Limited Edition/Exclusives Knives losing their importance?

[Gideons]

I think this thread may be getting a little off-topic. For me, I was referring to is anything actually ever discontinued? If so, does this make you want to stock up on LE's less or do you still not wanting to take that risk and miss out the knives buy them & extras?

 

[Yonose]

I doubt, but sincerely hope, that some LE’s or sprint runs will come back, even if they sold out so fast I was unable to order! Take spyderco’s Millie in cru-wear; I don’t think that’ll be coming back, not just because of the impending release of the military 2. Off topic, I don’t see how this knife could be improved. Even when ZT did a new limited run of the 301 series it was priced way over expectation, $270+ I believe. To answer your question, yes, mostly, but the exception proves the rule.

 

[AusLoX]

Sorry , but NO ! This is a marketing ploy that started soon after the industrial revolution began mass producing all kinds of stuff that was previously handmade and by nature in limited supply . Prices tended to plummet uncontrollably if mass produced . To maximize profits , the market must be controlled by manipulating and conditioning the "consumer "to create demand .

I disagree with your interpretation of the situation. What you're describing is supply and demand. If something is mass produced then the price drops because of economies of scale. They don't need to manipulate or condition the consumer, if the price is worth spending on the product then it will sell, if not then it won't sell. Look at CRK, they've made hundreds of thousands of Sebies and you can find them everywhere, the price hasn't dropped at all. If they sell a one off batch for more money it's because there's additional cost involved with design, changing equipment and so forth. Profit is a percentage of cost so, higher cost higher profit. If cost increases then profit increases dollar wise, but not percentage wise.

 

[22-rimfire]

.... If they sell a one off batch for more money it's because there's additional cost involved with design, changing equipment and so forth. Profit is a percentage of cost so, higher cost higher profit. If cost increases then profit increases dollar wise, but not percentage wise.

That is the way it's supposed to work, but all things do not make money. There are risks involved even for CRK

 

[DocJD]

I think this thread may be getting a little off-topic. For me, I was referring to is anything actually ever discontinued? If so, does this make you want to stock up on LE's less or do you still not wanting to take that risk and miss out the knives buy them & extras?

Yes, even non-LE knives get discontinued all the time and most will never be back in identical form . When they go on closeout , that's probably as cheap as they'll ever get . So, if I've been fence-sitting , I feel forced to decide . Hardly ever buy multiple copies of the exact same item .

 

[Yonose]

I bought 2 each zt0804cf and spyderco military fluted titanium for $200-219 apiece because I liked them and knew I wasn’t going to see them again at that price! Simple enough in construction that the only replacement parts I might need are screws and washers, maybe a flat piece of stainless for lock bar insert.