How do knives "depreciate"?

[SIFU1A]

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.

if its been used or carried its not LNIB and most of the time you can tell & if ya sell something as LNIB they arent gonna be pleased..

but i understand what ya are saying, i have sometimes carried something once or twice and not cut anything with it so ya really couldnt tell, but i would descrbe them when selling as "carried once/twice but ya could never tell/no scuffs-etc" just to be honest about it, in fact when selling user's i tend to describe them on the low end vs the high just so folks wont be disappointed, and so far no one ever has.

but in as far as i know any case a knife in LNIB shape is gonna sell for more than one thats been used no matter how lightly used, thats a fact of life.

 

[GIRLYmann]

"Finn-lander"
concerning depreciating values for production cutlery...
mint would come to mean a subject NIB which or has never been put to "used".
and this means not ever having subjected it's edge or point to physical use.
the naked eye might miss spotting the signs of use, but help from a magnifying glass will certainly reveal imperfections.
which is not to say that it hasn't been "handled", ever notice a show room display model can be entirely "shelf worn" from being subjected to over handling?
In most cases such knives even though have never been subjected to use and technically new in box can not be considered nib let alone mint.
prices are usually set by market forces...

 

[tirod3]

Over the years I've bought knives more for the ergonomics and materials, and less for the art and name. I have also stuck to the rule of some accumulators that they were always to be used - which restricts the art and collector knives to a minimum. So far the artsiest knife I use is a Buck Mayo TNT I acquired NIB at a serious discount.

With that guideline, the most expensive was also a second hand knife in unused condition. Knowing that any knife purchased will get used opens up the entire used knife market. I'd say my best score to date was a used AG Russell stainless One Hand Knife from the return case at the store in Arkansas. I also picked up a Gerber Covert single edge - each was priced to move quickly and I had no qualms buffing the One Hand with a 3M brown grit pad to "restore" the 600 brushed finish.

Looking for last years hot models in the for sale section also allows reading up on the real pros and cons for months before acquiring a knife sight unseen and unknown. The Buck Mayo TNT comes to mind - a great knife for many if you are aware of the top horn on the grip and it's tendency to rake the back of your hand reaching into the pocket. Taking those points in mind, you can then analyze other knives by photo alone and abstract how it may perform for you.

 

[spoonrobot]

even if kept in the box and never carried, a knife is generally a poor financial investment.

Unless it's a Spyderco.

I'm looking at almost double my investment returned on several discontinued "rare" Spyderco knives that I sold on eBay last month. Average time held was 2-3 years. Of course, had the auctions gone a different direction I could be looking at no return or even quite a large loss. Not sure how to quantify the risk factor just yet.