I have a lot of Rapalas, most have been bought over the years and some when I could find good sales. I decided to inventory my baits and put a value to them to see if I should insure them. When I was looking up prices for the minnows I couldn't believe it, the new shadow raps and scatter raps are cheaper. I thought the new baits were more expensive because they were unique, guess I was wrong.

When did this happen, was it gradual or did they bump up drastically at some point. If I had to guess it might have been when people started paying more for imports, they figured why not raise our prices too.

I assume your talking about the Original floating minnows. If thats the case, then the price has gone up and the quality has gone down.  I use the F-13 size gold minnow religiously from November to January. I have broke the lip off of 8 of them since last November.  I'm about to send them an email with detailed pictures.  Maybe it was a bad batch. 

Yes, it's been trending that way for awhile. Unfortunately, they are not producing a Quailty balsa bait, this opinion of course, is from laying waste to several Dt4 & 6 series baits.. I like the baits, but they do fail fairly easily. They continue to create some unusual baits.

The Rippin Raps are very good from my experience with that said I think most things are overpriced.

The best tackle deal I ever got was some old raps at an estate auction. The hooks are good and the quality is very good, even had the red hand painted mouth and bright silver foil. All for around 2 bucks a bait.

The clackin series is really high priced along with the tail dancers. I know the tail dancers are a walleye lure, but River smallmouth say differently. X raps were getting used in a lure eating section of River this fall with really good results, but now that I know the cost I may pitch something else. Usually that stretch is for 5ish dollar baits knowing I will lose my fair share during the season.

I have a bunch of DTs and so far have only broken 1, hope that trend continues, because I do like them. I just try to keep myself from slapping them on the water to knock off the weeds.

But Yeh for an F9 floating rap around 10 bucks is a lot to pay.

Yar. The price is up and the quality is meh. $12 for a BX Minnow? May as well buy a Duo or Lucky Craft.

2 complaints with Rapalas, fishing near culverts and bridges I knock the lips off them quite often.  On the tail treble I find they chip and bend there.  Not enough of a deterrent to keep me from buying them.

I love my DT series and X-Raps but I find myself using my Bagley Balsa B2 more and more and I got some new plastic rattling Killer B2s to try this season. The newer Bagley baits like the Balsa Shad and Sunny B are made with through wire construction now, so you get a balsa bait that is super durable. I think the new owners of Bagley are getting thing right, the rattling killer B2s I got are really nice, and with oval split rings but they are a little higher in price but the durability is better.