How do you know it’s time to sell a knife?

K

KVT

Joined
Feb 17, 2019
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I’m sure I’m not alone here, but I have a real hard time selling any of my knives.
I mean I can sell most anything, but what I mean is bringing myself to sell knives that I don’t love and don’t hate, if that makes sense.
I’ve got knives I love and *had* knives I hate. I have no problem selling a knife I just really dislike, or immediately returning/exchanging a new knife with a problem.

Where it gets hard is bringing myself to part with a knife that I still like, but rarely play with, certainly don’t really carry etc. I’ve got about 1/4 of my collection that falls into this category.

I don’t really dig sellers remorse, but I’ve also got too many knives, lol.
Not really a money issue, but more of knowing there’s little value in continuing to own these particular knives if I don’t love them. I have a much easier time with firearms - if I don’t love it, it’s gone. I have no time for guns I don’t like, but will not go through sellers remorse again selling guns I still love. Learned that the hard way. At this point, I pretty much know what I’m going to love for the long haul and I don’t buy crap I’ll get tired of.
For whatever reason knives aren’t that cut n dry for me.

Any of you have “rules” you follow? Is it a set number limit? A set dollar limit? When it no longer brings excitement? What if does every now and then?

How do you know it’s time to sell a knife?
 
When I can be bothered taking a bath AND feeling motivated enough to go through the hassle. Knives are 25% more over here. I am not involved in the local market/scene here so I would have to sell here for maybe a third at best. Hasn't been worth it yet.
 
If a knife doesn't get carried on a regular basis by me... It's gone. Gifts and knives with sentimental value (like the knife I carried on my wedding day) are the only exceptions to the rule.

I thought this would lead to me thinking about exactly what I like and slowing down with my knife purchases, but it hasn't. It's so easy to sell a knife at just a small loss (I call it a rental fee), that it allows me to buy whatever I want, and then get rid of it if I don't end up carrying it.

I gotta admit though... Every once in awhile I sell a knife I didn't carry and I'm hit with a bit of sellers remorse. Particularly when it's a knife that would be hard to get a hold of in the future like Spyderco sprints/exclusives. I'm proud to say I'm down to one HAP40 Delica Wharncliffe now, but I purchased and sold three others back to back to back because I wanted a "safe queen" in case I lost my user.
 
KVT said:
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How do you know it’s time to sell a knife?
Click to expand...
Sadly, we aren't so lucky like the ancients
who bury material things for the journey beyond :)
If there are no apparent heirs to the accumulation,
do it before it becomes a disposal issue.
For a start, don't keep things buried in deep storage.
What you don't see, you won't likely put to good use;
let alone realize its even there amongst the forgotten worldly possessions.
Make it a habit to declutter.
Yeah, selling used stuff is seldom going to bring in profit,
but at least its still cash which can be put to more urgent use.
Of course proceeds can also go to future intended acquisitions.
Otherwise the path of continue buying with no urge to purge
will indeed burden the mind unnecessarily well in to one's final hours of life.
The time to sell. imo is at every given moment.
So the opinion is,
don't hesitate to sell,
the moment a reasonably good offer is made...
good luck with wrestling between needs and wants :-)
 
I have two Mule Team 18s s110v I need to sell since shortly after I got them. But I can't bring myself to because it feels weird to do so and havent felt like doing it yet. Wasn't in a desperate need of the funds yet.

Almost went to this forum to see if anyone wanted to trade the buck 301 2018 forum knife for one but I managed to snag one off the bay so i don't feel the need to now.
 
I’m in the same boat. I know I need to move the majority of them, but every so often someone is looking for a knife I have. That’s when I know it’s time to sell one. Even though I’ve got more than I’ll ever need, don’t carry at least half of them, I still enjoy each one in my collection.
 
i dont sell them.
I will pass them on to someone who will hopefully use them - or I will keep them until I use them.

I also don't accumulate a lot. its not collecting for me - if i buy one, its generally for a specific purpose or to see if it is better than what I'm currently using. it its better it becomes my go to - if its not, it finds another use or sits until it finds new home.
 
I usually prefer to trade or pass along vs selling, but that said I try to keep a steady rotation of only about a dozen knives. I will completely rotate out knives that I know that I generally won't ever use. Some knives I keep and don't get around to using but its usually because it's one of my favorite knives and I just get a little bored with edc'ing the same awesome knife everyday. And very often as I tend to like the same stuff over and over again, I sometimes try out something very similar to one of my perfect knives and find that they just don't quite fit my edc.

Recently I picked up a carbon fiber leek, it was a really handsome knife, great steel, fits great in hand, great in pocket. With this in mind, I have sold or traded every carbon fiber knife that I have ever owned. Somehow I feel that cf belongs more on my car's airdam than it does on a knife handle. So it ended getting sent nib to a forum member.
 
I'm in this boat right now. I have at least 5 that I very rarely even take out of the safe to fondle. There is even a WTB add on one of the forums for one of them... and yet I just cant seem to get myself to sell.

I always contemplate future-me might want them, my kids can have them, but one thing that really makes me pump the brakes when I'm in sale mode is ease of replacement: if I sold it and felt the remorse how easy would it be to get a comparable one back?

Answer: next to impossible as they are no longer made in this particular configuration. New models have updates I don't care for...so that's it... they stay.
 
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