What's With the $150 Coatings All of a Sudden?

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Setec Astronomy

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Ok, $50, 60, 80, $90...that's what coatings have been costing...all of a sudden we have Pan's at $150, DIY 8yr at $160, P&S Stout at $150, and a new Optimum coating at $150...for 15cc's!.

Are these coatings worth the money? Or are they just what the mfrs think they can rev the internet/social media/YouTube marketing machine up to making people think they are worth?

To digress, nobody ever put hair perm in a wheel cleaner until some marketing guy said "yeah, I'll take the challenge of getting people to buy a wheel cleaner that costs twice as much as people are paying now!". Same as how Flex and Rupes went along never coming to the US until someone convinced them that they could make a market for polishing machines here that were 2X or more expensive than the then-standard Porter Cable, if they could bring something with a lot more correction capability without the danger of a rotary.

So are these just better coatings that mfrs/sellers have decided consumers are willing to pay for? Or is it all just a scam that they think they can get us to pay that price with marketing mumbo jumbo (and collusion, some would say).
 
At least the DIY is enough to do two cars from that bottle. Not sure about those others. How about $300 for C6?
 
Texchappy said:
At least the DIY is enough to do two cars from that bottle. Not sure about those others. How about $300 for C6?
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Can you buy C6? I thought that was a pro-only coating, or do they have some civilian flavors?
 
It's an interesting point because the economic signs suggest they should be releasing $20-$30 coatings... not going up in costs.

I think this will come back to hurt them but I guess we'll wait it out and see... this hobby/industry seems to have unusual trends

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DUBL0WS6 said:
I don't know why anyone would ceramic coat their sewing machine.
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Wait--you don't coat yours?

Uncbrs said:
It's an interesting point because the economic signs suggest they should be releasing $20-$30 coatings... not going up in costs.

I think this will come back to hurt them but I guess we'll wait it out and see... this hobby/industry seems to have unusual trends
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That might be true if they were selling stuff at AutoZone, but I think we forum die-hards are more likely to have disposable income. Plus something I learned a long time ago--sometimes if you make something MORE expensive, it sells better.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
Wait--you don't coat yours?


That might be true if they were selling stuff at AutoZone, but I think we forum die-hards are more likely to have disposable income. Plus something I learned a long time ago--sometimes if you make something MORE expensive, it sells better.
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I think you have to remove the forum die-hards who will sit and try to determine if the $250 coating is worth it. I'm more wondering, and as ceramic dominates the industry, what are customers demanding from the detailers? Do they want the $250 coating for $2k? I'm guessing the general public coating a car will prefer the $50 option and a $1k price tag.

I'm only a hobbyist so my thoughts probably end here... and no, still not dropping $250 for C6 even with the intrigue of it as a "luxury coating".

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Uncbrs said:
what are customers demanding from the detailers? Do they want the $250 coating for $2k? I'm guessing the general public coating a car will prefer the $50 option and a $1k price tag.
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I have no idea, it's not something I would ever pay for. What is the "general public" who pays $1000-$2000 dollars to have their car coated? I mean if we here on the forum are the 1% or .1% of car owners, where do the people who pay to have their car coated slot in? There are the people who have the money but their car is just an appliance, the people who have the money but who trade their car every 2 or 3 years, the people who don't have the money or don't care...what is the percentage of car owners who are going to find a detailer and pay $1000-2000? Is that 5%? 10%? 1%? I guess it's going to be people who can afford their car, but can't afford to buy/lease a new one every few years, who want to take care of their investment?

Sorry, late night rambling. I guess I'm thinking that the people that bring their car to Merlin or Sizzle Chest have special cars, and I don't consider that the "general public". Maybe the typical customer for a ceramic coating is a realtor or salesperson who needs to have their car looking good.
 
I don’t know if tariffs kicked in but a lot of coatings made in Asia.


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No way I would pay that much. I have a hard time swallowing $70 for that tiny bottle of product as it is, but I tell myself this is a hobby and it will last several years, so just roll with it.

I wonder if it is a marketing ploy to create a perception of high quality. The stuff probably doesn't cost any more to make than a normal coating - IF it is any different. "If a regular coating is $70 the $140 coating is WAY better!" Cost, value and quality are highly subjective and they play to that.

I know some people can do side by side tests, but I'd love for an independent lab to take a couple of these and analyze them to see if they are really any different chemically.
 
Coatingsarecrack said:
I don’t know if tariffs kicked in but a lot of coatings made in Asia.
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I wasn't aware we've put any tariffs on South Korea...yet. And any tariffs almost certainly don't effect the pricing of OPT in Memphis, TN. We can argue whether P&S (or even Optimum) is getting some raw material from Asia, but that doesn't seem (to me) to be the genesis of these more expensive coatings...particularly since the cheaper coatings haven't gone up in price.

As I and Nate were getting at, is this a new/different/more expensive chemistry, or is this new/different/more expensive marketing?

I have heard stories, well not stories, accounts, from people involved, in two different arenas, where prices on products and services were raised, with the intent of getting the consumer to say "well, if it costs THAT much, it MUST be better". In other words, increasing the price to increase sales; counterintuitive.
 
Can't wait for Obsessed Garage to come out with their coating. It will be like $1000.
 
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