I encourage everyone to keep the original packaging/box your “old steel” knife came in…the ones that say “Ventura” California. Yeah, I could be totally wrong about all this, but just in case 20 or 30 yrs down the road these knives become “vintage”, then the original packaging may even add to the value.
Yeah, it's already like with any of the discontinued Cold Steel knives. AUS8 SRK made in Japan? Yeah, Cold Steel has been making an SK-5 SRK to date for $45, but the Japanese SRK still sells for $150 to $200 on eBay because not many are around and most people hang onto them. And anything made of Carbon-V may as well be gold based on the prices they are fetching right now.
I think the Cold Steel knives with the greatest long term potential are the Pre-GSM big folders made with AUS8/Carpenter Steel/AUS10/S35VN. Just imagine if GSM stops making the Espadas, Spartans, Talwars, XL Voyagers, and Raja II's? Or, replaces the steel with 4034? The older ones will be worth a fortune because everyone will want one.
Another category of Cold Steel knives that are underlooked are the entire Nightshade/Grivory lineup. Since Jan_6 there has been massive pressure to ban them around the country due to them not being able to be picked up by a metal detector. Lynn Thompson stuck his nose up at legislators, but I think investor-funded GSM would fold pretty quickly under pressure to get rid of them. Everybody wants something that's hard to get, so I can see these becoming very collectable in the future after they were banned.
Everything in the drop forged line is also potentially really collectable. Where else are you going to get a drop forged, 52100 steel knife like Drop Forged Hunter for $33? No where. I can see these being on the GSM chopping block first because they are more expensive to produce and are decent but not super hot sellers. Drop forged 52100 is superior to even Carbon V, and anything in Carbon V is now worth bucks.
The Urban Pal and Super Edge are still made in Japan with the old logo at only $19.99. How long will they be made there? Definitely a future collectable.
And of course, any discontinued Cold Steel Bowie is going to be sought after in the future.