How do knives "depreciate"?

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Finn-lander

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I am a new knife nut and have obtained a modest collection so far (about fifteen knives or so). All of them are production knives and were bought after receiving high marks on this forum (BG-42 military, mini manix, caly III, BM 940, etc.) Some were bought litely used and some bought NIB. I bought each knife to use but I can't make myself use a couple of them yet. Does a knife become used when it is carried? used to cut paper? your definition? How much of the knives value is depreciated when it is no longer NIB? Thanks.

Finn-lander
 
Carrying it a couple of times without use shouldn't hurt the value if it hasn't been used in my opinion. The whole "NRFB" thing really applies to action figures. However, use of the knife for cutting or prying, and even touching up the edge would cause it to depreciate in value.
 
It depends on several things, one major factor being- who the buyer is.
for example, someone may pay more if the knife has never been used, but the pocket clip shows wear than if the blade no longer has a factory edge. Where as some people may think a carried (but never used knife) is less valuable, depending on the buyer (eg. a collector wanting a safe queen in -mint- condition).

As a general rule, production knives eg. Spyderco's and Benchmade's, will always loose some value as soon as there not new- but just how much depends on the condition on the knife, and what the buyer wants it for. (keeping in mind a hard to find knife in good condition may actually fetch more to the right buyer)

This is just a very general guideline, and it by all means does not apply to every knife, but as I said before, something is worth only what someone else will pay for it.

Hope I helped.
 
IMO, don't worry. They're knives, not a retirement fund. Use the crap out of them and make sure you get every penny out of them. I would rather use my knife and lose money than stare at a beautiful tool and refuse to use it in favor of resale value.
If resale is a big deal, buy doubles off all of your users so you can preserve them.
 
Finn-lander said:
I am a new knife nut and have obtained a modest collection so far (about fifteen knives or so). All of them are production knives and were bought after receiving high marks on this forum (BG-42 military, mini manix, caly III, BM 940, etc.) Some were bought litely used and some bought NIB. I bought each knife to use but I can't make myself use a couple of them yet. Does a knife become used when it is carried? used to cut paper? your definition? How much of the knives value is depreciated when it is no longer NIB? Thanks.

Finn-lander
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even if kept in the box and never carried, a knife is generally a poor financial investment.
 
There is generally a difference as well between collecting and accumulating. We say we are collecting knives when we start filling up shelves with them, but if those knives are production models bought at discount or used, that's not collecting in the classic, value-retained or appreciated sense.

Just like keeping old postage stamps isn't collecting until you begin to fill in all stamps in a series, and display them in traditional fashion. The closest that accumulators will get to collecting would be to hold unused (New In Box) knives of every variation of a popular series like the Kershaw Leek, or a large number of Sebenzas, especially gold coin or other special graphics versions.
 
if ya use them or carry them they lose value, some lose value even if ya keep them LNIB though lol, but some occasionally go up in value, but unless its something really rare it has to be in LNIB shape. as far as amount they lose with use it depends on how "used" they are, a very litely used sebenza wont lose a lotta value, 10% or so, while a few minor scuffs on some knives will knock off 25% or more, sometimes a lot more depending on the knife,

personally, if i describe a knife i am selling as LNIB it is just that, LNIB, and i expect anything i buy or trade for which is described as LNIB to be LNIB and will not be happy if it isnt,

knives are a crummy investment imho, i have had over 100 productions and customs and can count on probably one hand those which have gone up in value any significant amount.
 
Like any other item, value-over-time depends on what the market is at the time of sale for that item.
Watch "Antiques Roadshow (BBC and PBS).
Buying knives for their 'later rarity and value' takes a good eye, a good knowledge of history, and an ability to predict the future.

Condition makes a lot of difference, but isn't always predictable.
If you 'recondition' old furniture, strip and replace the finish, etc you usually decrease the value...antique buyers want antique condition. A good 'provinance' or documented history of the item can add to it's value.

Sometimes you just never know.

As SIFU1A said:
"i have had over 100 productions and customs and can count on probably one hand those which have gone up in value any significant amount."
I, too, have a couple of hundred production models and have maybe 6-8 that
web research says are worth significantly more that I paid originally.
One thing's for sure though, if you keep an item for a long time, decades or more, it's more likely to become rare/discontinued/etc and increase in value.

My tack is to collect/accumulate some popular but discontinued models and KEEP the boxes...store them away, and hope that my wife&sons will someday reap the harvest.
 
I only have 2 real collectors knives
A #Spyderco WTC knife, and a Dialex adventura Spyderco forum knife.
These knives are mint (they don't show any circular markings on the blade near the pivot, are never handled and just sit in their box doing nothing).
the rest are ranging from 99% to beaters.
I don't believe these 2 will depreciate yet, but i never buy anything as an investment.
 
NRFB = never removed from box

Makes a world of difference in the action figure / doll world. Have a Sister in law that collects dolls.

Buy what you like, use those you want and enjoy them. If you make money great if not 'Oh well'.

I have a few that I could of made 2 or 3 times my investment just by turning around at BLADE. Still have the knives and can't make that return now. Oh well. :D
 
If the knife has been carried or used to cut anything but air, it is not new.
 
A lot of the value of a knife - up to 60% - depreciates if the buyer thinks the knife may have been used. Proving otherwise is up to the seller and his presentation of authenticity - which goes beyond the physical evidence of the knife and box.

Popular knives in current product, even NIB, seem to depreciate because of the quantity available on the market. And it never helps to discover the price you might be asking is undercut by an internet retailer, even though their reputation is poor. It's still considered a potential low price despite a six month wait.

Of course, the most decisive issue is that you actually have to be trying to sell the knife in question. Then the issues of the day become important. Right now, I doubt some have the disposable income to keep demand up for certain knives, and prices may be flat or depressed. Public demand - popularity - also affect pricing. Tacticool knife prices are supported by demand among survivalists, but art knives may be in the cooler. A year from now, it could be the opposite due to other factors, or the loss of another maker could send their remaining pieces to high prices. It's happening with some Camillus products.

In a serious downturn, or even worse, the knife finally gets valued for what utility it has, artwork and makers name be damned. At that point, a common carbon steel kitchen knife is considered the base line, and it takes a lot of knowledge to appreciate any unseen advantages in materials or construction. In fact, a trip to the local DAV/Goodwill/Salvation Army thrift store can quickly show that - carbon steel kitchen knives rarely surface. It's mostly dull stainless cheapware. The average family member won't let the others go precisely because of the utility value, regardless of rusting.

Knives do depreciate, many just the same as an automobile driven off the showroom floor. You can put it on blocks in a sealed nitrogen filled room and wait decades for appreciation. Some never do - I haven't seen too many mint '76 Mustangs on ebay. Enjoy a collection for what you think it is, but as far as using financial descriptives, don't bother. 99% of all knives are considered an expense, and treated as durables subject to pilfering. Those are the terms the Army uses, and I think most apt.
 
Thank you for the responses. What I have gathered so far is that the production knives I have are not that rare and not that collectible so it is probably better to just use them and enjoy them. My most expensive knife to date, and the one I haven't been able to make myself use yet is a NIB BG-42 Military. When I first got it, it seemed like a really big knife, maybe too big. Others have said it carries smaller than it is, but my fear is that I carry it for a week, decide it may not be for me, then sell/trade it as a used knife for substantially less than I paid for it. It is too bad that I have no knife stores anywhere around me to try before you buy and the only way I get to handle many of the knives discussed here is buying them first then having to decide to keep it or not. (Ha, actually I have kept them all ;))

Finn-lander
 
If you would like a silly insight into the whole NRFB thing, I'm reminded of a Dexter's Laboratory episode entitled "Star Check Unconventional." Here's a link. Neat spoof of Star Trek.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYgESXGL-WE

As has been said earlier, it all depends on what a person is willing to pay for the knife. This would explain how Peter Atwood's tools have gathered interest.
 
Finn-lander said:
It is too bad that I have no knife stores anywhere around me to try before you buy and the only way I get to handle many of the knives discussed here is buying them first then having to decide to keep it or not.
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Exactly the same issue confronts me. I live about 4 hours drive from the nearest shop where I might have only a slight chance of seeing and handling a knife I could be interested in purchasing.

A recent example was having to buy a Kershaw JYD II on the net. Thanks to research here on BF I had an idea of its pro's and con's but it wan't until I had it in hand that I knew I had made the right choice.

But than has not been my general experience and I have a growing number of unused and unwanted blades purchased online but once in hand they fail to met my expectations. :grumpy:

I must thank the contributors to this thread as I will be using fair and correct terminology when I try to sell these off.:thumbup:
 
What I have gathered so far is that the production knives I have are not that rare and not that collectible so it is probably better to just use them and enjoy them.
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If you want to set the knives aside just for lookin' at, there's nothing wrong with that. If you want to use them, trade them, sell them, whatever, there's nothing wrong with any of that either.

Just don't assume that by keeping them in new condition that they'll appreciate in value. Some will, some won't won't, and it's nearly impossible to predict.

I must thank the contributors to this thread as I will be using fair and correct terminology when I try to sell these off.
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Rather than trying to use some vague or often misused terms, it's best if you say exactly what you did or didn't do with the knives.

Here's what I want to know when shopping: Has the knife been sharpened? Has it been carried? Has it been used? Does it have the original packaging and factory materials?

Good Luck,
-Bob
 
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