Is it worth it to buy without papers?

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bearlyme86

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Feb 11, 2010
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Hey there, I have come across a small benza for sale but it is without papers and costs $280. Will it severely inhibit any resale value not having the original papers and box? Should I be concerned otherwise?

Thanks,

Jason
 
Buy it to use and enjoy don't worry about resale.

If you are worried about resale condition is more important to me personally than some paper. The knife has the date code on it if anyone really needs to know. Obviously YMMV
 
bearlyme86 said:
Hey there, I have come across a small benza for sale but it is without papers and costs $280. Will it severely inhibit any resale value not having the original papers and box? Should I be concerned otherwise?

Thanks,

Jason
Click to expand...

If you don't have birthday card, it won't be as easy to sell. If you're planning on just using the knife, it doesn't matter at all.
 
bearlyme86 said:
Hey there, I have come across a small benza for sale but it is without papers and costs $280. Will it severely inhibit any resale value not having the original papers and box? Should I be concerned otherwise?
Click to expand...
I don't think most people will care if it has a box or not, IF you decide to resell.
Sure, there are people who are WAY to picky and worry about this kind of thing, but as long as you have good pictures, I don't think a box will effect the price. In case you haven't guessed, the most important part in reselling or selling any knife is GOOD PICTURES.
Having said that......
Sebenzas really grow on you, so I wouldn't expect to resell it.
In fact, I wouldn't ever recommend anyone buying a knife with the intention to resell, investing in knives is pretty risky.
 
I just bought a Mnandi without box or papers and couldn't care less... didn't even ask about them, in fact. Pics weren't outstanding, but good enough to see it was in excellent condition, which all I care about.

If I went into a purchase with the intention of re-selling down the road, box and papers would be more important... for other potential buyers, not for myself. I always thought the papers were kinda gimmicky, and the stiff box (hey, no snickering, this is a family forum) is appreciated for shipping and storage, but you can find small rigid boxes anywhere. The tool is very practical, however. But the more I think about it, the more sense the birth certificate makes. I learned the hard way that it's absolutely important if you're trying to sell a Seb with older, coveted blade steel, such as BG-42 or ATS-34. In today's climate of distrust, deceit, forgery and fakery, alot of people tend to assume you're lying about things like that if you don't have official documentation as proof. I can also see the info. cards being useful for identifying wood inlays once the knife has been passed on from its original owner, as in the case of inheritances and the long lines of ownership Sebenzas and Mnandis seem to live through around the forums.

But if I had it my way, I would prefer CRK did away with the box, papers and tool, and instead passed on those cost savings to their customers.
 
If your a collector and plan to make it a safe queen, you might want the papers, but if you plan to EDC it, the papers are pretty much meaningless. I have many CRK without papers and it never mattered to me. I buy the CRK I like and look for a good price, papers or not.
 
Personnally, I keep the boxes and papers because I acknowledge how fickle I can be with knives over time. As much as I like them, there are only a couple I have with any real "emotional attachment that I would never trade/sell. The rest are just things, and I may see another "thing" in a month or two that I want to try out. Depending on my financial situation at the time, I may have to get rid of something to get something.

So, basically, while I don't keep safe queens, nothing is sacred and you never know what is around the corner. Also, from watching the aftermarket for awhile, it appears that knives with paperwork generally sell faster and at a little higher premium than those without. It can pay to keep them as a fallback just in case.
 
Jos got it right.

Tool, papers, and box account for less than a buck.

Not trying to start anything here, but there is a knife making company from San Marcos CA who ship their knives in a plastic baggie. Is the baggie worthy of my storage, No.

Just use the Mnandi and move on :D
 
I bought a Regular with a box and an allen wrench.I saw some pics and thats

all all I cared about. I bought it as a user and edc it often.:D
 
I agree with faster & slight premium. Right or wrong, a for-sale knife is "competing" with others that will have box & papers. Unless the knife has some attribute that makes it unique or highly sought after (BG-42 blade, early production, popular and hard to find graphic), the seller (which as Steve says could be today's buyer) is at least a little better off with the full OEM package.

DallasSTB said:
Personnally, I keep the boxes and papers because I acknowledge how fickle I can be with knives over time. As much as I like them, there are only a couple I have with any real "emotional attachment that I would never trade/sell. The rest are just things, and I may see another "thing" in a month or two that I want to try out. Depending on my financial situation at the time, I may have to get rid of something to get something.

So, basically, while I don't keep safe queens, nothing is sacred and you never know what is around the corner. Also, from watching the aftermarket for awhile, it appears that knives with paperwork generally sell faster and at a little higher premium than those without. It can pay to keep them as a fallback just in case.
Click to expand...
 
i like having the box/papers, but i save boxes for everything.

they may have little actual dollar value, but most people still want the original packaging. it absolutely helps with resale.

when selling or trading, every aspect of the knife matters. carry, usage, edge, age, and packaging are all factors in determining what price your knife will command.


as far as any concern the knife is a fake, that is probably not something to be to worried about. the packaging is further verification of authenticity, but ive yet to see a forgery that was not easy to spot.
 
RNST said:
Jos got it right.

Tool, papers, and box account for less than a buck.

Not trying to start anything here, but there is a knife making company from San Marcos CA who ship their knives in a plastic baggie. Is the baggie worthy of my storage, No.

Just use the Mnandi and move on :D
Click to expand...

I agree that it all costs CRK less than a buck, but making a Large Sebenza also costs them less than $380. See where I'm going with that? Material/production costs and retail prices are not in a 1:1 relationship.
 
Buy it. Keep it as long as you want and use it.. When you get tired of it, e-mail me, and I'll give you $250 for it.
 
I've carried a small Classic for about 4 years now. I use it. I use it hard. Not going to ever sell or trade it. Still glade I have the papers.
 
I have a large 21 and I have the papers and box. Mine is a user, and I won't ever sell it. I would buy one without a box anytime if it was a user. Since I oly bu users I would buy one without a box :thumbup:
 
It is, afterall, only my little 'ol opinion, BUT, some people will make a big production out of original packaging IF you should ever decide to resell. Chris Reeve knives, in particular, enjoys a well deserved reputation for many things, not the least of which is its' nomenclature and packaging. ESEE (formerly RAT Cutlery) ships it's product out in a clear plastic bag/sleeve. Their knives, however, are meant for the rough and tumble jungles of Peru (or suburbia for that matter). It's not that CR does'nt produce knives just as capable, but they also have a reputation for precision, customization and the overall finish of their products. They have the 'substance' down, so the packaging is tantamount to a pedigree. It's part of the image.
 
when i bought my Aviator all i kept was the b-day card...the knife is where the real money is. i dont really understand folks who worry about all the other crap
 
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