Do you buy mostly used or new?

[Jonny1801]

I have bought all my knives new. I buy knives to use and I pick knives based on gaps in my collection. Once I have identified what I want I search out the best deal and save accordingly until I can afford it.

I was just wondering for all you guys who buy used knives, how much are you willing to pay for a knife under the original "new" price. For example if a Spyderco PM2 costs $130 new on Amazon then how much would you be willing to pay for it after 18 months of it being used? I guess I was just wondering about how much a knife's value depreciates after purchase. Does a high end knife like a large Sebenza depreciate less than a PM2 or is it just a standard +/-20% on each knife?

 

[dalefuller]

I have bought all my knives new. I buy knives to use and I pick knives based on gaps in my collection. Once I have identified what I want I search out the best deal and save accordingly until I can afford it.

I was just wondering for all you guys who buy used knives, how much are you willing to pay for a knife under the original "new" price. For example if a Spyderco PM2 costs $130 new on Amazon then how much would you be willing to pay for it after 18 months of it being used? I guess I was just wondering about how much a knife's value depreciates after purchase. Does a high end knife like a large Sebenza depreciate less than a PM2 or is it just a standard +/-20% on each knife?

I'm one of the guys that buys used knives. There's nothing standard or planned about what I do. Sometimes I buy after searching for a specific knife, sometimes it's an impulse buy based on pics and description. I decide if I'm willing to pay the advertised price base on how much I want that particular knife.

I don't value knives based solely on price/condition. I value a knife by the knife model more than in any specific example of that model. If I like a particular model, I'll pay almost the new price for it, especially if I know and trust the seller.

 

[Cereal_killer]

I was just wondering for all you guys who buy used knives, how much are you willing to pay for a knife under the original "new" price. For example if a Spyderco PM2 costs $130 new on Amazon then how much would you be willing to pay for it after 18 months of it being used? I guess I was just wondering about how much a knife's value depreciates after purchase. Does a high end knife like a large Sebenza depreciate less than a PM2 or is it just a standard +/-20% on each knife?

Good topic, I'll bite...

First off I've never purchased a knife secondary market for more than its dealer price, but I've never bought a super high demand knife like a TAD or even a PM2 or anything, not interested in either of those examples but just saying, I would never do that, I'd just wait it out till it was back in stock. As for normal, not rare/hard-to-find knives the value I'm willing to pay secondary market is very dependent on many different factors and fluctuates a lot. First off condition, since you asked specifically about used and not NIB/LNIB that's what I'll focus on. Let's just assume pretty standard ware, carried and used but everything still functions properly and having been sharpened multiple times. Now like I said this still varies greatly even with the condition set at a constant level but I'd say in general anywhere from 50-80% of the new cost (actual street price, NOT MSRP). A lot of knives in the $150 range average around $90-110 used, $175 knives go for ~$120. That's what I'm comfy with anyway. The price ranges where I seem to find the best deals are the $100 [new] knives, you find them for 1/2 off all day long, also the slightly higher stuff, knives in the ~200-250 range are often prices about $100 less used, for example the spyderco southard [street priced ~$260) in used condition will sell almost instantly at anything under $160 but at $175 or higher it'll sit because for that much prospective buyers would rather pay just a little more for brand new or about that for LNIB.

HTH welcome to BFC.

 

[spydercobenchmadekai]

Interesting discussion starter: are you willing to pay more than retail for a second hand discontinued knife?

In my quest for the discontinued Spydercos, I have had to pay close to double the retail price for a LNIB piece sometimes. An example is the little-known T-Mag: Spyderco sold them on clearance for $50; I bought mine for $140. Sometimes, however, I can score a deal--such as when a got a a NIB CF Dodo for the same $180 as the retail.

 

[PURPLEDC]

I used to buy only used. But something in the last few years has changed. Not just in knives but in all the things I collect. It would appear that the definition of "new in the box" is not what it used to be. It used to mean new, unused, in the original packaging with a factory edge. Now it seems to mean "I carried and used it for a week and touched it up on a sharp maker and wasnt happy with the detent so I took it apart and scratched it in the process, had serious remorse and decided to throw it on ebay as brand new so that I didnt have to accept my mistake and take big loss. Because aside from the giant scratch next to the pivot and the mangled pivot head it still looks new, so its new right?" Since this trend started I have been buying more new knives. At least if something comes jacked up brand new I have the ability to return and replace it. Used, you either take it or try and get your money back and its always a PITA.