Lets talk GEC!

JohnDF said:
I went through a period of "gathering" all the different patterns I could.
Not because i wanted to collect them all, but because I wanted to try them all.
Those that I liked a lot stuck around, and those that I didn't like went back down the road.
Through this trial and error process I found that I like Jacks the best and a size range of 3" to 3-3/4".
So now if a pattern comes out that fits that criteria, I'll try to get one. If not, I'll gladly let it pass on by.
I think a lot of new GEC customers go through this same process, some send the losers down the road, some become collectors.
The one exception to the above rule is I just had to have one of the new #33's. I'm not a Pen Knife fan but felt i wanted one for specific situations.
Also, when the Beer and Sausage knife was introduced, I thought I wanted one of those new and quirky knives. I soon came to my senses... Only Jacks!
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This is me. I'm still in the learning stages with GEC, and have purchased many knives just to try out different patterns and cover materials. Many have already moved on, and several more still will. But, I'm narrowing down what I like, and as future releases come I will already know whether I'm interested or not. As the hobby grows, more and more people are in this same boat. So, you have new folks that want to try everything, on top of the growing number of folks that want to get one of everything, driving up demand. I'm hoping that doing larger runs will make this easier, and will also alleviate some of the flipping mentality that seems so rampant. If supply more closely matches demand, there will not be as many FOMO folks paying silly prices on the auction site. (What amazes me is that I was just browsing that auction site last night for a little while to see what was there, and saw many knives listed for well over what they are still available for and in stock at some retailers (e.g. 86 tortoise).
 
RBB2 said:
This is me. I'm still in the learning stages with GEC, and have purchased many knives just to try out different patterns and cover materials. Many have already moved on, and several more still will. But, I'm narrowing down what I like, and as future releases come I will already know whether I'm interested or not. As the hobby grows, more and more people are in this same boat. So, you have new folks that want to try everything, on top of the growing number of folks that want to get one of everything, driving up demand. I'm hoping that doing larger runs will make this easier, and will also alleviate some of the flipping mentality that seems so rampant. If supply more closely matches demand, there will not be as many FOMO folks paying silly prices on the auction site. (What amazes me is that I was just browsing that auction site last night for a little while to see what was there, and saw many knives listed for well over what they are still available for and in stock at some retailers (e.g. 86 tortoise).
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Some dealers are flippers too. They may be towards the end of your list but be wary if dealers charging $226 for a 23 you can still get fir a hundred less.
 
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Collecting anything can be dangerous. You wouldn’t collect something if you didn’t love it, so it is quite easy to get in over your head. I have had to create the silliest rules to keep my hobby from getting out of control:

1. I have limited myself to 15 patterns which are my personal favorites.
2. Only one example of each of those patterns.
3. Only natural material handles.
4. No knives with pen blades.
5. When my Gerstner Cabinet fills up, it becomes one knife must be sold for every new one purchased! (But I can cram a lot of knives in there.)

Of course, I don’t always follow my own rules. When it comes to Barlows and Beer Scouts, the limits come off! I figure these will always be good investments. And now that they are getting around to a second run of some of my chosen patterns, I’ll allow myself two examples of those. I also reserve the right to change my rules at any time for any reason that suits me!

I have noticed lots of Barlows and Beer Scouts, as well as other highly sought after patterns, being sold on evil Bay now
that the prices are so high. The increased supply should slow down the price increases, but who knows?!

The thing I like best about collecting GEC’s is the ease of selling them here on the Exchange. It is hard to get hurt too bad with GEC knife purchases. I have taken a bath on a few customs and vintage Case knives.
 
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I noticed that GEC updated their cover photo with another 33 conductor but haven't made any updates to the photos in whats happening or the production schedule. Makes me feel like they have a trick up their sleeve. Could they be working on the last SFOs?
 
Leslie Tomville said:
I have noticed tons of Barlows and Beer Scouts being sold on evil Bay. I believe the high prices have enticed lots of people to sell. This should cause the prices to stop rising but who knows?!
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It will be a frigid day in a southerly place before I buy a GEC off of eBay. I will not pay the kind of prices that site commands and ultimately I much prefer to give my money to trusted members here than anywhere else.

For example, the knife below is one of my most prized. Not because it's a knife that I use with abandon but because of what it represents. It was one of the first knives that truly caught my eye when I first came to these forums and it's the knife that really drew me into the Porch. You might even call it somewhat of a "grail". I love the covers, the color, the thought that went behind its conception, and of course, the firm that constructed it. It took quite a lot of time, patience, and such in order to land this one and I was able to acquire it from an exceptional member of this forum and a stalwart contributor to the Porch. It is likely the most expensive piece in my collection but considering what current market value is, I did pretty darn well.

I guess my point is, if one wants a knife badly enough - patience, good friends, and being in the right place at the right time (pointedly here at BF), one can score the knives of their dreams and the celebration that we all can share in makes for an experience that simply cannot be replicated anywhere else.

79SWqVM.jpg
 
Well... the GEC scramble struck again. I swore a while back I would never participate again, but I decided there were a few things I liked about the specs of the 33 in stag, so I'd give it a try.

I've kept my phone on high notification since last Thursday, then sprinted to it every time I heard an alert to see if it was a notification.
This afternoon I had to help my daughter jump her car battery, while also on a conference call with work. Apparently I just missed the alert when it came in. By the time I realized and got to the site, there were only maybe 10 left... and by the time I got my info entered (one touch population from saved profile, mind you), the knife in my cart was gone.

Why do I waste so much energy trying to spend over a hundred bucks on something I don't know if I'll like, and I definitely don't need? Never again.
 
Pàdruig Pàdruig

Your post brings up a different topic: buying knives here on Blade Forums. I refuse to buy on evil Bay, but the Blade Forums Exchange has a host of problems of its own. Prices here have become almost as high as evil Bay. And, if someone chooses to be kind and sell a popular knife for a small profit, it is most likely to be purchased within nano seconds by a flipper. I have been unable
to buy any popular GEC knives on our Exchange for months now. Flippers must certainly monitor our Exchange constantly with their high speed internet and computers, because they are lightning fast.

So, although I understand the intention of your post, I am afraid that the Exchange is broken. I wish there was some way we could create a smaller platform limited to Porch regulars where we could sell knives to each other. I have considered creating a thread to hash out different ideas in that regard but have never gotten around to it. Maybe you, or someone else, might like to give it a go.

You are correct that,
sometimes, someone will become aware that you are interested in a particular knife and offer it to you privately. I have done that myself. Or, you could list a knife you desire in your signature line. But that is a slow and uncertain way to get a knife. ( To that point, would everyone PLEASE look at my signature line and offer me one of those knives at a fair price! )
 
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Pàdruig said:
It will be a frigid day in a southerly place before I buy a GEC off of eBay. I will not pay the kind of prices that site commands and ultimately I much prefer to give my money to trusted members here than anywhere else.

For example, the knife below is one of my most prized. Not because it's a knife that I use with abandon but because of what it represents. It was one of the first knives that truly caught my eye when I first came to these forums and it's the knife that really drew me into the Porch. You might even call it somewhat of a "grail". I love the covers, the color, the thought that went behind its conception, and of course, the firm that constructed it. It took quite a lot of time, patience, and such in order to land this one and I was able to acquire it from an exceptional member of this forum and a stalwart contributor to the Porch. It is likely the most expensive piece in my collection but considering what current market value is, I did pretty darn well.

I guess my point is, if one wants a knife badly enough - patience, good friends, and being in the right place at the right time (pointedly here at BF), one can score the knives of their dreams and the celebration that we all can share in makes for an experience that simply cannot be replicated anywhere else.

79SWqVM.jpg
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I like your attitude, Dylan!!:thumbsup:
And your choice of knives!!:D

I started to sell some knives on HERE, on BF, and some darn flipper was there in two seconds!!:eek: I didn't know his nature, but someone alerted me - too late!! I just sell to friends now!!:rolleyes:
 
Pàdruig said:
It will be a frigid day in a southerly place before I buy a GEC off of eBay. I will not pay the kind of prices that site commands and ultimately I much prefer to give my money to trusted members here than anywhere else.

For example, the knife below is one of my most prized. Not because it's a knife that I use with abandon but because of what it represents. It was one of the first knives that truly caught my eye when I first came to these forums and it's the knife that really drew me into the Porch. You might even call it somewhat of a "grail". I love the covers, the color, the thought that went behind its conception, and of course, the firm that constructed it. It took quite a lot of time, patience, and such in order to land this one and I was able to acquire it from an exceptional member of this forum and a stalwart contributor to the Porch. It is likely the most expensive piece in my collection but considering what current market value is, I did pretty darn well.

I guess my point is, if one wants a knife badly enough - patience, good friends, and being in the right place at the right time (pointedly here at BF), one can score the knives of their dreams and the celebration that we all can share in makes for an experience that simply cannot be replicated anywhere else.

79SWqVM.jpg
Click to expand...

that reminds me of the first GEC rendezvous I attended. I had mentioned to Charlie I was likely gonna miss the red soup bone that was on the bay because of the drive home. Was curious to see what the hubbub was all about as I was still pretty new to barlows. I had left the GEC Shop store with out a 15 which I thought there would be some since it was on their lists. Ended up leaving with a priceless souvenir from my first rendezvous from the man himself! @BigBiscuit eventually sold me his red soup bone just a bit before his passing. :( Now I mostly keep my collection to knives got from friends :thumbsup:. Flippers and scalpers have left me weary of the chase.
 
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Leslie Tomville said:
( To that point, would everyone PLEASE look at my signature line and offer me one of those knives at a fair price! )
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Looking at your list there, two of those three, the Zulu and the Beer Scout, are two of the most sought after GECs out there right now. I don't know what you consider a 'fair price' but I imagine it would mean somebody would have to sell you a knife at a price several hundred dollars below what they could get for it anyplace else. It is certainly possible that somebody sees your .sig and decides to do that but it is pretty unlikely.

I too would love a Zulu, I had two I had bought from KSF when they came out and foolishly sold both off for about what I paid for them. I have also quit looking to buy one because the prices have gotten so high I figure I might as well ask for somebody to sell me a Bose custom for 'a fair price' instead :P
 
Norcaldude Norcaldude , your imagination is wrong, as usual. “Fair” means fair to both the buyer and the seller. It means a price that is not a steal or a rip off, because a price too low is not fair to the seller and a price too high is not fair to the buyer. You have managed to miss the entire point of
this discussion which is wouldn’t it be nice to have a place to buy and sell knives among ourselves where the prices are reasonable for both parties? Where the emphasis is not on making the most possible profit. Where we can enjoy our hobby, because for most of us this is a hobby, not a business. A place other than evil Bay, home of the flippers, or the Exchange which has become a source of supply for the flippers.
 
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I just recently discovered GEC's and I was immediately hooked. Of course the ones i want are the ones being sold on ebay for outrageous prices. Are there any knives comparable in quality that are regularly available? Im considering getting a #15 bail and chain and removing the chain just to get my hands on one.
 
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I made it known that I was looking for a #63 Templar (at a good price) to complete my (and my son's) Templar Collection.
Norcaldude Norcaldude got a good deal on one and then passed that deal onto me. So, it does happen and there are good people here willing to help a fellow Porch Member. I'm very thankful. :cool::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

 
I was able to pick up a grail ebony Abilene but had to bid hard to get it off the bay. Although I don't regret the purchase I can't bring myself to actually use it as it's not replaceable. I take it out occasionally with full intention to make it a user, end up admiring it for a while then oiling it up and putting it back on the shelf.

I am almost to the point of backing down from collecting but I don't want to miss a future Abilene run if it ever comes.
 
Tx308 said:
I was able to pick up a grail ebony Abilene but had to bid hard to get it off the bay. Although I don't regret the purchase I can't bring myself to actually use it as it's not replaceable. I take it out occasionally with full intention to make it a user, end up admiring it for a while then oiling it up and putting it back on the shelf.

I am almost to the point of backing down from collecting but I don't want to miss a future Abilene run if it ever comes.
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Let's see some pictures of it a least!
 
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