More flea market madness

Never saw a knife at a flea mkt that I'd pay anything for because I like my knives NIB or LNIB. Tools are another matter. I go to flea mkts mainly to find tools that I need/want and have found many there.

OBTW, yes, knives are tools too but I already have all of the knives that I need that I use as tools in the kitchen, garden and garage. The knives I buy now are knives that I may or may not carry but will almost never use (except perhaps to cut paper or flesh, if necessary) and will just be added to my collection.
 
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sgt1372 said:
Never saw a knife at a flea mkt that I'd pay anything for because I like my knives NIB or LNIB.

Tools are another matter. I go to flea mkts mainly to find tools that I need/want and have found many there.
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I've got NIB discontinued knives at the flea market for fractions of market value. You also have to wade through the vendors selling counterfeits though. Caveat Emptor.

People just assume all the vendors are importing all their CCC inventory, not like people at the flea market sell their old stuff.

The reality is some of the biggest knife collectors are out there in the mornings with flashlights looking for things like bayonets and Japanese swords brought back from WW2 etc, most of you know nothing about that. They hear flea market and think gas station knives lol. Jokes on them...
 
needler420 said:
You really have backwards logic. How is it ripping them off when I asked them to determine value and took the first offer someone offered me,

Like a lot of your posts on here and responses in my posts I see are pretty ignorant. And you have the same few people always backing you lol. Hence referencing my first post.
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I really was trying to stay neutral, I am not a supporter or detractor to these kinds of discussions, but after your quote above it made me think that maybe you did inadvertently took advantage of a situation of someone who wanted something based on nostalgia. Once you asked the value of something and heard that people might want to buy them for whatever value at that time was mentioned, it is hard not to think that profit was made by selling to others who may not have a lot of experience with knives. Facebook is not the best place to ask for such values. There are good values to be found at flea markets but they are the exception and not the rule, and one needs to go and explore some of those flea markets, yard sales, or estate auctions. If you find something of value to you, I would be content on knowing I found the bargain, a great find. I am not saying you did anything wrong, but I think those items are not worth the values you got for them.
 
Geez needler420 needler420 - you'll know better now. :rolleyes: You've had the well reasoned opinion of 3 of the most positive and impartial folks on BF about the value of your knives and your "ethics" :confused: :( Take heed!

I, on the other hand, think you dun alright brother. :thumbsup: Fleamarket gleanings are always - to quote R Rostovsky -"one person garbage, for another treasure", and that's the fun of it. Notwithstanding the self righteous snark, sounds to me like you had fun, made a bit of money, gathered up a few keepers and no one was victimized by your entrepreneurism. :cool:


Ray
 
RayseM said:
Geez needler420 needler420 - you'll know better now. :rolleyes: You've had the well reasoned opinion of 3 of the most positive and impartial folks on BF about the value of your knives and your "ethics" :confused: :( Take heed!

I, on the other hand, think you dun alright brother. :thumbsup: Fleamarket gleanings are always - to quote R Rostovsky -"one person garbage, for another treasure", and that's the fun of it. Notwithstanding the self righteous snark, sounds to me like you had fun, made a bit of money, gathered up a few keepers and no one was victimized by your entrepreneurism. :cool:


Ray
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"I'll call other people self righteous, and then be self righteous. This makes logical sense to me."

LOL Ok, then.
 
RayseM said:
Geez needler420 needler420 - you'll know better now. :rolleyes: You've had the well reasoned opinion of 3 of the most positive and impartial folks on BF about the value of your knives and your "ethics" :confused: :( Take heed!

I, on the other hand, think you dun alright brother. :thumbsup: Fleamarket gleanings are always - to quote R Rostovsky -"one person garbage, for another treasure", and that's the fun of it. Notwithstanding the self righteous snark, sounds to me like you had fun, made a bit of money, gathered up a few keepers and no one was victimized by your entrepreneurism. :cool:


Ray
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Would you pay $85 for that OTF?
 
danbot said:
Would you pay $85 for that OTF?
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He didn't, neither would I.

What you can't comprehend is someone else did and it didn't take convincing them into buying it. I asked a facebook community to value them and then someone private messaged me a offer and I took the first one? I originally only paid $6 dollars for it.

Also it didn't sell for $85, that's one someone appraised it at. The first offer PMed was $50.

RayseM said:
Geez needler420 needler420 - you'll know better now. :rolleyes: You've had the well reasoned opinion of 3 of the most positive and impartial folks on BF about the value of your knives and your "ethics" :confused: :( Take heed!

I, on the other hand, think you dun alright brother. :thumbsup: Fleamarket gleanings are always - to quote R Rostovsky -"one person garbage, for another treasure", and that's the fun of it. Notwithstanding the self righteous snark, sounds to me like you had fun, made a bit of money, gathered up a few keepers and no one was victimized by your entrepreneurism. :cool:
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Thank you.
 
Both the red OTF and the Frost Balisong are collectible. They might not be for some here, but they are and there's a market for them.

Personally I wouldn't pay market price for either, but I know some that would.

The red OTF was made in the early 80's. There are a few color variations, but ones with the chrome bolsters are the most collectible.

If I saw them at a flea market and priced low I would have bought them too.
 
needler420 said:
He didn't, neither would I.

What you can't comprehend is someone else did and it didn't take convincing them into buying it. I asked a facebook community to value them and then someone private messaged me a offer and I took the first one? I originally only paid $6 dollars for it.

Also it didn't sell for $85, that's one someone appraised it at. The first offer PMed was $50.



Thank you.
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I can comprehend it. There's a sucker born every minute, right?
Someone "appraised" it? No, someone who knows nothing from a facebook community took a guess at what they thought it might be worth.
 
I just don't get the constant threads by the OP trying to convince BFC on the positives of his rooting around flea market bin ways, and ultimately buying cheap junk. He knows the reaction he will get. Been doing it for years here. Also with his clone support. He knows what BFC thinks of those yet he still wants to discuss that crap here. No need to justify yourself to us. Do the hobby the way you like and don't care what others think. But, if you bring it here for discussion, you will get it, and you know exactly how the discussion will go. Do you not have something better to do? Aren't there other places more inline with your knife collecting ways? Seems like an exercise in frustration to me, one you seem to want to continue.
 
needler420 said:
I've got NIB discontinued knives at the flea market for fractions of market value. You also have to wade through the vendors selling counterfeits though. Caveat Emptor.

People just assume all the vendors are importing all their CCC inventory, not like people at the flea market sell their old stuff.

The reality is some of the biggest knife collectors are out there in the mornings with flashlights looking for things like bayonets and Japanese swords brought back from WW2 etc, most of you know nothing about that. They hear flea market and think gas station knives lol. Jokes on them...
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Agreed, there are a lot of "finds" to be found at flea markets (and garage sales) if you know what you're looking for and have the time/motivation to go about searching for them.

I admittedly know nothing about "vintage" military arms (guns or knives) and next to nothing about older knives generally. The only "older" knives that I own are a couple of Gerber Mark I's (the short & long versions), the longer Gerber Mark II and Command II and the shorter Gerber Guardian Loveless boot knife. They were all made in the 80's and don't really qualify as "vintage."

So, I limit my purchases at flea markets (and elsewhere) to what I know, which is pretty much limited to current production knives and, if I don't know anything about it, I won't buy it. May have passed over a lot of "finds" in the process but I didn't waste any money on junk or counterfeits either.

As you say, "caveat emptor."
 
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Hmmm. I tend to agree with Quiet and Craytab on most of their responses, especially if you do this on a regular basis. Seems you're fleecing uneducated people with junk knives.

As far as flea markets, I have nothing against them and from time to time I'll visit one if it's convenient. I've found a few vintage axe and hammer heads from the 60's and restored and rehung them. I've found a few vintage hatchets from the 40's and 50's and did the same. I have a nice Stanley Hammer form the 60's - 70's in my shop right now that I rehung on a beautiful piece of hexagon hickory.
I've also been lucky (and educated about real knives) and found some very nice Solingen Germany and Sheffield traditionals in a few junk boxes and restored those as well.
But junk plastic and Chinese knives. NAH.
 
JPD1998 said:
Both the red OTF and the Frost Balisong are collectible. They might not be for some here, but they are and there's a market for them.
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All the frost cutlery I have handled were horrible, was quality that much better when the balisong was made?
 
unwisefool said:
All the frost cutlery I have handled were horrible, was quality that much better when the balisong was made?
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Certain Frost cutlery models are collectible and have some value. In general though most will Shun them as a whole. Cutlery lover on youtube and others have some of the balisongs. They are collectible along with Valor, Parker, etc.

As someone previously mentioned commenting on something they actually knew and know and not speaking out their ass, they also knew those OTF's were collectible and from the 80's and came in a few different color variants, they have a market for them despite what some may say. Hence my sale of apparently ripping people of by asking them for the value and taking the first offer. Most people that know this one will also be familiar with the nato and tops OTF and things like the rizzuto.

Quality was better then too. This frost cutlery balisong was made in Japan not China.. These also came out around the 80s when the only high end balisongs then was probably from pacific cutlery which became benchmade later on.

They aren't cheap when you see them come up for sale on here either, specially in box. They've been sold on this forum before. Even on the bay now loose boxes ONLY for vintage Frost cutlery balisongs are over $20 for a box only.
 
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I had one of those OTF's. It was green, got it at a flea market in Texas 30+ years ago. Was it junk? Yup. Do I miss it? Nope. Would I pay $50-$70 to recall my teenage years? Nope. Would I sell one to someone for that price? Well that would depend on if I bought another one all these years later...& nope. You did. Good for you. Someone got something they really wanted. Good for them. Coming here to say "look what I did!" Meh.
 
I certainly would've done that deal for $18. The Supermatics, Rizzutos, NATO Military, etc.... switchblades aren't selling on the basis of quality, but on nostalgia. Lots of people want the junky little switchblades they lusted after as 13 year olds, or saw in 100's of films. The red version is actually pretty rare, I'm sure someone was happy to get it for $50.

The older Frost butterflies are decent knives if you want a heavy handled flipper somewhat cheap. I'd actually trust the build quality on it more than a cast handled Bear or similar.

Different strokes for different folks.
 
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