Of all the boneheaded decisions I made as a new disc golfer, this was the most costly …
Here’s how things would go down:
- I’d get excited about a mold.
- I’d buy multiple backups of said mold.
- I’d immediately pen ALL of them – they’re mine.
- I’d grow tired of the mold and find something better.
Now this hasn’t always been the case …
In my bag, the Big Bead Aviar, Rhyno and Gator have easily stood the test of time – toss the “Fire Chicken” in there for good measure, as well. But all those new, inked-up discs I’ve never thrown? No, I don’t have to hang onto ‘em, but they’re far less valuable with my phone number.
The Takeaway: Don’t Sharpie new discs en masse – this includes your backups.
Here’s why …
It’s a blast to try out new discs
Half the fun of disc golf is trying out new frisbees – and frequently. When you’re new to the sport, you’re eager to identify your “workhorse” discs. You know, the ones that are going to magically lower your scores. In due time, you’ll find them. But if you’ve only been slinging discs for six months, you’ve not courted enough gear to know what works for your game.
Clearly, there’s nothing wrong with buying backups. But in one week, after trying out the industry’s “latest and greatest,” you might no longer want them – INKED, they’re all yours.
Penned discs have less resale value
Next, when you DO discover the “money mold” your bag’s been missing and decide to part ways with the short stack of what no longer works, if those discs have ink all over ‘em, they’re not going to bring in much dough – that goes for used bins, local retailers and Facebook, too.
It doesn’t matter if you’ve literally never thrown a disc in your life: If somebody else needs to vandalize the thing with a permanent marker to cross out your contact information, they’re going to expect a discount – and a SIZABLE one at that. Dial back the OCD for a bit – you’ll survive.
Trade away your disc surplus for something awesome
This last reason is the BIGGEST of the bunch, in my book …
Coin is cool, but let’s be honest: When you sell the discs you no longer use, you’re likely to just reinvest the capital into new plastic. As opposed to selling my new (and used), dust-collecting discs, I negotiate mutually-beneficial trades for the stuff I REALLY want to get my hands on.
My latest conquest?
I nabbed a limited-edition, pre-release Star Toro. It’s of the “dayglow” variety with a buttery puddle-top to it – it was a sweet get. Like many of the disc molds I’ve flirted with in the past, though, it didn’t quite have the stuff to kick my FAF Champion Color Glow Gator to the curb.
Thankfully, I’m not losing any sleep over it …
With no ink on it, I’ll have ZERO issue moving it for something else.
Of course, don’t get crazy with this “no ink” business. If you’ve taken a disc out to the field and played a few rounds with it and she feels like a keeper, by all means, brand that thing your own. If you grow to love it, you’ll feel true pain when you lose it without your dirty deets on the back …
Give it time, though: Once you ink, there’s no going back.
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Editor’s Suggestions:
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