I'll start by saying that I do not currently hold but have a...

I'll start by saying that I do not currently hold but have a keen interest in Coden due to being a hobby prospector, and have had several Minelab machines over the years.
I think that the detector sales will improve when they finally release the new top of the line detector as it is well over due. Since 1995 Minelab have released a new updated top of the range pulse induction detector on average every around 18 months(give or take six months). The last top of the range detector came out almost 4 years ago.
Price of the other detectors have never been a great issue in Australia as most of the other brands seem struggle in the soil here due to the mineralisation.
A large proportion of prospectors will update machines regularly despite price. This is because that they want the latest machine that will out detect the next bloke in the field and find the deeper or finer gold. The Minelab detectors are great detectors and seem to have no competition when it comes to their ability in the field despite what other companies will claim.
Here is a list of the release dates of Minelab's top of the range detectors since 1995. I've been holding off for a few years now thinking the new detector would be out year after year. All the dates were taken from the minelab web page except for the last 3 which are not included on their page.
SD 2000 April 95
SD 2100 April 96
- Updates on SD2100 (2100E August 98)
(2100V2 April 02)
SD 2200D May 98
GP Extreme Nov 2000
GP 3000 April 2003
GP 3500 March 2005
GPX4000 Oct 2006
GPX4500 April 2008
GPX4800 August2010
GPX5000 August2010

Minelab/Codan, please hurry up.