If we take the individual/specific company out of the equation, I think this is a good/beneficial topic. Besides, you can't really pin it on any one of the BOBs, as every one of their seed tags I've ever read (and I've had to read a bunch for articles when the editors tell me, "include a sidebar on new seed blends from _____, _____, _____, _____ and _____") are all equally of no value in determining exactly what's in the bag. I rarely enjoy doing that, but it's also the price of poker in my field. So, in that regard at least, I see absolutely no difference between any of them, and everyone that's ever bought a BOB has bought without knowing exactly what's inside.
The real question is if BOBs have value. IMO, for some yes, some no, some others yes and no. I fall in the last group. Over half the seeds I plant each year are purchased from seed dealers. That's typically cheapest, but requires a level of expertise in knowing exactly what I want. In a couple other cases, I can't determine the exact strain/variety (I always mess those two up for some reason) of a white clover or canola used and haven't found one that gives me the specific combo of traits I value in them. So, I buy the BOB mix. Or, in the case of WSNGs, I just don't have the time to test a bunch and find the one that has the traits I want (so I added 4 hours to a trip to look at the end product to determine if it had the traits I wanted). Everyone is certainly entitled to their opinion, but I don't believe doing any of that makes me a sucker. I'm simply willing to pay a bit more to produce the exact results I want and either don't have time or the ability to do it in specific cases on my own, despite conducting my own field tests every year.
Take the BOB clover blend I use. Frankly, I use it because in my field tests, I found the white clover to have the 2nd best drawing power of all the white clovers I've tested, while consistently being in the group with the fastest germ rate and being the most drought tolerant of any I've tested. That combo of traits is very important to me. No doubt I could save $ by going to the seed dealer, but during the drought of 2012, using that BOB literally saved my butt in WC IL (I don't count WI & MN, as they are easy to grow in by comparison). All the farm crops in the area were nearly complete failures, including both mine and the farmers on that ground. According to both those I work with in the area and neighbors, all food plots were failures (and my none clover plots were, as well), but I had thriving 1st and 2nd year clover plots, the worst of which went dormant for less than 3 weeks, only to rebound before season. That's important to me. So, IMO, that's worth it.
I'm not trying to sell anyone on BOBs. I'm merely explaining that I don't believe just because someone buys a BOB that they are a sucker. Of course they are going to cost more, but in some situations that's worth it, IMO. In others, it's not, but it's up to the buyer to decide. So long as they are making a somewhat informed decision, I don't see it as a problem (of course, the BOBs will rarely help one make an informed decision, outside of which blend they sell that should be best for a situation.......That said, would you expect a car dealer to tell a potential buyer that they should go to their competitors lot down the road or a grocery chain to tell you to put those steaks back, because the other chain in town is running a meat sale and has better cuts?)
