How badly does use impact value?

E

eljugador

Joined
Apr 18, 2006
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173
I have recently bought a few Busses with the intent of using them. However the guy who likes high-end rare stuff in me took over and I ended up buying a bunch of rare or LE versions of what I wanted. I've now got enough invested in them I'm nervous about using them. I wasn't looking to be a collector buying safe queens. But -- before I wind up costing myself a fortune, can anyone give me an idea of how modest use (never abuse) impacts the value of a Bussee LE? Wondering if I should save the Busses and beat on some ESEEs instead.
 
It seems to me you wouldn't make money, but you probably wouldn't loose too much on the more popular, functional LE's such as the NMFBM LE.
 
depends on the model.

i have an hg55 le that i would take a loss on if i sold it after it was used.

i also have a mrsle that has been used and resharpened, and i could easily sell it for at least a 50% profit.
 
Well, I wouldn't use what you got from me because it's a rare knife but if you did use it to some degree, you could also send it back to the Custom Shop and they clean it up close to being new for a a reasonable price if you decide you want to collect later on... so you get the best of both worlds...
 
It really depends on the buyer; from what I've seen, it doesn't seem to affect prices too badly, but users often take longer to sell because they appeal to a smaller market. Personally, I'm a collector rather than a user, so condition means a lot to me. To others, a bit of coating wear doesn't make much as much difference as the handle material. If you're in a hurry to sell, you'll have to knock more off of a user to move it.
 
I would say a user is a 10% to 20% drop vs a safe queen but it depends on the knife.
 
Liu Kang said:
Well, I wouldn't use what you got from me because it's a rare knife but if you did use it to some degree, you could also send it back to the Custom Shop and they clean it up close to being new for a a reasonable price if you decide you want to collect later on... so you get the best of both worlds...
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I did use the one I got from you to cut my wife's huge birthday cake. However I'll think long and hard before I go chop wood with it.
 
eljugador said:
I have recently bought a few Busses with the intent of using them. However the guy who likes high-end rare stuff in me took over and I ended up buying a bunch of rare or LE versions of what I wanted. I've now got enough invested in them I'm nervous about using them. I wasn't looking to be a collector buying safe queens. But -- before I wind up costing myself a fortune, can anyone give me an idea of how modest use (never abuse) impacts the value of a Bussee LE? Wondering if I should save the Busses and beat on some ESEEs instead.
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Use makes them worthless.

If you have any used Busse just send them my way. I will even pay shipping, though they won't be worth the cardboard they are packed in.























But honestly, you will loose some value from use, but not much. The initial price drop is not too significant. On big LE's expect to loose $100 or so.

That is one reason the CG's are such a great value, you loose a bit, but not as much as the LE's (your mileage may vary).
 
Many people will say that knives are meant to be used. I say that knives are meant to be enjoyed. Do with the knives whatever you think you will enjoy most. If that means having a pristine atrifact for the pleasure of owning it, there is nothing wrong with that. If it means beating the snot out of it, do it.

If you use heavily a $500 Busse knife and lose let's say 20% of resale value, you have theoretically lost $100. If you had a $100 knife and wanted to use it, even to possible destruction, you wouldn't hesitate to do so.

I have a Busse or two, and keep some of them pristine because I derive pleasure from doing so, not because I might want to resell them.
 
All I know is that impact impacts value. :D

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keep it in perspective...it's an edged tool, made to be used. how in the world can you appreciate a tool without using it? sure, from a craftsmanship and design aspect, but it's not art :rolleyes:. it's like saying my girlfriend is too hot to have sex with :D use it, enjoy it and pass it down with some memories attached to it :thumbup:
 
If the expensive ones are Satin .... then there is no problem in using them. Satin is the easiest finish to restore. Plus if the grind on the knife is what makes them more "useable" such as having a serrated clip or spine etc .... then using the knife makes your choice worth while .... as you get more satisfaction from the extra functions the knife offers and it is easily sent in to the Spa/Custom Shop if you need to move it on.

If you own rare examples that are valued for their design .... and give them a lifetime of use .... like as not you will easily get your money back and more .... plus .... and here is the big thing .... if you get 50% of your enjoyment looking at a knife .... you easily get the remaining 50% from using it .... the percentages will vary from person to person and what "use" they can give .... and how much "appreciation" they can put into the use of the knife by "knowing" it is working better than "others" .... some knives though that Busse do are not too expensive and are streets ahead as "users" ....

The Basic 11 is a good example .... infact all the Basic range are brilliant as users .... and comparatively cheap ....

However, if you have a Nuclear TTKZ and got it to use it .... that is an expensive knife .... but 15 years down the road and after loads of use .... I bet you can still get your money back and more .... once it comes back from a Spa makeover ....

So I would never worry about using them .... you might as well ask yourself .... do I want to miss out on 50% of the enjoyment of owning the knife ???
 
shhhh... can you hear that? it's the cries of thousands of pieces of INFI wishing to be used.
 
I had a FBM and FFBM. I stripped them and convexed them. I used them for a couple of years (which was great fun) and sold them for about what I paid for them. I still have most of my Busses, Swamp Rats, and Scrap Yards that I ever bought, so I don't have a lot of experience in resale. A lot of it depeds on what the buyer is looking for. Some collectors want them pristine, others want them to use.
 
Some rare ones are more difficult to get used!

Too many people don't use them and when a good user falls into the exchange it is quickly picked up.

I know SHBMs are really difficult to find used because most owners who use them never sell the used ones.
 
Average user Busses will sit in the exchange for a long time, unless you take a steep loss. Trust me,,, :o

I'm sure everyones mileage may vary, but thats my experience.
 
I bought an FFBM off the exchange. I stripped it, beat it, and convexed it.
It was nice user. I sold it in 8 minutes, on the exchange, for the same price I paid for it.:thumbup::cool:

It really depends on what Busse knife you are dealing with, and how much you paid for it.
 
azwelke said:
I bought an FFBM off the exchange. I stripped it, beat it, and convexed it.
It was nice user. I sold it in 8 minutes, on the exchange, for the same price I paid for it.:thumbup::cool:

It really depends on what Busse knife you are dealing with, and how much you paid for it.
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Timing is also a factor...
 
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