massdrop pricing fails

bubinga said:
I have to give them credit--they make a lot of cool exclusives for people who read this board, more ordinary production knife offerings for people who don't (a far larger crowd) and genuinely weird things like custom keycaps for keyboards for that "community". I didn't even know that was a thing, much less a community, until I saw it there.
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I love my Filco Majestouch-2 Ninja TKL with Cherry MX Brown switches thank you very much! :D

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Barrettboy said:
Man, I almost went in on that drop. The lock isn't too crunchy like on some other Boker Zinkers?
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It's perfect. There's a steel insert, it's easy to release, easy to keep your fingers off off when opening, locks up solid... and I don't like framelocks.

My only little niggles with it are the s35vn is a little soft for my liking and the satin finish maybe isn't the best. It just doesn't have thos hard, crisp grind lines like a ZT. Hardly a deal breaker at that price point.
 
Received my Ferrum Forge designed, WE Knives made, full Ti, S35vn, Massdrop marketed, smooth as silk, not a single flaw, $124.99, free shipping, delivered in five days, Crux.
 
augustus88 said:
My Bestech Goblin was cheaper on Massdrop than any other retailer. It included free shipping and arrived in a few days. I’ve been pleased with the WE Knives manufactured Ferrum Forge Buc and Gent and the Laconico Keen. All of those were reasonably priced when compared to regular WE Knives of similar construction.

Nobody is forcing anyone to buy from Massdrop. Don’t like the price then shop elsewhere. I don’t understand why it’s necessary to start a thread like this.
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To warn fellow members.
 
katanas said:
Deals not being deals if all is not as it seems; not dishonest, just not what one might expect. :rolleyes:
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I'm just confused I guess. Let me break it down to see if I'm missing anything.


1. Massdrop is a supporting member (Dealer level) of this website.

2. Massdrop is a group buy website specializing in small orders from manufacturers. Because of this we are able to purchase fantastic collaborations and exclusives like; Spyderco Super Gold Delica, Brad Zinker Dogtooth Frame Lock, Laconico Keen, Ferrum Forge Gent, Rike Hummingbird (in exclusive colors), etc.

3. Shipping can be slow. This is because Massdrop is a group buying website and not a regular dealer/distributor. They have to wait for enough buyers to sign up and/or the order to go through the manufacturer. They do put the estimated ship day on every item’s page though.

4. Massdrop requires you to log in to see prices. This sometimes helps them get around MAP with some brands. I work for Costco. We do the same thing. No one accuses us of being shady.

5. Prices can be hit or miss. Sometimes more so than other online retailers. Again a lot of this is because they are a group buy site and not a full on knife distributor. Let's look at some examples:
  • Kershaw Shuffle - $29.99 for a two pack. On sale for $9.99 each ($19.98 total) at BladeHQ (out of stock) and is selling for $16.95 each ($33.90 total) at KnifeCenter.
  • Spyderco Titanium Chaparral - $125. Went for $140 - $150 elsewhere when it was discontinued.
  • Fallkniven DC4 - $17.99. Goes for $22 elsewhere.
  • Spyderco Stretch - $94.25. Same price everywhere else (MAP).
  • Morakniv Bushcraft Black Survival - $39.99. Goes for for $69.99 elsewhere.
  • Rike Hummingbird in exclusive dual anodized colors - $79.99. Goes for $135 elsewhere and only comes in single anodized colors.
  • CRKT Avant - $54.99. Goes for $53.97 (on sale) - $59.95 elsewhere.
  • Tops Mini Tracker - $99.99. Goes for $114.95 elsewhere.

Am I missing anything? What is there to be "warned" about?
 
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Fixall said:
-snip-
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I think what people are trying to say is that it's wise to check if the prices on Massdrop are actually a deal or not for general production knives.

Speaking as a Canadian some stuff is a really good deal. I remember a specific tan ESEE fixed blade (the version I wanted) was like $200 something on amazon and was like 50$ cheaper from MD. :eek:

The flip side is that other stuff is a dollar or two cheaper or the same price and you wait months to get it. The recent PM2 drop comes to mind.

I've had some really good buys from MD but I still price check :thumbsup:
 
cheeseit123 said:
I think what people are trying to say is that it's wise to check if the prices on Massdrop are actually a deal or not for general production knives.

Speaking as a Canadian some stuff is a really good deal. I remember a specific tan ESEE fixed blade (the version I wanted) was like $200 something on amazon and was like 50$ cheaper from MD. :eek:

The flip side is that other stuff is a dollar or two cheaper or the same price and you wait months to get it. The recent PM2 drop comes to mind.

I've had some really good buys from MD but I still price check :thumbsup:
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Ok, but his point is that that should be self evident to every buyer and does not necessitate a "warning" thread about their "fails". If you want the lowest price then shop around before you buy.

That is, unless they actually advertise that they will have the cheapest price of anywhere available on everything, then sure this thread has merit. It says nothing about that on the home page and I'm not a member so I can't see any further.
 
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katanas said:
See my post #30. Also the price checking advice above.
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The price checking is solid advice but it's general advice and applies to every dealer. To gripe about that regarding a specific dealer falls into the category of much ado about nothing, IMO.

Your post is just about the only criticism that'd be worthy of a "fail" thread . (Most post were about price or availability, if i missed others with valid criticism i apologize .)
 
So...we all agree that the concept of a "drop" is in no means synonymous with "lowest price". We also agree that the title of this thread is horribly misleading and should be changed. Further, we agree that the burden ultimately lies with the consumer to determine how best to spend their hard-earned monies.

I'm glad we could reach consensus. Good work, Blade Forums!
 
I think people can do their own math, and should on any site if these things are important to them.
They should definitely double-check Amazon's prices. Amazon would like you to think they are the lowest on everything, and they're not. Period.
 
much isnt cheaper and long wait. some exclusives there are unique and worth the buy. some are cheaper and substantially so. got 3 maserin police far below best dealer prices. as an example.

it's a hit and miss thing. I rarely use but sometimes its worthwhile. that said most of the best supporting dealers here are where the bulk of my spending goes to. we are lucky to have lots of good competition. good time to be a knife buyer.
 
Hackenslash said:
I’ve had good luck with Massdrop. If I can get an off-the-shelf production knife at a lower price with no wait, it’s a no brainer. This isn’t rocket science. I really think the production drops have supported their short runs and one-offs.

Where Massdrop excels is at the unique collaborations they bring to market at usually attractive price. My Eric Ochs is inbound and I can’t wait to see that knife.

All in all, I think Massdrop does a good job filling a unique niche in the market. I’ve never understood why they attract the irrational rage that gets funneled their way...although they really need a P.R. pro to handle communication!
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I agree they've grown enough now that they need a P.R. team but their origins are geekland so I have a feeling they're going to be late to that party.

TBH I wish they hadn't grown I liked them better when they were all about keyboards and cans
 
GermanyChris said:
I agree they've grown enough now that they need a P.R. team but their origins are geekland so I have a feeling they're going to be late to that party.

TBH I wish they hadn't grown I liked them better when they were all about keyboards and cans
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I'd love a set of the Fostex Mahogany phones they have from time to time but it's just too rich for me.

If you're a flashlight guy, they do a pretty good job with their in-house AAA flashlight too. I've picked up a couple in different materials.
 
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