A Question for Sebezaholics

Barry H

Barry H

Joined
Nov 3, 1999
Messages
1,685
As I look over the For Sale Items I have noticed that most N.I.B. Sebenza are sold for much less than retail. The CRK dealer in my town sells at retail only. And he can't keep the product in stock. How many Sebenzaholics are out there that don't participate on BladeForums? And what consitutes a fair price on this forum for a new Sebenza?
Thanks for all the input
Barry H.
 
I would say most people who post NIB mean like NIB. I think that most are owners who pay full price for them,(and consider full price the fair price) but sell them to help buy other knives they prefer.
As in my case, selling plains to buy decorateds.
Of course a loss in incurred by the seller in the process, but apparently many people like I consider it worth it to move up.

And truly there are other reasons to sell, but this would seem a common one.
ThomM
 
Proedge, I realize the quality and pricing of the Sebenza. But why are the folks tying to selling nib Sebenzas across the page at a discounted price? Why can't they sell it for retail? Due to some convoluted horse trading, I ended up with a nib Sebenza and can't seem to generate any interest at full retail. In spite of its quality, the blade is out of my league. I'm too pedestrian!
It seems that most of the readership on "for sale" site is too sophisticated in obtaining their knives at retail prices. Perhaps that's why Spark is upset with some of the selling going on these days. Do you know of any other venues where I could try to get rid of the Sebenza? Thanks!
Barry H.
 
If your local dealer is selling them at full retail and moving them pretty well, maybe you could advertise in the want ads of your local paper and try to move it there.

Apparently there is a market there for them that is a bit better than here and you should be able to move it.

The problem with doing it on the forums is, as you observed, that there are a lot of them starting to move and that is driving the price down.

Also, I wonder how many of the "private sellers" on that forum are really dealers who are using that venue as a way to get around Chris Reeve's pricing policy.

It would certainly seem to be a way move their Sebenzas at a discount without reprecussions.

Actually, after checking out the PS forum, there doesn't seem to be very many out there right now.


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Dennis Wright
("Have a knife day!")

(NSTBFCM)

[This message has been edited by Dennis Wright (edited 05-21-2000).]
 
One possible reason for the disparity in prices could be that when you buy from a dealer, you are getting the dealer's reputation and integrity as well as a knife.

If I buy from a dealer, I know that they will stand behind their product, and if I am dissatisfied, they will do what they can to make me happy.

As an extreme case of this, take James Mattis. He personally inspects each and every knife he sells, and makes sure the knife is perfect. In addition, he includes with the knife a check for 10% of the selling price, made out to your favorite charity.

Another thing dealers will do is keep their eyes out for things they think you will like. Jay and Karen Sadow of Arizona Custom Knives e-mailed me one day saying that they had a new Gold Coin Sebenza and wondered if I was interested (I was!!). I also was advised of their AZCK custom run of Chris Reeve knives, and took advantage of that opportunity as well.

So why can dealers sell at retail? In a word, service.

Walt
 
Amen Walt. That is what people miss when they buy from an individual, service. Not that every dealer will provide you quality service, some dealers like representatives of any industry, just aren't up to par. But find a good dealer, and you've made a friend on the inside.

Another reason people might be selling their knives for less than retail is the "gotta have it" factor. They see a new knife they want, are willing to mark down their Sebenzas for much less than retail just to move it and get most of their investment back to make a new purchase.

If you're looking to sell, and want to get full price, watch ebay. I notice that many of the new ones sold there fetch retail, if not better!

Brandon



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I've got the schizophrenic blues
No I don't
Yes I do...
 
Barry,

I have not seen many NIB Sebenzas here, but I have bought two Sebenzas here (a small and a large).

The small was sold to me because the owner said it was too small for his hand and he only opened a few envelopes with it.

The seller of the large Sebenza said he carried it, but was afraid to use it because it cost so much.

I saved $50 on each knife and was not afraid to use them because I didn't buy them NIB.

Both knives looked NIB.
smile.gif


IMHO, $50 saving is good for LNIB Z3.



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RICK - Left Handers Unite
 
A clarification -

I don't do a detailed inspection on every knife I ship, and there are no perfect knives. I do open and close them if they're folders, and take a quick look, especially for bugs I've run into before, but I can't guarantee that the customer won't find something that I missed.

And of course when one uses the "e-commerce" sections of my page and goods come direct from the wider inventory that my distributor maintains, I don't see the knife at all. In any case, warranty service is provided by the manufacturer, not by the dealer.



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- JKM
www.chaicutlery.com
AKTI Member # SA00001
 
I think demand can vary somewhat, I've seen sebenzas sit with no response and at other times go in just a couple of minutes.

I will also guess that once one gets a get sebenza, they may tend to do either one of the following. 1) Wait for a GREAT bargain, 2) Save up for a more expensive decorated.

DaveH
 
To all that responded, thanks! Lots of insightful comments. My local dealer has treated me very well over the years. I have yet to buy a knive over the net. My dealer has commented that e-commerce has started to hurt his business. I suppose the down side of being able to share all this great knowledge is that the competition for sales will eventually put some dealers out of business.
Barry H.
 
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