I guess I fall into the "struggling married guy with kids category". When I bought my new compund in 07, I bought a Matthews LX. The LX was being discontinued that year and Igot mine for $399.00. It was a steal and I jumped on it. When my friend got me into crossbows, he owned/sold/returned a Darton Impact, a Stryker, a Horton Recurve, and now he owns a Desert Stryker with woodland camo and is looking to sell that and possibly get into a Darton Lightning.
I couldn't afford, nor justify to my wife, $500 for a crossbow let alone $750 to $800 for some of the models I tried and liked. I have a special needs six year old, a son in college and another daughter one year away from college. My money is pretty much spoken for til I'm in my 70's. I wanted a crossbow and haunted every e-bay auction I could find. With my limited finds I kept getting outbid until finally I won one (I still don't understand how or why but I won't question it).
For me, I don't need blistering speed or whisper quiet, but I'm more concerned with reliability and durability. I want my purchase to last me a good long time and be as hassle free as possible. My free tiime is rare and fleeting so when I pick up my xbow I want a trouble free experience. My bow isn't the fastest and it isn't the prettiest, but I know I'll be able to shoot it a long time and enjoy it. That, to me, is the most important thing.
Maybe Ten Point can make the "Married Man with kids Mark 4" Crossbow and price it for guys like me. I've accepted the fact that I'll never be able to afford a Desert Stryker or a Phantom or a Stryker; simply out of my price range. But, there are plenty of decent used and /or discontinued products in the marketplace for a savvy consumer. My Mathews bow is great and I love shooting it, I loved the price even more. Perhaps Bowtech can make a "Desert Dad" version of their crossbow? I'd wager there'd be a market for such a product.
Another option is lay-away. THere's a place in Milford where I can put an x-bow on lay away for up to a year provided I make steady payments. That store has a nice recurve and I'm looking at my personal budget to see if I can make it work and still have gas to get to work etc. It'll probably mean no more morning coffee and muffin but I can apply that luxury to something I want even more and NOT affect my family budget.
I'll sacrifice speed and whisper silence and accept another half pound in mass if the bow is reliable and a solid value. That's what me and guys like me are looking for (forgive me guys like me for speaking for all of us).
Well, I'm sorry for posting so long. But I saw this thread and just had to weigh in.