Chapman's rods

[Haydn Clarke]

Well I was gonna lube up, anyhow.

[Beresford]

Why not restore an old one, J.T? Be far cheaper and less fraught, especially if it's your first project.

Chapman rods do seem to be starting to get more expensive on ebay, I notice. Even though, the sellers currently asking £300.00 for a 500 Avon and another for £350 are complete dreamers. If those rods sell I'll do a streak at the Olympic opening ceremony.

I've just bought two Chapman rods for £650...

I remember the day ( :chuckle: ) when a Chapman 500/550 was £70 or £90 for a really good one!

[Haydn Clarke]

My 550, which was pretty much as close to perfect as I've ever bought, cost £70.00. My 500 was about £40.00, though that was a "project". And that weren't that long ago.

[Beresford]

My 550, which was pretty much as close to perfect as I've ever bought, cost £70.00. My 500 was about £40.00, though that was a "project". And that weren't that long ago.

You got a good deal then, particularly if this recent ebay sale is a measure of how prices have increased. It was nicely renovated but it sold for nearly £130. I think it may have gone even higher. Mind you I've seen a dealer asking £350 for one.

:o

[Haydn Clarke]

My 550, which was pretty much as close to perfect as I've ever bought, cost £70.00. My 500 was about £40.00, though that was a "project". And that weren't that long ago.

You got a good deal then, particularly if this recent ebay sale is a measure of how prices have increased. It was nicely renovated but it sold for nearly £130. I think it may have gone even higher. Mind you I've seen a dealer asking £350 for one.

:o

I don't think it's indicative of prices being realised, B. More a case of people being overly optimistic. I can understand why, to a degree, after all, we'd all love to have that Dell-boy-finding-a-long-lost-Harrison-Chronomteter moment. But for crying out loud, at least be realistic. A search of ebay's completed listings tells anyone everything they need to know about the price of a decent 500/550. All the ones with high (£200+) prices remain unsold and ones with low starting prices ending up selling at about £130.00 for a good'n and about £70 for one that needs attention.

What on earth makes people think that someone's going to pay over twice the odds for their listing? Well, I sort of know the answer to this one: it's called the endowment effect — http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endowment_effect

Apparently we're all prone to it. All I know is that when I'm selling on the bay, I find it far easier, quicker and eventually more prifitable to list something with a resonable safeguard starting price and then to let people hook themselves once they've started bidding.

[Beresford]

I agree with that.

I've ended up having conversations with a couple of sellers and I've told them that stuff just doesn't sell if the initial price is too high. Far better to start at £0.99 and put a reserve on. There have been some very nice pins on with starting prices of £400 which they might realise but nobody is going to start that high, everybody likes to think they are going to get a bargain.

As for the dealers I don't know who they are selling to but some of their prices are plain fantasy. What really annoys me and which I think ebay should put a stop to is sticking up a load of photographs for illustrating a sale only half of which are of the actual item being sold. The other half are much better things similar to the sale item. I've a Ford Escort for sale and here's a picture of Porsche, to grab your attention, it's got four wheels, like the Ford… Grrrrrrrr

[J.T]

In answer to the question of why a new one, I already have a MarkIV rod I picked up a while back that needs some restoration which I am planning on doing but I wanted a new build rod for Redmire this July, putting it together myself and being the first and only person to use it there... well it’s just special.

Also this may be the only time I have enough money to do this, sure you understand chaps. :hat:

[Haydn Clarke]

Loud and clear. Hope it proves to be your talisman, JT.

[J.T]

Cheers Haydn. :hat:

[SeanM]

I've just had an email from Dave Pearce (Barney-Gallop) which will be of interest and give JT an idea of what a new rod will cost:

hi sean,
i was reading on the traditional fishermans forum and saw that people are surmising the the chapman 500 is a cheap rod,years ago i would agree 100% but to buy a blank and having the ferrules fitted and the detachable butt and delivery comes to £488,i've sent you a copy of the email from john chapman,so your friend JT on the forum can see what its going to cost him without the guides and silks etc,

best regards
dave
p.s. i put my last red/black jasper on ebay but i found a new supplier and managed to get around 2000 yds from him hopefully this will be better than the other stuff i had although its cost around 4 times as much there won't be any further increase in prices.

R Chapman & Co rchapmanandco@btconnect.com

2/28/11




Hi Dave,

Thank you for your enquiry. I have pleasure in forwarding our quotation
for the following:

1 Only Chapman 500 (part built) inclusive of:
2 48" blank sections middle and tip.
2 Brass ferrules for above supplied and fitted
1 24" detachable cork handle. Complete with bag. @ £394.28 plus Vat.

Carriage @ 12.66 plus Vat

Total Cost inclusive of Vat £488.32.

I hope our quotation will be of interest to you and look forward to
receiving your instructions.
best regards

So a nicely restored 500 looks to be quite good value against a new one. I think that we forget that when buying a new cane rod we are buying hours of work from a skilled craftsman which isn't cheap at today's prices.