Fred, thanks for contacting me with your question. While prices did increase somewhat this season from the manufacturers you will find we try to keep our prices as low as possible. You can get a nice combo featuring a Tica 1/2-2 oz 7 ft rod and a Penn 450 ssg spinning reel for about $170. I personnaly use quite a few Tica rods and find for the money they are an excellent buy. Combine this with a quality Penn 450 ssg and you have a combo that will last for years of fishing. You can upgrade this combo several differnet ways by substituting a Penn slammer 360 reel or a Shimano Stradic or a Lamiglas, Star or Loomis rod. If you decide to buy any combo from us make sure to mention that you are a Barnegat Fishin' Hole member to receive a 10% discount on all purchases excluding bait. Hours at the shop are still limited to Tues-Sun 7AM-2PM at this time but I can always meet with you providing you call first to arrange a time...John