A Question for the Makers/Knifeshows?

B

Big Tex

BANNED
Joined
Dec 6, 1999
Messages
617
Do you exhibit knives that are sold or are promised to someone on your table? I mean a knife that is not marked sold or not for sale.

I don't have a problem looking at a knife that has a "sold" tag but after looking at knife for some time and then finding out that it's not available, kinda bothers me. What's your thought?

Since I've been at Spirit of Steel the last three days, I guess you figured out that I have a problem with a prominent maker. lol



And if everyone has a problem with this, I'll post the name.
 
Hey Big Tex,
I know what you mean. There are some makers that if they don't display knives that are sold wouldn't have any to show, but they should tell you. Last year at the ECCKS in NY I was 3rd in line when the doors opened the first day and was the first person to reach Steve Johnson's table. He had 7 knives on the table and told me as soon as I got there that they were sold. That's ok, but when you spend some time looking at a piece deciding whether to buy thinking it's available and it's not, that really sucks.

Dave
 
Dave, after reviewing lots of threads, our minds think alike. Either we are smarties or #ssholes. lol You figure out where we fit and tell me.
 
I don't have an issue with someone displaying a knife that is sold, but they should indicate that it is sold. No point in getting someone in a buying mood only to tell them to take a cold shower.:mad:

John Ownby
John C. Ownby Handmade Knives
 
Hi,

Sometimes I take a knives to a show that I have made with a specific person in mind. Generally the person I want to show it to doesn't know about it. If that person doesn't want the knife, it is for sale. If they do want it, it is not. How do you suggest I mark these knives?? Reserved? Right now, I don't list them as sold, but take names of people who will buy it if the first person doesn't. I then mark it as sold.

If you have any better ideas I would appreciate hearing them.
 
I have found myself going to a few shows lately that I do not have a full range of inventory to offer for sale. In those cases I try to borrow knives back from customers and exhibit them in glass covered boxes with SOLD signs on them. The reason... it is necessary to show the public the full range of my product line at every show if I am going to get their interest and eventually make the sale.

Like it or not this is how I make my living and showing real knives is a darn sight better than showing a photo to a prospective customer.
These people come to the shows to look at knives not me.
 
George, novel idea, but I have only sold 2 or 3 knives to customers within 100 miles of me.

I want to do some western shows in the next year and I am working slowly towards having some inventory. How many knives should a maker new to knife only shows have on his table.

In the past at local gun shows I allways have had a couple of knives on display that were marked as sold and for display only. No one seemed to care and a few were even ordered from the sold designs.
 
I often have sold knives on the table, marked as such, for much the same reasons as given above. I'll also sell a knife at a show, and keep it on the table marked sold until the buyer leaves the show. I'm not aware of any reason a maker might have for not marking a sold knife, so it's quite possible for that to be an oversight or maybe as simple as not having a tag or label to mark the knife with.

Did the maker give a reason for it not being marked or did you ask him why it wasn't marked?
 
I have had to take the odd sold knife to shows. I'd rather not, but it can be hard to have enough stock some times. In those cases, they have been marked sold.
 
I guess I am learning something here. I never thought to take some of my customers knives to the show. If I take one that some one wants to look at and it is made with a person in mind or a person has expressed and interest in a particular knife, I will not put it on the table until they have had a chance to decide if they want it. I guess I am going to see about letting them leave it on the table until they are ready to leave the show from now on. This would be fine if I didn't have very many knives to display.
I would like to take this opportunity to say I really enjoyed meeting and visiting with every one at the show. I had some very good people in my area and that allowed me to do a little wandering around. Thanks. I had a great time.
 
I learned real quick that a sold knife on my table only served to irritate folks who wanted to buy it. When they are sold or held for a client, I put them away. The only time I would have a sold knife on my table would be when it was all I had for display and would be labled, display only.
 
Mr. Rogers-I guess you are doing exactly what happened to me at the show. Basically, the knife is not for sale until your friend turns it down. IMHO, if the public can't buy the knife, then it should be marked in some manner. Reserved/deal pending/sold. Just my thoughts.
 
I think it is up to the maker (as to having knives that are not available on their table). The ones I know that do have unavailble knives on their table ususally mark them as "sold" or "from a private collection". (IMO a wise move)

There are makers that go to shows to take orders only or their knives may sell out in a matter of a few minutes after the show opens. I do not see the problem if there are knives on their table that are not available. (being able to look at unavailable knives tempts me to place an order more than pictures do.) When knives are delivered to me at a show, I always offer to leave them on the table if the maker wants them. I just pick them up at the end of the show or in some cases take them home during the evening for fondling and ogling and bring them back the next morning. (I have joked with a couple of folks that I just bring them back to the show as if they were being dropped off for day-care.)

I have no problem in lending knives out of my collection if a maker wants to display them as examples of their work from which orders can be taken. (There have been may times I wish I could have gone to some of the shows that my knives have attended. :))
 
In the case I mentioned above about Steve Johnson, if he didn't display the sold knives he would be sitting in front of an empty table. As long as you let folks know that these are sold and just for display there isn't any problem. I know for myself, sometimes at a show I'll look at a knife that I like and might walk outside for some air and come back to it once or twice while trying to decide if that is the one my money is going for. If it's an expensive knife, I usually lose a couple of gallons of sweat thinking about it. Now if after all that I finally say I'll take it and the maker says, Oh, that one's sold, I'm really not a happy camper. Please, just put a little sign there that says sold, us knife buyers are emotional people.
Here's another one. I would NEVER pick up a knife off a table without asking, or at least making eye contact if there is a sign like Ed Fowler has that says: please pick up, but how about those signs that say: don't touch? Exactly how do these guys think they're going to sell a knife? If I can't touch, I'm just moving to the next table.
Big Tex, my friend, we think alike? My wife sends her condolences and suggests 2 prozac every morning :D
BTW-you have very good taste in knives. :)
 
Prozac huh? Maybe I need to try that. lol

Well, I'm not gonna post the name of the person, but I doubt that I will ever buy a knife from this maker. I think that the majority of people think the same way I do on this issue. If the knife is not available, then mark it in some manner. It's ok to save something for your favorite customer but don't lead the other folks down the primrose path.
 
This seems to be a hot topic kids and one that irritates some folks.
I carry completed orders to a show but they remain packaged and under the table.
Knives on my table are for sale, period. When a customer buys one, it comes off the table into his pocket unless he asks me to hold it for him.If he does, I put into its package, make out the receipt and put it under the table. If there are several customers waiting to chat with me, I'll sometimes move the knife to the rear edge of the table, in its packege until I have time to receipt it. I won't keep a customer waiting while I do someone else's paperwork.
As to how many knives to put on display? I try not to overload the table. If I have duplicates, I'll keep the extras under the table and replenish when I sell.
To the new makers on this thread, go to as many shows as you can and try different things, find your own niche in the business and learn as much as you can from experienced, successful makers
Best of luck to you, See you in New York and God Bless America. I'd post a flag like others have done here if I could figure out this damn computer!
BOB
 
Great topic! I'm with Tex and Lifter. Seems like very good advice there.

Bob, good to see you here! A lot of us young makers have learned so much from your book. Don't be a stranger!:D BTW, if you have one of those small gent's folders like the one Les Halpern has with the Blue Mammoth scales left after the show (yeah, right!:)) I would LOVE to buy it!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top