Les Robertson
BANNED
- Joined
- Oct 10, 1998
- Messages
- 3,565
Hi,
My name is Les Robertson and Im a dealer. This is where all you other dealers say "Hi Les".
There seems to be some "nasty" insinuations both in this forum and others. That if a collector only collects and never sells or trades they are the only true collectors.
My experience 18 years of experience in customs knives has shown me that if you have not sold or traded a knife as a collector, you are among the minority.
I became a custom knife dealer to support my custom knife habit. I was not out to make a profit. I meerly wanted to re-cycle my money and get some new knives. There were times I would make a cool $25 off a knife, but that didn't even cover business cards.
This fourm and others have opened up a whole new world to knife collectors. These forums allow the exchange of knives, the selling of knives and the buying of knives. At a level never heard of before.
The main object of desire in the other thread is Jack Alvarez, AKA Jaxurman.
I have known Jack for probably 10 years. There was a time some years ago that Jack was what I would call a Quasi-dealer. Mostly he was a dealer not to make money, but because he loved knives and enjoyed the action of buying and selling. Over the years he bought several knives from me (as well as other dealers). There was no "Dealer Discount" offered Jack.
However, times change and I grant you Jack does post a lot of knives for sale. However, he is not alone. There are several who have a lot of knives, list them here and either try to trade or sell them. Most of the money from these sales goes to buying other knives.
It used to be standard practice at knife shows not to let customers bring in knives for the purpose of selling them inside the show. The promotors and some table holders viewed this as "competition".
Dealers, for the most part never viewed these collectors as "competition". Matter of fact we were among the minoirty who encouraged our clients to bring knives to the show to sell or trade. Why would we do this....because we are dealers!
What many promoters and and makers failed to realize is that most of the money gotten from the sales of these knives was then spent at that same show. The same happens here. It would appear that Spark understands this concept. His guidelines appear to have worked, as it appears that many who were using this site as their "web site" have gone.
Jack and I have done several trades over the last few months. Jack is not a dealer. He has not bought a knife outright from me, nor have I bought a knife outright from him. It has always been in the form of a trade. Trades are done as they are beneficial to me as it gives me new inventory. They are benefical to Jack, as they let him rotate the pieces in his collection.
Just because someone has a large collection, this does not make them a dealer.
In my opinion, knife dealers are those who do this as their primary means of income or to supplement their income. They generally have a web site, attend shows and advertise in different magazines. Jack does none of these. Further, they have a business license and/or business cards in order to show a maker or a company they are a business so they can ask for a dealer discount.
Most of the "real" dealers have Federal Employer Identification (FEI) numbers, which you get from the IRS. For the makers reading this, you want to ferret out the "wanna be dealers", ask them for the FEI.
Is Jack a dealer? No more than the others who post more than a couple knives a week or month on this forum.
More importantly, Jack is not a dealer because at this point Spark says so.
Many of my clients buy/sell/trade knives on this forum and other forums. Sometimes for less money than I sell them for. I do not view them as dealers or competitors. I view them as collectors who are exercising their freedom of choice to sell or trade a knife at a price they determine.
My name is Les Robertson and Im a dealer. This is where all you other dealers say "Hi Les".
There seems to be some "nasty" insinuations both in this forum and others. That if a collector only collects and never sells or trades they are the only true collectors.
My experience 18 years of experience in customs knives has shown me that if you have not sold or traded a knife as a collector, you are among the minority.
I became a custom knife dealer to support my custom knife habit. I was not out to make a profit. I meerly wanted to re-cycle my money and get some new knives. There were times I would make a cool $25 off a knife, but that didn't even cover business cards.
This fourm and others have opened up a whole new world to knife collectors. These forums allow the exchange of knives, the selling of knives and the buying of knives. At a level never heard of before.
The main object of desire in the other thread is Jack Alvarez, AKA Jaxurman.
I have known Jack for probably 10 years. There was a time some years ago that Jack was what I would call a Quasi-dealer. Mostly he was a dealer not to make money, but because he loved knives and enjoyed the action of buying and selling. Over the years he bought several knives from me (as well as other dealers). There was no "Dealer Discount" offered Jack.
However, times change and I grant you Jack does post a lot of knives for sale. However, he is not alone. There are several who have a lot of knives, list them here and either try to trade or sell them. Most of the money from these sales goes to buying other knives.
It used to be standard practice at knife shows not to let customers bring in knives for the purpose of selling them inside the show. The promotors and some table holders viewed this as "competition".
Dealers, for the most part never viewed these collectors as "competition". Matter of fact we were among the minoirty who encouraged our clients to bring knives to the show to sell or trade. Why would we do this....because we are dealers!
What many promoters and and makers failed to realize is that most of the money gotten from the sales of these knives was then spent at that same show. The same happens here. It would appear that Spark understands this concept. His guidelines appear to have worked, as it appears that many who were using this site as their "web site" have gone.
Jack and I have done several trades over the last few months. Jack is not a dealer. He has not bought a knife outright from me, nor have I bought a knife outright from him. It has always been in the form of a trade. Trades are done as they are beneficial to me as it gives me new inventory. They are benefical to Jack, as they let him rotate the pieces in his collection.
Just because someone has a large collection, this does not make them a dealer.
In my opinion, knife dealers are those who do this as their primary means of income or to supplement their income. They generally have a web site, attend shows and advertise in different magazines. Jack does none of these. Further, they have a business license and/or business cards in order to show a maker or a company they are a business so they can ask for a dealer discount.
Most of the "real" dealers have Federal Employer Identification (FEI) numbers, which you get from the IRS. For the makers reading this, you want to ferret out the "wanna be dealers", ask them for the FEI.
Is Jack a dealer? No more than the others who post more than a couple knives a week or month on this forum.
More importantly, Jack is not a dealer because at this point Spark says so.
Many of my clients buy/sell/trade knives on this forum and other forums. Sometimes for less money than I sell them for. I do not view them as dealers or competitors. I view them as collectors who are exercising their freedom of choice to sell or trade a knife at a price they determine.
