I'm starting to wonder... professional knife flippers?

HappyDaddy said:
If I buy a knife legally, I can sell it to a willing buyer at an agreed upon price. It's no one else's business.
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Yes but it still leaves a bad feeling with those that want to buy the knives because they want them when they see obvious flippers who just clog up the order books with the sole intent of flipping. And when it is instant turn over it is even worse. Paying the ridiculous flipper mark up because you can't get in the initial buy is frustrating.
 
Scurvy092 said:
If they did it regularly, they'd be dealers. There are plenty of dealers who roll into a knife show with a large posse so they can get in a lottery several times and then immediately post all your wins on your website with a hefty markup.

I don't mind paying a small premium over table price if the piece is really hard to find but certainly not 50% more. Just as little something for the time and effort of going to the show and securing the piece.

But if you go on a website (true north knives for example) and but a knife (shirogorov mod 95 for example) only to post out on the exchange 2hrs after you receive it for $200 more than what you paid, then no way.

Being on someone's lousy or picking something up at a show is completely different than just buying stuff off a website because anybody can do that. There's no added time and effort I am willing to pay you a premium for.
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I think I know which Shirogorov you are referring to. Funny to cover up the dollar amount on a receipt in a post when the price shows up plain as day on the TNK website! No names named!
 
I know a guy who collects knives, both custom and production, but does also "flip" knives, though at the level he does it, it really is more like stock trading. I don't know that he's ever flipped a production knife as he is fond of carrying those daily. But I do know that he has bought and sold, largely through a broker, a lot of very rare custom knives and that he makes a lot of money doing it. He's retired from his career, but he makes enough buying/selling knives to make a comfortable living. So the short answer would be yes, there are people that do it and can make a living doing it.
 
ceptor781 said:
Yes but it still leaves a bad feeling with those that want to buy the knives because they want them when they see obvious flippers who just clog up the order books with the sole intent of flipping. And when it is instant turn over it is even worse. Paying the ridiculous flipper mark up because you can't get in the initial buy is frustrating.
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I get that. There are lots of things I would like to buy (knives included) that I choose not to buy because the price is higher than I'm willing to pay. My point is that I don't begrudge anyone making a profit on the sale of anything they own. People are buying the knives that the "flippers" are selling. You could be one of them, if you're willing to pay the price that's being asked. I'm not - but I have no issue with the practice.
 
The price inflation of knives exists due to the fact people pay the prices. If people did not pay the inflated prices they would not exist in the first place. I have bought and sold knives not for the purspose of profit but to get into another knife that interests me. If you want it bad enough trust me you'll pay for it. I can't see myself waiting 2-3 years for a knife to be made and finally receive it to decide its not for me. I simply cannot afford to have thousands of dollars in knives sitting in my safe. Hence why it seems people are "flipping knives". It simply is not always the case. In reality most of us have to offload knives in order to get into a more expensive one.
 
When I was younger, I was into comic books, action figures, and Hot Wheels. I was also a receiving manager for a BigBoxStore in those days. Our store, and other stores in the area I lived eventually created and enforced rules to stop all the scalpers who would show up first thing in the AM to try and grab up all the rare collectible figures or cars. These scumbags would rip open boxes right there in the store, or push stacked pallets over just to get to boxes. It was very gratifying when we started banning these people from our store. Sadly, this situation is what you find anywhere there are rare, low numbers of whatever made, and a large number of people who want that item. There will always be bottomfeeders who buy up all the items, to sell at a huge markup to people who want them. Is what it is.
 
True sir, Or it could be simple supply and demand? I would love to purchase knives at maker prices or table, but things aren't going to change unless people stop paying the inflated prices. If we agree to stop paying the prices someone will swoop in above us and snatch these knives up. If you want it bad enough you pay and if not someone else surely will.
 
RecalcitrantAmerican said:
True sir, Or it could be simple supply and demand? I would love to purchase knives at maker prices or table, but things aren't going to change unless people stop paying the inflated prices. If we agree to stop paying the prices someone will swoop in above us and snatch these knives up. If you want it bad enough you pay and if not someone else surely will.
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That will never happen. Ever. There are entirely too many people with a high level of discretionary income who have no problem with buying something they want, no matter what it costs. Also, don't mistake my comment as jealousy or condemnation of those types of folks, because I AM one of those. But, my point is, there'll always be people who understand that money is just a tool to get what they want, and if you want one of something where they only made so many, you're going to pay what the guy who has it asks. If there's only 500 of some special something made, they're going to pay up. Or, conversely, if they want a knife that's got a four year wait list (like a Randall), they'll buy one from Ebay or another seller if they want one Now.

It's sort of like the ammo shortage we faced a couple years back. Everyone was posting up on gun boards everywhere "OMG STOP PANIC BUYING!!!! YOU'RE THE REASON WHY THERE'S NO AMMO ANYWHERE OMG!!!" knowing full well that they themselves were buying every box of .22lr they could find. So, what they really meant when they were saying it was "Stop buying all the ammo, so I can buy it all!"

Is what it is.
 
The danger to those paying the over inflated secondary market is if the popularity of the brand/model dies, they get caught with a $400-500 knife they paid $1200-2000 for.
 
I'm glad I'm only a social collector, you addicts are nuts. I shalt not covet another mans goods , unless its in my budget.
 
Kowan said:
The danger to those paying the over inflated secondary market is if the popularity of the brand/model dies, they get caught with a $400-500 knife they paid $1200-2000 for.
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same could happen with the dollar you have saved in the bank. I'd rather have something useful , than a piece of worthless paper.

I wish everyone as long as they have considered their own self preservation would spend every dime they have. It would lift a lot of boats and build a lot more.
 
1Hiker2 said:
I was hoping this thread was about flipping your folder open. Fastest flip, most flips per minute, flipping until your finger bleeds, most inappropriate flip, etc.
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I was hoping it was about professional balisong flippers.
@ the OP, Just as much fault falls on the people that pay the inflated price. It is the desire for instant gratification that fuels this activity. This has been going on in the knife world as long as there have been wait lists.
 
Murindo said:
Capitalism and the free market. It's the American way. Buying is your choice.
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Well that depends on how you see it. When rare knives that usually get sold out within minutes of being posted up on vendor's websites are being bought by people with the sole intention of instantly putting it up for sale at a profit.... they are taking away MY chances of buying the knife at a reasonable price.

You are right about it being my choice though. Even though I can afford the $200-300 mark up, I refuse to buy the knife from people like that just on principles. If a person bought a knife and didn't like it, and they know the market commands a higher price, that's fine. But what infuriates me are the people who camp on these sites just so they can buy a knife to flip it and make a profit.
 
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