For the "NIB=absolutely perfect" crowd. My honest opinion.

[asdf12345]

I don't think anyone has a problem with used knives per se. Of course no one has a problem with pristine NIB knives, so they are in higher demand. I think most people will be interested in a used knife if the knife is one or more of the following:

-Collectible, rare, limited, or niche.
-Put up for sale at a good price in relation to the condition of the knife.
-A highly in demand model that retains value despite being used (Sebenza is a great example)

I see no reason to purchase a used knife if that knife doesn't meet one or more of those criteria. Call me heartless but if you ask me to pay near what a certain knife is going for, and that knife has wear on it then I'd much rather save a little more money and then buy that knife new.

I feel like the claim that the Exchange has become some kind of den of profiteers is completely unwarranted. Used knives that are collectible, rare or limited don't stay on the Exchange for long. Used knives that are at a good price don't stay either. And there are tons of great sellers every day who recognize what the highest bidder might pay for a certain knife, far beyond reach of other knife enthusiasts, and who set their prices low, whether it's a used knife or a pristine one.

 

[craytab]

Oh great, now we are going to have a discussion on the definition of capitalism :yawn:

I have stayed out of this discussion but since it hasn't died yet, I'll give it a shot.

I really don't care why people buy knives or what they do with them when they get them. What I do care about is when I buy a knife, I expect it to be in the condition it was advertised, no matter where I buy it from. I do the same thing when I sell. I describe the item as complete as possible, not with just an acronym. I include detailed close up pictures. To enter into a transaction otherwise, whether buyer or seller, trouble can arise. It all depends on if you think that trouble is worth the item or its cost.

 

[Will Power]

I find it basically laughable that people seriously think about buying knives as an 'investment' As such it must rank as one of the poorer investment strategies available. Certain knives become trendy/sought after but it's a whim led by current tastes, in a few years time you could find few people interested in your current BNIB. But hey there's a feeding frenzy bandwaggon to be jumped upon by 'winners' let's catch it!!! SFOs and limited editions (I sometimes wonder how limited they really are...must get awfully tempting to crank out a load more if you get the whiff of greed and gullibility out there ) may respond to demand or current mood fair enough. But it can promote this sterile analistic attitude of NIB equates to some farcical notion of 'perfection' Plenty of decent knives from good manufacturers will have issues or blemishes right on being put into the box particularly in the realm of Traditional knives. So I agree with the OP on the whole, knives are after all really made for use. Certainly, I have knives I don't use because I find the pattern or example not to be to my liking. Maybe I can trade them or sell them, although not living in the US can be a big obstacle to that but I have no illusions about my collection: it won't fetch anything like what I paid for it now or in the future. I like having a decent knife in my pocket and having a good choice of them to suit my mood, worrying about their 'perfection' status, worrying about their worth or basing expectations on being able to sell them on at vast profit is not part of my scheme.

 

[hazy]

Capitalism.
I don't think that word means what you think it means.

If a manufacturer makes 1,000 knives, and there are 10,000 people who want to buy it at the MSRP, the knife is 'worth' more than MSRP. We see this time after time with many manufacturers, and custom makers.
If a manufacturer makes 1,000 knives, but there are only 100 people who want to buy it at the MSRP, the knife is 'worth' less than MSRP. Wes see this manifested when a knife is sold below original asking price.

If anyone is screwing those who can't afford the markup (and I don't think anyone is), it's the manufacturer who knowingly builds far less knives than will meet demand at their asking price, not the capitalist who recognizes this imbalance and profits (or tries to) by attempting to match supply with demand by raising the price.

I really don't want to derail this thread so I will just concede that yes I was wrongly equating the benefits of market competition with the driving force behind capitalism and it's not the same. And yes I actually agree that the best way to end this massive inflation we see in some knives is for makers to increase production to meet the demand.

 

[JR88FAN]

I find it basically laughable that people seriously think about buying knives as an 'investment' As such it must rank as one of the poorer investment strategies available. Certain knives become trendy/sought after but it's a whim led by current tastes, in a few years time you could find few people interested in your current BNIB. But hey there's a feeding frenzy bandwaggon to be jumped upon by 'winners' let's catch it!!! SFOs and limited editions (I sometimes wonder how limited they really are...must get awfully tempting to crank out a load more if you get the whiff of greed and gullibility out there ) may respond to demand or current mood fair enough. But it can promote this sterile analistic attitude of NIB equates to some farcical notion of 'perfection' Plenty of decent knives from good manufacturers will have issues or blemishes right on being put into the box particularly in the realm of Traditional knives. So I agree with the OP on the whole, knives are after all really made for use. Certainly, I have knives I don't use because I find the pattern or example not to be to my liking. Maybe I can trade them or sell them, although not living in the US can be a big obstacle to that but I have no illusions about my collection: it won't fetch anything like what I paid for it now or in the future. I like having a decent knife in my pocket and having a good choice of them to suit my mood, worrying about their 'perfection' status, worrying about their worth or basing expectations on being able to sell them on at vast profit is not part of my scheme.

It's great that you have an opinion about knives as investments, and what they should be. The thing that you and everyone else on here with similar posts doesn't seem to be able to understand, is that so does everyone else...

Who really cares what people do with their knives, it's not anyones business but their own, it's that simple.

As far as future value of a knife, nobody knows, so maybe we should leave it at that.

The point really is about freedom to enjoy this hobby anyway you like, even if you are that really 'evil' knife flipper guy trying to turn a profit....why the hell would that bother anyone? Humans have an amazing ability for abstract thought and decision making well beyond 'I need, I don't need' so let's all use that ability and buy the knives we want from the people we want.

 

[Will Power]

Well, we might as well not discuss anything at all if who cares what people do, governs everything. Our actions impact on others.

 

[JR88FAN]

Well, we might as well not discuss anything at all if who cares what people do, governs everything. Our actions impact on others.

When the discussion revolves around calling people out based on how they choose to enjoy this hobby, the the only logical thing I can add is 'who cares'......

This was never a 'discussion' but a force feeding of what the knife hobby is supposed to be. What is it supposed to be?

The answer will always be the same; whatever you want it to be......and nobody has the right to tell you what you should or shouldn't do with the knives you buy. It's called freedom, and I like it.

 

[craytab]

Well, we might as well not discuss anything at all if who cares what people do, governs everything. Our actions impact on others.

Right, who cares what people do with the knives they buy! As long as you are doing nothing illegal, whats the issue really? We are talking about what amounts to luxury knives on the secondary market, not anything that "governs" or any "actions [that have] impact on others".

I mean, would someone here not sell to a "collector" but only to a "user" or vice versa? What is the line between collector and user. I collect some types of knives that I use and some I don't. Who decides on who is a collector or user?

As long as your knife is described correctly and documented properly and the buyer is of good feedback there should be no prejudice against anyone in the buying and selling process. Plus, if a small issue does arise with a description or picture lacking, if it matters that much to you, research here before doing a transaction. Look at feedback. And if it is that big of a risk, don't do the transaction. Undue the deal. Refund the money. Except the refund. Using paypal affords a great deal of protection with very little risk.

Not that big of a deal. No need to legislate this hobby. We are only talking about money and knives here. Not laws, government, or human rights.

 

[JR88FAN]

Right, who cares what people do with the knives they buy! As long as you are doing nothing illegal, whats the issue really? We are talking about what amounts to luxury knives on the secondary market, not anything that "governs" or any "actions [that have] impact on others".

I mean, would someone here not sell to a "collector" but only to a "user" or vice versa? What is the line between collector and user. I collect some types of knives that I use and some I don't. Who decides on who is a collector or user?

As long as your knife is described correctly and documented properly and the buyer is of good feedback there should be no prejudice against anyone in the buying and selling process. Plus, if a small issue does arise with a description or picture lacking, if it matters that much to you, research here before doing a transaction. Look at feedback. And if it is that big of a risk, don't do the transaction. Undue the deal. Refund the money. Except the refund. Using paypal affords a great deal of protection with very little risk.

Not that big of a deal. No need to legislate this hobby. We are only talking about money and knives here. Not laws, government, or human rights.

Thanks craytab, nice to see someone gets it.....

It's exhausting to keep repeating that we can all do whatever the hell we like with our knives, and that what we do with them does not make us any better or worse of a knife enthusiast.

This is like sitting around and having a 'discussion' about why a Hinderer is not worth the money...pointless, nobody wins or loses, everyone looks stupid.

 

[craytab]

This is like sitting around and having a 'discussion' about why a Hinderer is not worth the money...pointless, nobody wins or loses, everyone looks stupid.

That is why I waited so long to comment and sort of regret doing so...

 

[JR88FAN]

That is why I waited so long to comment and sort of regret doing so...

I hear ya, I just think that someone new to this hobby is going to jump onto BF, read the OP's comments and think that this is the general attitude around here, or there is a specific 'right' way to enjoy this hobby....