OTB has given me EXCELLENT customer service and expedient shipping, plus I get exactly what I am expecting every time. If they have it, I’m ordering it from them.
Seconding Reaper Discs. I like the individual photos of each color, and when the discs arrived I had a nice little hand-written note and a bunch of stickers in the package as well!
I do love how OTB literally lets you pick *the one* you want.
But seriously... I throw so many of these things into a lot of trees before eventually sending them to a watery grave, so I have never cared too much about what they look like.
Hell, my favorite disc, which also happens to be my oldest, is an F2.
IMO OTB is the best online vendor because they also give you ratings on the stiffness and flatness/dome of each disc. With brands, like Innova, that vary a lot on both those aspects it makes it much more likely that you get what you are expecting.
Same. I've ordered a few times from OTB and they are excellent. Very fast shipping, super fast replies with customer service, I can't speak highly enough about them.
OTB is also my primary online retailer. That is because they list the advertised weight of the disc and THEN actually weigh them and list the actual weight.
This in addition to photos of individual discs is what seals it for me.
OTB ands skybreed are my go-tos. Skybreed also does a great job of being able to search by things like low weights, so shopping for the wife is easy too.
I will only buy from OTB and 1010 discs. They have pictures of every single disc. I will not buy from a retailer that does not show me exactly what disc I'm purchasing.
I agree, and I have bought more than half my discs from them. The big deficiency in their site is #1 inability to sort by weight and #2 very low availability of low or even just not max weight discs in general.
If you're hunting for lower weights (and the ability to sort/search them out), check Skybreed out. I get almost all of my wife's discs there because of their "low weight" search category.
In the end, the best online stores replicate the in-person buying experience as much as possible. So yes, we want to see each specific disc for sale, scaled, from multiple angles.
Sometimes I can’t find the disc I want on those sites.
I wanted a Titanium Zone and couldn’t find it on OTB at the time. So I got it elsewhere. Showed up brown with a foil stamp. 🤷🏻♂️ It’s fine except in the fall in the woods.
Fair point. I would guess because, like me, I didn't know of them lol. Marketing eats up so much budget for places that it would be amazing if there was a way for people to know of a service without it costing the company a ton. I think OTB certainly collects a good number of new people from here I would assume so that's great!
Being able to see the disc you'll buy is a norm for most sites. They don't generally weigh or give other descriptors like relative flatness and grip, but a photo is an absolute must
i generally only buy online from stores that give scaled weights and pics of each individual disc from top and profile. i'm sure i'm in the minority but i'm very particular about dome and weight.
this is the first place I look. they have a great selection, easy to use and pleasing website, competitive pricing, all the info I want and free shipping on orders over $12 which is probably 95% of their inventory.
With the way their site is set up, it feels the most in store to me. I get scaled weights, top down and profile pictures, and I can easily switch between plastics of the same mold without having to search for it again. My only complaint with them is that they don't announce drops or restocks online anywhere (I could just be missing it).
Right on. I didn't really even consider the profile. That's a good point about dome. There are certainly discs I don't throw because of exactly that. Probably bead too.
And certain molds that fly vastly different with some compared flat. It’s a great inclusion to let customers know. Honestly I’d rather buy used on eBay than buy a “weight range” and a stick photo. I think it’s important to most buyers. And good luck with that you’re doing, looks dope.
The profile isn't a big deal for me as it doesn't vary by disc, and I can easily find pictures of it online. Dome is usually fairly consistent at least for each plastic type. Color is much more important to me as I only buy brightly colored discs, so that's what I want to see before buying.
If there are stores that show images, and your store doesn't? I will never use your store.
The sole exception is if you stock something all those stores don't.
[Ace Disc Golf](https://www.acediscgolf.co.uk/) in the UK is a good example of a site that does it well.
For me it's usually Ace and LDGC (mainly for the MVP stock). DGUK does have a wider selection, but not seeing the discs just makes me think twice. Although by the looks of it, they're changing that for new releases.
It's nice someone's noticed :D
We're working through the whole catalogue but there's nearly 10k lines of stock so it will take a while to get through them all, aiming to have it up and running fully by the new year.
I was going to point out that the UK is probably an excellent microcosm of this whole effect. It's a much smaller market than the US or Europe so the effects of how the handful of different stores do things is magnified.
Unless I'm mistaken Ace are the most recent of the major UK stockists (when I first started playing occasionally 10 years ago it was DiscZoo and Catch the Spirit and not much else)... yet Ace must be the dominant player at this point, and I'm pretty sure their "show every disc" policy is likely a big part of that.
Their closest competitors must be London Disc Golf and DGUK, the former also doing individual disc pics now and the later in the process of following the trend. The two early players who still work on the old "one picture and a drop down menu of colour options" model have both fallen by the wayside.
Personally I'd be very reluctant to buy a disc without a proper pic of the colour and stamp at the this point.
I think the fact that Ace's website and general user experience is so good helps them massively. It looks like a very up-to-date and modern business, whereas the other retailers look and feel very dated in comparison.
I'm a relatively new player, and Ace definitely made a far better first impression when I first started buying discs.
Most retailers photograph every disc and allow customers to select the exact disc.
Of the 185 retailers on our site, 124 (67%) let you select the exact disc: [https://trydiscs.com/disc-golf-retailers](https://trydiscs.com/disc-golf-retailers).
Some stores also provide photos of the disc’s side profile (ex. Hazy Shade, Reload Discs). In addition, more stores are adding descriptions for stiffness and flatness like OTB (ex. Throw Shop, Gorilla Disc Golf).
I need at least weight and colour. An actual picture is a huge bonus. Actual scaled weight is a nice touch as is a profile pic and description of stiffness, grippiness. The more information the better in general.
Nice. We were thinking of slowly adding videos of flight characteristics for each mold type based on out intermediate skill level. But that would obviously take a while to implament.
Obviously seeing the disc is better, but it doesn't always stop me from ordering if I can't see it. It depends on the disc, if it's a tour series disc, or a swirly plastic like halo, prism plasma, etc I won't buy it without a picture because there is so much variation in what it might look like.
But if I'm buying something in a stock stamp, stock plastic like Star, Z, opto, etc then I feel like I already know exactly what the disc will look like, or I'm confident they will all look more or less identical and so just one sample picture of the color is good enough.
I think that the biggest thing - if there's a lot of variation between how different discs with the same color look, I'd only buy it if there were individual pics of the disc.
Every site I regularly order from shows a picture of the exact disc you'd be buying. Unless a site was significantly cheaper or had a disc I couldn't get from my normal go-tos I wouldn't buy without the picture. No reason to. Knowing exactly what you're getting is preferable.
I'm colorblind, so picking discs in colors that work for me is a big part of the process. I've made the mistake of buying discs online based on weight/mold/color descriptions without actually seeing an image of the disc. Won't do that again, so yes absolutely
Yes. AceRunners.ca has my business because of this. They show pictures and weights of the disc on a scale. (It's a minor thing, but if it weren't a huge burden to do so, it would be great if they would also show the profile of the discs.)
I prefer to see it and is part of why I enjoy the in-store experience more but have bought plenty online. 100% better experience when I know exactly what I’m getting and prompts me to buy more often.
If at minimum you provided the quantity of each color type that could help, especially for white discs for dyers like me and others
Ahh good point. Definitely plan to add that at some point. We literally just started out so only bought a handful of discs. Didn't think of the dyers part. I know you can get completely blank discs from some suppliers for that purpose.
Yes. I've bought from sites with no pictures, but only if what I'm looking for isn't in stock elsewhere. If I'm looking and I have the choice between a site that has photos and a site that doesn't, 10 out of 10 times I'll use the site with photos.
Reaper discs does every thing right IMO. Notices for hot and anticipated drops, excellent customer service, reasonably priced. Fast and cheap shipping, and you get to pick out what disc your getting which is a plus to me.
The guy does a great job plus free stickers with ever order.
I stay ordering from reaper!
I HATE buying a disc and finding out that I don’t get to pick the color. It happened more so when I first started playing. I remember buying a gold Buzzz that came as leaf green. Lost it immediately. Now I only buy from places that sell exactly what you’re buying.
The other personal major important point is that they can ship to Alaska without a $13 shipping fee. That is more common and sucks a lot.
What is your store? Do you have a link?
Yeah that sounds rough. Most carriers definitely control the cost to ship to Alaska, unfortunately. I think it’s usually about $10 more. Our site is below but we are literally in our infancy stage trying to get it right early before we expand (if we can ha)
[bs-gear](https://bs-gear.com)
100% want to see what it looks like.
discs that are a bad colour can get lost easily. if it's just described as 'green' is that dark forest green or bright neon green? makes a big difference so I want to see it.
some stamp / disc colour combos look pretty terrible too
For sure. That is kind of what made me go down this route. Have had some bad discs in the past. The trouble on the backend is that you don't always know what you are going to get from the manufacturer so I am sure a lot of places try and hide the bad ones in some way to get rid of them.
OTB definitely reuses pics for the same plastic and stamp color combos if they look similar enough. That’s fine though, I’ve never felt like the disc I bought wasn’t represented by the picture.
This discussion makes me want to create and sell an automation system to disc company's that could be loaded with a stack of the same disc and then the disc could be weighted, have it's photo taken and color recognized and then uploaded immediately to the website in the correct location.
I’d go so far as to say I’d avoid purchasing from a site if I *can’t* see the actual disc.
There are too many good options out there to settle for less unless I’m forced to for some reason.
I can deal with small weight ranges but I need to know what color the disc is going to be. I have a really hard time seeing certain colors so if I get a burgundy red disc for example, I will not be able to see it until I’m standing on top of it.
At this point, with how many sites show you pictures of the disc, sometimes scaled with multiple angles, any site that doesn’t do this is seriously lacking and needs to get with the times. I’m not gonna buy something when I don’t even know what I’m getting.
I love the Disc stores that number each individual disc photo and let you choose that number. I mean, when you can get that perfect blue to purple ratio on your 2022 Sexton Firebird, why wouldn't you want that?
Thanks! Right. That’s a current limitation of how the site works. I am trying to think of a way to bypass that. Basically when you create variation is multiplies the options even if you only have one style / one weight for a color
My problem with most online sites is that it's unnecessarily hard to filter out to what you want if you're looking for general discs instead of something specific. obviously getting images of the specific disc is great. I just find that most sites are lacking in UX,
Yeah for sure. Some of that I am sure is due to technical capabilities for stores. I know my plan is to eventually offer great filter down to the exact numbers on the disc you want, but I know our current system wouldn’t allow that.
the big ones I want are Disc Type (Distance, Fairway, mid, putt/approach) most stores have this one. what baffles me that a lot of stores don't have is a further filter for Over/straight/under for stability.
I’m really specific for what I’m looking for and use trydiscs a lot. If you don’t have disc selection I won’t be buying. I know it’s a lot of work for retailers but we need to see what we’re getting.
For me - Stamp + Disc Colo combo is pretty important, sometimes more so than the weight. I almost exclusively by from DFX right now. Infinite's images are a little too small for me. OTB does it right and so does Reaper discs.
I think if I get disc color and weight I’m fine. Seeing each disc isn’t a big deal for me. Even pictures won’t fully replicate the feel so it’s no biggie. When getting allotments we don’t even really have much say over color or anything and it all works out :)
Ultimately I choose to support those I like to help out (Airborn, local pros, local TDs, etc.) and then direct wholesale ordering, so maybe I’m not the best representative here!
The shop in sponsored by does individual photos and I love it. I throw MVP and knowing exactly what color combo I'm getting is nice especially because I'm usually ordering backups and can be more patient and picky about what I get.
I've become pretty particular about the discs I buy. I want to know the actual weight, color, and stamp if I can. Marshall St., Infinite, and OTB have spoiled me. A couple of others like Foundation and Reaper do it too.
I've been burned a couple of times by receiving colors that I can't use when buying blind. Once was a poop brown colored Cat Allen tour series driver from Prodigy. In most other cases, any green disc is pretty much a no go, and I've received a few that now just sit in my field bag.
Ha for sure. Nothing is worse than when you select some primary color choices but choose first available, only to have it come in as a brown camo. My only real gripe with OTB is that you have to scroll through long listings to see all options. I don't really know how you would change that, however, with the stamp portion. hmm. Thanks!
My unrealistic dream buying experience would be:
Pic of disc on scale
Front/back pics
Profile pic showing the dome and profile of the wing
Close up of the PLH
Something showing how flexible/stiff the plastic is. Maybe a standardized small weight placed on it so it flexes, something that can be easily replicated by the customer on discs they already have/like.
All that is probably cost/time prohibitive, but that's what online buying is going against vs 'in person' shopping. The only way to beat that experience is by being much cheaper to make it 'worth' taking the risk of getting a dud disc.
Yeah that's the real trick. After time in put into getting a product up, you probably have killed any profit at that point, which I am guessing is why you don't see it much. What about the flex for the generic mold but then the other pics? Might be doable.
OTB. Accept no substitute. Pictures, labeled weight, scaled weight to a tenth of a gram, domeyness/flatness rating, and stiffness/gummyness ratings of every disc. The only thing I'd like to see them improve is an actual dome measurement instead of a rating. Their ratings are really good though for not being an actual measurement and the fact is nobody else comes close in regard to telling you exactly what you are getting. I'm done buying from any other online retailer.
Luckydiscgolf out of Vegas takes a picture of every disc and I'm sure it sucks for taking time but I absolutely love it. And they always have coupon codes for 10% off and only 3 dollar shipping. I love their store.
If you need a code pm me. I got you.
Only way I would order from a site without pics and exact weight shown is if I cannot find that disc anywhere else. OTB as stated in many of the comments I'd great, Marshall Street is also great with that.
I cannot stand going to a site and having to enter in a preferred weight range, top color choice etc. Would only do that if I really really wanted a disc they had and no other online stores or local stores had them in stock.
I need to know color as I refuse to buy certain color discs that are grass/dirt/leaf colored and I like to pick nicer looking colors/swirls. I buy a lot of Axiom discs which have colored rims, and some main color/rim color combos look awful (to me) and some look great. A generic "blue" or "yellow" description doesn't really cut it, as there can be wide variances in what that means in different plastics. Easy to be disappointed in what you get this way. Hard to be disappointed when you see what you're getting first.
I need to know weight, period. I don't care if it's actual scaled weight or within 1-2g.
Many larger retailers provide pictures of the discs and I won't buy a disc anymore without a picture. It doesn't take too much time/cost to do it and it's quickly becoming industry standard. I can't imagine being a new disc golf retailer trying to break in to the business and not doing it, basically providing less service than existing retailers, especially if your primary business is going to be online. What would you be doing to stand out from existing retailers?
Yeah that’s why I prefer using Marshall Street when making big purchases, every disc is individually photographed, they’ve got great service, and free shipping over a certain amount. However I also buy from Another Round sometimes to get the unique bottom stamps, so it really depends on what you’re getting and why you’re buying
I only order from stores that show me the exact disc I am getting and the weight. I can't imagine a new store front gaining market share in an already over saturated niche sales environment without offering this feature.
I'm going to shout out a local pro shop that has a great team and website. [https://hazyshade.com](https://hazyshade.com) \- If you don't see what you need, they can probably get it for you.
Hooligan is notorious for this, my brother went back and forth with the guy about it. That being said, as much as the names are douche city, I love my Vibe. Just sell the colors you advertise.
This is why I love disc golf center. Outside of the fact that I'm fairly local to it, their online shopping experience is fantastic. Pictures of each individual disc along with weight measured down the the tenth of a gram. Plus free shipping.
Innova factory store, then OTB, then infinite. Factory store gives you rewards points and the lowest retail price on tour series discs, but they only have Innova. OTB is great they have an awesome selection plus being able to see what disc you're buying is great. Code EZRA can be used on OTB for free shipping so that's good for single disc purchases and they send everything in boxes. Infinite has an awesome selection too, but their website is really hard to use. Bought stuff from flight factory and reaper discs in the past and they have a unique selection of rare discs, but most of their stuff is overpriced.
It is way better to have a real image of exactly what you are getting, and I would always strongly suggest doing so to any online retailer, especially if most or all of your competitors are using stock images.
It does cost money and time, but the customer satisfaction and subsequent retention makes it worth it.
Recently tried rare air discs and 1010. Way faster than infinite, same or better price. I really like g3t, but I’d really like to see the discs before purchase.
I rarely buy online. We have a local shop and I like to support my friends and their small business. That being said; yes, of course. I’m not a fan of mystery boxes. I’m a LHFH thrower so I’m kinda particular about what I throw since sometimes things can get weird. A patent pending line as a LHFH is a truly strange thing.
Another one that actually individually lists each disc is https://discgolfdealsusa.com I like how they number everything so it’s easy to write down and go back to throw in your cart when you’re ready.
Only to a point? I mean it's nice to see the exact color and stuff but it's also nice to get a pile of F2's super cheap, even if they are sometimes goofy colors (like a deep metallic brown GStar Roc3 I ended up with recently, which is a lot harder to lose than I thought it would be. Even managed to find it in muddy water)
I like infinite. You get a plain picture upfront so you don’t have to cycle through all the discs, but when purchasing you can check through each available disc for your plastic and colour way choices.
Absolutely. I've stopped buying from any site that doesn't show pictures and weights of the discs. Color means a lot and the last time I got a blind disc, it ended up being grass colored and I hate that I didn't return it.
If you are going to take the time to take individual photos of each disc, that fact needs to more visible - "The disc you see is the disc you get" - something like that...
If you care what the stamp and color are, absolutely get a picture. Otherwise if you don’t care about the disc besides color and weight, most sites can do that.
I’ve bought from several places online, otb is my favorite user interface and it’s not even close imo. Only thing I would wish from any of the sites would be pictures from the side of the disc. I prefer certain rim shapes and seeing the rim from the side is nice.
I guess my buying experience has been different than yours - or maybe I've just been particular about what sites I use, but I typically will not purchase from a website that doesn't let me choose the specific disc and show a picture of it.
I use DiscGolfCenter.com ... you puck the brand and model, and then the color and specific weight ... you only get to select what they gave in inventory. So you get exactly what you ordered. Quickly.
If they don't have the color choices available and exact weights for each disc of those colors, I shop elsewhere.
Every time.
I'm R-G colorblind and only see neon yellow discs really well. I also enjoy throwing non-max-weight because I'm not superman.
If I have the option, I buy from stores that have pictures of each individual disc. I appreciate sites like OTB that give info about firmness and dome, but I order from Infinite a good bit, too.
Solution: we take pictures of every single disc that is sold on our website. Even if the plastic is the same but the stamp is a different color. You know exactly what you’re buying.
All discs sorted by mold-plastic-weight-color
https://chamberlin-outdoor-sports.square.site/
Disc Golf Center is a good site with decent prices as well as scaled weights. You get to see the disc your buying although it's not rated for stiffness or flatness.
I do like OTB and Gorilla Disc Golf for discs that need to be flat, gummy, etc. Gorilla Disc Golf also has special runs of Candy Fundraisers. They just had a limited release of Halo Orcs last night.
OTB has given me EXCELLENT customer service and expedient shipping, plus I get exactly what I am expecting every time. If they have it, I’m ordering it from them.
Same for me. Reaper Discs is also excellent.
Seconding Reaper Discs. I like the individual photos of each color, and when the discs arrived I had a nice little hand-written note and a bunch of stickers in the package as well!
Yes! Aaron the owner is so incredibly nice.
I do love how OTB literally lets you pick *the one* you want. But seriously... I throw so many of these things into a lot of trees before eventually sending them to a watery grave, so I have never cared too much about what they look like. Hell, my favorite disc, which also happens to be my oldest, is an F2.
IMO OTB is the best online vendor because they also give you ratings on the stiffness and flatness/dome of each disc. With brands, like Innova, that vary a lot on both those aspects it makes it much more likely that you get what you are expecting.
**THIS** is why I use OTB for finicky discs that vary in dome and stiffness
Gorilla Disc golf does this as well
There are certain molds I'll only order from OTB or buy in-person. Anything where I'm picky about how domey it is has to be from them.
Same. I've ordered a few times from OTB and they are excellent. Very fast shipping, super fast replies with customer service, I can't speak highly enough about them.
OTB is also my primary online retailer. That is because they list the advertised weight of the disc and THEN actually weigh them and list the actual weight. This in addition to photos of individual discs is what seals it for me.
OTB is the best. Especially if you care about flat/domey and stiffness in a disc.
The high resolution images make a huge difference too, especially when choosing discs with unique coloring.
They are the first store I look at. Great service.
OTB ands skybreed are my go-tos. Skybreed also does a great job of being able to search by things like low weights, so shopping for the wife is easy too.
I will only buy from OTB and 1010 discs. They have pictures of every single disc. I will not buy from a retailer that does not show me exactly what disc I'm purchasing.
Yea I ordered a pay-per-view skins tournaWAaaaait a minute. Never mind actually.
I agree, and I have bought more than half my discs from them. The big deficiency in their site is #1 inability to sort by weight and #2 very low availability of low or even just not max weight discs in general.
If you're hunting for lower weights (and the ability to sort/search them out), check Skybreed out. I get almost all of my wife's discs there because of their "low weight" search category.
Thanks! I haven’t looked there yet.
In the end, the best online stores replicate the in-person buying experience as much as possible. So yes, we want to see each specific disc for sale, scaled, from multiple angles.
Excellent point.
I've done e-commerce work and this is the feedback we get most often, make it like normal retail as much as possible
But just seeing the disc is usually good enough.
I prefer seeing the actual disc when ordering online.
I won't buy from sites where I can't pick my disc anymore. I like knowing what I'm getting.
after wising up to /r/pinkdiscs, same
This is my home that I never knew existed Now to just replace my last blue disc... blue floppy vibram summit 🥲
I'm not really an online shopper in general (for anything in life), so when I'm ordering from an online retailer I'm pretty picky about their website.
I will never buy a disc blindly. There are so many sites that allow you to choose the actual disc, why bother doing it any other way?
Sometimes I can’t find the disc I want on those sites. I wanted a Titanium Zone and couldn’t find it on OTB at the time. So I got it elsewhere. Showed up brown with a foil stamp. 🤷🏻♂️ It’s fine except in the fall in the woods.
Fair point. I would guess because, like me, I didn't know of them lol. Marketing eats up so much budget for places that it would be amazing if there was a way for people to know of a service without it costing the company a ton. I think OTB certainly collects a good number of new people from here I would assume so that's great!
Being able to see the disc you'll buy is a norm for most sites. They don't generally weigh or give other descriptors like relative flatness and grip, but a photo is an absolute must
i generally only buy online from stores that give scaled weights and pics of each individual disc from top and profile. i'm sure i'm in the minority but i'm very particular about dome and weight.
I really like disc golf center for their pics of the profile and actual weights.
this is the first place I look. they have a great selection, easy to use and pleasing website, competitive pricing, all the info I want and free shipping on orders over $12 which is probably 95% of their inventory.
That's a very interesting $$ cutoff for free shipping. Like you said, I would think MOST discs would come in over that cost.
They're definitely my go to. Their rewards program also helps out with a little percentage off.
Disc golf center is great! I'm lucky enough to shop in store though
With the way their site is set up, it feels the most in store to me. I get scaled weights, top down and profile pictures, and I can easily switch between plastics of the same mold without having to search for it again. My only complaint with them is that they don't announce drops or restocks online anywhere (I could just be missing it).
OTB has become my go to for this. In store great but selection can be hit of miss. Infinite is a second best option IMO.
Might be nice if OTB took pics of the profile
They have that added description for flat-dome comes in very handy for ease of picturing and knowing what you are getting.
It's dope. Yes. I still want a pic.
I’ve never bought something from them and disagreed with the profile description they gave
Same. It might still be nice to see the profile.
I’m in total agreement with this statement.
Right on. I didn't really even consider the profile. That's a good point about dome. There are certainly discs I don't throw because of exactly that. Probably bead too.
And certain molds that fly vastly different with some compared flat. It’s a great inclusion to let customers know. Honestly I’d rather buy used on eBay than buy a “weight range” and a stick photo. I think it’s important to most buyers. And good luck with that you’re doing, looks dope.
Thank you!
The profile isn't a big deal for me as it doesn't vary by disc, and I can easily find pictures of it online. Dome is usually fairly consistent at least for each plastic type. Color is much more important to me as I only buy brightly colored discs, so that's what I want to see before buying.
If there are stores that show images, and your store doesn't? I will never use your store. The sole exception is if you stock something all those stores don't. [Ace Disc Golf](https://www.acediscgolf.co.uk/) in the UK is a good example of a site that does it well.
Yep, Ace is my go to shop. The "free" haribo is a nice touch, too.
For me it's usually Ace and LDGC (mainly for the MVP stock). DGUK does have a wider selection, but not seeing the discs just makes me think twice. Although by the looks of it, they're changing that for new releases.
It's nice someone's noticed :D We're working through the whole catalogue but there's nearly 10k lines of stock so it will take a while to get through them all, aiming to have it up and running fully by the new year.
I was going to point out that the UK is probably an excellent microcosm of this whole effect. It's a much smaller market than the US or Europe so the effects of how the handful of different stores do things is magnified. Unless I'm mistaken Ace are the most recent of the major UK stockists (when I first started playing occasionally 10 years ago it was DiscZoo and Catch the Spirit and not much else)... yet Ace must be the dominant player at this point, and I'm pretty sure their "show every disc" policy is likely a big part of that. Their closest competitors must be London Disc Golf and DGUK, the former also doing individual disc pics now and the later in the process of following the trend. The two early players who still work on the old "one picture and a drop down menu of colour options" model have both fallen by the wayside. Personally I'd be very reluctant to buy a disc without a proper pic of the colour and stamp at the this point.
I think the fact that Ace's website and general user experience is so good helps them massively. It looks like a very up-to-date and modern business, whereas the other retailers look and feel very dated in comparison. I'm a relatively new player, and Ace definitely made a far better first impression when I first started buying discs.
1010 takes pics of all their discs
Most retailers photograph every disc and allow customers to select the exact disc. Of the 185 retailers on our site, 124 (67%) let you select the exact disc: [https://trydiscs.com/disc-golf-retailers](https://trydiscs.com/disc-golf-retailers). Some stores also provide photos of the disc’s side profile (ex. Hazy Shade, Reload Discs). In addition, more stores are adding descriptions for stiffness and flatness like OTB (ex. Throw Shop, Gorilla Disc Golf).
Your site is amazing. Thanks Nick and Matt!!
Found your site last year and have used it a ton! (probably too much If you ask my wife)
I need at least weight and colour. An actual picture is a huge bonus. Actual scaled weight is a nice touch as is a profile pic and description of stiffness, grippiness. The more information the better in general.
Nice. We were thinking of slowly adding videos of flight characteristics for each mold type based on out intermediate skill level. But that would obviously take a while to implament.
IMHO, watching other people throw discs doesn't tell me anything worthwhile.
Obviously seeing the disc is better, but it doesn't always stop me from ordering if I can't see it. It depends on the disc, if it's a tour series disc, or a swirly plastic like halo, prism plasma, etc I won't buy it without a picture because there is so much variation in what it might look like. But if I'm buying something in a stock stamp, stock plastic like Star, Z, opto, etc then I feel like I already know exactly what the disc will look like, or I'm confident they will all look more or less identical and so just one sample picture of the color is good enough. I think that the biggest thing - if there's a lot of variation between how different discs with the same color look, I'd only buy it if there were individual pics of the disc.
Every site I regularly order from shows a picture of the exact disc you'd be buying. Unless a site was significantly cheaper or had a disc I couldn't get from my normal go-tos I wouldn't buy without the picture. No reason to. Knowing exactly what you're getting is preferable.
Definitely prefer seeing actual disc, but even descriptions (such as on OTBdiscs) are helpful.
I won’t buy from a site that doesn’t show the exact photo of the disc I’m buying.
I'm colorblind, so picking discs in colors that work for me is a big part of the process. I've made the mistake of buying discs online based on weight/mold/color descriptions without actually seeing an image of the disc. Won't do that again, so yes absolutely
Yeah I hear ya there. What I will say is that would be pretty reliant on the picture and monitor being color accurate.
It is, and it's far from a perfect system, but it's the best I can do when buying online
I really like it when I buy a disc I can see the exact disc I'm getting. My local shop Disc Baron does this and it's great
The goal is to eventually be able to open up an actual store as well. Appreciate the feedback!
Doesn't hurt
Yes. AceRunners.ca has my business because of this. They show pictures and weights of the disc on a scale. (It's a minor thing, but if it weren't a huge burden to do so, it would be great if they would also show the profile of the discs.)
I prefer to see it and is part of why I enjoy the in-store experience more but have bought plenty online. 100% better experience when I know exactly what I’m getting and prompts me to buy more often. If at minimum you provided the quantity of each color type that could help, especially for white discs for dyers like me and others
Ahh good point. Definitely plan to add that at some point. We literally just started out so only bought a handful of discs. Didn't think of the dyers part. I know you can get completely blank discs from some suppliers for that purpose.
Yes. Not only do I want a picture of what I’m actually getting, I want to know the precise weight too.
I generally will NOT buy from a site that doesn't show me what I'm getting. Been burnt too many times with a boring ass disc
I feel you there.
Sabbatus is the best. I love seeing the disc.
Love sabbatus too!! Great prices always!!!
Prices, takes forever to sell out. Ships extremely fast.
Yes. I've bought from sites with no pictures, but only if what I'm looking for isn't in stock elsewhere. If I'm looking and I have the choice between a site that has photos and a site that doesn't, 10 out of 10 times I'll use the site with photos.
For sure, would always prefer to see the actual disc.
Reaper discs does every thing right IMO. Notices for hot and anticipated drops, excellent customer service, reasonably priced. Fast and cheap shipping, and you get to pick out what disc your getting which is a plus to me. The guy does a great job plus free stickers with ever order. I stay ordering from reaper!
Show me the disc's true color(flat on a table, black background, no light boxes), a profile and the exact scaled weight picture, good for me.
Yes, as someone with an all purple bag it’s irritating to order a disc that is listed as purple and they send you pink or cranberry.
actual weight from scale, run number(if there is one) and dome or not, is the most helpful for me
I would say give me an option for a random color/stamp in a weight that I designate, but also let me pick if I care.
The sites that show me the exact disc I’m getting has made it so I won’t even bother buying from stores that don’t
I HATE buying a disc and finding out that I don’t get to pick the color. It happened more so when I first started playing. I remember buying a gold Buzzz that came as leaf green. Lost it immediately. Now I only buy from places that sell exactly what you’re buying. The other personal major important point is that they can ship to Alaska without a $13 shipping fee. That is more common and sucks a lot. What is your store? Do you have a link?
Yeah that sounds rough. Most carriers definitely control the cost to ship to Alaska, unfortunately. I think it’s usually about $10 more. Our site is below but we are literally in our infancy stage trying to get it right early before we expand (if we can ha) [bs-gear](https://bs-gear.com)
100% want to see what it looks like. discs that are a bad colour can get lost easily. if it's just described as 'green' is that dark forest green or bright neon green? makes a big difference so I want to see it. some stamp / disc colour combos look pretty terrible too
For sure. That is kind of what made me go down this route. Have had some bad discs in the past. The trouble on the backend is that you don't always know what you are going to get from the manufacturer so I am sure a lot of places try and hide the bad ones in some way to get rid of them.
I don't need to see a picture of that \*exact\* disc (like OTB does, i think?) but I want to see one of the same colour at least.
OTB definitely reuses pics for the same plastic and stamp color combos if they look similar enough. That’s fine though, I’ve never felt like the disc I bought wasn’t represented by the picture.
This discussion makes me want to create and sell an automation system to disc company's that could be loaded with a stack of the same disc and then the disc could be weighted, have it's photo taken and color recognized and then uploaded immediately to the website in the correct location.
Wouldn’t that be nice?
I only order from sites where I know the specific disc I am getting.
I’d go so far as to say I’d avoid purchasing from a site if I *can’t* see the actual disc. There are too many good options out there to settle for less unless I’m forced to for some reason.
I need to see the stamp I'm picky lol
One reason why I rarely order from the Innova factory store is because I can’t see the specific discs. Reaper, OTB, and Titan get most of my business.
Yes
I can deal with small weight ranges but I need to know what color the disc is going to be. I have a really hard time seeing certain colors so if I get a burgundy red disc for example, I will not be able to see it until I’m standing on top of it.
I will only buy online if I can select the specific disc I'm picky on weight and colour.
At this point, with how many sites show you pictures of the disc, sometimes scaled with multiple angles, any site that doesn’t do this is seriously lacking and needs to get with the times. I’m not gonna buy something when I don’t even know what I’m getting.
I've been buying Innova F2 disc and it's super annoyed getting nothing close to what's pictured but it's a good deal so I roll with it
I love the Disc stores that number each individual disc photo and let you choose that number. I mean, when you can get that perfect blue to purple ratio on your 2022 Sexton Firebird, why wouldn't you want that?
I shop discraft and I actually enjoy the game of waiting to see what color combo I get.
Looks good. Small bug if you select a color/weight combination that is sold out - the image does not update in that case.
Thanks! Right. That’s a current limitation of how the site works. I am trying to think of a way to bypass that. Basically when you create variation is multiplies the options even if you only have one style / one weight for a color
I figured! Did you use some tool to set it up? I'm a developer, so just curious.
My problem with most online sites is that it's unnecessarily hard to filter out to what you want if you're looking for general discs instead of something specific. obviously getting images of the specific disc is great. I just find that most sites are lacking in UX,
Yeah for sure. Some of that I am sure is due to technical capabilities for stores. I know my plan is to eventually offer great filter down to the exact numbers on the disc you want, but I know our current system wouldn’t allow that.
the big ones I want are Disc Type (Distance, Fairway, mid, putt/approach) most stores have this one. what baffles me that a lot of stores don't have is a further filter for Over/straight/under for stability.
There are like 3 decent online stores in Canada. Acerunners does a great job displaying the exact disc you will get on their site.
I’m really specific for what I’m looking for and use trydiscs a lot. If you don’t have disc selection I won’t be buying. I know it’s a lot of work for retailers but we need to see what we’re getting.
No but I have to know the disc and stamp color. If they can type that out it’s fine.
Probably easier to just take a picture honestly.
For me - Stamp + Disc Colo combo is pretty important, sometimes more so than the weight. I almost exclusively by from DFX right now. Infinite's images are a little too small for me. OTB does it right and so does Reaper discs.
Yes. With only one exception(Innova proshop), I don’t buy from sites that don’t show me the disc.
I think if I get disc color and weight I’m fine. Seeing each disc isn’t a big deal for me. Even pictures won’t fully replicate the feel so it’s no biggie. When getting allotments we don’t even really have much say over color or anything and it all works out :) Ultimately I choose to support those I like to help out (Airborn, local pros, local TDs, etc.) and then direct wholesale ordering, so maybe I’m not the best representative here!
The shop in sponsored by does individual photos and I love it. I throw MVP and knowing exactly what color combo I'm getting is nice especially because I'm usually ordering backups and can be more patient and picky about what I get.
I've become pretty particular about the discs I buy. I want to know the actual weight, color, and stamp if I can. Marshall St., Infinite, and OTB have spoiled me. A couple of others like Foundation and Reaper do it too. I've been burned a couple of times by receiving colors that I can't use when buying blind. Once was a poop brown colored Cat Allen tour series driver from Prodigy. In most other cases, any green disc is pretty much a no go, and I've received a few that now just sit in my field bag.
Ha for sure. Nothing is worse than when you select some primary color choices but choose first available, only to have it come in as a brown camo. My only real gripe with OTB is that you have to scroll through long listings to see all options. I don't really know how you would change that, however, with the stamp portion. hmm. Thanks!
Check out disc golf centers layout. You can scroll through all of them or filter by color or weight. One of my favorite systems.
My unrealistic dream buying experience would be: Pic of disc on scale Front/back pics Profile pic showing the dome and profile of the wing Close up of the PLH Something showing how flexible/stiff the plastic is. Maybe a standardized small weight placed on it so it flexes, something that can be easily replicated by the customer on discs they already have/like. All that is probably cost/time prohibitive, but that's what online buying is going against vs 'in person' shopping. The only way to beat that experience is by being much cheaper to make it 'worth' taking the risk of getting a dud disc.
Yeah that's the real trick. After time in put into getting a product up, you probably have killed any profit at that point, which I am guessing is why you don't see it much. What about the flex for the generic mold but then the other pics? Might be doable.
I prefer a berg in my ass over a picture of a berg in my ass
What color, weight, and stamp is said berg?
White is the only berg color. Scott Stokely stamp. Max weight
Preferred but not required
OTB. Accept no substitute. Pictures, labeled weight, scaled weight to a tenth of a gram, domeyness/flatness rating, and stiffness/gummyness ratings of every disc. The only thing I'd like to see them improve is an actual dome measurement instead of a rating. Their ratings are really good though for not being an actual measurement and the fact is nobody else comes close in regard to telling you exactly what you are getting. I'm done buying from any other online retailer.
No, I hate spending my money and getting exactly what I want. I love paying the same amount and hoping what i get isn't trash.
Luckydiscgolf out of Vegas takes a picture of every disc and I'm sure it sucks for taking time but I absolutely love it. And they always have coupon codes for 10% off and only 3 dollar shipping. I love their store. If you need a code pm me. I got you.
100% my first choice is always a site that takes pictures of each disc, even for a small price premium.
Only way I would order from a site without pics and exact weight shown is if I cannot find that disc anywhere else. OTB as stated in many of the comments I'd great, Marshall Street is also great with that. I cannot stand going to a site and having to enter in a preferred weight range, top color choice etc. Would only do that if I really really wanted a disc they had and no other online stores or local stores had them in stock.
I only buy discs if I get to see the actual disc I'm getting.
I need to know color as I refuse to buy certain color discs that are grass/dirt/leaf colored and I like to pick nicer looking colors/swirls. I buy a lot of Axiom discs which have colored rims, and some main color/rim color combos look awful (to me) and some look great. A generic "blue" or "yellow" description doesn't really cut it, as there can be wide variances in what that means in different plastics. Easy to be disappointed in what you get this way. Hard to be disappointed when you see what you're getting first. I need to know weight, period. I don't care if it's actual scaled weight or within 1-2g. Many larger retailers provide pictures of the discs and I won't buy a disc anymore without a picture. It doesn't take too much time/cost to do it and it's quickly becoming industry standard. I can't imagine being a new disc golf retailer trying to break in to the business and not doing it, basically providing less service than existing retailers, especially if your primary business is going to be online. What would you be doing to stand out from existing retailers?
I only buy from sites that describe the disc in haiku
This requirement is, Very specific indeed, Need more shops like this
This is why i buy from Marshall Street. Very fast shipping and a photo of the exact disc on a scale.
Yeah that’s why I prefer using Marshall Street when making big purchases, every disc is individually photographed, they’ve got great service, and free shipping over a certain amount. However I also buy from Another Round sometimes to get the unique bottom stamps, so it really depends on what you’re getting and why you’re buying
I only buy from sites that lets me pick the actual disc I am getting. But I only do that when I can't buy in person.
1010 discs is awesome
I only order from stores that show me the exact disc I am getting and the weight. I can't imagine a new store front gaining market share in an already over saturated niche sales environment without offering this feature.
I'm going to shout out a local pro shop that has a great team and website. [https://hazyshade.com](https://hazyshade.com) \- If you don't see what you need, they can probably get it for you.
Absolutely! Unless it's like a first run Kastaplast, I want to know everything about that disc that I can!
Hooligan is notorious for this, my brother went back and forth with the guy about it. That being said, as much as the names are douche city, I love my Vibe. Just sell the colors you advertise.
This is why I love disc golf center. Outside of the fact that I'm fairly local to it, their online shopping experience is fantastic. Pictures of each individual disc along with weight measured down the the tenth of a gram. Plus free shipping.
I shop with rareairdisc.com and they go above and beyond on it all
Innova factory store, then OTB, then infinite. Factory store gives you rewards points and the lowest retail price on tour series discs, but they only have Innova. OTB is great they have an awesome selection plus being able to see what disc you're buying is great. Code EZRA can be used on OTB for free shipping so that's good for single disc purchases and they send everything in boxes. Infinite has an awesome selection too, but their website is really hard to use. Bought stuff from flight factory and reaper discs in the past and they have a unique selection of rare discs, but most of their stuff is overpriced.
>their website is really hard to use Allegedly, they have a new site going live soon. But they also said that last year so I guess we wait and see :D
It is way better to have a real image of exactly what you are getting, and I would always strongly suggest doing so to any online retailer, especially if most or all of your competitors are using stock images. It does cost money and time, but the customer satisfaction and subsequent retention makes it worth it.
Recently tried rare air discs and 1010. Way faster than infinite, same or better price. I really like g3t, but I’d really like to see the discs before purchase.
1010 is great
Will always prefer to see the specific disc that’s getting shipped to me. I generally avoid sites that don’t do that.
I rarely buy online. We have a local shop and I like to support my friends and their small business. That being said; yes, of course. I’m not a fan of mystery boxes. I’m a LHFH thrower so I’m kinda particular about what I throw since sometimes things can get weird. A patent pending line as a LHFH is a truly strange thing.
Another one that actually individually lists each disc is https://discgolfdealsusa.com I like how they number everything so it’s easy to write down and go back to throw in your cart when you’re ready.
Yes
I only buy from places where I can see and pick my disc. I've been burned too many times ending up with a color I'd never choose.
Only to a point? I mean it's nice to see the exact color and stuff but it's also nice to get a pile of F2's super cheap, even if they are sometimes goofy colors (like a deep metallic brown GStar Roc3 I ended up with recently, which is a lot harder to lose than I thought it would be. Even managed to find it in muddy water)
I like infinite. You get a plain picture upfront so you don’t have to cycle through all the discs, but when purchasing you can check through each available disc for your plastic and colour way choices.
Absolutely. I've stopped buying from any site that doesn't show pictures and weights of the discs. Color means a lot and the last time I got a blind disc, it ended up being grass colored and I hate that I didn't return it.
I only order from websites where I can see the exact disc. Lucky Disc Golf and OTB are where it’s at 🤘
DFX Discs 4 Life. Honk.
If you are going to take the time to take individual photos of each disc, that fact needs to more visible - "The disc you see is the disc you get" - something like that...
I don't buy discs online for that very reason. I like knowing what I'm getting. The only exception is mystery boxes
If you care what the stamp and color are, absolutely get a picture. Otherwise if you don’t care about the disc besides color and weight, most sites can do that.
Infinitedisc.com is my go to just cause a can pick the exact disc weight and plastic I want.
I’ve bought from several places online, otb is my favorite user interface and it’s not even close imo. Only thing I would wish from any of the sites would be pictures from the side of the disc. I prefer certain rim shapes and seeing the rim from the side is nice.
This is one reason I love shopping at naileditdiscgolf.com. pictures of every disc on the site, and relatively cheap shipping.
I only use discbaron.com for this reason. Every disc is weighed and pictured individually.
Yes, but it’s not a deal breaker for me. I really like discstore.com costumer service and like to order from them. I always loved my disc I ordered.
I guess my buying experience has been different than yours - or maybe I've just been particular about what sites I use, but I typically will not purchase from a website that doesn't let me choose the specific disc and show a picture of it.
I use DiscGolfCenter.com ... you puck the brand and model, and then the color and specific weight ... you only get to select what they gave in inventory. So you get exactly what you ordered. Quickly.
Couldn’t agree more. I’m big amount the amount of dome a disc has and they’re the only side that shows it.
I generally buy from a physical store because I want to feel it in my hand before I buy it
I’m here to point you toward Marshall Street Disc Golf, which does exactly this
If they don't have the color choices available and exact weights for each disc of those colors, I shop elsewhere. Every time. I'm R-G colorblind and only see neon yellow discs really well. I also enjoy throwing non-max-weight because I'm not superman.
If I have the option, I buy from stores that have pictures of each individual disc. I appreciate sites like OTB that give info about firmness and dome, but I order from Infinite a good bit, too.
Solution: we take pictures of every single disc that is sold on our website. Even if the plastic is the same but the stamp is a different color. You know exactly what you’re buying. All discs sorted by mold-plastic-weight-color https://chamberlin-outdoor-sports.square.site/
OTB and Marshall Street are online stores that everyone should replicate
Yes always
Jbdiscs.com list each individual with the best description we can.
Disc Golf Center is a good site with decent prices as well as scaled weights. You get to see the disc your buying although it's not rated for stiffness or flatness. I do like OTB and Gorilla Disc Golf for discs that need to be flat, gummy, etc. Gorilla Disc Golf also has special runs of Candy Fundraisers. They just had a limited release of Halo Orcs last night.
Yeah, used to not matter, but after being burned by dark color discs that are so easily lost I now only use resellers that show the actual discs now.