Knife Show Prices vs. Custom Knife Dealer Prices

Let me just say when I sell a knife from a maker, if I am selling for the maker it is at the price they are asking for it. And I too have seen makers at the end of shows who don't want to drag their knives home with them giving good discounts.

Larry, as for your comment abut dealers being a blight, well if it weren't for dealers, your knives and the knives of other makers would not be as widespread as they are. We are not blights, rather persons who help facilitate people to see and buy your knives on the secondary market. I guess you have never had a knife with a dealer or don't wish to. Also it is a free country and I can make my living as best I can, as long as it is not illegal. I'm glad I learned of your hatred for dealers, even though you don't know me, haven't met me or even been to my site. I guess the 2500-3000 people who visit my site monthly wouldn't be interested in your stuff, or want to go to your website after looking at your knives that I have posted at my site, IF I had any posted at my site (which now looks like I won't).

Man it's good to learn these things early.

Thanks again for the eyeopener Larry ;-)



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Peace

Paul
Custom Knife Purveyor
Circle P Knives
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by rdangerer:
... I have haggled with the dealers at the shows near closing time with good success ...</font>
Click to expand...

... but Les Robertson is not one of them.

wink.gif


 
Gentlemen, gentlemen, we must treat others with respect here.

Although I do not sell through dealers I believe that they have a place in the grand scheme of things. That place is distributing product for makers who, for some reason or another, cannot or will not sell the product themselves.

The only downside of working with a dealer is living with the dealers margin which can be as high as 40%. This means either working 40% harder for the same return or jacking up your prices by 40%. The arguement that dealers increase your sales to a point that you can afford the margin doesn't wash, at least with me. It takes the same amount of time to make a knife when I am making one of them or when I am making a dozen of them. Economy of scale is not an option for most makers where labour is considered.

Now play nice.



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george
www.tichbourneknives.com
sales@tichbourneknives.com


 
George,

please don't lump me in with the up to 40% dealers. Not to say you are. Still I wish not to be painted with the broad "Dealers do this" paintbrush. I ask 10% only after the knife sells, I too don't believe a dealer should take too much from a maker as it is the maker's work and skill and art they are selling.

I m trying to be civil, but Larry hit a wrong chord with me, esp. as he knows nothing of me. I would chllenge him to send me an email, look at my website and find out about me as a person before generalizing, ALL dealers . . .

Well larry? Up to the challenge?

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Peace

Paul
Custom Knife Purveyor
Circle P Knives
 
This is not the place for any type of challenges (see whine and cheese) or questioning of business practices (see Good Bad and Ugly).

As George said, respect is the key here.

Play nice guys.

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" The real art of living is to keep alive the longing in human beings to become greater versions of themselves." Laurens Van der Post in memory of James Mattis
 
As I knew instinctively that Larry was having us on, my first post was tongue in cheek. The second post I will admit was a tad bit over the line, and I would like to apologize to the persons who have sent me emails "apprising" of the situation. It's really not that serious, I'm REALLY not offended at all. Man, Larry can say that inflammatory statement and I was just trying to bait him, guess I'll not do so from now on.

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Peace

Paul
Custom Knife Purveyor
Circle P Knives
 
Guys,

Relax, Larry was just trying to pull my chain. He got me the first time TKCL with this same ploy.

It's a good thing too. Im still trying to find out why Jerry asked me if I was married.

Perhaps Jerry marches to the beat of a different drummer...Not that there is anything wrong with that!



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Les Robertson
www.robertsoncustomcutlery.com
Custom Knife Entrepreneur
 
Doh!

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"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."
George Orwell
<A HREF="http://www.doggettcustomknives.com" TARGET=_blank>
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</A><A HREF="http://www.customknifedirectory.com" TARGET=_blank>
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Originally posted by Les Robertson:
Guys,

Relax, Larry was just trying to pull my chain. He got me the first time TKCL with this same ploy.

It's a good thing too. Im still trying to find out why Jerry asked me if I was married.

Perhaps Jerry marches to the beat of a different drummer...Not that there is anything wrong with that!

i,ve got chat capabilities on my web sight now
how bout a live chat some time
its open all the time but i need to decide on a set time for everyone to have an unmoderated chat
mokume jigged bone
harley
www.lonesomepineknives.com



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Click to expand...
 
Sorry if I gave the wrong impression, not all dealers demand a 40% margin. Most dealers make do on less and it is these dealers that I would work with if I could not handle my own sales. As it is I am able to sell everything that I make directly to the customer. This is one way that I can keep my selling prices down and still put out a quality product.


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george
www.tichbourneknives.com
sales@tichbourneknives.com


 
I usually go to the maker directly to get exactly what I want, it is a "custom knife" I am seeking after all! Probably have little to room to negotiate with a maker if he keeps busy or has a long wait and quite honestly I have never tried.

With custom knife retailers its just like anything else in life, if business is good they are not going to deal, if not anything is possible. Ask the car dealers. Being polite, courteous, and reasonable is essential.

One interesting phenomenon I've noted though is certain makers with very long waits (or not taking orders at all) producing limited runs for various dealers and/ or giving them accelerated delivery (over everyone else). While certainly it is their own perogative to do so, I'm curious as to why they would give the dealer a cut when they are booked up already? This is not slam on dealers or makers as they have every right to enter into any agreement they want to. The dealer gets an obvious benefit (a sale), what's in it for the maker? (if he's booked up he already has a "sale")


curious dan
 
Hi Dan,

Makers (even ones with long delivery times) work with dealers mostly as an alternative method of advertising.

For instance, last year I got 15 of my Vanguard knives in different knife publications. As well as two articles on these knives.

This was all additional advertising for every one of those makers. This was a form of advertising that cost the knife maker nothing! Each of them have received additional retail orders for knvies, they may not have gotten because of the favorable press their contribution to the Vanguard knife series.

Also, you have to take into account longevity. I can't speak for other dealers. But a large part of the reason I can get knives quicker than you is due to an exteneded business relationship.

In some cases, I have to wait just like you. When I placed my first order with Al Polkowski (as an example) It was about 14 months before I got my first knife. Of course the order I placed was for $10,000 worth of knives.

As those knives were made, I would re-order. Consequently, after several years I now get knives on a regular basis from Al.

Another reason I get knives quicker and at a discount is thatI was buying knives from a lot of these makers when they didn't have a waiting list.

For most knife makers it takes about 10 years to become an overnight sensation. With the competition getting better and growing in numbers every day.

Todays custom knife maker has to explore every avenue available to them to get their knives into the hands of as many people as possible.

Dealers who buy 5 or in some cases 25 at a time. Enable makers to do this with more efficiency.



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Les Robertson
www.robertsoncustomcutlery.com
Custom Knife Entrepreneur
 
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