Customs for Sale

Hey there edmoses

From the looks of it the general crowd are speechless :D

Viewed 86 times and not a comment.... :confused: :D


:cool:

ps AWESOME COLLECTION O CUSTOMS FOR SALE
 
Speechless is just about right !

All those knives calling to me, and no space on the credit cards. Terrible eh !
 
I guess that Les had a good show at the weekend....

Regards,

Ed
 
It must be nice to buy a custom for cost (CQC9, for example), and then turn around and sell it for almost $2,000. Just doesn't seem right, or fair. A bad example is some of the baseball players who won't sign autographs for adults, because they (the people seeking the signature) have been known to turn around and sell them for high profit. I guess I'm just pissed cuz I missed out on a rare bird, for low money. Personally, I woulda kept it, if I'd bought it.
 
Chris:

I understand the feeling all too well. As has been stated before, it's awful hard to see all these custom knives being sold to purveyors, when myself and others have the same knives on back order waiting to be made and delivered.

I would much prefer, and it would't be near as bitter if customers first received their ordered knives, prior to this lottery business that takes place.
 
Sniper,

There seems to be some confusion in this thread. Not one customer held a gun to Emerson's head to make him sell the 30+ knives he brought to the Guild Show. So don't put the blame on those who buy what is offered.

Chris,

Im sure it is nice to buy Emerson Customs for cost, although I wouldn't know about that. The CQC9 you are speaking of was not purchased from Emerson directly. It was one of those collectors who got it retail and then went around to every dealer in the room jacking up the price to well over double retail. If he would have been nice enough to have sold it to me $700.00 (over a 25% profit) the knife would not be selling for $1,900.00

The other question Chris is why didnt you fly down to the show?

Air Plane Ticket $250.00
Rental Car $ 80.00
Hotel Room $150.00
Food $ 50.00
Total $530.00

This means you could have had that retail Emerson for only $1,080.00. It would probably have been more, but I don't know what you make per day at work. Probably more than $20.00. That would make your CQC9 cost $1,100.00.

Of course if your name wasn't picked in the Lottery. That means you would have gotten nothing for $530.00.

Chris, I am writing all this so you see that there are other things to be considered in the "cost" of the knife.

The majority of the knives I have listed were bought from those collectors who spent the money and took the time to get to the show. It was their choice to buy the knife it was their choice to sell the knife. Actually, there were several Emerson customs offered to me that I declined.

Emerson usually attends the New York Custom Knife Show in November. Your in Boston, so just come down to the show and take your chances like everyone else. Since Emerson has stopped taking orders, if your not in the system already it is really your only chance of getting one of his knives at retail.
 
Les:

I agree with you wholeheartedly, and certainly don't think that anyone in the business, or a collector should turn down a knife offered to them at a "bargin".

My use of the word "purveyor" was a poor choice and not directed at you, or any other particular individual.

As a individual collector however, whom has only been able to purchase knives on the secondary market; I'm sure you understand the frustration one experiences when this practice ocurrs over and over again.
 
This subject comes up every time Ernie brings knives to a show.

Many of us here (and I'm sure hundreds of other people) were disappointed when He didn't have any knives for sale at either the SHOT Show or the Blade Show. This show he did.

Do a search, this is nothing new. If he brings knives, people get bent, if he doesn't bring knives, people get bent.

Ernie has stopped taking orders and is filling those that are back logged, slowly, but surely. He specifically dedicates extra time towards making extra knives to bring to shows. As a matter of fact, if you do the search and look at messages posted after shows, you'll find plenty of references to be up until 0400 - 0500 the night prior to flying out to a show.

Sure, standing there in the crowd waiting for my name to be drawn, it was pretty easy to spot the folks that were hoping to get one of Ernies knives for thier collection. It was easy to spot the Dealers looking for new stock to offer thier customers, and it was equally easy to spot to folks that Les mentioned looking to make a quick buck on Ebay or reselling to a Dealer (such as Les) prior to getting off show property.

The last group is the bunch that I have a little heartache with, not the collectors and the Dealers. Profiteers, plain and simple.

There is a Secondary Market on Ernies work. Good or bad, that's a fact of life.

Let's not go after Ernie for dedicating extra time away from his family to make knives to sell at shows. Personally, I actually appreciate the practice. I'm sure that the growing number of Emerson fans that were not lucky enough to have ordered a knife directly from Ernie prior to he ceasing taking orders.

Let's not smack around the legitimate Dealers that are charging what the market will bare to the knives that they get in, regardless of the maker (look at the recent popularity and jump in secondary market pricing of makers like Steve Ryan and Ken Onion). The Dealers aren't creating the demand, thier just attempting to make a profit off the demand.

Just my opinion . . .

John
 
Well said John.

This is an example of free enterprise at work. Can anybody on this forum say that they have never puchased a knife from a dealer? What we see with the Emerson auctions is a transparent view of the market as a whole - not just the knife market.

Regards,

Ed
 
Hi Sniper,

I knew what you meant, I was just trying to clarify for those who would read this thread in the near future.

Hi John,

You have hit the nail on the head with the collectible aftermarket. As more and more collectors come into custom knives you are starting to see prices go up in the aftermarket.

What a lot of the new collectors don't realize is that dealers have actually brought prices down on most custom knives across the board. Ten years ago, almost all custom knives were sold over retail, even if the dealer got a discount (which was usually smaller than today).
Which means you could take even a bigger loss when you went to sell it if you paid 25% above retail (as the buyer would say, "but the retail price is....). Also, if you were looking from an investment point of view, most of your potential "profit" was already eaten up.

Many of the makers I work with today did not have a "dealer" program when I went full time. It took a lot of explaining on my part as to why this would benefit the maker long term.

It is now common place to find dealers selling custom knives for the makers retail price. However, when dealers have to pay (sometimes 100%) over retail, yes you as the buyer on the secondary market can expect to pay way over retail. Basic Economics....Supply and Demand.

This is why I showed the expenses related with travelling to a knife show. Sometimes I think new collectors don't take into account that for many of the dealers out there, this is their job. Consequently, we do have to make a profit. After all how do you think all those knives get on my table at shows and on my web site.

As much as I like custom knives, the fact remains this is a business and must (for the most part) be run as one.

Hi Ed!
 
In fairness, I think any maker has the right to make a run of knives specifically for a show outside of the work he's doing on his backlog. In fact, remember that this was the Guild show - it is a membership requirement to sell custom knives there at certain intervals. So, even I don't find fault in what he did there.

Les is absolutely right, too - the dealers are just buying from private owners at prices that are far greater than the table prices. That is their job, and if it was easy there'd be a whole lot more of them! It does seem like certain dealers get their names pulled from the 'hat' with a sickening regularity, but not everything obeys the laws of statistics.

The other thing to keep in mind is that the knives are available, at a price. A 6 is on ebay, another is on the 'other' forum, plus Les' handsome bunch. The new breed of hot makers - Onion, Ryan, custom Striders for example - are all showing the effects of price inflation but are so hot you can't find one even at silly prices. Those makers will have to handle their turn in the sun now, and it'll be interesting to see how they do compared to how Ernie did in his.
 
Les, I had about four more paragraphs with respect to dealers that I cut back, including the items you mentioned about Dealers selling for retail to customers, avoiding the wait and how the base line for the aftermarket price was "Retail plus" before.

I also foresee a time when more popular makers sell exclusively through Dealers. I can think of three popular makers off the top of my head that are moving in that direction now.

Jbravo mentioned a few newer, very popular makers. Ken Onion currently says he has a six year backlog (sound familiar), Steve Ryan ceased taking orders for close to a year to cut down on his back log and is going to get swamped the minute he opens orders again. The Strider guys are holding their own currently, but try to by a Custom Folder on the Secondary market for "Retail". :D
 
Les - my apologies. I read the thread wrong. I assumed (I know, I know) that you got the 9 through the auction, and then turned around and offered it at current "retail" price to turn a quick buck. It wasn't my intent to imply anything, and you're right, if I'd known of the show, and managed to make it down there, I'd probably end up getting the thing for close to what it's selling for on the secondary market. It's just a sore spot for me because I don't own any of Ernie's customs, and with the market the way it is I realistically probaly never will, unless I win an auction at a show (I believe I WILL make the NYC show - thanks for telling me about it!) So it just burns me a bit when I see (or THINK I see) someone who got their hands on this precious thing, for damn good money, and then just pass it off to the next guy for what the market says it's worth.

So, no disrespect intended. I misread, and apologize for any implied wrongdoing on your part. Thanks for being civil to me in your reply, and not taking my head of too much. :D
 
Oh, and as for Ernie making customs for the shows, I love it. It's the only way I'll ever have a shot at getting one of the damn things. :D
 
I, for one, am glad that he hasn't just stoped making customs alltogether. Someday I WILL have a CQC6. That is a fact. I will have one EVEN if I have to pay market value.

It has alot to do with how bad you want something. I am planning to use my tax return to make my dream a reality. if I had known about this Forum before I had exausted this years return, I would at this very moment be flicking open the blade of a legendary knife.

And, yes I will cut with it, I will carry it, and you can bet that it will be scuffed with all of the other stuff that I carry in my pocket. Market value? Superficial. Dream? Priceless.
 
Great Posts by everyone,and while I can see why some people would get angry at the cost,my answer is don't buy it. it will be bought by someone else. As members of this forum know i've been waiting for my "leftie-6" for just about 4 yrs now and i'll continue waiting.
because good things come to those who wait.
Now the Big question?? Will I turn around and try to make a quick profit on my "Leftie-6" HA HA HA-NOT
However a "9" Would look real sweet next to my Vipers :)
These are just my own opinions because I don't have a life and Love Emerson Knives :D
 
That's kinda my point, JB. It's not that I don't WANT to buy it - it's that I CAN'T buy it. Not at the current prices. The only realistic way I'm ever gonna own a 6, or 8 is entering the raffles at the shows, and hoping my card gets pulled. And, I'd have a MUCH easier time using a knife I paid $4-500 for, than a knife I paid $2,000 for.
 
Originally posted by DJ _Wolf
And, yes I will cut with it, I will carry it, and you can bet that it will be scuffed with all of the other stuff that I carry in my pocket. Market value? Superficial. Dream? Priceless.
Click to expand...

Ahhh, music to my ears. I thought I was one of the few who actually uses the CQC6 around here ! :D
 
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