Amazon.ca pricing..., Algorithms, Sales, etc.

With the colder weather here, I have been scratching my fishing itch by thinking about spring/summer/fall 2019... I don't ice fish - much prefer the open water seasons, but for those that do partake, enjoy and stay safe!

I've been doing some online & in-store shopping and picked up a few things that I wanted to try in the new year.

One thing that I can't seem to wrap my head around is Amazon's pricing algorithms - I've found some decent deals in recent months. Some of which I noticed jumped dramatically in price after I completed my purchase - doubling the price in some cases... Some items that I've saved for later have increased dramatically for a period of time only to come back down below where I originally saved them at... Overall - just becomes a bit of a game to keep me interested over the winter.

FYI - if anyone is interested Seaguar Tatsu 20lb is currently $34.28 Cdn and you get free shipping at $35... Considering TW lists it at $59.99 USD regular price and the current sale price (30% off) is $41.99 USD - seems to be a good price. I normally use Abrazx, but have heard great things about Tatsu - picked up a lower test for myself and the price on that jumped right after...

Tight lines all,
Scott

i picked up sunline fc sniper 1200 yrd flouro for 59.82$ cad last week 20lb after I bought it jumped back up to $169cad. TW sells it for $138.99USD. I was watching a 3000yrd spool of seaguar invizx around $160cad but someone bought it and it doubled in price.

It can seem like a bit much to figure out basically think of it more as an auction site.

After a while if no one buys an item it slowly decreases in value and keeps going until someone buys that item, then it starts over again and slowly keeps working it's way back down again. Winter is better as people in general never think ahead so people aren't dumping money into bass fishing gear when they should be. Thus the lack of purchases in the fishing industry is leading to more items being discounted in the off season as people tend to just pay full price in the summer. Remember every item is different spool size, gear ratio, hand retrieval, rod power, rod length, all vary greatly in prices.

Lastly brands are key a $300 lews reel is far more likely to be reduced to $150 than a shimano reel is.

Think outside the box fish finders, trolling motors, I saw a 36v fortrex last year new for $600cad with free shipping.

I usually have about 10 items in my cart with set prices I'm willing to pay, if an item hits that number I buy it, if the items doubles or triples in price I missed my chance and someone else bought it and I have to wait a few months again. Though sometimes they come down again in a few days couple weeks.

Problems, you buy a $230 rod for $85 in July you get it with a broken tip, amazon repeatedly tries to refund your money, you refuse as where else can you get a $230 rod for $85 Long story short it's just been shipped so there's that.
Fishing is kind of a niche market which is why you never see $3000 flat screen televisions at $500 because someone is always willing to buy it at $2200

sorry long winded literally working on this for a seminar hope it was a good read. .

You guys must check frequently, I never seem to come across these good deals.

I ordered a Scotty dual rod holder for the rigger Sunday for $31 and change down from $109, The next day the price had gone up $7, but still a good deal.

Amazon.ca is where I buy my line.... More then a third of the regular price at some stores.

I believe there is an app that lets you know when your product is on "sale" can't remember the name .....i bought a Frabil Aegis for 230 bucks regular was over double that......told my buddy and when he got home from work.....back to regular price......
Cheers
Greg

mephisto_lake - I have come to think of it somewhat like an auction site with prices that will vary significantly over time. Focus on those items that I want and check back frequently specifically looking at different options (colours, sizes, etc.) as even within that item there can be significant pricing differences...

What seminar are you working on this for? If it helps - I understood exactly what you were getting at.


Dinky - I am aware of 'Camel Camel Camel' (and its Canadian version) which is a website that provides price tracking on specific product. Works well for some items - on others not so much. If there is another website or app that works better - please let me know.

I buy things off of Amazon.ca but usually know the going rate because sometimes they are higher . Fishing products I also use Fish USA . Free shipping after $50 and even with the exchange can be cheaper than Amazon.ca.


TD

Skippy.........that's the one I was thinking about....

THANKS.......had a brain cramp there....lol
Cheers
Greg

A buddy promised to get me into the local sportsman show this year. I can't imagine that's going to get green lighted though, vendors don't want to fork over serious cash to have some kid in the next room talking about how to get the most for the least and doesn't include buying their $400 reels you got for $162, but just in case been brainstorming a few things to talk about.

I Started fishing 2 yrs ago...retired young...have lots of time so have beendoing everything from Muskie to Ice...just ordered a Topwater PDL kayak...anyways I have bought nearly half of my gear from Amazon and usually off season. From Ice line all the way up to Muskie reels like the Abu Revo Toro Beast and Okuma Komodo SS500 at 30% off or more....I tend to fill up my Wishlist with items I am looking for and watch the prices...it sometimes takes weeks but is worth it. Often there will be a one-off item from a retailer that they want to clear out and the price will drop...Also many items come from US retailers via Amazon and I have not paid any HST or duties...a good example is a Frabill Powerstow Predator net...retails in Canada for 300+/- watched it drop from 249 to 160 Cdn...U S tack shop via Amazon...no taxes no duties..This also applies to lures....it takes time and patience but it pays off...of my 20 rod and reel set ups I have averaged 30-40% off or more....best spots for deals on quality gear Amazon.ca, Gagnon Sports in Oshawa 30% sales a few times/yr and sometimes Sail...I have also got a few deals from Cabelas.ca and thefishinghole.com....and don't forget Basspro.com....with $50 or more purchase its free shipping to Canada on most items...the stuff ships via their Cdn distribution so its fast and always free or very cheap shipping ...obviously you have to actor in the US exchange but there are still many deals to be had

I believe the app you are thinking about is called honey.

I'm considering buying some bow trailer steps for my trailer to make it easier to get into and particularly out of the boat on the trailer. I found a set on Amazon.ca. The 4 step set is currently $139.51, but the 3 step set is $361.71. There's only "one" of the 4 step sets left, so I imagine when they get a new supply in the price will be back up again.

Thought I’d chime in with a site I used last few months which even alerts me if product is part of an upcoming lightning deal.

https://keepa.com/

Requires a plug-in for browser but now you don’t have to switch back and forth to camelcamelcamel while browsing on amazon.

You can score some great deals if you watch closely. That's what night shift is for!! I bought 2 Tekota 600's for $145 each last night. I'm pretty happy with that!