2 R.W.Loveless knives

A

andeewilli

Joined
Aug 30, 2009
Messages
2
Dear collectors and authorities,
I have two early R.W.Loveless knives. One of which I went with my not husband then,later, to Loveless's home work area in his garage shop in lawndale, Ca. to see being tempered and pick the ivory handle .I would like to know how to find values and how to sell these beautiful pieces. Unfortunately I need the money. The knives are from 1967. how do I load pictures so you can see what I have?
 
Welcome to BF, I hope some here can be of help. You might run into an issue of this not being a "for sale" area. I'm sure by now people have contacted you on the sale of these. Please be careful, these have real value.

You're going to need to host the pictures somewhere and then link to them. I'll try to post them for you if you can e-mail them to me at

Win
 
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I would put them on ebay, with very good photos and descriptions.

Then sit back and watch the bids climb :)
 
I agree with Win and advise caution and patience. Don's correct, ebay is an option, however I wouldn't rush there if you want to maximize your return.

First, I would seek an estimate of value to determine what both a dealer would pay who plans to resell them at a profit and what a knowledgeable collector would most likely pay. This will give you a realistic range as to what you can expect to get for your knives. There's many factors both regarding the knives and how you offer them for sale that will determine what your knives are "worth".
Dave Ellis, John Denton, Win Heger and Paul Shindler would be (in my opinion) among those who could offer good advise in this area. Seeking information from several individuals may produce best results.

Good photos and marketing (knowing where to offer your knives to reap the highest return) will be very important to your success.

If you have any questions or need contact information for those I listed above e-mail me at kj1056@aol.com

By the way, Blade Magazine's annual "Complete Knife Guide 2011" will be on news stands within the next week or so. It contains an article on "How to Sell Your Knives. I expect it will give you strategies from several collectors.

Good luck.
 
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I like Don's idea. If it's left on e-bay long enough those that need to know will find it. No need to pay a third party for this type of hot seller if it's going to auction. With a Loveless, I'll bet the armed forces, hunting and/or gun community will probably pay at least if not more than a "serious knife collector".
 
Brownshoe,

Stick with what you know.

I'll bet the armed forces, hunting and/or gun community will probably pay at least if not more than a "serious knife collector".
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Im guessing you have no idea what these knives are worth. Or you wouldn't have made the above sentence.

Andee, there are several people on this and other forums that can help you. They know the Loveless market, can give a "realistic" price as to what they will "sell" for...not what some think they "Should Sell" for. It is always best to double check someone's back ground when you are asking them for an opinion.

Lots of people will give you a suggestion (usually they are well meaning) but unfortunately they don't know what they are talking about.

A "serious knife collector" will pay you the most for your knife.

Good luck with the sale.
 
brownshoe said:
I like Don's idea. If it's left on e-bay long enough those that need to know will find it. No need to pay a third party for this type of hot seller if it's going to auction. With a Loveless, I'll bet the armed forces, hunting and/or gun community will probably pay at least if not more than a "serious knife collector".
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First, it would be foolish at best for anyone to list a Loveless knife on ebay without first having some idea as to what it's worth. Thus enlist the experts first to get some idea as to value before doing anything. The owner doesn't seem to have any idea as to what they are worth and neither do we considering the limited information given. They could be worth a couple thousand each or $50,000 each. Given one has an ivory handle, it tells me at least that piece has the potential to be substantial given Mr Loveless rare use of ivory.

In addition, I doubt that many in the military will (or can) pay from 2-50 thousand dollars for a Loveless knife or knives. Though we hunters love our knives, I doubt many will pay what a Loveless knife cost to use in the field, even though Mr Loveless made his knives to be used as such.
And I believe most knife makers who go to SCI events or past ABS Reno shows will tell you that even most gun collectors who spend thousands upon thousands on guns are very reserved when it comes to spending money on knives.
 
I just want to add emphasis to the comments that Don Hanson and Kevin Jones have made about good quality photos.

Spend a couple hundred dollars and have a professional shoot images of your knives. DO NOT get cheap images. And have a knife photographer do it. It pays to get the best images you can. These are "top of the heap" knives, so don't cheap out on imaging.

Whether you are going to show the images to a dealer, sell the knives on Ebay or show to a serious collector, you will get the best price if you have quality, professional images to present for viewing.

So start by getting pro images from someone, somewhere. Without them, you will have no real way of getting solid appraisals of worth.

Best,

Bob Betzner
 
I don't have a clue what the value of your knives are valued at, but I know they are in the thousands. Dan Hanson and Les Robertson gave great advice.

I goggled Loveless knives and found a link where some of his pictured knives are up for sale. Click on the top of different knives of his offered for an idea as to the value. I do know that there are a lot of characteristics that add to the value. If you could post photos I am sure someone on this forum will give you some good information as to the value. Good luck and I wish you well and the best of luck!

http://www.lovelessknife.com/ivory-fighter/index.html
 
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I would inform your photographer (if you decide to go that route) that you will be using the photos for appraisal purposes and to capture the knives as close to "actual" as possible. Clearly depicting all positive and negative aspects of them.

Personally, considering the potential value of these knives, I would pick a couple experts with whom you feel most comfortable and send the knives to them for "in hand" appraisals. Then get photos taken. I know this adds expense, time and effort, however could be worth it in the long run.
 
Kevin Jones said:
Personally, considering the potential value of these knives, I would pick a couple experts with whom you feel most comfortable and send the knives to them for "in hand" appraisals. Then get photos taken. I know this adds expense, time and effort, however could be worth it in the long run.
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"Considering the potential value of these knives," I think I would personally feel a bit more comfortable getting decent images of them before I sent them to anybody, anywhere, that I didn't know - at a minimum.

Best,

Bob
 
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Don't you boys read Blade? Don't you read the posts in the collecting forum? Serious collectors use e-bay. Maybe not many of the high end art knife collectors use e-bay, but a host of others do. Using e-bay, just really rankles the dealers and makes the "serious collectors" who like an "inside track" mad.

Given the potential worth of the knives, I wouldn't send those knives to anyone for appraisal, I'd send the pictures. I'd have the pictures taken in my presence too. Remember, locks are usually there to keep the honest people honest, not to keep out the proffessional theif.

The lady can send some pictures to Bernard Levine (he has a subforum here) for a low cost e-appraisal to get a gross idea of worth before going to e-bay.

Ever watch a dog just start to drool when he sees something sweet and juicy to eat. A 1967 Loveless with provenance brings out the same reaction in the "serious collector" and the dealer...just don't get bit feeding the dog.


:)
 
betzner said:
"Considering the potential value of these knives," I think I would personally feel a bit more comfortable getting decent images of them before I sent them to anybody, anywhere, that I didn't know - at a minimum.

Best,

Bob
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Bob, I certainly wouldn't suggest that andee send the knives to some random person who she didn't know. I don't think she would be at any risk whatsoever in sending the knives to any of the individuals I mentioned.

I suggested having the knives photographed after "hands on" appraisals because the appraised value may help determine how much money she wants to spend on photography. Or even better yet, the knives could sell at a good price as a result of sending the them for appraisal resulting in her saving $150-$200 in photography and related costs.

I'm certainly no expert on Loveless knives (or any other knives for that matter), but what I do know is the first step on successfully selling anything is determining it's realistic value and as much information on it as possible.
 
Kevin Jones said:
Bob, I certainly wouldn't suggest that andee send the knives to some random person who she didn't know. I don't think she would be at any risk whatsoever in sending the knives to any of the individuals I mentioned.

I suggested having the knives photographed after "hands on" appraisals because the appraised value may help determine how much money she wants to spend on photography. Or even better yet, the knives could sell at a good price as a result of sending the them for appraisal resulting in her saving $150-$200 in photography and related costs.

I'm certainly no expert on Loveless knives (or any other knives for that matter), but what I do know is the first step on successfully selling anything is determining it's realistic value and as much information on it as possible.
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Who knows who the "appraiser" might be. No guarantee that the owner will be following your advice. If the "appraiser" makes an offer based on "gee, all the scratches, look at how crooked the blade is", it would sure be a good idea to have some decent images at hand.

But whatever, no biggie. The object is not for us to quibble about whether someone should get images done first - the object is to give the owner as much advice as possible to make her own informed decision.

And brownshoe, Ebay isn't full of "serious collectors" trying to get one up on the dealers. Ebay seldom has any seriously nice knives anymore. I know - I spend time on Ebay doing searches, which perhaps you don't. But apparently you do read Blade.

Bob
 
betzner said:
The object is not for us to quibble about whether someone should get images done first - the object is to give the owner as much advice as possible to make her own informed decision.
Bob
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Exactly right Bob.
We get quite a few requests to the CKCA "contact us e-mail" per week for information on selling knives. I either try to help them myself or pass their questions on to other members who are better equipped to help them.
 
You know me, I seem to interject a devil's advocate position now and then and did so here.

I think if someone is sending value questions of this nature to the CKCA, it's one of the best starts there is, to get help on the road to finding out what they need to know.

Best,

Bob
 
betzner said:
You know me, I seem to interject a devil's advocate position now and then and did so here.

I think if someone is sending value questions of this nature to the CKCA, it's one of the best starts there is, to get help on the road to finding out what they need to know.
Best,

Bob
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You're right Bob, for as you know, the CKCA has a very diverse membership which represents a tremendous quantity of knowledge on a lot of different types and style of knives and knife related subjects in general.

You don't have to be a CKCA member to seek information from us, however member support is what enables us to perform this service for the custom knife community.
 
I would not profess to be any thing close to an appraiser but the one thing that would worry me in this process would be the shipping. I would definately get written appraisals as well as photographs before shipping something of this value. This might prove essential should an insurance claim with the shipper come into the mix. It would be more than just a shame should knives of this value get lost in shipping.
 
I've bought and sold sub-10k, newer Loveless' on Ebay without incident, except once, when a dealer started sending me stupid messages to try and derail my effort. I don't know that I would try it again after that last experience.

With the pieces you're talking about however, I believe I'd go the consignment route via a reputable and honest dealer who sells Loveless pieces and is knowledgeable about their incarnations over the years and associated values; one who will give you a fair shake and take their own pictures. Just seems like a lot of money at stake to be fooling with Ebay or trying to sell privately otherwise when you're not really sure what you've got, and it seems to me a knowledgeable dealer would know more about a Loveless value than an appraiser. A dealer where you can go to their website, see what they're listing your knives for, and hopefully watch it go from available to sold while knowing what percentage everyone's getting from the sale.

For certain you guys could point this nice lady in the direction of a reputable and honest dealer who sells on consignment? Am I way off base here?

Professor.
 
Gary Mulkey said:
I would not profess to be any thing close to an appraiser but the one thing that would worry me in this process would be the shipping. I would definately get written appraisals as well as photographs before shipping something of this value. This might prove essential should an insurance claim with the shipper come into the mix. It would be more than just a shame should knives of this value get lost in shipping.
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The only way I would ship knives like that would be usps overnight express mail.

Professor said:
I've bought and sold sub-10k, newer Loveless' on Ebay without incident, except once, when a dealer started sending me stupid messages to try and derail my effort. I don't know that I would try it again after that last experience.

With the pieces you're talking about however, I believe I'd go the consignment route via a reputable and honest dealer who sells Loveless pieces and is knowledgeable about their incarnations over the years and associated values; one who will give you a fair shake and take their own pictures. Just seems like a lot of money at stake to be fooling with Ebay or trying to sell privately otherwise when you're not really sure what you've got, and it seems to me a knowledgeable dealer would know more about a Loveless value than an appraiser. A dealer where you can go to their website, see what they're listing your knives for, and hopefully watch it go from available to sold while knowing what percentage everyone's getting from the sale.

For certain you guys could point this nice lady in the direction of a reputable and honest dealer who sells on consignment? Am I way off base here?

Professor.
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I agree. Consignment through a dealer who knows and has experience selling Loveless knives would be a good option in this case. I named a few of these dealers in post #4 who would know what the knives are worth and could sell them.
It's very possible these dealers could already have buyers for these two knives. Many times when you list a knife for sale with a dealer you are paying for their contacts.
 
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