don't get me wrong, I buy some cool plastic to put up on the wall now and then if I run across it, as long as its a reasonable price. I bought a Marshall Street stamped buzzz and threw it once, but couldn't see it get defaced so I put it on the wall. Its so pretty .

 

[roadkill1]

Thanks for the rant Blake.

I enjoyed reading it. For something to be funny it has to contain an element of truth to it. You were right on the money with your observations and I was laughing my arse off reading it just now.

In hindsight I really wish I had invested in usdgc champion rocs and first run _______ (fill in the blank) instead of tech stocks. If I had I literally would be a millionaire instead of a pauper.

keep up the good work, this is the best disc golf resource on the web.

 

[Muffin_Man]

6) bury in mayonaisse jar in back yard.

Make sure you use up the mayonnaise first. I did this once without doing that... Man what a waste of $200 bucks.

 

[thatdirtykid]

so blake, does that mean this bothers you ;-)http://cgi.ebay.com/CE-DISC-GOLF-LO...ryZ79804QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I agree, I have enjoyed some desirable discs CE eagles, CE Spiders, Proline Firebirds, Gummy KC pro teebirds, first run buzzz's. But Ive also made due.

and today was only proof to me limiting myself to Sabres, Avengers and a Z pred for my only backhand drivers I have not only learned these discs more than any discs before, but Ive learned more than ever about my form. In the last 2 months (Since I really narrowed down my choices) I am more confident. (doubles tonight my intermediate partner and I were in the end only 2 strokes behind a pair of open players, who I out drove (accuracy and D) on many holes... god I just now started playing advanced and people are already gettign on me to move up... I wont complain :-D )[/url]

 

[the invisible tree]

that next time your finger is lingering over the buy it now button for a $75 4x jk valk, seriously, don't do it. the latest and greatest is on the way.

I've got a 4x JK valkyrie (170g) that I'll be willing to part with for fifty bones. PM me offers.

 

[Weebl]

Heh, wow. I still feel like the older stuff flies better for me, it could very well be placebo though. I still cringe a little when my CE Valk hit's pavement or the basket (big dents...) :? As of now though I have 3 CE Valks though, each one (new) for $4 more than a brand new champion plastic disc. I figure I'm going to throw my current one, maybe bring in another later on, but keep the third for sales in the future. I'm anticipating the release of the DGA Hurricane for my replacement distance driver, buying 5 and not worrying about pavement anymore. I'm a sucker for vintage plastic... I "oooh" and "ahhh" whenever someone breaks out Sannie Rocs, CE plastic or 8/9/10x plastic...

 

[Blake_T1]

I've got a 4x JK valkyrie (170g) that I'll be willing to part with for fifty bones. PM me offers.

if anyone is silly enough to pay that, more power to ya

 

[Rooster1]

i have an 8 time roc, that i found with no ink, how sweet is that!!!!

 

[twmccoy1]

i have an 8 time roc, that i found with no ink, how sweet is that!!!!

Me too. I also have 4 first run buzzes, 4 CE firebirds, 4 CE eagles, 2 CE valks and god knows what else. Found every one of them.

 

[coogs]

I agree on so many levels. One of the things I was shocked to learn was that people would pay a ton of money for special discs that either a) sit in a trophy case never to be thrown (it's only a disc, people) or b) actually throw the $100 disc and risk losing the $100 purchase.

I understand people collect all kinds of things, but I just don't see collecting discs as something worth the money.

 

[the invisible tree]

http://www.pdga.com/msgboard/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=567000&page=1&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1&vc=1

 

[AciDBatH666]

Only thing ive spent a lil extra money on for a nice wall ornament was a 24 Hour Charity Marathon Lance Armstrong tournament Roc
Nice stamp on it, and only costed me 15 bux.

I couldnt bring myself to burn 100 bux on any disc...

 

[thatdirtykid]

and hes only 11, If I knew the faimly I Would kick the dad in the butt and tell him that its aswome his son can save money for what he wants (and make sure he tells his son this) and then kick him in the butt again untill he realizes he should have stepped in and taught his kid a lesson in money managment. Oh and mabey a lesson on disc selection, dosnt everyone else think a ce roc would be too much disc for just abotu any 11 year old?

 

[bigs]

and hes only 11, If I knew the faimly I Would kick the dad in the butt and tell him that its aswome his son can save money for what he wants (and make sure he tells his son this) and then kick him in the butt again untill he realizes he should have stepped in and taught his kid a lesson in money managment. Oh and mabey a lesson on disc selection, dosnt everyone else think a ce roc would be too much disc for just abotu any 11 year old?

Actually, Dave Jr. could destroy at least half of us (those who post here) out on the course. He recently set the distance record for 10 and under boys at 399'. I've seen him throw farther than that, but you have to have certain conditions and officials there to get a record validated. And his putting is even better.

I figure, if the kid wants a CE Roc, the kid wants a CE Roc. His dad didn't run out and buy it for him. I think the kid did learn a lesson in money management -- he had to save up money for months to get it, and it sucks that he lost it. Most kids will save up and buy an X-box -- I vote for the Roc.

 

[TROTTER]

Dirty,

Remember the stories about Tiger Woods when he was six on the tv? What clubs should he have been using?

Love ya man, but if the kid is a prodigy - let him throw whatever he wants...

Interesting story, hope he finds the Roc.

 

[Weebl]

Most kids will save up and buy an X-box -- I vote for the Roc.

Best damn declaration I've heard all day.

 

[thatdirtykid]

thats insane if the kid can really throw that well. I geuss Im out of the loop ;-) he can probably handle a CE roc better than I could. I wasnt saying that its wrong for him to want it or anything, I just think his dad could have helped him from learning the lesson the hard way. at the same time he should be able to spend his money how he wants. (fyi this is all coming from someone who paid $ for all his bycicles, skateboards ect since he was 8, and cars, insurance, cell phones ect since I was 16, Ive learned plenty of things by mistake, but at 11 or how old, a 120$ mistake is a big mistake)

 

[didihitatree]

When I was 11, I really wanted a guitar. Not just any guitar, but a Fender Stratocaster. Because that's what Clapton and Hendrix and Beck and everyone else played.

So I did just like that kid and I mowed lawns and babysat. And after many months, I bought my (rich) friend's 1979 Fender Stratocaster for $300. I took it home, plugged in the amp... and I sucked. So then I decided what was missing was a Marshall amp, so I mowed lawns and babysat and after many months, I bought a used Marshall ... and I sucked. So then I mowed lawns and babysat, and I used the money for actual guitar lessons. And after awhile, I didn't suck so bad. :wink:

But then a few years later, I decided I had to have an Ibanez just like Joe Satriani uses... and a few years after that... :lol:

Nowadays, I play $200 Yamaha beater guitars because I know the equipment doesn't matter that much. They're easy to replace, and I don't worry constantly worry about dropping them and cracking the neck. But I still have that old Fender, and sometimes I (gently) take it out and play and it just feels cool to be playing the same thing my heroes used.

They're just toys, know what I mean? You get older and the toys change and get more expensive, but it can't be all investing and college funds and thinking about the future. If you only get enjoyment out of being completely awesome at disc golf and you think a $100 disc is going to do miracles, then you have a problem. But if you just like having cool discs or whatever, and you really enjoy throwing them around then it's never a bad purchase.