I was bored and looking around at some gun sites and came across a builder that offers as an option, a wood "upgrade" to one of their base rifles at a price of $4,000. Now I generally have no issues what a person is willing pay for a custom rifle but 4k for a wood upgrade. These look like $1500 blanks to me. Do any ligit dealers even have wood in the 4k range?

for $1500, you could upgrade a dakota from #3 stud (pink optional) to fence post ..for $4,000, you could get a $500 blank turned.. plus $3500 administrative fee for tracking it to your gun.

there MIGHT be some 4K blanks out there.. i've seen some that are amazing ... but 4k MORE? not this barefoot kid from arkansas

I guess I've always seen the price of a custom as a reflection of the skilled labor and in some case the name of the builder. That's fine with me. Charging a 100% plus mark up on components is ridiculous. This is the case with many of the available hard part upgrades they offer. I'm just shocked they have any takers.

I agree with both of you. Dakota has really shocked me with their wood upgrade prices.

A few years back someone on this forum had a beef with Dakota because he didn't like the wood on the rifle he commissioned. It looked like a blank that would retail at about $150-$300.

The problem was that he paid something like $2,000 for an upgrade to "super fancy" wood.

Dakota fixed it but you would think they would have been embarassed to try to pass off semi-fancy wood on a rifle that someone paid $2,000 extra for special wood.

Dakota has long been known for taking advantage of the old P.T.Barnum quotes, "There's a sucker born every minute!" and "You'll never go broke betting on human stupidity!"

Just ask almost anyone they've ever done business with, folks like Pete Grisel and Kyle(sp?) Miller.
Regards, Joe

I pity the stock maker who should make a mistake on a $4K blank !!!

I'm neither from Arkansas nor barefoot and I don't intend to be either . Wood is beautiful

but for that kind of cash I can have many stocks or actions ,barrels ,Rifles !!!.

Dakota is well known for this but this is another maker. Unlike Dakota they aren't passing off plain wood as premium just sticking it to what have to be people who are clueless on actual wood values.

Unfortunately there are always those who would equate price tag with quality.

Otherwise how could outfits like Weatherby and Land Rover remain in business?
Regards, Joe

Don't forget....the price of wood is set by the buyer.....the seller may ask what he wants...it's the buyer that sets the price when he says. "I'll take it!"

If someone can get $4K more I say More power to him.....but he'll not get it from most folks...

Dempsey, the following prices for wood up grades come from Kolar in Wisconsin.

STOCK - STANDARD GRADE $1,495.00
1ST UPGRADE $1,995.00
STOCK - GRADE II $2,695.00
STOCK - GRADE III $3,695.00
EXHIBITION GRADE $4,995.00
FIT & GLASS BED STOCKS @ $95.00 HOURLY

I had Wayne at AHR build a 375 H&H on a GMA action and he said he could put a real nice upgraded stock for an additional $500.00. The stock was great and was the best deal dollar for dollar that I found. Great hunting rifle for 1/3 the cost of the "Other name makers".

I imagine there is some wood out there so unique that a dealer can list it it for 4k. This outfit sells package custom rifles where the customer picks wood from his selection seemingly like the outfit Chic listed. Ultimately something is worth what one will pay but IMO it is still a deceptive practice. I guess I was just shocked anybody would take the bait.

When shopping for upgraded wood, as a client, I would sure want to approve the wood selection before I sent money.

Never assume a salesman knows what you like.

quote:

Originally posted by dempsey:
I imagine there is some wood out there so unique that a dealer can list it it for 4k.

Yes.....I just don't personally know anyone that would buy it!

For those that can and do I'd cheer them on and ask them to post photos here so we can all see what kind of wood is worth that much.

Beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder, and I'm a self-confessed bonified wood freak!
I have seen some unbelieveable fancy wood on some REAL high dollar custom rifles, but the layout was pure crap, and the grain flow staggered around like a drunk on a saturday night. It had all the pizazzzz anyone could ever dream of, but not for a serviceable rifle stock.
IMHO..any time you pay over about $1500 for a blank, you're just spending the extra $$$$ for bragging rights.
Regardless of the price, or the color, the fiddle, the figure, the marble, whatever.....a good blank should be seasoned, and lay out right.
That's just my 2 cents or maybe 3 cents worth.

I'm a sucker for rifles and have now become a sucker for beautiful(functional) walnut. There's just something almost magical a/b it. I admit to spending too much time looking at stock blanks on various sites. Rarely do you see $4,000.00 blanks. I recently bought a blank from a AR member that I considered to be fantastic for just over $500.00.
It seems that there are those among us that are willing to pay whatever $---as long as they can say, "that's a so and so with $$$ upgraded wood that you can only get if you know the right people". I just smile and think, okay you just let the world know what a dumb ass you are. Carry on catshit, someone will cover you up.

quote:

Originally posted by SingleShotGuy:
IMHO..any time you pay over about $1500 for a blank, you're just spending the extra $$$$ for bragging rights.
That's just my 2 cents or maybe 3 cents worth.

Can't agree with that statment at all. I've spent more on several blanks and less on others. Never bragged about it. What I did get for the extra money is the exact blank that I wanted.



Terry

Well, I guess my opinion was worth 2 cents and not 3!!....