curious about selling

[aue123]

Why is the box worth so much?

i’ve seen mint knives with box go for almost retail.
then i’ve seen same knife “mint” without the box sell for $70 less.

 

[hhmoore]

Collectability. New in box, with all stuff, gets highest prices... though the people that are paying retail, or a few dollars under, for secondhand knives that are still available at dealers, are nuts.

 

[P7HVN]

It’s a collector aspect. You’ll find the same thing with vintage toys, LP’s, etc.
Also, to a small degree, it helps avoid getting knock-offs; the current knock-offs have gotten really good, so having original box/papers/etc helps weed out fakes. They can fake the actual knives very well, but tend to screw up lettering & paperwork somewhere...

 

[Eversion]

Depends on the knife, for sure. Chris Reeve knives have a lot that comes with the box, and the box helps to ensure authenticity. The box stuffs are worth little on their own, but with the knife, they help tell its story.

Stuff like CRKT's or Kershaws, unless it's something real special from them, the box is worth next to nothing.

 

[celticrogues]

I also personally feel like the seller probably took better care of the knife if he/she still has the box and original paperwork in decent shape. Thats probably just being silly on my part, but it does weigh into my decision.

 

[TRfromMT]

I once sent a knife back To the distributor because they did a terrible job packing it, it arrived with the box shredded. The otherwise new knife was worth less as a collectable.

(I also freely admit I was in a bad mood and this was probably an overreaction...)

 

[hhmoore]

Not a box issue; but I recently turned down a knife I'd been interested in for a couple years because the owner had cut the "lanyard" (fob). His price was dead on for a LNIB with all accessories; and I couldn't care less about the fob... EXCEPT there was at least a reasonable chance I would have sold it, and I would have had to take the hit on resale (or purchase a new fob). It's a silly thing; but, if you want top dollar when you sell, you've got to keep that crap. A lot of people even want the boxes on obvious users.
I purged most of my boxes years ago; but kept a handful despite having no plan to sell the knives.

 

[KingMC]

Moved to Feedback subforum.

 

[Big Ol’ Hauger]

It’s a collector aspect. You’ll find the same thing with vintage toys, LP’s, etc.
Also, to a small degree, it helps avoid getting knock-offs; the current knock-offs have gotten really good, so having original box/papers/etc helps weed out fakes. They can fake the actual knives very well, but tend to screw up lettering & paperwork somewhere...

When I got back into knives about a year and a half ago, I bought my first Para 2 off of eBay. The knife seemed not to bad, but the action didn’t quite seem right. Doubt set in. I looked at the paperwork that came with it, and there were two typos. I contacted the seller, and he told me that his uncle bought it new from Cabelas. It took me a while to convince him it was a counterfeit, but we finally agreed that someone bought the knife there, switched it out, and returned it to Cabelas for a refund. I’ve heard similar things happen on Amazon a lot, too.

 

[aue123]

so the person swapped everything in the box so they could resell it? i’m confused on that one, if you’re gunna swap a knife why not just swap the knife? why the paperwork also?

 

[Peter Hartwig]

The box & paperwork is all about collecting and re-selling. It makes it a complete set. The glass 1/2 full part is that if you are not a collector, just a user, you can get a nice knife without the box for a better price. The more used a knife is the less value the box is going to be, Like new with box gets top dollar. well used with or without box not vary much if anything.
It can help in authenticating but it is a sloppy counterfeiter that can't copy boxes and paperwork.
In the end how much you ask for or buyer willing to pay for a knife (with or without box) is completely up to that individual. Just because someone asks close to retail doesn't mean another will agree to pay it.

 

[Quiet]

Not a box issue; but I recently turned down a knife I'd been interested in for a couple years because the owner had cut the "lanyard" (fob). His price was dead on for a LNIB with all accessories; and I couldn't care less about the fob... EXCEPT there was at least a reasonable chance I would have sold it, and I would have had to take the hit on resale (or purchase a new fob). It's a silly thing; but, if you want top dollar when you sell, you've got to keep that crap. A lot of people even want the boxes on obvious users.
I purged most of my boxes years ago; but kept a handful despite having no plan to sell the knives.

This is why I keep boxes. Most of my knives, I love very much and always say "This is one of my "forever" knives." and I have no plans to sell any of them. But I can tell you, if I lost my job, and some other things happened, those knives would be for sale. And knives with all their boxes and paperwork bring more money, simple as that.

Plus, there's just something about getting that new knife in its box out of the mailing package and getting the thrill of taking it out yourself, you know? I've received many knives in the past where the seller just wrapped the knife by itself in some bubble-wrap or even paper towel, and put it in the box. Just not the same.

 

[Big Ol’ Hauger]

so the person swapped everything in the box so they could resell it? i’m confused on that one, if you’re gunna swap a knife why not just swap the knife? why the paperwork also?

They actually swapped the knife, paperwork, and box. It was a good enough facsimile that the clerk probably didn’t think twice about it. Basically, the person who swapped it bought a $30 knockoff, went to Cabelas and bought a genuine model, went back in a day or two, and returned the fake for a full refund. So for $30, he got a brand new Para 2 (in the box!) Probably sold it, and bought more fakes to keep rolling over.