Viscaria Black Market - Why?

it's just basic capitalism... supply and demand and the end user's desire to have it now! 

If you have one unused, would you sell it back at same cost?

mhnh007 wrote: If you have one unused, would you sell it back at same cost?

Edited by LOOPMEISTER - 11/22/2013 at 2:20pm

Loop-all-day wrote: I totally agree with loopmeister I also want to tell everyone that the expensive butterfly blades are no worthy to buy I have timo boll alc I am not impressed with the blade I think it plays like any blade nothing special. I advise everyone to spend his time and money not searching on equipment but to find a coah and train harder. You will turn to be greater player than you think by training not by using viscaria and tenergy

Viscaria is not expensive as Btfly blades go.  It is $105.  Compare that to the ZJK-super ZLC or the new Ma Long blade.  If people pay much more it is because they don't care about money and would rather have one now than wait for the back order.  The new ZJK-ALC is more than $160 (which for the math challenged is more than Viscaria) and Btfly USA does not currently have it in stock.  TB-ALC is $120 (which I will remind Loopmeister is more than Viscaria) and guess what? It is not in stock.  TBS is same price as Viscaria, but again, not in stock at Butterfly USA. 


I like Viscaria the best among the Btfly ALC blades (definitely more than the new ZJK Super ZLC).  I think TBS is still the next best or , really, just as good.  I have been using Viscaria since 2007.  But I get the fact most of the Btfly ALC blades are reasonably similar and I can be perfectly happy with most of them (but not the blue ZJK blade).  In the US, a lot of Btfly blades became scarce because (or so I have heard) Btfly was having all sorts of production issues after their earthquake.  Is that the reason, or are they trying to drive up price by creating false shortage?  Who knows?  All the blades Loopmeister mentions are on backorder.  Does that mean there is hype? 

When a world champion uses a blade it tends to become popular I suppose, and when it turns out to be a really good blade too, well a frenzy starts.  Some people may not like the handle (which only comes in flared these days).  I think Viscaria has the best overall feel among the Butterfly composites, and in general I think Btfly makes the best composite blades, but I haven't tried every blade that comes out. 

I remember, though, once mentioning that I thought the Baum Espirit from Donic was quite a decent blade, I got shouted down.

Then there will be the usual crowd touting Galaxy blades.  Given that they are only good at cloning blades, I would never own one of their blades as a matter of principle, even if they were selling them for $20.

I'm also trying to figure out why on earth some unethical 'regular' reseller, I've seen his ads on Ebay, was or could still be selling his 87g rare, as he puts it, for 599.00...Worst than price gouging and still trying his ugly best to mislead those poor mis- or ill-informed buyers.

Edited by tiehwen - 11/22/2013 at 3:19pm

To paraphrase HighArc's comments on the Rossi Emotion:

zhang jike is the main reason; bty wanted to make the blade named after the champion replace the viscaria, lowering production of the latter while at the same time people wanted to play what the champion plays...a natural price inflation occurred. 

Baal wrote: Viscaria is not expensive as Btfly blades go.  It is $105.  Compare that to the ZJK-super ZLC or the new Ma Long blade.  If people pay much more it is because they don't care about money and would rather have one now than wait for the back order.  The new ZJK-ALC is more than $160 (which for the math challenged is more than Viscaria) and Btfly USA does not currently have it in stock.  TB-ALC is $120 (which I will remind Loopmeister is more than Viscaria) and guess what? It is not in stock.  TBS is same price as Viscaria, but again, not in stock at Butterfly USA.  I like Viscaria the best among the Btfly ALC blades (definitely more than the new ZJK Super ZLC).  I think TBS is still the next best or , really, just as good.  I have been using Viscaria since 2007.  But I get the fact most of the Btfly ALC blades are reasonably similar and I can be perfectly happy with most of them (but not the blue ZJK blade).  In the US, a lot of Btfly blades became scarce because (or so I have heard) Btfly was having all sorts of production issues after their earthquake.  Is that the reason, or are they trying to drive up price by creating false shortage?  Who knows?  All the blades Loopmeister mentions are on backorder.  Does that mean there is hype?  When a world champion uses a blade it tends to become popular I suppose, and when it turns out to be a really good blade too, well a frenzy starts.  Some people may not like the handle (which only comes in flared these days).  I think Viscaria has the best overall feel among the Butterfly composites, and in general I think Btfly makes the best composite blades, but I haven't tried every blade that comes out.  I remember, though, once mentioning that I thought the Baum Espirit from Donic was quite a decent blade, I got shouted down. Then there will be the usual crowd touting Galaxy blades.  Given that they are only good at cloning blades, I would never own one of their blades as a matter of principle, even if they were selling them for $20.

All, please verify my thinking, Viscaria is similar to TBS which is similar to MM (which I have and don't use much) = no great need to get the Viscaria?

I think the Viscaria has the better handle among the similar class Bty blades.

Price gouging, if that is a proper term, always brings up some intense discussion. On a side note, any firearm enthusiast in the States recently saw some possibly unprecedented levels of price gouging in that market. I've noted that many consumers have forever written off certain online retailers for heavily marking up products which were almost legislated away forever. I say again, it's basic capitalism, and no hard feelings from me.

Edited by the_theologian - 11/22/2013 at 5:45pm

... wish they'd start making it in ST handle again

tom wrote: Baal, Thank you for your thoughts.  I looked at Viscaria's construction and couldn't figure out why it should be superior to similar Bty blades.  I suppose it is kind of like fashion - to some people it is necessary to have the latest favorites.   Actually I bought a bunch of Avolox blades this year and found they are not bad.  Definitely better than the PG7.  I could try those blades without much consequence because they are cheap.  I go thru reviews of many popular blades (past and present) and would order them if they seem to fit my taste and value. They would have to be quite different /better than what I already have.

The differences are not obvious from just looking at the construction, but they are there.  With Viscaria it is the way the whole thing works together, at least for me.  The wings, the weight balance, the lack of sharp edges in the handle.  Also, I think there may be differences in the way they glue the plies together.  Finally, in the the newer ALC blades, from TB-ALC on, they are doing something to the top ply to make it kind of shiny, which they don't do to Viscaria or TBS.  Maybe it is UV light, as with some of the CR blades from Stiga?  Whatever it is, I don't like it.

fatt wrote:   I watched it first time thanks to a friend who looooooves Adam Smith's invisible hand. I like the idea that the person who REALLY needs the generator to save his/her own life deserves it more than anybody else and so price gouging is therefore a way to protect him/her from somebody else buying the item.