Rising Tungsten Prices
Anyone else getting genuinely fed up with how expensive darts are getting?
I know it is not just brands randomly whacking prices up for the sake of it. Tungsten prices have gone mad over the last year or so, mainly because of tighter supply, China export controls and demand from other industries. Considering most decent darts are 80–95% tungsten, it was always going to filter through eventually.
But still… it is frustrating.
Darts used to feel like one of the more affordable sports to get into. You could grab a decent set, a board, some stems and flights without feeling like you were making a serious investment. Now some sets are creeping into “do I actually need these?” territory, especially if you are a casual player, a beginner, or someone who just likes trying different barrels.
It is a shame because the sport is booming and loads of new people are getting involved, but the cost of proper tungsten darts makes it feel a bit less accessible than it used to be.
I have been trying to shop around a bit more rather than just paying full price straight away. For anyone else in the UK looking, ArrowHeadz have 20% off everything from Winmau and Red Dragon at the moment on https://arrowheadz.co.uk/collections/products-on-sale, which helps take the sting out a bit. Not pretending discounts solve the wider issue, but with tungsten prices the way they are, any saving on decent darts/accessories is welcome.
Hopefully prices settle at some point, because darts should not become one of those hobbies where beginners feel priced out before they have even found a set that suits their throw.