I Stole a Couple of Knives Today

C

Coonskinner

Joined
Mar 28, 2001
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A friend of mine owns a pawn shop, and had just traded for a box of knives. In going through them, I found a n old Schrade -Walden Stockman that had been used but didn't appear to have ever been sharpened. It had a nice patina and was in excellent shape.

Now comes the even better part. There was an old, vintage Marbles Expert in super good condition, used just enough to give it character. I asked him what he wanted for the two, and his reply was 15 bucks. Since he is a good friend I went ahead and gave him twenty. :)
 
You probably didn't want to turn this into a morality lesson, but let's do it anyway.

You don't want to take advantage of your friends, right?

But giving someone far less than you know something of value to be worth without informing that person of its value is taking advantage of the person, isn't it?:confused:

So, if I read the above information correctly, you're willing to put your friendship in jeopardy for the value of a couple of knives. I don't know about you, but my friendships are worth more than that.

Don't get me wrong -- if I'm a stranger walking into that same pawn shop, all bets are off. Let the buyer -- and the seller -- beware. But I won't do it to a friend.
 
You obviously got the better end of the deal. You can look at it this way: If your "friend" asked for $15.00 for the knives and you gave him $20.00, then that's that. To him, they were just knives and he offered them to you without concern as to their real value. Well, that happens all the time and I'm sure he won't loose sleep over them. Just think of what he probably gave the guy who pawned them.

On the otherhand, if you want to feel guilty about it.....:D
 
I guess I ought to clarify things a little bit. I let him know that the knives were worth more than the $20.00. Which he probably knew in the first place. It's pretty hard to get ahead of a pawnbroker anyway.

But Joe and I do favors back and forth for one another, and this was no big deal. I understand how the post made me sound like a crook.
 
While I agree that it was kind of "sneaky", it was a fair trade.

Your friend wanted $15 bucks for it and that's all it was worth to him. Heck he would have probably sold it to someone else for about the same.

So from a ethical perspective, it was questionable, but from an economics theory, you're happy and he's happy...but if you resell it for a lot more you owe that guy a nice lunch!

Besides, if you want to talk "highway robbery":
Hell, I've given knives away to friends and those cheap bastids give me back crap! I give away NIB CRKT knives, and get back homemade ashtrays made outta flour and water...and I don't even smoke! (Okay, slight exaggeration but not by much :( ). Well the free ride is over!
 
Let me try this again. I let him know the knives were worth more than the twenty spot. He knows I am into knives, and since he got the whole collection at a giveaway price, he let me have the two I wanted for what amounts to almost nothing.

I know that my original post made it sound as if I stuck it to a friend, but really, that wasn't the case.

I'm going to have to go in for guilt management counseling if this keeps up, or give the knives back .

Let me see...I think I'll opt for the counseling. :D
 
There should be absolutely no guilt involved. He knew the knives were worth more, but was happy with what he got for them.

By the way, my offer still stands.:D
 
I figured that was what you meant by your first post Coonskinner and my friends and I do the same for each other. We each have different interests and so when one or the other of us finds something else another would be interested we pick it up and pass it on...

A friend of mine is really into photography and I once found an old 8mm battery operated camera with film still in and some exposed at a large garage sale for $5. I happily gave it to him and he LOVED it! In fact, a few years later I heard him mention something about 'Zabrudder' or 'Zapruder' and I think it must have been the name of some exotic island as he was talking further about a lot of money and a long vacation! Haven't heard from him for awhile though?! ;)

I really did find a camera like that and with film exposed but he never said what was on it... Maybe I should check!

Shawn
 
A FAIR TRADE is when BOTH parties walk away HAPPY!!!!!!
nuff' said for me........wolf
 
Congrats on a GREAT find! I can't pass a garage sale because of the chance of lucking onto something like you did.
 
Oh how I love the Pawn Shops. I used to work at one for about 10 years of my life, right out of High School, and that really helped me add to my collection. Great deals, steals, and finds.
 
Thanks for the clarification, CS. I see now that there was a little more to the story than I originally read into it.

This reminded me of a knife I found a couple of years ago. We were visiting my wife's aunt shortly after her husband had passed away. In the course of the visit, the aunt mentioned that her husband collected knives. I mentioned my passion and she said she'd take me to the basement and let me pick any two from his collection. The collection was housed in an old cigar box and consisted of older pocketknives (mostly Imperials and Schrades from what I recall) and straight razors. I chose a couple, pretty much at random since I'm more into the fixed blades. But then I noticed an old hunting knive on top of a wicker basket full of screwdrivers (I mean FULL of screwdrivers -- there must have been a hundred). I examined the hunting knife but couldn't find any markings on it and it was pretty well-worn. On a hunch, I dug around in the basket and found, at the very bottom, a WWII German bootknife with screwdriver, leather punch, corkscrew and can opener in the handle. I took the bootknife and a straight razor home.

Subsequent research revealed that the knife was probably worth $400-$800. Since auntie had no idea of the value, I felt that I needed to tell her about it. But I thought about not telling her -- who wants to give up a great deal like that? In the end, I told her, she didn't ask for it back and it's still in my collection.
 
Friendship aside, if you are in business you should know what you are selling and what its worth. If he was happy taking $20 for the two knives, then it was a good deal. After all, for all we know he could have bought the whole box for less.

Erik
 
Nice catch.A freind once told me he found a "funny shaped"knife in his garage,since I'm into knives he gave it to me.A pre '64 Puma white Hunter.:) I said you know this has some value."Well your into knives keep it".To him it was an old knife,would have sold it for $5 at his garage sale.
 
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