Which flashlight/types will depreciate in value the least?

I was just curious about the informed opinions of the CPF members.
Which flashlight or types of flashlights do you think will depreciate in value
(and not become yesterdays news fast) the least?

IMO, The cheapest ones.

IMO, In terms of percentage depreciation, *Edit* SOME cheaper lights suffer big time. The more expensive custom lights maintain their value or even appreciate over the long run. See the examples of KI lights and the Mclux-III Ti. Crazy prices...

My Maglites are still worth what I payed for them.

LOL! I concede on that one.

As NotEnoughLight said, only the specialty custom lights will appreciate, at least in the fairly short long-term. It seems to me that a lot of this phenomenon has to do with a sort of "flavor of the month" desirability. The PDs and KIs seem to maintain their value very well (at least for now), while prices for the Lionheart and Lion Cub have fallen dramatically. I guess this could be because each of Mr Bulk's lights are designed to be better than the last.

Higher end production lights with serial numbers might not fair too badly as well, especially for the more "desireable" numbers, or production lights released as a special edition (like the CPF Arc AAA, Arc AAA camo, or Peak special).

As for less expensive lights, the cheapest ones are already cheap, so they can only go down to zero value, right?

The worst hit by depreciation will be pretty much any mid-range mass-produced production light; the prices always start somewhat high (the Q-III came to these forums at $60) and fall as the market saturates and newer, better, cheaper options become available (Q-IIIs can now be had for around $25). Prices have already started falling a bit for the Fenix L1P.

For me, collecting and playing with lights is more about the lights than any type of value considerations. I don't consider lights in general to be a good "investment" and wouldn't feel comfortable using my lights if I did. For this reason, I like the mid-range lights, as they can offer good quality at decent prices, and I won't be too bummed if I can't sell them and recoup my money.

Big name lights that are not made with unstable tech. I think that Surefire incans are the best example. No change in value, some of the older ones are going for over retail. I'd skip getting LED lights for inventment purposes. Until they become collectible you'll just be dealing with old outdated flashlights.

Those maglites are definitely soemthingelse! LOL.

I figured that the LED tech. is advancing a lot faster and lights using them will
change more often compared to something like the surefire G2 (just as an example).

Edit:
ABTOMAT, that's what I was thinking and posted this before reading your response

That's why people here constantly change the LEDs in their light. Just make sure your light can be taken apart.

The cheap lights commonly found on ebay

I got my 2 QIII's on 9/6/2004 (9th June 2004) for $50 + $8(CPF) each
Today QIII's costs $25 - $28 with $2 - $5 Shipping (31/03/2006) 31st March 2006, that's devaluation of worth 50% in just over 2 years.

Fenix came here at $60 + Shipping, today they costs $33 + Shipping, thats 50% devaluaiton in less than a year (perhaps 8 months).. i feel that by next 6 months, i am sure these lights will cost around $15 - $20 ...

I have found Consistant prices of Peak LED Lights, Arc Lights, and most of USA built lights.

incidently the most devaulated products are made in China! those manufactured in America have a Good Price & Quality, Consistant performance.... most importantly, better terms of warrenty, returns, customer support.

yet still people buy lights based on "more value for money" principle, not realizing that these lights will be devalued.

it's like buying korean cars for less cost and higher cost to maintain as compared with japnese cars, cost more to buy but less to maintain.

hard to give concrete guidelines. seems there's exceptions to every rule.

higher end lights generally fare the best. Surefire and ARC pricing seems the most stable. HDS and Mr Bulk lights have taken pretty bad drops.

McGizmo lights values have been pretty stable, but seems older lights have been falling out of favor. Lights hand built by Don seems to have risen in prices. try to buy a mclux PD?

KI lights seems to have risen in prices, some due to buyers from overseas jumping in. Hard to tell what Peak lights are doing due to so many different names???

Rare and exotic lights like McGizmo Xbins and MRX-X3T have risen in value. Ubin lights command a premium. but I'm not sure why, for most any 5watt luxeon will smoke it.

Fenix lights pricing have been fairly stable until recently. pricing drops by mfg dropped values accordingly. Rare Fenix Stainless L1+ have jumped in value.

please note this is what I perceive, others may see differently

I think Mcgizmo flashlights will always command at least 90% of their original cost.
Mr bulk large production flashlights have historically dropped in value immediately, except for low number specials and exotics.
TnC flashlights will always be worth at least 90% of their cost.
Hds Flashlights seem to hold most of their value except when the company lowers it's retail pricing.
Cy said the cheap lights will loose less that is because they have less to loose.
The custom and exotic light group seems to do quite well over time until now.
Some of these lights have taken major hits in their value some of the jetts 22 lights come to mind.

All of this is very speculative. the reversal of fortune is as likely to happen to any of these flashlight makers over night.
The best lights in the world will remain the best lights in the world/

Look at a rolls Royce auto. It is an investment car. almost always worth the same as paid for it 1 year after purchasing it. vs a VW which is almost never worth what it cost one year out.
The same is true with many flashlights.
If I spend $220 on a McGizmo flashlight and 20 on something at target. the Mcgizmo light will still be worth the $220 or close to it. The target light if it still works may be worth a buck or two.

Remember past performance is a great indicator of future performance.
Most of my Mr Bulk Flashlights have gone down in value. (there are exceptions I paid $150 for a bare lion cub which I think would still fetch $150. but If I were to attempt to sell a lion cub CPF LE for what it cost me. I wouldn't get it.)
All of my McGizmo lights are still worth what I paid for them. This is a subjective opinion based on what I have seen on the BST forums on various places on the net.
I personally do not understand this dynamic, But it does seem to be there.
It is like the KI's, those lights seem to never go down. but the ARC flashlights have gone up and down in a wild fashion over the past couple of years.
Go figure.
Please take salt with all of this. What you have just read is coming from somebody who almost never sells lights I have 90% of all the lights I have ever bought. I am not really big on turning flashlights over for a profit.
If I were ,I would focus my dough on high end exotic material lights and small run customs. Those lights it seems will hold their value the best.
Yaesumofo

owen bright said:

I was just curious about the informed opinions of the CPF members.
Which flashlight or types of flashlights do you think will depreciate in value
(and not become yesterdays news fast) the least?

Click to expand...

Lights made by Larry seem to appreciate no matter what - especially when you realize that they were almost all gifts!

Marc

I view flashlights as tools so it is a little different for me.
My flashlight collection has expanded as my needs for portable lighting have increased. My earlier EDC lights have generally been destroyed (minimag mods) since I am hard on my lights. The reason for this is my main goal in EDC is that it works...every time no matter were in the world I am or what I am doing.
As far as value goes, I have two lights that CPF'ers (and some civilian buddies) find very desirable a sterile (no markings) HA-III black Arc AAA with red LED (only desired by CPF'ers) and my WX1S LuxeonV nFlex 8AA to 2D Mag (desired by police and military)
I don't purchase lights for resale value, just durability, usability, modability, efficiency, brightness and runtime. Same way with all the tools I purchase, I don't think about resale value since I use them until they either fail, wear out or get technologically obsolete and replaced.
My needs for red, UV, work EDC, keychain EDC and power failure lights have been met. The only lights that require more runtime and output are my bicycle lights. The K2 BAM 400+ lumen HA-III 8AA Mag project is underway waiting for the BAM portion. I can easily modify it with newer LEDs when the need arises as a frame mounted bike light. My MillerMods L1P bicycle helmet light will get a new K2 Luxeon eventually to bump up the output. The Fire~Fly III can get an LED upgrade in the next year or two "just because". Having three lights that would "need" to be upgraded can easily be performed when the needs arise.
They are just tools.... right?

Well,

It does seem Maglites hover in value. Of course it depends on how much you beat them up.

For a light to truly go up in value, they can no longer be commercially available, but people still want them.

InfidelCastro said:

My Maglites are still worth what I payed for them.

Click to expand...

+1 on that. I use a 4D Maglite, and while it's price has dropped, I would still gladly pay as much as I paid originally for it. I love it. Of course, I'm gonna love it even more when Nite Ize begins selling their LED conversion for it. As for actual value, I'd say the high end ones will still be higher in value, depending on their condition.

Depreciate the least?

That would have to the the Ray-O-Vac 2xD light your Dad and your Grand Father both have in their kitchen cabnets. They've been aroud so long that the MagLite looks like the new kid on the block. I don't think the price on those thing has changed in the last 30-40 years!

A buying strategy worth noting is purchasing lights after initial drop in value has already occured.

meaning for your best value, best to purchase used in mint condition. or if you are planning on putting light into ruff service find a light with a few tiny nicks and save more $$.

Surefire with it's no hassle lifetime warranty fits this model well. If you purchase a popular model like say Surefire L4 for say $125 in mint condition. Use L4 until it's time to move on, assuming you have keep it in mint condition. odds are fairly high you will sell that L4 for the same $125.

meaning you have used/played with that super nice surefire L4 for cost of shipping. note if you nick or dent that L4 in ANY way, resale just went down by $15-$35.

on the flip side as a buyer wanting a surefire L4 to use and you really don't care about a few tiny nicks. as you will put a few nicks after the few uses anyways. You should look for that same L4 for $95 range. Then when you are ready to move on.... sell that same L4 for $95. again you have enjoyed the use of a super nice L4 for cost of shipping.

as an added bonus, you bypass luxeon lottery by asking seller what the tint is.

simple huh.... works real well if you stick stable value lights like Surefire and ARC. McGizmo lights too

Do we mean VALUE, or do we mean PRICE ?

Let's face it, some lights are high dollar, but poor value... A Titanium U-bin, Li-ion powered light producing 60 lumens is only outputting the same as a Surefire G2, so for lighting purposes, the G2 is better VALUE, but will never attract the same hard cash that the 'rarer' light will.

There is always a place for 'nice' lights, but too often, like Leica cameras, they are honoured and kept in cabinets, distant from the designer's aspirations for the product.

I have lights that hardly ever get used, but they're not spared an outing on cost value basis, I just don't have enough hands !

The thing with LEDs, I have noticed, is similar to digital cameras, the output is going up, while the cost in real terms is coming down. When Canon introduced th EOS 30D recently, as a (better) successor to the EOS 20D, it was cheaper than the inferior model it replaced. Similar with LEDs, unless you can replace the LED in your favourite light, it will become outclassed. At least with Incandescents, you can put in brighter lamp.