How should Collector Knives sell GEC SFO's

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knifeswapper knifeswapper Mike, thanks for clarifying what you are trying to accomplish.

In the end, I’m going to participate no matter what the system and I hope that I can get one or two of these knives.

I would much rather be discussing this problem than quality control issues or cutlery companies going out of business.
 
Take half of the knives you get, do the lottery. Take the other half and give your loyal customers an opportunity to get one by invitation only.
That way, you'll have the potential new customer who'll become a loyal customer have a chance and your loyal customers won't have to struggle to get one. It's just a thought.
 
Ajack60 said:
Take half of the knives you get, do the lottery. Take the other half and give your loyal customers an opportunity to get one by invitation only.
That way, you'll have the potential new customer who'll become a loyal customer have a chance and your loyal customers won't have to struggle to get one. It's just a thought.
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Extremely solid and fair minded suggestion...well said!
 
I absolutely commend Mr. Latham in trying to be as fair as possible and I'm genuinely glad it seems he's found a system that satisfies himself and a lot of customers based on the responses in this thread.

I have to selfishly admit to being disappointed that the first time I actually will be able to get online when the early reserve opens, it won't do me any good at all. The company I work for blocks all knife websites and I don't have a smart phone, so I've never been able to get in on any limited edition sale that's done on a first come, first served basis. For the first time ever, that's not a limiting factor so I have to selfishly admit being disappointed that the method of sale is being changed. Now, instead of just having to compete with those able to get online at moment of drop, I have to compete with absolutely everyone who wants one, and that makes me feel defeated enough to almost not want to try. I don't like games of chance. I don't like gambling and I don't play the lottery. It's one thing to try and fail because someone else is faster; but I don't like losing randomly. I also totally realize that that's my hang up alone and not relevant to most folks. Sorry. I'm just trying to verbalize, so to speak, my thought process regarding this to add my unsolicited 2 cents to the feedback pile even though I know my issues don't apply to most.

The other much more minor problem I have with the lottery method is my lack of a smart phone. I can get the text messages, but then I have to go to a computer and type in the url manually, which isn't that big of a deal except when it's difficult to figure out the letters in the URL. In the example below, the letters that look like lower case L's are actually upper case I's. As long as there's not a short time limit on entering, though, I can keep guessing until I get it right. I was able to get an entry in on that round, but I suspect I came pretty close to missing the 10 minute deadline.

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Please don't jump on me for admitting that I'm not in favor of this method. It's obviously not my call and again, I give mad props to a dealer who is actually trying to do the right thing, and this isn't meant to be a criticism of him or the folks in favor of the lottery method. I sincerely wish good luck to everyone entering. At the end of the day, as others have said, it's just a knife and I have plenty of others. :)
 
AlwaysTomboy said:
The other much more minor problem I have with the lottery method is my lack of a smart phone. I can get the text messages, but then I have to go to a computer and type in the url manually, which isn't that big of a deal except when it's difficult to figure out the letters in the URL.
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My situation is exactly the same. My flip-style cell phone is provided by my employer and is 100% paid for. I never even see a bill nor did I have to buy the phone itself. For obvious reasons, I don't own a smart phone.

I get the texts too but my employer has internet access blocked on my phone so I have to use the nearest desktop and type in the URL.

I agree with your comments, AlwaysTomboy. If I miss out on something I wanted I'll live with that because I really don't need any more knives anyway. I'm just happy to see that Mike is doing everything he can to come up with the best plan.
 
The notification system has allowances for SMS, email, or an app. That is all it has ever had. Now you will have an hour to register as opposed to a few minutes. Not really understanding how this is causing new hardships. "Remind" shortens the url's automatically - I will check to see if there is a bypass for that.
 
The way I usually handle the early reserve texts is that once I receive a text message reminder, I go to my computer and log onto the early reserve page on the collector knives website and select my early reserve option that way. Will we be able to enter the lottery through the early reserve page? Or must we use the shortened url in the text message? Typing the url manually isn't a major hardship, but it is an added step that I haven't had to do previously. It's very possible I don't understand the specifics of how the lottery works.
 
Buzzbait said:
I admit that I’m pretty bummed about the thought of a knife lottery. The concept runs contrary to all the things I hold true. I watch the forums. I sign up for alerts. I prepare my computer for the fastest possible checkout. I study to make sure that I know exactly what I’m ordering. I keep myself available when the early reserve is about to drop.

I’m not a rich person. I just work a county job. So I can’t compete with many of the traditional collectors on the auction site. I have to give up something in my life in order to afford every knife.i I have to use my wits and the tools I have at hand to increase my odds of success.

Now I’m forced to compete with a far larger crowd of people, including every lazy guy who finally gets around to signing up for the lottery, hours or days later. Planning, hard work and vigilance, the traits that my father taught me were of value in life, now have no value under a lottery method. It’s quite sad really, that we have to compromise our beliefs in order to be “fair”.
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You hit the nail on the head.
I am not interested enough generally speaking in doing the legwork to get these, or any of the super popular 15's and 77's etc from anyone for that matter, to keep or to flip.
But a lottery? Sure why not?
Maybe I get lucky and get a knife (or two, or three) that I can make a bunch of money on or trade for way more value than I paid for it. How can I lose?
I'd think this is a big reason why most people say they prefer a lottery.

So speaking as someone not currently chasing these knives, a lottery might make me reconsider.
Just not for reasons most people who have been chasing these knives all allong would probably appreciate.
 
FLymon said:
You hit the nail on the head.
I am not interested enough generally speaking in doing the legwork to get these, or any of the super popular 15's and 77's etc from anyone for that matter, to keep or to flip.
But a lottery? Sure why not?
Maybe I get lucky and get a knife (or two, or three) that I can make a bunch of money on or trade for way more value than I paid for it. How can I lose?
I'd think this is a big reason why most people say they prefer a lottery.

So speaking as someone not currently chasing these knives, a lottery might make me reconsider.
Just not for reasons most people who have been chasing these knives all allong would probably appreciate.
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Spot on.
 
In the past year I have purchased quite a few knives from CK. Mike has received the majority of my business and the main reason for that, at least initially, was due to his early reserve system. The knives I most desire are the Northfield barlows. I possess a grand total of ZERO. I have never been quick enough to secure one on the exchange. That being said, I am not in favor of a lottery. If the opportunity to reserve one is gone in 3 minutes and I am not quick enough, so be it. When the day finally arrives that I am able to secure one it will be that much sweeter. As others have said..... first world problem.
 
really? It's the old adage, win some, lose some...

Like the two little girls who are promised a pony for Christmas searching for it in a room full of horse crap - girl 1, there's nothing in this room but crap. girl 2, I know there's a pony in here somewhere.

In time, I'll get one of those coveted #77s...
 
I may have missed this in this thread somewhere (or perhaps it hasn't been discussed yet), but I'm curious how choosing which handle option(s) you would like to try and pick up will work with the lottery? Will there be a separate drawing for each variant?
 
That has been the discussion all along in this thread, so I see no reason to modify it at this point.
 
btb01 said:
Will there be a separate drawing for each variant?
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I think that is is one of the necessary but weak spots of the lottery design. It’s needed because people want to buy specific cover materials.

But at the same time, this is going to massively inflate the number of responses, from people who don’t even really want the knives. For instance, say that a run of 77 Barlows is being run in 4 different cover materials, and I only want the ebony. What do I do to ensure that I’ll get an ebony? I enter the lottery for all 4 cover options, so that if I don’t get an ebony, maybe I’ll get one of the other cover options, that I can flip for an ebony.

What we’ll end up with is a huge free for all on the sales forum, of people trying to unload their 77’s in order to get the cover option they wanted. In essence, nothing will have changed. It’ll be the same old lolly scramble as before. The slow will still get edged out. People will still bitch and feel cheated. It’ll just take another whole step for it to happen, making it even more frustrating for buyers.

Even worse, maybe I’ll sell the sawcut bone that I won and don’t want on auction for twice the price, and then use half the money to buy an ebony here in Bladeforums, and pocket the rest.

If you carry the lottery idea through to its logical conclusion, there’s no way for it to end but in even more misery. There will just be a thread now on every lottery knife, with mods pulling their hair out, as people announce what they won and don’t want, in hopes of making a PM deal with a person who has the opposite problem. Or even worse, crazy 3 and 4 way deals for groups of people to get what they want, that ultimately go sour for one reason or another.
 
Got the red sawcut notification, entered my email address, and got the submission confirmation. Smooth process; took only a couple minutes (since I read the page). :thumbsup:
 
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