BSA Crass Comercialism

[BadenP]

Maybe it is just me but the supply division selling a $300 book on the history of scouting and a $500 Founders Knife to celebrate scoutings 100th Anniversary just smacks of crass exploitation and commercialism. Now I know that no one is required to buy these items but with the supply division crying financial woe and the raising of uniform prices very soon is this the best way to be spending their financial resources? They could have just as easily produced a $50 book and a $75 knife and probably would have sold thousands of them, instead their warehouse will be sitting on a large supply of these over priced items for many years to come. As a result I just bet supply will find a way to pass this cost on to us with higher priced and cheaper quality supplies.

[OldGreyEagle]

You missed the Henry 100th Anniversary .22 rifle for $899.95

 

http://www.henry-guns.com/h004bsa_scouts100.cfm

 

Or the Venturing 10th Annviersary Rifles from $429.99 to $999.95

 

http://www.henryrepeating.com/h00bv_venturing.cfm

 

Note: They are beautiful guns made by expert American Craftsman, not sure how many will be in use in Scout Camps however

 

[nolesrule]

The $300 book is priced on par with similar items on the market. I have no idea with the other items.

[emb021]

I have the $300 book.

 

The way its put together, you will understand the reason for the cost.

 

They will soon putting out a more resonable priced version of the book that doesn't have all the extras that caused that extra price: http://www.amazon.com/Boy-Scouts-America-Centennial-History/dp/0756656346/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1251745884&sr=1-1

 

Putting out high end items as a way to generate revue is fine. The BSA and many other orgs have been doing that for years. Keep in mind that because they are higher priced items, the number produced is MUCH smaller (which is part of the reason for the high price).

 

[scoutldr]

I understand it comes with "reproduction" memorabilia. I prefer to collect the real thing.

[BadenP]

Thanks OGE I forgot about those items. I was talking mainly about the stuff being sold right out of the BSA supply directly. emb21 I have seen that $300 book with its reproductions and it is not worth a third of that cost by any comparison you want to make. I have similiar books on the Civil War and WWII same style reproduction documents and both were priced well under $100. My point is that a $300 book and a "choke" $500 knife are a little over the top and I will bet you that they produced many many more then they will ever sell. I am with scoutldr, if you are going to collect scout memorabilia stick to the real thing, it will be cheaper than the book or the knife, lol.

[scoutldr]

I'll wait for the clearance sale in 2011. Or eBay.

[desertrat77]

There are folks that can afford these items, or give them as gifts. I can't afford 300 dollars for a book, but it's the perfect item to present a CEO who has financially supported scouting for many years. As long as the "basic" items are reasonably price, I'm not too concerned.

 

What boggles my mind about the supply catalog is the sheer number of items available, price aside.

[evmori]

No new book is worth $300 off the shelf.

[shortridge]

I'm amazed, though perhaps I shouldn't be, by the amount of pure junk in the catalogue. The logo-shaped carabiners strike me as particularly useless. The $25.99 "game table" is worth laughing out loud at ("Game pieces not included, but you could use sticks and stones."). I can't wait to use my $20.99 BSA branding iron, or my $19.99 100th anniversary skillet. But my personal favorite is the $1.99 "hardwood tent pin."

[scoutingagain]

"I can't afford 300 dollars for a book, but it's the perfect item to present a CEO who has financially supported scouting for many years. As long as the "basic" items are reasonably price, I'm not too concerned. "

 

Except that if your trying to market scouting as an "every family" activity the Walmart, Garage Sale, and Flea Market shoppers are going to look at the catelog and come to the conclusion this is an organization for wealthy suburbanites, not me. Especially when they here things like participation in Jamborees and High Adventure camps cost thousands of $$.

 

They should maybe market the high priced gift items separately and have a separate catelog for camping, outdoor gear and apparel priced more moderately.

 

On the other hand maybe it is an organization for wealthy or at least upper middle class suburbanites.

 

SA

 

[Eagle92]

As someone who as a youth drooled over some of the stuff in the catalog, the catalog does make you wonder who the program is designed for. HOWEVER if you have an active, quality program, you soon learn that the stuff in the catalog is mostly for show.

 

yep they have some cool stuff, like the new necker and some of the t-shirts, but for the most part is the stuff really needed.

 

Also in ref to the skillet, I had a chef see that and start drooling. says the price is righth, th product will last, and they can make some cool pancakes for fundraising.

[Vicki]

I'll leave the book discussion to y'all - I don't buy coffee table books. I buy books I can actually carry around and read. Actually, I now have a Kindle, so I buy very few paper books at all - last one was to go to Sea Base this summer, for hopefully obvious reasons.

 

But the 'biners! Shortridge, I collect 'biners, they're small, inexpensive, practical (refer to aforementioned Sea Base trip and putting water bottles on the deck line). I have 'biners from all over. I WANTED to buy a BSA 'biner. Looked at it and just couldn't make myself do it. Really impractical design and expensive to boot.

 

Vicki

[Eagle1982]

I like the Henry rifle, I don't think it's too outrageous in price. If you have ever had a gun engraved, you quickly can find that engraving can cost more than the original gun.

 

Everything else, blech. Doesn't support thriftiness.

[eghiglie]

The Henry Rifle is a fine collectible. When they were first announced I ordered one. Henry has been making rifles for years. This is not the first Henry I've bought either.

 

I did not pay list price for it (contact me for details). Basically its a Henry Golden Boy with a custom engraving (yes the BSA is getting some money from each one sold). My wife gave me a similar rifle when I turned 40.

 

When it arrived the action was worked once or twice, and it was put away. It has never been fired by me and never will be. Its in the gun safe in its original box with some other collectible rifles, some mine, some my dad's (deceased).

 

The BSA is taking an oppurtunity to raise funds based on its anniversary, there is nothing wrong with that.

 

Most of the stuff sold is just trinkets and won't appreciate in value. Buy what you like with in your means, buy a few of them and store them away. Then in 10 or 15 years show them to your kids/grandkids.

 

As far as the books go I bought one of the new handbooks with coil binding for $15 and I use it to teach stuff to the Scouts.