I find this 'old rod idea better argument' really strange. If a rod is say 20 years old, even 10 years, the newer rods made theses days (as mentioned) have to be way better, with all the modern materials available now. It's normally someone with an old rod that thinks that, everyone else has the newer, lighter, lighter ringed, better reel seat, that the 20 year old rod. Nostalgia is what adds to the price, and I wonder how many people buy a Normark 2000 or similar, own it, then want to sell it when they realise its not a patch on the latest rod from Drennan, heavy and beat up? I'm all for nostalgia and have the odd collectible item like reels, but they are not a patch on the hand made jobs you can buy today. Even the cheap (relatively) Okuma centre-pins are much better than the old Rapidex of my day. Nothing wrong with having an item you like fishing with that gives you pleasure, but don't tell me an old Morris Minor is as good as a modern car, I just cannot agree with that.
I think it works like this, a mystic builds around these rods and people pay a premium, they don't come up very often because there are not so many about now days. But I'd bet my pension the ones that do come up are the handful that keep going around all the time on E-Bay, brought, not as loved as thought, then re-sold again? Give me a new modern rod any-day guys. JMO.
Please be assured,if I thought a new rod was better than my titan,I would say so and would almost certainly buy one,I have an acolyte ultra,I like the rod,a lot,had no problems snapping as yet?,is as good as the Normark,not a chance,I have handled a Sphere,felt good,worthy of spending the dosh on in comparison,not for me,but if the worst happened with my titan I would probably go for one,i've stood in two rod halls(angling direct MK and Benwick sports)in the last twelve months,that is the only float rod that was worthy of interest,I don't rate any Daiwa i've picked up,have not seen a Shimano for quite a while,all this is down to what I like in a float rod,the biggest mistake I ever made was not buying an Avenger 2000,I will not pay the money being asked now,purely because they are not a blank that can be replaced....