Collecting Slippies that retain it's value

K

kidwholaughs

Joined
Jan 17, 2004
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1,189
Hey Guys,

This question is one for the collectors and lifers. I have finally come to grips with the fact that I will be buying slippies till I die. I have also come to realize that I want my slippies to retain most, if not all of their value as times goes by. For example, if I bought a 100 dollar S&M. I would like to enjoy knowing the fact that it will be worth at least 100 when I am 100. That way, my knives will be sort of an asset instead of a liability. I would like to think critically when I buy knives. Not only for my personal enjoyment and also a peace of mind. How could I go about accomplishing this? Do you guys have any recommendations of knives what would be a good investment? Thanks

God Bless
 
Kid,

There's no way to know the future and even intelligent guesses can oftentimes be wrong.

My best advice is to buy what you like or love and let the chips fall where they may.

Knife collecting (but for the rare few) can hardly be recommended as a good investment and there are MUCH better places to put your money in the interest of preserving or growing your capital.

To believe or trust that your collection will grow in value (during your lifetime) may set you up for disappointment and will also keep you from enjoying the knives (in terms of carry and use) as they lose quite a bit of value (generally) if they're less than "mint".

Even knives of the highest quality are subject to the vagaries of the "market".

My best recommendation is to invest your money in more traditional venues (mutual funds, stocks/bonds as appropriate for your situation) and purchase your knives with the "excess" proceeds. In this way you not only have taken care of (your family and) your future, but you can look upon your knife buying as a guiltless pleasure.
 
Elliott said it very well...

What is popular and collectible today, may not be 30-40 years from now.
IMHO if you limit yourself to knives that you hope will increase in value, you may be missing out on some knives that you otherwise would really enjoy..

Its a hobby. Keep it simple and fun. Some of the knives I have grown most attached to and really enjoyed, were knives that I bought used and didn't pay much for them :confused: ...

When I'm old and sittin on the front porch, I would rather pull out a knife that I have owned for 40 years that has memories to it, instead of one that I bought and never used that went up $50.00 in value. YMMV
 
I agree with what the smart gentlemen above have said. However, I think the knives most likely to retain their value are those that are well made. Buy quality- workmanship and design, and interesting pieces which may have historical significance. I don't think Rough Rider knives will appreciate much in the long term. But GEC (for example) may, and Case probably will.
 
As a kid in the early '80's, collecting baseball/football cards and comic books was a big thing. And there could be real money in it (I paid off my weeding by selling my baseball cards). But in the nineties the market became so saturated that the bottom fell out of collecting those items. With that in mind, and knowing that there are alot of knifemakers out there, I collect slipjoints for the fun and memories of it. If there is value in some of them that can be extracted for a rainy day sometime in the future, so be it. But I don't count on it. Plus letting beautiful knives go uncarried seems kind of pointless.
 
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What Blues said.......

Let me make one statement though....I am a lifer, a collector, a 'nut' says my wife, because I AM, not to make money someday. I have some knives I know will maybe hold there value but who knows. The house could burn down..... I have mine because I "have to". It is who I AM....I have to have one of them all. There are plenty to go around so you can have some too...

300Bucks
 
If you want to double your money collecting knives, when you take your cash out of your pocket, fold it once and put it back in your pocket.
Greg
 
As far as the whole of knife collecting goes its a crap shoot, to many factors to even guess at..

I can tell you that as far as slipjoints go its about the market in general which fluctuates quit a bit..

Example:

I can think of one knife that I sold several months ago to a collector of that brand that just, "Had to have the knife for her boyfriend", in her own words as a gift to make 'his' particular collection nearly complete. I quadrupled my $$$$ on that sale.:) However, thats more the exception than the rule. Many a time I was lucky to break even or even lost some money, but in general, I'de have to say it pretty much balances out provided you have a decent venue to use as the sales platform.

Best,

Anthony
 
Thanks guys, that clears a lot of things up. I guess, in the end, you gotta go with what you really want to make it your while. I appreciate everyone's advice. Btw, any clearly good value knives floating around? Maybe that Dan Burke stockmen in winterbottom?

Hey Anthony, haven't seen you around too much lately. It's good to see you again.

God Bless
 
I am a purist in that I cannot think of it as an investment, or for profit. I had a forum member offer me a price for a knife I posted a pic of. He offered me alot of money, 3x more than I paid for it. I just could not sell it. It is not about the dollar value, it is about the knife. I could rationalize and say, hey sell it and buy 3 more knives, but it just does not work that way. I can part with a knife if it is a give away. Doing a BF giveaway was fun.
 
Hi, my name is Dan and I'm a knifeaholic. I have been purchasing custom blades for some time. I tell myself it is an investment, and it is, I spend money on craftsmanship that I enjoy owning. I do not use most of the customs, even though I try to keep the price point to one that I could use the knife. I recently parted with a couple of knives because a friend wanted to purchase a custom for himself and for a friend, and I got what I paid for the knives. I used the money to buy another.:D I am just now looking at slipjoints and anticipate carrying some of my future purchases. I agree with above suggestions, buy what you like and enjoy them!
 
... and also, if you get what you paid for it 10 years earlier, you haven't taken inflation into account. I gave up trying to "beat the odds" and just buy what I like.

Mike
 
I have collected on and off for about 30 years and "May" have broken even on maybe half of what I have sold, but I do it because I just like owning different knives.

IF I was doing it as an investment, I personally would only buy GOOD quality STAG handles slippies. I have never lost money on any STAG I have sold and made a few extra $ on most.
 
Knives are a spectacularly poor investment if you are in it for the money. If you are in it for pleasure and enjoyment of well made objects/tools or works of functional art you wont have wasted a dime. The only knives I have ever made money on were custom knives by known makers and military knives with a provenance.
 
What Blues said,:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup: I have sold very few, those that I did, did not fare well. Only sold a few this past year after 40+ years of collecting.
Jim
 
As I read this thread I think it may be redundant to believe the majority of folks here at bf.com wouldn't buy what they like regardless of the supposed/possible investment value.. Which is very difficult if not impossible to predict.

I have personally never purchased or traded for what I did not like. Rather, quality, form and function was always the first top priority... And, if it made money later, if and when I chose to sell it--then that was just icing on the cake. I think most folks on the largest knife forum on the web would likely agree?..

My best advise is to, not overpay for a knife at the time you make the purchase.
 
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Hawk 66 said:
Hi, my name is Dan and I'm a knifeaholic. I have been purchasing custom blades for some time. I tell myself it is an investment, and it is, I spend money on craftsmanship that I enjoy owning. I do not use most of the customs, even though I try to keep the price point to one that I could use the knife. I recently parted with a couple of knives because a friend wanted to purchase a custom for himself and for a friend, and I got what I paid for the knives. I used the money to buy another.:D I am just now looking at slipjoints and anticipate carrying some of my future purchases. I agree with above suggestions, buy what you like and enjoy them!
Click to expand...

Hi Dan.:D Spoken in true KA meetings.
 
The absolute best thing about this thread is the realization that I am not alone....
300Bucks
 
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