How much are you charged?

tamdoankc

tamdoankc

Rookie
When I used to live in the US (10 years ago) it costed me about $20 for prince synthetic; strung. In Vietnam I string with poly (rpm, pro hurricane, etc) which is about $8, strung! That's half the price of what a single pack costs in the US and still cheaper than what a reel would cost. Is there just a really high markup on strings in the US? What about other countries?
 
D

drgchen

Rookie
Middle of USA
At the local sporting goods chain store:
Ordinary synthetic gut $20 Prince synthetic/ Gamma.
Wilson Sensation $25.

Local pro shops and clubs:
Labor $15-$20.
All in prices-
Luxilon Alu $35, NXT os $35, Wilson NXT $32, Gamma professional $40.

This is why I string for myself.

I think in some countries labor cost is very low, string costs I would think are similar.
 
L

luisdepaula2001

New User
I´m sure you are not getting "real" RPM string but probably a chinese counterfit copy.
US have one of the lowest retail sales tax in the world with an extremelly competitive market.
 
W

Woolybugger

Rookie
lowest stringing labor in the US is $12, but typically $15.
RPM Blast is $17.
If the shop supplies the string they will markup the string price and
probably charge you $40.
like the others said, you're getting a fake rpm blast.
 
tamdoankc

tamdoankc

Rookie
What are the tell tale signs of fake strings? All of the seemingly legit shops here are priced the same and doesn't really matter the brand/model. Strings are all stamped and reels and packets seem to be labelled correctly. I'll try to get a hold of a package and take pictures. There are lots of fake racquets sold in the smaller shops but they'll usually tell you since they sell both at different prices. I always thought shops would have a high markup in the US. For example my prescription frames in the US costed me $400 and here they're only $50 and completely legit. Oh well, even if they are fake they play pretty well for $8.
 
goober

goober

Legend
tamdoankc said:
I always thought shops would have a high markup in the US. For example my prescription frames in the US costed me $400 and here they're only $50 and completely legit. Oh well, even if they are fake they play pretty well for $8.
Click to expand...

Prescription eyeglasses are the biggest racket in town (pun intended). $400 is an insane amount to pay. The frames cost them very little to make. Even $50 is a very nice profit.

But as for your orginal question- You may or may not be getting real RPM, but it doesn't matter that much if you like how the strings play. Products are priced to what the local population can afford. Medications have huge markups in the US, but the exact same medication made by the same company sells for 1/10 of the price in a 3rd world country because otherwise they wouldn't be able to sell it at all. Your $20 stringjob in the US is mostly due to labor( which will obviously be higher priced than in Vietnam). I buy my own syngut in reels mostly and it comes out to less than $2 per job.
 
W

Woolybugger

Rookie
if you are happy with the strings, keep playing with them. Babolat strings in the US are all the same price no matter where I shop online. It's possible that Babolat gives deep discounts in Vietnam; I have no idea. Next time I'm in those parts I might look into the prices. Maybe pick me up a reel or two! :)
 
Nuke

Nuke

Hall of Fame
goober said:
Prescription eyeglasses are the biggest racket in town (pun intended). $400 is an insane amount to pay.
Click to expand...

Got to America's Best, if you have one near you -- $70 for two pairs of glasses. http://www.twopair.com/ including the eye exam and follow-up adjustments! They will try to upsell you a bit, but if you stick to your guns, they will deliver at the 2-for-$70 price, and they're not bad at all in terms of available styles available at that price. You know they are still making a profit at that price, so all the other eye places are simply gouging.

I wear contact lenses on the tennis court, but I have several pairs of glasses from this place and am pretty happy, considering the prices at other places out there.
 
T

TimothyO

Hall of Fame
For labor in Atlanta it's generally $15 to $20. A guy in our neighborhood strings for $10.

Some shops combine the string cost and labor cost which means you're getting hosed unless you let them string. Others keep the prices apart so you can buy the string at a reasonable price and take it elsewhere or do it yourself.

Selection even at the biggest shops is very mainstream. Wilson, Babolat, Gamma, Luxilon, etc. None of the exotic stuff. Even the mainstream lines are limited to top sellers and finding 18g locally is nearly impossible.
 
Vlad_C

Vlad_C

Semi-Pro
In Vancouver (Canada), labor is $10 at sport stores and all pro-shops.
I saw a guy on CL stringing for $8.
Too many stringers in town I guess.

Prince Synthetic Gut sells for $5 locally, but other prices are ridiculous. A large sports store chain is trying to sell Head C3 for $20 a pack (down from $40 last year!), when you can buy the same thing online for $2.75.
 
D

drgchen

Rookie
I think that the $8 RPM Blast is likely a fake. I don't use RPM (don't know packaging) but I can easily seen people color copying the Luxilon cardboard and putting a piece of cheap poly into the plastic bag, selling it as the real thing. For most average players the difference between strings is negligible anyhow.

I used to pay $12 labor in Detroit Michigan, the guys would string as I waited.
 
topseed

topseed

Rookie
Here in the bay area. Tennis stores sell Synthetic Gut for $18-$20. Labor cost $10. Total will be $30 for a simple SG string. But if you have your own string, these stores will charge $20-$25.
 
K

KoolTennisKid

New User
In my Area of SoCal labor is usually $12 and strings most of the time are the same price as listed online, so it's just the same price as TW but with an extra 12 bucks for labor.
 
J

johndagolfer

Professional
I only charge 14 for PSGD and 15 for typhoon 15 lightning. If they bring their strings I generally charge $10 delivered. I am getting slammed as of late and am thinking of raising my prices soon
 
tamdoankc

tamdoankc

Rookie
I also think little to no profit on string jobs here bring customer loyalty since there's so much competition. Everything else (racquets, grips, balls, etc) cost a little more than the US. The ironic thing is nike's and adidas' that are made in Vietnam cost more than the US. But no 6 month warranty.
 
sansaephanh

sansaephanh

Professional
I cant see myself paying over 5$ for synthetic gut job... You guys need more friends with stringers lol. Be nice to them. buy em dinner once in a while. Don't sleep with their gfs or wives. you know, the basics.
 
E

ericg

Rookie
I live in Thailand near Bangkok in a beachside resort city with lots of tennis and golf facilities...labor for stringing is about 3 USD...strings are expensive tho because of import duties..usually double the TW price.
 
JT_2eighty

JT_2eighty

Hall of Fame
Labor at most places is $18-$20 + standard cost of the string.

If you plan to string your racquet more than 8 times in the next year or two, get a dropweight for $150. Just be prepared to become a string-addict in the process, since most of us DIY stringers go nuts once we put the labor cost into a stringer.

However, there is one pro shop near me that only staffs USRSA MRT stringers, and they'll have your racquet ready in an hour or less. Nice if you are out of time and want a high-quality job.
 
tamdoankc

tamdoankc

Rookie
Here we get same day service. Tell them the time you'll pick it up or you can wait right there if you want. Most all of the shops here use the latest electronic stringing machines so there's no way they recoup costs from $8 string jobs. Its tennis heaven for me.
 
C

connico

Rookie
tamdoankc said:
Here we get same day service. Tell them the time you'll pick it up or you can wait right there if you want. Most all of the shops here use the latest electronic stringing machines so there's no way they recoup costs from $8 string jobs. Its tennis heaven for me.
Click to expand...

When I was in Vietnam only a few months back, I saw a lot of fake racquets and string. Some where obvious some were not.

Regardless labour is cheap $100-150 USD a month for a skilled worker. So yeah they would be making money on your $8 restring even if it was fake or real.

A lot of middle to upper class also play tennis. $8 to them is nothing, $8 to someone on the street is alot...
 
P

parasailing

Legend
Since I hate stringing even though I have one of the nicer machines, I just invite my tennis buddy over my place and let them string their own racquet. I already made up the stringing cost on my machine but I try so many different string setup, it's probably cost me more in the long run.

Of course, I enjoy sharing my experience and reading what others here have tried.
 
S

Ska4lyfe

New User
I used to get charged 20 bucks for Luxilon Alu Power Rough, which included the labor.

Now I have a stringer of my own, so free.
 
W

wrainsberger

New User
Just had my old Wilson ProStaff 4.5si and my nieces' new Prince Hybrid Gold strung today at the local pro shop (only pro shop) .........$71!!!!! :evil:

Strung both with Luxilon Big Banger / Babolat Addiction combo. I hope it is worth it! In the future I'll buy string online and take to the local to string. Charge is $16 for stringing with your own supply.
 
M

MikeA

New User
I am sorry but ten dollars delivered is ridiculously low. That's why your slammed. I feel 18-20 bucks labor is reasonable. Tennis players are a fickle bunch, do a good consistent job and you'll still be plenty busy, just making more money. Anyone who feels that's too much, you don't want to work for them anyways :)
 
latershow

latershow

Rookie
ericg said:
I live in Thailand near Bangkok in a beachside resort city with lots of tennis and golf facilities...labor for stringing is about 3 USD...strings are expensive tho because of import duties..usually double the TW price.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately here in Australia we are charged double the TW price for strings too. I work in a tennis store and we typically charge (strung prices) $30 for basic Head Syn Gut, with Head Syn Gut PPS $38. Labor typically runs in the $15 - $20 region at most places.
 
K

kpvols

New User
was charged 28 for syn gut and 30 for a poly hybrid thats why i bought my own stringer sunday...already saved 60$
 
S

Shaochieh

Rookie
I only charge 10 Euros/13 dollars per string job if you bring your own string. 15 Euros/20 dollars of synthetic gut and 20 Euros for Muli and ploys.
 
K

kazamzaa

Rookie
10 Euros = 12.55900 U.S. dollars
Plus the strings. I always bring my own.
The stringer is my coach. He is very professional. Has strung for couple of top10 atp pros in the past, when they played here. He also does practice regularly with a davis-cup team player.
I would pay even more if he asked. But that's what he charges so I couldn't be happier about it.
 
P

pvaudio

Legend
I do 10/labor and then on string prices usually round down to the nearest dollar. So Lux ALU is 16 vs 16.75. This way, while I make no money on the string (how can I if I have to buy it myself at the same retail price), I can get more volume because people don't bother to bring their own string.
 
COPEY

COPEY

Hall of Fame
Same here on the labor ($10), however, I round up to the nearest dollar for strings. I afford them the convenience of not having to drive to a pro shop to purchase their string, paying the marked up price + taxes. My customers don't have to order string online either, paying the typical $5.95 shipping charge, so they're getting a bargain (still), and the change I make from rounding off to the nearest buck is...well, it goes towards offsetting the times when I have to pay shipping. ;-)
 
D

dennis10is

Banned
$50 in labor per string job on Long Island.

If you are a real tennis player on the Island, you should have your own lived in stringer.

My stringer travels along with me in a Van conversion. He's there to string mine or my guests rackets as needed.
 
cluckcluck

cluckcluck

Hall of Fame
pvaudio said:
I do 10/labor and then on string prices usually round down to the nearest dollar. So Lux ALU is 16 vs 16.75. This way, while I make no money on the string (how can I if I have to buy it myself at the same retail price), I can get more volume because people don't bother to bring their own string.
Click to expand...

Buy reels, charge $16 pay $15. Make a $1.
 
D

Dreamcastin

Rookie
cluckcluck said:
Buy reels, charge $16 pay $15. Make a $1.
Click to expand...

no doubt, plus it will likely be well more than a dollar unless your just stringing up mega oversize racquets. id deff round up on the price though, who is going to whine about 25 cents when they dont have to deal with getting string.
 
D

Davis Cup Fan

New User
I started stinging my own because the local pro shop charged me $26 for $3 wilson stamina 16. And the local sports store sells psgd for $24 as a set not stringing my racquet haha.
 
fortun8son

fortun8son

Hall of Fame
SA does PSGD for $24 including stringing. There is no option for buying string only, however, it's only $12 to string with your own string.
 
canny

canny

Rookie
13 bucks for any string that you bring here in ocala, florida. But 20 for regular syn gut. And like 17 if it's natural gut that you bring yourself.
 
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