Toasters prices . . . . why?

[pfflam]

Maybe someone with special knowledge regarding pickup making might be able to chime in here: is there any production-cost related reason that Toaster's cost twice as much as High-Gain pickups?
Is that extra tab of chrome that much more of materials cost for Ric?
Or is it simply because the people who care are willing to spend as much?

[paologregorio]

Hi gains use ceramic bar magnets. Toasters use Alnico slugs, which coast much more than ceramic bar magnets.

Alnico Speakers usually cost about twice what ceramic magnet speakers do as well.

[wim]

That accounts for about $2 ?

[beatlefreak]

Until a couple of years ago, Toasters were $100. The price difference has always been that Toasters are more in demand than Hi-gains. The price increase was RIC's attempt to slow the constant consumer demand for them, which seem to be more 'Temporarily out of stock' than in.

[Clint]

It comes down to production time. The Toasters have to be steeped in a steaming vat of Mojo juice for no less than 21 days.

[scotty]

and heres me thinking it was a chime chimney.....

[Clint]

When they come out of the Mojo juice, they are hung in the chime chimney to dry.

[Danotron]

When do they receive the Jangle injection?

[Clint]

That, I believe, is a closely held trade secret.

[Danhalen]

All alnico stuff has gone up in price in the last year or two as well do to increasing raw materials costs. I recall seeing an explanation a while ago on the Weber Speakers site explaining price increases for alnico speakers a while ago.

[johnnyrick]

When are they sprayed with the Overhype?...................................(kidding!!!!!)

[beatlefreak]

All alnico stuff has gone up in price in the last year or two as well do to increasing raw materials costs.

Alnico V slugs can be purchased at Stewart-McDonald for $2 apiece or less. So certainly there isn't anywhere near the pickup price difference in materials to justify it.

[Clint]

When are they sprayed with the Overhype?...................................(kidding!!!!!)

I think that's an aftermarket feature that most players apply themselves.

[collin]

Maybe someone with special knowledge regarding pickup making might be able to chime in here: is there any production-cost related reason that Toaster's cost twice as much as High-Gain pickups?
Is that extra tab of chrome that much more of materials cost for Ric?
Or is it simply because the people who care are willing to spend as much?

Like all products, they are priced at what the market will bear.

....and judging by how often they are out-of-stock, they might well be priced under what the market will bear.

[paologregorio]

Putting my economics hat on (one of my degrees is in Econ), there are also the following factors:

scarcity
demand
cost per unit-far more hi gains are produced than toasters, so the cost per unit of toasters is going to be more. It's "counter-intutitive", but it's a basic economic fact, as those of you who've had an Econ class and actually remember its content will recall.

Toasters are made on one machine at one factory in the world-at RIC
They are an in house boutique type vintage pickup, so they're going to cost more
There aren't any "perfect substitutes" available in the marketplace (no criticism of RIC is implied here, and I'm not trying to start a discussion of "monopoly" or anything like that; please don't anyone else either. ).

By comparison, a Seymour Duncan vintage spec Dynasonic, a similar type pickup is even more expensive.

There is also the option, much discussed here on the forum, of converting hi-gains to true toasters; replacing the polepieces with alnico slugs, unwinding them down to 7.4K "Scat" specs, and buyig a pair of toaster covers. For the price of a used pair of hi gains, some alnico slugs, and the services of one of your fellow forum members, you can have a nice pair of toaster pickups for about a third less than a pair of toasters from RIC.