Noob question: pre-production premium?

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markwillecho

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Oct 14, 2009
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I have a small collection of blades, but never focused on "collectors" knives. I recently acquired a NIB Benchmade 5000 Auto-Presidio that is from a numbered "pre-production" series of 500. Would the NIB value of this knife be much different from a regular production example? I'm a little afraid to use it if it's a real collectible with extra value to a serious collector. Thanks for any insights or advice! MARK
 
No added value. If anything it might take away from the value a little. I prefer the regular production models because they have less markings on the blade and gives it a more sterile look. But yea don't let the extra markings and meaningless numbers sway you, get out there and use it. :thumbup:
 
If it becomes discontinued it will indeed fetch a small premium over the non-numbered models. Not so much so as long as it's still in production.
 
it depends on the knife. there are preproduction runs that are not the final production design and some may like that earlier design better. also, i once had a pre-production (American) Sig220 (yeah, not a knife) and a guy at the range about flipped when he saw it--apparently, the pre-prod 220s were made with better materials and to tighter tolerances.

so, if the pre-production model is somehow unique (design, materials...it's very existence) than it MAY be more sought after. but if it's just a matter of a number/stamp, then you'd have to find somebody who cared specifically about those numbers/stamps
 
i have had a lotta BM pre-pro's, 1st production runs, prototypes/etc and other than 2 knives which were prototypes i have never gotten a cent over what a std one would bring, i've even seen a lotta prototypes bring only what a std one would bring.

the 2 prototypes which did where quite a bit different than the production versions, ie a 710 w/alloy handles vs G10, and a stryker with a chisel grind blade and IIRC CF handles, those 2 did, or would imho draw a small premium, maybe $50 tops on a good day.

the huge majority of them are worth only what any other of the particular model would bring.

and like i say, i have had a lot of them thru the yrs, certainly dozens, i used to collect BM pre-pros/prototypes/etc.
 
On eBay the numbered knives that have been discontinued made by Spyderco and B/M bring a bit more. Here on the exchange I don't think they do.
 
Remember the days when Benchmade limited productions actually meant something? I think they'd only produce around 50 each.
It was nice of them to respect the true collectors, and not ruin the market.
Then, somehow, some greedy exec. decided that everyone and their mother deserved a numbered knife, and started producing them by them thousands.
Yes... the numbers really are pretty meaningless now.
:barf:
 
I see on ebay that limited production runs of the same knife doesn't sell for any more than the production model. This does not apply to the limited production runs of knives in M2/M4 steel or Gold Class, just the ones that are the same exact thing as the production knife.
 
It gets a premium for fools that collect tools that are in production just without numbers. Now if it's something that was ONLY in limited numbered production it would be worth more, but in most cases I wouldn't buy one BECAUSE of the markings on the blade. But I buy users.
 
From my experiences at gun/knife shows it depends on which side of the table you're on. If you are the seller it's value is at least doubled by that number on the blade. If you're the buyer it makes little or no difference an just may make it worth less.:rolleyes:
 
I recently acquired a NIB Benchmade 5000 Auto-Presidio that is from a numbered "pre-production" series of 500.
Click to expand...

How could this be a "pre-production" knife if they are manufacturing 500 of them?

Just an attempt to keep sales at the MSRP instead of typically-discounted knives once it has gone into distribution.
 
cotdt said:
I see on ebay that limited production runs of the same knife doesn't sell for any more than the production model. This does not apply to the limited production runs of knives in M2/M4 steel or Gold Class, just the ones that are the same exact thing as the production knife.
Click to expand...

thats correct.

the reason they dont draw a premium is they simply make too many of them, even prototypes number in the 400 or 500 range, thats just not rare. if they just made say 50 or 60 different story, but thats not how it is.

now numbered disco'd spyderco's or spyderco prototypes are another story, where BM might make 400 proto's spyderco makes 4 or 5, and they rarely get out of the factory and become available to the general public, in all my days i have seen exactly ONE spyderco prototype, a gunting, it was selling for IIRC $900 or so, i have seen dozens of BM proto's, also imho there is more collector interest in spyderco vs BM.
 
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