Splurged on Badman... wondering about its future value

[7legion77]

Probably the biggest difference is that the originals were a titanium alloy. These are an aluminium alloy.

Aha

Definitely sounds like a marketing ploy now. Shady, shady Oakley! I love how they call this "The Next Chapter" in the "X-Metal collection"

However, I needed a pair lighter than my scratched up Batwolf for driving.

Its worth what you pay for it...

 

[kronin323]

Yeah all this stuff can be found on other threads but here ya go:

X-metals were created out of a desire to create sculpted frames out of metal instead of plastic without the weight penalty. They were told it couldn't be done but developed a mostly-titanium five-metal alloy, a process to cast them, and took over an old golf club factory in Nevada to build them.

As they had a habit of giving spiffy names to their proprietary materials (o-matter, unobtainium, plutonium) they called this alloy x-metal. They later came out with another five-metal alloy they called C-5, but this was x-metal.

The product line made out of x-metal and produced in this factory were called x-metals.

A certain finish color that resembled blasted titanium was called x-metal, too.

But the design philosophy behind them was something they called "slogging", and it wasn't exclusive to x-metals.

Then they closed the x-metal plant in 2012 and x-metal production ended.

Now they're calling these new things x-metals, using marketing retconning to claim x-metal was never just about a specific material, but was instead an attitude. Not true; it may have evolved into an attitude, but it started as a material. Which these new ones don't contain.

I'm not a hater, though - I'm glad they're pushing the edge again and prefer to evaluate these new things by their own merits instead of in comparison to the real x-metals. Thus I call them "neXt-metals" to differentiate. Really, I wonder if they'd be getting so much criticism if they hadn't called them x-metals...

I expect things will settle down with time and I look forward to the other edgy stuff rumored to come out this year.

 

[BHarry]

As far as future value goes, these will be discontinued at some point. A BNIB pair will fetch a premium in the future, but a daily user will not be increasing in value.

 

[Uxi]

I'm considering a pair. I really wish Oakley would do a metal frame with quick change lenses like the Split Jacket.

 

[joecool862]

Aha

Definitely sounds like a marketing ploy now. Shady, shady Oakley! I love how they call this "The Next Chapter" in the "X-Metal collection"

However, I needed a pair lighter than my scratched up Batwolf for driving.

Its worth what you pay for it...

That is all that matters man! As long as your happy with the purchase! Wear them well! The Oakley optics are some of the best in existence. Great eye protection!

 

[dash]

i think it will not appreciate in value just like the pitboss, it is really losing its value, save for limited edition runs

 

[MJLSr]

I really wish Oakley would do a metal frame with quick change lenses like the Split Jacket.

The Badman is 'more metal' than the Madman and the lens changes could not be much easier, 1 screw and through. I don't know if it could be much easier to change lenses in the Badman - and they feel stable and secure in the process.

Others have mentioned it and so will I: The optics... The lenses Oakley uses are among the best you can buy. My comments here are not about the lenses, but rather the frames. We all know what lenses cost - even the ones that need to be custom cut. The value of those is relatively easy to determine, though you do usually need frames to use the lenses, but I digress...

Back to the point of value - only time will tell for sure. As the Badman and Madman are neither serialized or 'limited', with the exception of the Raw, it is doubtful anything other than a new sealed pair will even hold its value anytime soon - not to mention increase in value - and that sealed pair could take years to gain value, which will only likely happen after the prices dip as some have suggested. I won't go into specific purchasing methods, but I will say I feel most will not buy more than 1 or 2 of these at their retail price.

Also remember that these are not the days of super secret materials. These are not pairs do not that take careful coordination and execution required with the original X-Metals - that process that took almost a month with over two dozen machines and many, many hands. Manufacturing of those original X-Metals required thought and there were significant costs in time - including lead time for manufacturing - and materials. Most of the materials used in the Badman and Madman are available on short notice, inexpensive, and relatively easy to automate with minimal touching of human hands. This means Oakley can tweak its manufacturing process to meet demand instead of having to plan and guess ahead of time. This will enable Oakley/Lux to optimize their supply chain and keep just enough of the product available to meet demand without having to send too many off to the Vaults. This will saturate the market with pairs without Oakley having to overcommit. This is all relative - the value or these pairs is going to be defined by the people who buy them. Oakley will realize profits quickly with minimal risk to their bottom line or product availability as long as we keep buying them. If/when demand slows or stops they can dial it down quickly and move on, perhaps pausing until the next release.

I have mentioned this before. The value of an item is often gauged by the value of its materials. If that is true in the slightest these neXt-Metals, Badman and Madman, are worth the Al and plastic they could be scraped for +/- the lenses. Anyone who buys these as an investment and does not consider that is not doing their due diligence as a buyer and consumer of goods. Aside from the scrap value of those materials there is nothing that makes these special or collectible aside from the Raw, at least for now, as there may be other 'limited' others to follow.

 

[David_Oakley]

one shouldn't look at collectibles as an investment.

I generally agree with this. However, I will say (my humble opinion) that the true X-metals are a bit of an exception. I don't think anyone (or at least most people) would have had the foresight to "invest" in x-metals back when they were in full-fledged production in anticipation that they would be worth 2-3X more in the future.

That said, hindsight 20-20 figured in, the true X-metals not only hold their values, but have appreciated quite a bit since they were discontinued which entails that they are no different than the precious commodities/metals that investors invest in. Only difference here is X-metals have a minor (albeit growing) niche out there that will hold their values a lot better than say Gold or Silver which are indirectly impacted by the ebbs and flows of the dollar.

Long story short lol, X-metals are a thing of the past and would have turned out to be a great investment. They are truly unparalleled.

 

[kronin323]

I generally agree with this. However, I will say (my humble opinion) that the true X-metals are a bit of an exception. I don't think anyone (or at least most people) would have had the foresight to "invest" in x-metals back when they were in full-fledged production in anticipation that they would be worth 2-3X more in the future.

That said, hindsight 20-20 figured in, the true X-metals not only hold their values, but have appreciated quite a bit since they were discontinued which entails that they are no different than the precious commodities/metals that investors invest in. Only difference here is X-metals have a minor (albeit growing) niche out there that will hold their values a lot better than say Gold or Silver which are indirectly impacted by the ebbs and flows of the dollar.

Long story short lol, X-metals are a thing of the past and would have turned out to be a great investment. They are truly unparalleled.

Oh, I agree that real x-metals stand out among most other Oaks. But we're still in the period relatively shortly after their discontinuation, which is when values typically increase the most. And as more are lost or damaged over time, the remaining examples become even more rare. But on the flip side, over time the audience shrinks, too. In 20 years x-metals may be even more highly valued, but only by an even more select group; eventually you reach a point where things just don't demand the same value in the general market.

I would prefer my metals become worth a lot more over time, but it's just that I've seen again and again quality items swell in value for a period of years after they've been discontinued, then eventually drop back down to MSRP or less. It would be foolish to ignore the trend.

And I still stand by the statement that, for investing, there are many more opportunities out there with better risks and / or returns than collectibles, including x-metals. Just ask any financial adviser.

 

[David_Oakley]

Oh, I agree that real x-metals stand out among most other Oaks. But we're still in the period relatively shortly after their discontinuation, which is when values typically increase the most. And as more are lost or damaged over time, the remaining examples become even more rare. But on the flip side, over time the audience shrinks, too. In 20 years x-metals may be even more highly valued, but only by an even more select group; eventually you reach a point where things just don't demand the same value in the general market.

I would prefer my metals become worth a lot more over time, but it's just that I've seen again and again quality items swell in value for a period of years after they've been discontinued, then eventually drop back down to MSRP or less. It would be foolish to ignore the trend.

And I still stand by the statement that, for investing, there are many more opportunities out there with better risks and / or returns than collectibles, including x-metals. Just ask any financial adviser.

haha. That would be funny to ask a financial adviser with a serious face "so, I'm thinking of diversifying my portfolio into X-metals. Would there be a way to create a fund that incorporates X-metals?"

Seriously though, I've actually wondered how much value X-metals would have 15-20 years down the road from now. I wondered if they'd be "worth" passing to my kids etc. You are right that the general trend can not be ignored.

Perhaps it's time to sell high and get out of them? The timing of that is extremely tricky. I am still in the "collector phase" of deeming the small collection I have as Permanent. But I just don't know how long that "permanence" is because people inevitably get bored of their collection after time right?

I've never really collected anything worth a hoot before and I first learned of X-metals in 2012, so my love for them is still strong. It would kinda stink if by the time I fell out of love of them, the trend regressed back to original retail. Then I would be taking a good hit on them

David