Collecting

[Rebel4ever]

You guys are telling me what my "gut" is telling me. I happen to like Benchmade and have collected several over the years and when I buy a new blade, somehow it always comes out to be another Benchmade. I just like them...the looks, feel, lockup, etc. but, I'm branching out a little I guess because I ordered my first ZT a few days ago and I've never seen one "in person". Thanks for all the words of wisdom, and I do mean " wisdom".

 

[Bob W]

I do both. There are certain brands that I specifically collect, but I also enjoy owning the largest variety of bladed items possible. :thumbup:

 

[not2sharp]

You guys are telling me what my "gut" is telling me. I happen to like Benchmade and have collected several over the years and when I buy a new blade, somehow it always comes out to be another Benchmade. I just like them...the looks, feel, lockup, etc. but, I'm branching out a little I guess because I ordered my first ZT a few days ago and I've never seen one "in person". .....

There is no rule that limits you to a single collection. You can have an accumulation of knives that spans many collections; the Benchmade knives would be a collection within the knives that you own. It would not preclude you from building a separate collection of ZT knives, Randalls or anything else. In the past I would have several collections going until I became tired of one and I would sell that to expand another collection. It is also not unusual to discover entirely new and previously unknown collections within your accumulation of knives. You might think that you are collecting Benchmade and ZT knives, but after a while you might realize that what you have actually been collecting is a specific type of blade, steel, locking mechanism, historical association, designer, handle material, etc.

n2s

 

[Dacus_Nomadic]

Buy knives that make you happy. I buy whatever is a quality made functional/visually appealing knife according to my personal judgement. My collection is a wild mixture of folders, fixed blades, and machetes. There are no rules for collecting.

 

[Forgedfixedblade]

Well, there are a lot of companies that make only one or two knives in their lineup that I really like, that being said, I have a collection of different knives from many different makers. Love me some diversity. You remember how cool it was to get different girl friends when you were a young man,... well the wife won't let me do that sorta thing anymore so gotta keep my options open on other stuff I like.

 

[Melvin-Purvis]

To the OP - collect what you like, but if you're going to collect a style or brand, stick with that until it's time to move on. Also, as A.G. Russell once told me, the easiest way to make a million dollars in knife collecting is to start with two million dollars; in other words, collect with a mind for resale, but don't become a collector in the sense that you make bad financial decisions. As an example or two, I've been a collector of stuff since I was a young boy, probably 45 years ago.

A: Bugs - didn't make a dime.
B: Stamps - didn't make a dime.
C: Baseball cards - made a few dimes.
D: Coins - made a few dimes.
E: Skateboards - made a few dollars (Being a team rider helped here, but the stuff I sold for a few dollars is worth thousands today.)
F: Late 1960's Ford trucks, vans, and Mustangs - made a few hundred dollars.
G: Late '60's Chevy muscle cars - made a few thousand dollars.
H: The best Applegate-Fairbairn knife collection put together to date - made a few hundred dollars. http://blackjack.0catch.com/pages/wickershamafarticle.htm
I: All the knives listed in the 1991 Al Mar Knives catalog - made, maybe $1000
J: All the Kershaw Leek variants made until I stopped collecting - made a few hundred dollars.
K: All the Bark River models made until I stopped collecting - made a few hundred dollars.
L: Roughly 1000 Randall Made knives to date - made close to $100,000 dollars.

If you want a return on your money, choose wisely; if not, just have fun. Collecting can be a blast.

 

[GIRLYmann]

Collecting is naturally instinctive.
however,
if one's collection premise has been to fulfill
an urge to quell the surging devil wants within...
then i m afraid to report
that it's not a collection
but a largely sinful waste...
an astute collector
gauges the outlook
measures the risk
well before placing down his bets.
a serious collector somehow smells the gains.
but that is about returns.
which most folks don't even
research or bother to think about
when getting into the game.
In fact many are happy paying what they can
for a piece of the action.
So that should any short term happiness
suddenly turn into
a very real and rewarding long term gain,
it becomes an accidental bonus
which many instantly hope for
the minute all fun and novelty wears off.
So, if you love to buy,
be prepared to love what you own unconditionally
through thick and thin.
In the end, It's always the "love"
that will see you through.