Buying multiple knives as soon as available, to resell most

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Mobile devices allow people to get a message and/or buy a knife any time, but not at any place. It is not a level playing field.
I live rurally in a mountainous area. Mobile devices only work if you are in one of the few small towns or villages. Get about 1 mile or less out of these spots and there is no reception. Hence i do not own any mobile device. For me to get in on the latest GEC release in need to be at home on my computer when the email comes in saying "new knives about to be posted".
I am old and old fashioned. I believe in integrity and fairness to others and sharing. I think many others who are interested in Traditional knives also live by a similar value system. Hence i see buying to flip for a profit as not in the spirit of this community.
But it is a free country and no one is breaking the law by being a 'flipper' for profit. However there is a higher standard of behavior than just not breaking the law.
The idea of limiting a customer to 2 knives of the same release per 12 hours is a good one. Dealers will still sell out and more people will get to buy the knife for the original price.
Saying that GEC should up it's production numbers is not a good idea. They are a relatively small manufacturer and i think all employees are working flat out as it is. Churning out more knives could only be done by spending less time per knife and the high level of fit & finish would be a thing of the past. No one wants that to happen.
GEC, please keep up your careful workmanship and your caring that every knife will delight it's owner.
kj
 
Jake, thanks for clarifying the buying process.

"Normally" as a consumer, you see a fairly well-described product, possibly with reviews from previous purchasers, decide you want to buy it, then order it.

With these desirable and scarce knives, it seems the best way to get one is to get on the reserve list, be ready at a moment's notice to order during a potentially tiny time window, order one or more knives based on limited information, decide which one(s) to keep after actually receiving the knives in the mail, then sell the rest.

It's a lot of work! But for a particular knife, it may be worth it to the buyer.

kootenay joe, I would like GEC to do a completely independent 2nd run when a knife proves extremely popular, at the same high level of quality - but this would mean clearing room in their production schedule when the need arises. It may be difficult for them to modify their production schedule on the fly.
 
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Its like any other limited edition, rare item.
You either buy one or 2 and leave some for others, or you have too much money and buy it all and to hell with everybody else.
There's a lot of 'to hell with everybody else' folks, too many.

As long as someone with too much money is out there, it will never stop. Folks with too much money never care about others....else there wouldn't be any poor folks around.

but...
I just sold my USED Case chestnut CV Swayback jack on the 'bay for $167!!!!!!
I have no idea why so much was paid, the one before went for $150 and before that they were 'normally' priced around $50
 
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chuckgp said:
Folks with too much money never care about others....else there wouldn't be any poor folks around.

but...
I just sold my USED Case chestnut CV Swayback jack on the 'bay for $167!
Click to expand...

Please let us know which poor person will be receiving your excess money.
 
powernoodle said:
Please let us know which poor person will be receiving your excess money.
Click to expand...

^^^
Excellent post!

Maybe now, with his excess $$$, this new guy can now afford to support THIS forum (along with the Bay), & purchase a BF membership! I suggest, that you go for the "Gold," Chuck! :thumbup::D
 
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Interesting thoughts on the subject. First of all, I don't know one member from another, and don't know their buying and flipping habits, so comments are directed in general.
We don't all have the same 24 hours in our days. Some have 8 or 10 hour obligations. When the food is put on the table, rushing in with elbows out and grabbing the most you can carry, and spitting out the bones later for others at an inflated price does seem a little.... selfish. "Well, you could do it too" hardly seems like justification. When someone buys multiples with the intent of keeping the best and flipping lesser ones, it has negative consequences on others with similar interests, and a committed time schedule. Some people don't care, I guess that's the nature of selfishness. I will rush like hell to get the earliest notification, and buy myself a knife that I want, but wouldn't ever consider the practice of flipping. It's not my nature.
"I didn't break any rules!" Well no, it's not written on a piece of paper somewhere that you can't do it. The rules are unwritten, kind of a moral code.
Hope I'm not getting too preachy, just my 2 cents.
 
I don't really see this topic as an issue. Just sounds like sour grapes because someone missed out or is frustrated, it happens.
 
Sorry that you have to sell off "treasures" to make end meet, chuck. I was there once.

But if you do not have more money than you need to live, your ability to give money to others will be limited. Ask Carnegie, Rockefeller, Gates - or the guy with the "Work for food" sign.
 
The onus and the actual loss of potential revenue is on the manufacturer. Limited supply drives up demand for which the manufacturer is expecting to charge a higher profit margin. I also believe the manufacturers hope / expect that the higher demand and attention will spill over to the rest of their product line generating additional sales.

The question is determining the optimal quantity for a limited edition. Too small of a quantity for a given demand will mean the manufacturer loses out on profit and passes the additional money to the "flippers." Too large of a quantity may actually decrease interest and resulting profits for the manufacturer. The optimal quantity is that which will keep the flippers engaged by giving the flippers sufficient profit incentive and drive up demand.

It's a self-correcting system. At the extreme, one company may decide that they'll have weekly limited runs and that strategy will simply and quickly lose cache.
 
The free market is probably the best example of "fair" i can think of.
Example: 500 units are put on the free market. They are available to all, first come first serve.
What's unfair is limiting a person's ability to buy so that another can get a unit as well. That's socialism, one small step away from communism.
What's next, giving everyone a participation trophy?

Your inability to acquire a unit( for whatever reason) should not impinge on my ability to acquire one or more units. It's called capitalism. You are not entitled to get one.
Making this an ethical issue is just silly. A person acquiring two or more units, with the intent to sell all but one for a profit isn't unethical or shady.
The strong survive, the weak fall. That's the way it's always been.
It's easier to whine about fairness than it is to find a way to succeed.

Just my opinion, no offense intended.
Have a great day BF members!
 
Seth i disagree with your philosophy. Sharing beats selfishness in my belief, just like kindness is a finer state than being mean.
Totally unfettered capitalism eventually results in extreme polarization of wealth and all hell breaks loose. Capitalism with a conscience is more sustainable.
kj
 
How is buying more than one unit being selfish?
I own multiple pairs of underwear(i don't share), does that me selfish?
Without the bitter taste of failure, the sweetness of success doesn't taste as sweet.
Thanks for your thoughts kootenay joe!
 
I'm not arguing against the practice of buying extras, with the intent to sell; but against some of the arguments that have been posted (well, one concept, in particular). Not everybody is able to be online at the times these sales go off - even if we know about them. Saying that everybody has the same opportunity is simply ridiculous; or, at the least, short sighted.
Sure, we all know people that spend a good portion of their workday using computers for personal reasons, or with their noses in their phones; but it isn't an option for everybody. In many environments, people can be (and are) fired for such activities.
Personally, I refuse to carry my phone at work; because I consider it unprofessional...so I have access during my breaks, and, occasionally, if I have enough downtime to find myself looking for things to do. Looking around, sometimes, it is obvious that my view on that matter is far from universal...but I'm confident that my choice is the correct one for me (and, honestly, anyone in a similar profession).
Alternatively, some of the sales begin when I am away from the job. Sometimes, I will want something enough to plan around a sale...but, often, I figure my odds of being successful don't rate the disruption. That's my choice, and I don't whine when I make it. (I might, though, when I do put forth the effort)
 
Every decision has a consequence. Choosing to work a job has many benefits. The biggest one is very pay period, you get a check. Downside to choosing to work a job is you're not able to grab every deal that's out there. That's your decision(like most of us). An issue on your end does not constitute an issue on mine.
Choosing to live in a rural area(i do) sometimes means that tech doesn't work(internet etc). To say i need to modify my life to accommodate your decisions is the definition of selfishness.
Capitalism isn't perfect, but even unfettered capitalism is better than any other economic model we have access too. Unfettered capitalism brought about the industrial age and modern medicine.

Again, these are my opinions, and while i'm debating with you guys, i hold no animosity or ill will.
Thanks,
Seth
 
You win some, you lose some.

Do people really get upset because they miss out on buying a particular knife? It's not like we're talking about a matter of life and death. If you miss out on getting that knife you wanted, move on with your life. Learning how to deal with disappointment, and accepting the fact that you don't always get what you want in life, is my idea of maturity.

Personally, I don't expect total strangers to act in the best interests of MY personal happiness. I don't expect other people to deny themselves what they want just so I can have what I want. Expecting people to do what I want them to do so that I can have what I want is my idea of "being selfish".

It's just a knife. And no knife is worth a single minute of crying.

I believe that life IS fair- sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose. What could be more "fair" than that? Only children expect to get everything they want all the time, and cry about it when they don't.
 
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