Market Demand for Ti lights

rscanady

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at the risk of drawing heat for this topic, I wanted to bring it up. I did not want to post in anyone's sales thread so thought that I might do it here, and dont mind getting feedback, after all this is only my opinion.

A few months ago, heck even a few weeks ago, Ti lights like Dons and others were selling in excess of $700. Some are still up for sale but have notably been for sale longer without selling and some wonder why they haven't sold.

Remember this is only my opinion here.

With the recent advances in LED (Cree and Seoul) and Don and others making more lights (Don's McCree in the $450 range), I believe that this has weakened the percieved value of other lights such as the Ti PD and twisty. Some have said that due to their rareness and such that the recent advances should not have an effect on the market demand, but it seems they have.

I always here people talk about the value of some of these lights, but what it seems most forget is that an items value is only what any one person is willing to pay for it.

The Ti lights are not quite as "rare" as they used to be and thus economics comes into play here. While I myself love Don's lights and appreciate the designs behind them, I personally find more value in the new McCree lights at $450 than I do in a McLuxIII-T around $700. Remember this is just me folks.

I do welcome comments on this and would like to hear other people take on this.

Again I really mean no offense to anyone by this, but felt compelled to post was all.


Regards,

Ryan
 
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It's natural that older models retain their value until newer versions are introduced, then drop in value. Happens all the time. Even with McLux lights.

I've never been in the hobby for the investment value anyway. I just love lights and will pay what I think they're worth, regardless of future investment value.
 

tron3

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Some people just love the Titanium - period. I bought the Fenix LO-Ti because it has a max of 40 lumens over the 30 lumens of the LOP. While the Titanium appealed to me, the brighter light is what made me get it.

If and when Fenix comes out with a LO-CREE version, I will most likely buy that put the rest of them away.

Titanium is a great metal, but it doesn't give off any light in an emergency. However, flashlights made from this metal for "real men" increase in value better than gold!

I know that on this site someone sold a Lo-Ti for $150. It just came out for $100 a few weeks ago!
 

65535

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Ti has always been a mythical metal always been associated with strength for $700 he's sellign the name Titianium not the superbright light. But fo sure they are made excilentaly and are wortha few hundred but a Non ti version is more ecenomical really without much loss in looks I personally like a matte finish.
 

russtang

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When Luxeon comes out with an led with better performance than the cree, or someone makes a "drop-in" led that works with the lux based reflectors, the non-cree Ti lights will gain in value again.
 

arty

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There are different titanium alloys. Some are not any better(stronger) than aluminum, and are heavier. Some Ti alloys are stronger than aluminum, but heavier, and much lighter than steel.
Personally, I can't see spending more than the cost of steel or brass. If I want light weight, I'll pay for aluminum.
I assume that all of these lights will be old tech in a couple of years.
 

Kiessling

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As there are more and more ti lights offered these days the "extra ti bonus" will eventually be goen and the second market price will behave more "normally", meaning older tech lights will lose value instead of almost doubling their value as was the case with the first ti lights offered.
There will be always those rare collector's items that spark the interest of a few select peopleeven of older tech. Like the McLuxIII-T.

Still ... ti will always be expensive due to the machining and material costs.

bernie
 

McGizmo

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russtang said:
When Luxeon comes out with an led with better performance than the cree, or someone makes a "drop-in" led that works with the lux based reflectors, the non-cree Ti lights will gain in value again.

Like the Seoul P4? :D
 

Bob_G

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Ryan,

I think your post is more about the CPF obsession with the "new thing" and the abandonment of the "old thing," than it is about Ti. The new thing is the Cree of course, and it has significant advantages, especially in a single CR123 light, so the new thing is a good thing in this case. But that doesn't mean the old thing is a bad thing.

I'm mostly focusing on hotwires now, and it's obvious that your basic 500 torch lumen magmod is long forgotten. Yes, in the hotwire world, 500 lumens out the front is a snooze! It makes no sense from a practical view, and the rapture inspired by the M6 indicates that 500TL is accepted as a useful amount of light, but the Mag11 and such are old things. Bad for people who might want to sell them, good for people who might see their inherent value and want to buy one.
 

Casual Flashlight User

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I'm with OP, I've no interest at all in Ti lights (or any other shiney material), nor any desire to own any...they are tools, and I love that dark grey HAIII that most of my lights have.

Each to his own though, somebody spending $500 on a Ti light is no more insane than me spending $150 on a HAIII light...especially from the point of view of your average punter who would choke if asked to pay more than $50 for such a tool.


CFU
 

rscanady

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Bob_G said:
Ryan,

I think your post is more about the CPF obsession with the "new thing" and the abandonment of the "old thing," than it is about Ti. The new thing is the Cree of course, and it has significant advantages, especially in a single CR123 light, so the new thing is a good thing in this case. But that doesn't mean the old thing is a bad thing.

I'm mostly focusing on hotwires now, and it's obvious that your basic 500 torch lumen magmod is long forgotten. Yes, in the hotwire world, 500 lumens out the front is a snooze! It makes no sense from a practical view, and the rapture inspired by the M6 indicates that 500TL is accepted as a useful amount of light, but the Mag11 and such are old things. Bad for people who might want to sell them, good for people who might see their inherent value and want to buy one.



Very good point here, I think this is true for a lot of people, not all, but a lot.

Ryan
 

9volt

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I've spent a good chunk of change on various lights over the last couple of months ($1k+) and personally I can't justify paying a large premuim for a Ti light. I'd rather have a couple less exotic lights than just one of them in Ti. My next light will be the Aluminium XR-E Draco as soon as it becomes available. I could have had the Ti version already, but for the same money I'll take an Al and a Raw NS XR-E to go with it.

Different strokes I guess. Maybe different bankrolls too.
 

Kiessling

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Let's not forget that while ti has an exotic and collectors allure, it offers something in the "serious tool-aspect" as well, which is the reason I am going for ti lights if I can afford them:
- no surfacce finish to scratch
- tough as hell
- immune to the elements whereever I may go
 

Derek Dean

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Hmmmm..... interesting discussion. I just bought my "first" Ti light, and I must say, there is something cool about the way it feels that is just very nice.

My pesonal preference is to have a few special lights, while some one else might rather have many different shapes and sizes for a multitude of purposes. Viva la difference!

By the way, I really feel that a light's "worth" should be thought of as more than just what some one is willing to pay for it. The value of a fine light is found in the many ways it improves the quality of our lives, some times by providing life saving illumination in an emergency, and other times by just bring a smile to our day.
 
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