Is the current economy in 2013 hurting LED flashlight buying just a little or a lot?

Oztorchfreak

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 29, 2010
Messages
1,317
Location
Sydney, Australia
Hi guys.


Is the current economy in 2013 hurting LED flashlight buying just a little or a lot?

Things just seem very slow lately on the LED forum especially.

There is usually a lot more chatter about buying newer LED lights especially at the EDC to mid price point.

Maybe it is just my imagination.

What do you think in different Countries? :thinking:



CHEERS
 
Last edited:

passive101

Enlightened
Joined
Aug 15, 2007
Messages
653
As a business owner I can say in my area the economy has been hurting for around a decade which it seems to continue to fall for people's extra income. However lights haven't really changed that much. Most people who have their lights don't have much of a reason to stay on this board. Many come here when linked from other sites when they are in need or looking for one. I doubt it gets that busy until the next big tech jump or a standard battery such as a 123A or something new can drive 1500-2000 lumens. Then it will be time to upgrade for those who have over 500 lumens now in a single or 2 cell light.

That's just my guess :)
 

nbp

Flashaholic
Joined
Dec 16, 2007
Messages
10,970
Location
Wisconsin
Custom lights market has been slooow for > months. You can get some super deals on Ti lights right now, people just aren't snapping them up like years ago.
 

ghodan

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Jan 31, 2013
Messages
59
Location
The Netherlands
I am creating 2 buy lists and day dreaming what to get the last 15 months..... and not buying one light :mecry:
In between jobs the last 15 months.....

Why so long? I think this is the cause:
Economy sucks.
Number of people without a job in the country i live has never been so high.
So more people with the same skill set try to get the same vacant job openings.
60 to 100+ people usually respond to the same job openings i try to apply to.
Trying to switch to something totally different has also no use because people with skill set that do have experience in that field are readily available.

All resulting in me not being able to buy one of the 19 lights on my current 2 buy list :mecry:
 
Last edited:

ElectronGuru

Flashaholic
Joined
Aug 18, 2007
Messages
6,055
Location
Oregon
I'm watching this happen in 'i' tech this week. Folks got used to x degree of newness creating x degree of excitement. Now, everybody has the basics, touchscreen, camera, visual voicemail. Everything else is refinement, which doesn't pack anywhere near the same punch. So to with lights. Once you can do twice the lumens from a single AAA that you need to take a walk, the basics are covered. And the basics are now available at more stores, so there are fewer doing those Google searches needed to get here.

In descending order, there is also not much of the excitement in LEDs themselves:

  1. when there is a new family of LEDs (CREE X)
  2. when there is a new member of an existing family (XPG)
  3. when there is a improvement across a family (XPG2)

Its been a number of years since a new member came out, never mind a new family.

Its also been a long summer. Dudes prefer shopping/buying flashlights in the winter.
 

Moonshadow

Enlightened
Joined
Jan 31, 2009
Messages
985
Location
Scotland
It's certainly hurting my flashlight buying.

Having to worry about your bank balance/credit card bill at the end of each month definitely puts a crimp on it :(
 

shelm

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Dec 8, 2011
Messages
2,047
Things just seem very slow lately on the LED forum especially.

i think that so many people are moving on. needs and desires are saturated at some point and buying new flashlights does not generate as much joy and excitement as when we were younger or new to the hobby.

thank god that we still have potent brands in the business. nitecore continues to amaze with the vast output of new and newer models. their new lights aren't amazing but what the company does is amazing. some makers in the biz believe that we shoppers are a non-dwindling source of $$$ flow :D

the last time i got excited about a purchase was the EagleTac MT-G2. new member to the CREE family. mind you guys, the #1 leading brightness comes from the Lupine flashlight company. 4500 lumens from a 2x18650 light smaller than TM26!!
 

ledmitter_nli

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jun 4, 2012
Messages
1,433
As of 09/12/13 I've reached peak LED. :D My spending for new lights will be ZERO for a long time, knowing what I have won't be bested to any significant degree anytime soon. Minor LED improvements just won't make it worthwhile to upgrade.

I might upgrade my EagleTac MX25L2's SST-90 P-BIN emitter (2700-3240) to the Q-BIN emitter (3240-3915). But that's about it. I'm so set in flashaholic nirvana :D.

Until the next generation of LED's the game is all about heat and battery life these days.
 

Theron

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Aug 22, 2013
Messages
169
First I bought all the multi-tools I wanted. Then all the knives, and now all the lights. Once I have my favorite in every category, I'll move on to something else until there is major advancement.

People move on to new things.
 

Oztorchfreak

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 29, 2010
Messages
1,317
Location
Sydney, Australia
As of 09/12/13 I've reached peak LED. :D My spending for new lights will be ZERO for a long time, knowing what I have won't be bested to any significant degree anytime soon. Minor LED improvements just won't make it worthwhile to upgrade.

I might upgrade my EagleTac MX25L2's SST-90 P-BIN emitter (2700-3240) to the Q-BIN emitter (3240-3915). But that's about it. I'm so set in flashaholic nirvana :D.

Until the next generation of LED's the game is all about heat and battery life these days.




+1

I think you guys have made really good points and I have eaten too many lollies or candy for now.

I am quite full and the economy is making more important things chew up my budget.

Until the technologies leap forward in gigantic steps I am quite happy with what I have collected for many years.

We seem to be on the mountain top nowadays.

I enjoyed the technology climbing to great heights but in the last few years the flashlight scene looks saturated.

I am currently waiting for the USPS to deliver my $600 OMG Deft-X to Australia after 8 months of agonising build time, never again.

It's only "off the shelf" stuff for me at some point maybe when a really nice and affordable EDC light takes my fancy.

Please don't get involved in lights that are still prototypes like the DEFT-X.

I have learnt my lesson the hard way as have many others suffering the agony of huge wait times for an "experimental work in progress" light.

That is it now for me as there are more important things for me to put my hard earned cash into, like food, fuel, travelling around this vast country and electricity to name a few tiny little things.




CHEERS
 
Last edited:

shelm

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Dec 8, 2011
Messages
2,047
i don't have a smartphone yet.

i can see myself soon moving on to the smartphone community. that's so much more sophisticated and non-frustrating than our primitive flashlights.
 

ledmitter_nli

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jun 4, 2012
Messages
1,433
First I bought all the multi-tools I wanted. Then all the knives, and now all the lights. Once I have my favorite in every category, I'll move on to something else until there is major advancement.

People move on to new things.

I think for me, it is now to start producing life hacking experiences with them. We know they'll be out of date in 3 or 4 years. So no use keeping them on the shelf, either.

I'm probably going to start getting into toaster ovens. I'm going to challenge TEEJ. Making the most perfect, and the most authentic toast isn't a game to be played around with by children, like yuo's! :D
 

PoliceScannerMan

Flashaholic
Joined
Jul 25, 2005
Messages
9,558
Location
Gainesville,FL
For me personally, I have two kids now, and my wife left her 45-50K per year job to be a stay at home mommy. So thats a triple whammy, kids are EXPENSIVE!!

If I don't sell existing lights, I cant buy new ones. My hobby money is dry as a bone. I have lost major dollars selling lights to fund new ones to the point where i dont really have that many lights anymore. But what I do have is awesome. Spy Tri-V2, Spy 007 XM-L2, Oveready, McGizmo, Dark Sucks, etc.

These days, people won't buy your light until is about 60-70% on retail vaule.

I have done some trading, which I believe is a win win for the duo involved.

So yes while the economy has much to do with it, growing families also eat up hobby money, LOL.
 

fresh eddie fresh

Enlightened
Joined
Sep 15, 2010
Messages
984
I have also been selling off unused lights to fund new ones. I am amazed at what a lot of the older Surefires are selling for these days... I sold a 3P and it paid for my Wildcat v1 with two bodies and more MD tailcaps than I will ever need! :)
 

Oztorchfreak

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 29, 2010
Messages
1,317
Location
Sydney, Australia
Newcomers to the flashlight market will be the main benefactors of the experience that we all have been putting into this forum for years.

The main buyers soon will probably be younger people that want EDC type lights that they can easily afford, carry and replace using the latest technologies.

A light not used is probably a crime in many ways.

Who will appreciate what they all meant to us when we are gone?

I think we let ourselves be guinea pigs in this industry for many years as we got hooked on all manner of lights that have been built using very fast paced rapidly changing technologies especially in the LED area.

The LED forum looks like it has the most visitors usually at any one time as far as I can tell.

The market is so saturated that I don't know which company really makes any money nowadays.

YEAH, I know we sound like old farts and we probably are.

But we have the experience in what makes a good flashlight!

Most people already think I have rocks in my head for buying the $600 - $700 DEFT-X.

I am jumping off this train for now with my purchases at least!

I will still play with and shine up my collection as usual for many years to come especially with a stuffed economy.

Where to next with lighting technology advances?



CHEERS
 

LGT

Enlightened
Joined
Nov 10, 2011
Messages
789
Location
Massachusetts
Personally, yes. Since the Wife was laid off, and my work location closed and had to work at a location closer to home with about a 40k pay cut, buying flashlights is way, way back on the things we need list. I'm just glad that I bought some high quality lifetime warranty lights like Surefire and HDS while times were good.
 

Bronco

Enlightened
Joined
Dec 3, 2003
Messages
495
Location
Los Angeles
Newcomers to the flashlight market will be the main benefactors of the experience that we all have been putting into this forum for years.

This X 1000.

I clearly remember a decade ago being so jazzed about having just received my brand new, state of the art, cutting edge, Elektrolumens FT-3C. Feed it three C-cells and you'd get 70 emitter lumens out the other end. On and off, that was it. Thing was though, it was putting out 2 to 3 times the light you'd get from a Mag Light at half the size. Non-flashaholics would look on with amazement at the wonder you held in your hand.

Nowadays, these whippersnappers ;) can't fall out of a tree without landing on a tiny little, multi-mode pocket blowtorch pushing close to a thousand lumens off of a single cell. You're welcome, young fellas. :)
 

Oztorchfreak

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 29, 2010
Messages
1,317
Location
Sydney, Australia
This X 1000.

I clearly remember a decade ago being so jazzed about having just received my brand new, state of the art, cutting edge, Elektrolumens FT-3C. Feed it three C-cells and you'd get 70 emitter lumens out the other end. On and off, that was it. Thing was though, it was putting out 2 to 3 times the light you'd get from a Mag Light at half the size. Non-flashaholics would look on with amazement at the wonder you held in your hand.

Nowadays, these whippersnappers ;) can't fall out of a tree without landing on a tiny little, multi-mode pocket blowtorch pushing close to a thousand lumens off of a single cell. You're welcome, young fellas. :)



We are sounding really old guys!

I often carry my Klarus XT11 in my back pocket.

Falling off something onto it would hurt quite a bit, but it's a lot better than trying to strap a 4D Maglite anywhere onto my body and falling on it.

The difference in lumens between the two is absolutely astounding.

I used Maglites big and small back many years ago as an Electrician working on major entertainment venues.

I still have many of them and they still work, no surprise!

I run my Klarus XT11 on two 16340 (RCR123) batteries rather than one 18650 to get 200 more lumens OTF and it puts out over 800 lumens.

It is already old with the newer XP-G2 or XM-L2 LEDs out now.

It still is a great little Tactical style light with instant high selection on every first press and instant strobe is available from off as well.

My collecting days are at an end and I have enough pieces of technology to keep me being a happy little camper for many years to come.

I hope they mainly increase battery capacities and make lot more efficient LEDs in the near future.

This current economy has helped stop me spending a fortune on flashlights of all kinds.

I have invested heavily in the flashlight industry but I can't see much return on my outlay.

I must have shares in Olight, Thrunite, Klarus, Maglite, Surefire and other companies by now, where is the dividends?



CHEERS
 
Last edited:
Top