Your Best Value Turkey Call

[Bowguy]

Pretty easy imo. SS scratch box. Does almost everything within normal call distance, is small and cheap. Most scratchers fall in that description. Easy to keep dry, not extreme moisture sensitive like pots can be. 
A mouth call is even a better bargain but takes more learning

[Zobo]

The post about a Stowe call being a good value brings up an interesting thought I hadn't really considered. I didn't factor "appreciation" (whether a call holds its money value or increases in money value) into whether or not something is a good value. For me value is just a function of whether or not a call functions well and is crafted well in relation (good utility) to its price. Desirability and availability certainly have a strong influence on price and value too I suppose. But if you find a Cost box at a garage sale for $15 is that a good value or just a lucky find? If you think a makers calls will be worth more in the future is THAT a good value? Or are you just speculating and treating calls as commodities? I know some people do this, they collect things and don't use them.

[ScottTaulbee]

$25 Lonnie Mabry Walnut slate with wood soundboard and 2 strikers. Came with handmade craftsmanship, is full of hen turkey talk, also came with several hours of verbal instruction and comparisons, the 'store' even had a house my wife would sit and wait in and an amazing and hospitable southern lady for her to talk to.  Got to pick the call and strikers I preferred, not what was boxed for me, and the call is now proven from March to May and coast to coast.  Not a better value in my case

Don't you wish that all shopping was like when you go shopping at the Mabry's? I have spoken to both Mr. and Mrs. Mabry in the last month and they are first class folks.

Back to the question at hand. First, let me say that is an awesome money box that you just picked up. Hard to beat SS calls for quality and sound.

That said, I would agree with Ranger and Greg. Mr. Lonnie's pots (now they are 30.00) just cannot be beat for the money. As far as Dr. Shelley, you just cannot beat his eastern assasin or his purpleheart over walnut short boxes for 30.00. In all seriousness, I have three of them and they sound as good as the boxes that I have that cost seven times as much. Those boxes are a hair shorter than a regular short box, but still have a larger box sound and you can also get soft on them with ease. And like Mr. Lonnie, Dr. Jim Shelley is a joy to do business with. Both men are very honest and give you way more than your money's worth.

How does someone go about getting ahold of either one of them?


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[greentrout]

Mr. Lonnie only sells in person from his shop I believe. Mr. Shelley posts some calls on eBay and is also on FB. Look up Persimmon Hill Calls.

[Tarheel]

Zobo,
There are a few turkey callmakers that over the years become icons in the turkey hunting and callmaking industry.  If you are able to pick up their early calls cheap when they are beginning callmakers and relatively unknown to the masses, your purchases have the potential to be very good investments years later if having to sell.  It's really hit or miss.  You can't always predict how the market for turkey calls will turn or if buyers will look favorably on particular callmakers enough to add value to their calls in the future.  I restricted my turkey call purchases over the years to just calls I would be willing to take hunting. I passed up a lot of bargains and good investments, but the calls I did purchase were really nice.  I kept the nice ones in one side of my gun safe.  Unfortunately, my home was burglarized in 2010, and I lost my collection of turkey calls.  Kemper Insurance and I went toe-to-toe for 5 years; and if I had not had pictures and good records, I would have had more problems than I did have.  Keeping records and documenting what you have and being able to establish credible value acceptable to an insurance company should be important in how you look at the calls you have....and help you determine what to purchase as an investment.

[Yoder409]

Keeping records and documenting what you have and being able to establish credible value acceptable to an insurance company should be important in how you look at the calls you have....and help you determine what to purchase as an investment.

THIS, sir.........is SOLID advice for anyone that has any calls that may be of more value than average, or may appreciate in value one day.   

[Zobo]

That's excellent information to know. It's horrible to hear about your theft, and I know insurance will try try to disclaim all they can. I use all my calls, every one has been hunted but i have quite a few and some evidently are quite valuable.  So i probably should take some pictures i guess. But ive never bought a call as an investment and i just dont look at them that way even though truth be told ive spent quite a bit through the years for sure. I've actually been giving some of my calls away lately to friends and family which sometimes feels good and right and other times,  to be honest, I kind of miss the calls. But this info makes me feel better about what I'm doing, spread the "wealth" out so to speak, safer that way. 

[Greg Massey]

It's always good to keep information about your calls. Every call has a history and story including how i acquired the call. I always included dates, price and history of the call builder in my log book. If i buy a call from the classifieds on this forum, i will list the member who i got the call from. My family knows where to find the log book with all the information.. Collector or NOT in my opinion all calls are an investment, the investment could include if you killed a gobbler with the call or you gave the call away to family members or friends. Again WHY i feel its investment is your call collection has the start of a story from the day you contacted the builder and made that purchase of how you acquired the call even from a friend or seller. A FRIEND or MEMBER on this forum could have helped you acquire a call you wanted or was looking for in doing so this call has the start of a history and a story... IMO    ... You see what i mean.... IMO.... Collector / Investment / Hunter   

[Paulmyr]

It's always good to keep information about your calls. Every call has a history and story including how i acquired the call. I always included dates, price and history of the call builder in my log book. If i buy a call from the classifieds on this forum, i will list the member who i got the call from. My family knows where to find the log book with all the information.. Collector or NOT in my opinion all calls are an investment, the investment could include if you killed a gobbler with the call or you gave the call away to family members or friends. Again WHY i feel its investment is your call collection has the start of a story from the day you contacted the builder and made that purchase of how you acquired the call even from a friend or seller. A FRIEND or MEMBER on this forum could have helped you acquire a call you wanted or was looking for in doing so this call has the start of a history and a story... IMO    ... You see what i mean.... IMO.... Collector/ Investment

I would think there are times the value of the call starts before the call is even being made. What mean by this is many times there's a story about where the wood came from. Was it from that tree in the yard you used to climb when growing up? Did it come from salvage wood from an old Church? Maybe it came from the Mossy Oak tree? Value could be sentimental or monetary accordingly based on aspects that came into play before the maker even had thoughts about placing his hands on the wood.

Right now im working on my 1st box calls with some Walnut wood salvaged from a friends firewood pile. The thought that I maybe producing something of worth from it when it was slated to go up in smoke definitely adds sentimental value for me.

[Greg Massey]

It's always good to keep information about your calls. Every call has a history and story including how i acquired the call. I always included dates, price and history of the call builder in my log book. If i buy a call from the classifieds on this forum, i will list the member who i got the call from. My family knows where to find the log book with all the information.. Collector or NOT in my opinion all calls are an investment, the investment could include if you killed a gobbler with the call or you gave the call away to family members or friends. Again WHY i feel its investment is your call collection has the start of a story from the day you contacted the builder and made that purchase of how you acquired the call even from a friend or seller. A FRIEND or MEMBER on this forum could have helped you acquire a call you wanted or was looking for in doing so this call has the start of a history and a story... IMO    ... You see what i mean.... IMO.... Collector/ Investment

I would think there are times the value of the call starts before the call is even being made. What mean by this is many times there's a story about where the wood came from. Was it from that tree in the yard you used to climb when growing up? Did it come from salvage wood from an old Church? Maybe it came from the Mossy Oak tree? Value could be sentimental or monetary accordingly based on aspects that came into play before the maker even had thoughts about placing his hands on the wood.

Right now im working on my 1st box calls with some Walnut wood salvaged from a friends firewood pile. The thought that I maybe producing something of worth from it when it was slated to go up in smoke definitely adds sentimental value for me.

Yes for sure .... story and history ...

[Zobo]

It's always good to keep information about your calls. Every call has a history and story including how i acquired the call. I always included dates, price and history of the call builder in my log book. If i buy a call from the classifieds on this forum, i will list the member who i got the call from. My family knows where to find the log book with all the information.. Collector or NOT in my opinion all calls are an investment, the investment could include if you killed a gobbler with the call or you gave the call away to family members or friends. Again WHY i feel its investment is your call collection has the start of a story from the day you contacted the builder and made that purchase of how you acquired the call even from a friend or seller. A FRIEND or MEMBER on this forum could have helped you acquire a call you wanted or was looking for in doing so this call has the start of a history and a story... IMO    ... You see what i mean.... IMO.... Collector / Investment / Hunter

You make some good points Greg, value is not only dollars and cents.

[Gobblechicken4]

My still do this day best value is a Primos ol Betsy skate call. It's ugly and cheap and maybe I got luck but the one I have surely does have a sweet sound and the turkeys seem to like it. And I actually have a buddy who has one older than mine and his is the same.

[MK M GOBL]

My CODY World Class has cost me less than a dollar a bird, so far at .65 is pretty cost effective

MK M GOBL

[ChesterCopperpot]

I've been fortunate to be gifted calls from some of the finest callmakers around so those are definitely my personal best values. Outside of that, our classifieds section here on OG produces some stupidly good deals on calls year to year. Right now I'm obsessed with a Preacherman box I picked up a few months ago for about half what it would've cost new. This thing is pure turkey. But if I was going with calls that could be purchased new I'd go Greg Gwaltney on a trumpet. He's making calls on par with yelpers that cost twice what he's asking. I'd go with them Shoemaker boys at SS Custom Calls on a box, and if I had to go cheaper there I'd get a Spring Creek and hunt hell out of it. With pot calls there's a whole lot of makers you can pick up in the $50-$65 range. I'd get something plain jane from Buster Halford and again hunt the hell out of it. I'm not very proficient on a diaphragm otherwise I'd say that call would be hard to beat as it can do everything and worst case you've got $10 tied up, most times $5.


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[Yoder409]

........ and if I had to go cheaper there I'd get a Spring Creek and hunt hell out of it.

X2 !!!

Mike's calls are some of the best values out there.  Very well one.  Very reasonably priced. And ALL turkey !!!!

Yep.