Is it just me.....

dredd8

dredd8

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Aug 8, 2003
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I am gonna prove myself to be a dumbass w/ this post but....

Is it just me or does it seems like everyone is selling and no one is buying custom knives lately? I know the economy is not at it's finest moment right now but Wow!! I browse through webpages daily and I have noticed so many knives selling (or not selling at all) listed at rock bottom prices.

I have a few pieces coming in this month that I am saving up my dollars for otherwise I would be scooping up 75% of what I see out there.

My question is, What's different, what has changed that his this market, among others, doing so poorly?
 
I've noticed that too. I like to look at knives I can't afford, but at times I see knives I'd love to have and think man, that's a good price. I've also seen knives get listed and think to myself that it will sell immediately. Then it sits for days on end. It boggles my mind as well.
 
Iv'e noticed quite a few for sale but my experience has been the vast majority have been way overpriced... i think more than anything that's why their not selling.
 
This is just from my perspective but for me sales are fine. I entered the market a couple of years ago and the a economy was probably worse then. I don't have anything to compare to personally, but I know other makers who are doing good as well. I believe one mastersmith said his high-end market was never better. His low-end market had taken a hit though. Perhaps it's a shift in what is selling. Maybe someone more knowledgeable can offer an insight.
 
I can tell you that business in the high-end custom knife scene is doing well by the amount of time on waiting lists.
 
sechip said:
Iv'e noticed quite a few for sale but my experience has been the vast majority have been way overpriced... i think more than anything that's why their not selling.
Click to expand...

I need to clarify my previous post, i was talking about custom folders on the secondary market.
 
I guess I do not understand this thread. On so many levels.

For example . . . how can everyone be selling when no one is buying? You can't be selling unless someone else be buying.

Also, can you give us an example of what knives you are talking about? There are a lot of makers' knives that I would like to be buying , , , for example, Jürgen Steinau, Tim Hancock, Jim Schmidt. Where can I find all of these sellers? TIA!
 
I find both primary and secondary markets healthy for the mid to upper price range knives.
There's always some knives that seem to linger on the market, however there's usually a reason.
Desirable knives offered at reasonable prices will usually sell.
 
To clarify a little, I was talking about on the open market, not sales directly from the maker.

After reading every ones comments I take that it is just "depending on what you like".....I see in the style/maker category that I usually buy and sell, it has been very slow.

And, The Virginian, your comment, "You can't be selling unless someone else be buying." I see lots of knives for sale on plenty of sites that are FOR SALE and no one is BUYING them.

Anyway, thanks everyone for making things a little clearer.
 
Even with the recent economy there has continued to be a good market for custom knives. That is not to say that all styles & all price ranges have sold well. I'm convinced that in order to maintain good sales you must know the market & provide a product that fits into it. Over the past few years I have had to change my product significantly in order to stay with the market and have seen a steady increase in annual sales. ;)Just part of being self employed.

Gary
 
dredd8 said:
To clarify a little, I was talking about on the open market, not sales directly from the maker.

After reading every ones comments I take that it is just "depending on what you like".....I see in the style/maker category that I usually buy and sell, it has been very slow.

And, The Virginian, your comment, "You can't be selling unless someone else be buying." I see lots of knives for sale on plenty of sites that are FOR SALE and no one is BUYING them.

Anyway, thanks everyone for making things a little clearer.
Click to expand...

Thanks for clarifying. I guess what you meant is that everyone is trying to sell - not that "everyone is selling."

I think it depends almost entirely on what knives you are talking about (which I still don't know what type of knives those are) and what you consider to be, as you say, "rock bottom prices."

But in the end, no matter the knife, it all comes down to price and demand. If a knife is offered for sale but not selling after an extended period, then clearly there is no demand at that price. To sell, price must go down. Maybe "rock bottom" is not rock bottom after all. After all, true rock bottom is zero. As a seller approaches zero, sales happen. If you are seeing a lot of knives being offered for sale with no takers, then clearly the asking prices are just too high. They need to move closer to zero.
 
The Virginian: ^^^ And there it is!

Ex: I posted a cellphone and an iPad at the same time last week. The mini iPad @ $250 went in 30 mins. The cell phone with spare battery and charger station hasn't gotten a nibble @ $75 for a week.

I'm going to either keep it or learn what the REAL value is. It may be approaching absolute zero.... ;)

Coop
 
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