In October 2026, a used Vice VGD01 driver had a target of $275. The same day, Vice’s own site was selling a new one for $299, with 30 days to return it even after playing it.
That $24 is most of what you need to know about used direct-to-consumer clubs. The brands that sell online, Vice, Stix, Takomo, New Level, Swag, Caley and the rest, already price their new clubs close to what a big-brand club costs used. So buying a DTC club used often saves you little, and you give up the trial and warranty that came with buying new.
The short answer
Whichever way you go, check the exact club first. Our algorithm sets a target price for each model, about what a buyer pays for one used today, and lists every live listing under it, so you can see whether a used one costs less than new.
The DTC brands, and what they cost new
We took these prices from each brand’s own US site in late October 2026. DTC brands run promotions often, so treat them as a snapshot, and check the set makeup: some sell 4–PW, some 5–GW, some by the club.
| Brand | New, late October 2026 | Returns | Used price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vice Golf | VGD01 driver $299 ($50 off its $349 list); VGI01 irons $599 (4–PW) | 30 days, even after playing | VGD01: $290 |
| Stix | Perform 12-club set $999, or $1,099 with bag | 30 days; played clubs get a partial refund or credit | Stix clubs |
| Takomo | 101 MKII irons $579 (5–GW, 7 clubs); Ignis D2 driver $329 | 30 days, unused except the 7-iron | 101: Check it |
| New Level | 702 irons $130 a club; $910 for 4–PW | None: every club is built to order | 902: Check it |
| Swag | Core putters $399.99–$499.99 | New and unused (30 days in its FAQ, 14 on its returns page); limited releases final | Handsome Too: Check it |
| Caley | 01 irons $599, regular $699 (4–PW) | 60 days, with a 7-iron test; sale sets for store credit only | 01: Check it |
Vice Golf
Vice started in Munich as a golf ball brand, launched on December 12, 2012, and by 2025 offered a full bag. Vice builds its clubs to order in its Munich workshop. Both drivers were $50 off when we checked, the VGD01 at $299 and the VGD01+ at $399, beside the VGI02 irons ($428 for eight clubs, 5–SW) and wedges from $99, or three for $250. It’s the one brand here you can also try in a shop: Vice lists Club Champion as its US retailer. Golf Monthly put the VGD01+ in its 2026 Editor’s Choice.
Stix
Gabe Coyne founded Stix in 2019. Based in Chicago, it sells complete sets: the Play 10 at $699, the Perform 12 at $999 and the Compete 14 at $1,599. Two policies matter for used buyers. Stix’s one-year warranty excludes “third-party purchases” and individual resale, so a used Stix set has none. And Stix sells used clubs itself, as “Lightly Used”, final sale and without warranty.
Its Lightly Used Perform 12 lists at $629 without a bag, but it was out of stock in late October 2026. The outlet had marked-down new clubs instead, such as the Nicklaus Compete irons (4–PW) at $419.40, down from $699.
Takomo
Founded in 2021 and based in Turku, Finland, with a US office in Texas, Takomo launched its 101 irons in 2022 and the 201 a year later. The 101 and 201 are hollow-bodied; the 301 is the forged line. Now the 101 MKII is $579, the 201 MKII $649, the new 201T MKII $679 and the 301 CB and MB $649, and there’s a driver, the Ignis D2, at $329. You can hit the 7-iron and still return an iron set within 30 days, as long as the rest stays unused. Takomo doesn’t sell used clubs, and its warranty runs two years from delivery. It is, though, clearing a “final batch” of the original 101, new, at $489 for 4–PW.
New Level
New Level, based in Scottsdale, Arizona, started in 2018 and assembles its forged irons in the US, priced by the club: $130 each for the 702 CB, MB and 702+ on the deal price, $149 regular. There’s no driver. New Level builds every club to order and takes none back, which is why it offers a demo 7-iron from $75. The one-year warranty is for the original purchaser and excludes clubs bought second-hand.
Swag
Swag began on April 1, 2018 with four friends in Northbrook, Illinois, and makes milled putters. The core Handsome One, Handsome Too and The Boss are $399.99, or $499.99 in black PVD. Swag prices its limited drops like collectibles ($777.77, $888.88, $999.99), makes them final sale, and says a limited putter that’s gone won’t come back. Its FAQ gives 30 days to return an unused core putter; its returns page says 14.
Caley
Ryan Atha, a former pro-shop worker, founded Caley in Edinburgh, and it builds its irons in Scotland. All three sets are seven clubs, 4–PW: the 01 at $599, the 01T at $649 and the forged 01CB at $699 when we checked. It has the longest trial here, 60 days with a 7-iron test, though since November 1, 2025, sale items go back for store credit only. In late October 2026, with an end-of-season sale on, Caley marked all three prices “Final sale”. Ask before you count on the trial.
ClubChecks also lists clubs from Sub 70, Haywood Golf and Maltby. Check any of them by name.
Do DTC clubs hold their value?
On paper, some do: in October 2026, our target for a used VGD01 driver was $275, or 92% of Vice’s $299 price. Today it’s worth $290.
A percentage misleads here. The new price was already low and discounted, so there was little room to fall, and buying used saved $24. As a used buyer, ask how much less the club costs than the same one new, from the brand, with a trial.
And the used market is thin. ClubChecks lists 102 clubs from the six brands above. In October 2026, one had a target: the VGD01. We found four used Takomo 101 sets for sale: three originals at $420 to $665 with shipping, and an eight-club MKII at $750. Takomo itself was selling the original 101 new at $489, so two of those three used originals were asking more than the same set new from the brand, and more than the $579 MKII.
Thin markets cut both ways, because you may want to sell one day. In October 2026, GlobalGolf’s trade-in tool listed Takomo and Vice but not New Level, Stix, Caley or Swag. Stix runs its own trade-in, and New Level and Swag offer trade-ins run by 2nd Swing. Selling privately means finding one of the few buyers searching for that exact model.
Compare a used DTC club with what the brand charges new today. DTC brands discount often and replace models with cheaper versions, so a seller’s “was $750” can be well above what the brand charges today.
DTC new, or a big brand used?
The prices line up almost dollar for dollar, which makes this the real choice. Our October 2026 targets show what the price of a new DTC club buys used from the big brands:
- $579, a new Takomo 101 MKII set, is about what a used 2019 TaylorMade P790 set ($600), a 2021 Titleist T100 set ($493) or a Ping i210 set ($598) costs.
- $299, a new Vice VGD01, buys a used 2023 TaylorMade Stealth 2 ($254), a Titleist TSR2 ($263) or a 2021 Ping G425 Max ($311).
- $999, a new Stix Perform 12, is a full used bag of big-brand clubs, which is what Build my bag puts together: a driver, a fairway wood, a hybrid, irons, wedges and a putter under your budget, with a Swap on every slot.
Our view: if you’ll keep your clubs five years or more, a new DTC set is a sound buy. You get a fitting tool or a test club, usually a return window, and a warranty, and resale won’t matter. If you change clubs every couple of seasons, buy the big brand used. A used P790 or T100 has already taken its big drop and has plenty of buyers, so you lose little when you sell it on.
And if you want to try a model before committing, Vice’s 30-day return even after playing, Caley’s 60 days and Takomo’s 7-iron test are a better trial than any used purchase can give you.
When a used DTC club is the right buy
When it comes from the brand. Stix’s own Lightly Used Perform 12 lists at $629, $370 under the new set, when it’s in stock. It’s final sale with no warranty, but a used Stix set from anyone else has no warranty either, and you know where this one has been.
When it’s a discontinued model well under the brand’s current price. Older models like the New Level 902 and the original Takomo 101 still turn up used. Compare one with what the brand charges new today, for the same model if it’s still clearing stock, as Takomo was with the original 101 at $489, or for its successor. If the used one is clearly below that, the trial and warranty you give up are worth less than the saving. If it isn’t, buy new.
When the edition is the point. Swag putters are the one DTC product priced like collectibles, and used buyers treat them that way: in October 2026, used Handsome Too listings ran from $240 for a black PVD to $1,500 for a Tour Proto. Price the exact edition, whatever the model name, and get the headcover.
When you need something the brand no longer makes. DTC brands make clubs in small runs and replace them quickly. If the model, hand or shaft you want is gone, a used one may be the only way to get it.
Otherwise, let the brands compete for you. They discount new clubs, run their own trials and now take trade-ins, so the best used DTC deal can be the one the brand itself is offering. Check it against a used big-brand club before you buy, and pick whichever leaves you the better club for the money.
Questions
Do direct-to-consumer golf clubs hold their value?
In percentage terms some do, because their new prices are already low: in October 2026 a used Vice VGD01 driver had a target of $275 against $299 new. But the used market is thin, so there are few listings to choose from and few buyers when you sell.
Should I buy used DTC golf clubs?
Usually not. A new DTC club costs little more than a used one and comes with a trial and a warranty. Buy used when the brand sells it, when a discontinued model is well under the brand’s current price, or when you’re buying a collectible putter.
Does the warranty transfer on used DTC clubs?
Usually not. Stix’s warranty excludes third-party purchases and individual resale, and New Level’s excludes clubs bought second-hand. Assume a used DTC club has no warranty.
Can I trade in Takomo, Stix or Vice clubs?
In October 2026, GlobalGolf’s trade-in tool listed Takomo and Vice but not Stix, New Level, Caley or Swag. Stix runs its own trade-in program, and New Level and Swag offer trade-ins run by 2nd Swing.
Are DTC golf clubs as good as big-brand clubs?
Many are well regarded. Golf Monthly’s 2026 Editor’s Choice included Vice’s VGD01+ driver and Takomo’s 201 MKII iron. DTC clubs lack a deep used market, which matters most if you change clubs often.
What is the cheapest DTC complete set?
Of the brands here in late October 2026, Stix’s Play 10 was $699 with a bag and headcovers, and its Perform 12 $999. Vice’s men’s Boost Starter Set was $539. A full used big-brand bag from Build my bag can come in under any of them.
Targets right now
A few clubs other golfers checked recently. Each links to its price page.
