How the industry works
Most other companies selling reels today have a lot of sales people travelling between stores to “push in” new products, even long before the fishing season has started. This goes for other “consumer products” as well. These companies curl with high profit margins and long repayment periods. This system promotes low-quality products. What good is this to you, the end customer? In many cases the price of a product has increased four to eight times before the product reaches you. By then you are not only paying for the product itself but also for marketing and distribution, often including several intermediate hands.
These reels have often been produced in Asia by someone who lacks the experience and knowledge that we possess. So you can’t expect value for your money. Really. Many of existing brands in the reel market no longer have a product of their own. They buy reels from Asia.