PRICING MY KNIVES

[sharpsteveo]

I've been out of the knife game for a few years after selling 130 folders. I have some nice folders I might be interested in selling but I need to know what to price them at.
Are there any resources besides searching recent sales or checking ebay to determine fair prices? I don't want to under value or over price them. They are all in like new condition with box. Would checking new prices be a good start? Thanks for any advice.

 

[marcus aurelius]

eBay is a terrible source for pricing info. Everything there seems priced for either dumb and/or very rich people that don't care what they pay. I think recent sales are your best bet. I wish so many people didn't erase what they got after something sells though. I still don't know why people do that.

 

[DennisM]

I wish so many people didn't erase what they got after something sells though. I still don't know why people do that.

Courtesy to new owner should they want to sell to get their money back.

 

[jbmonkey]

eBay is a terrible source for pricing info. Everything there seems priced for either dumb and/or very rich people that don't care what they pay. I think recent sales are your best bet. I wish so many people didn't erase what they got after something sells though. I still don't know why people do that.

so the buyer can flip it for way more money easily.

this has been talked about to death and they have their reasons. some make some sense, some dont. I agree with you and prefer prices sold at stay....but im not in charge, so doesnt matter what I think.

 

[Blues]

I'm afraid that prices and values can't be discussed here without a gold or platinum membership.

The matter can be discussed generically as to where and how, but that's as far as the guidelines permit.

 

[marcus aurelius]

Courtesy to new owner should they want to sell to get there money back.

I guess? It would be more useful to the community to help establish value. Wider courtesy would be my take.

 

[Blues]

It's not going to happen because the supreme leader has decreed that it will be left up to the individual.

There are many reasons for and against, some have to do with future selling, some have to do with avoiding potential taxes...

It is up to each member to determine which route is right for them and their conscience. But Spark is consistent on this matter so there's no point in belaboring it for the umpteenth time here in GKD.

 

[jmgruber]

If you don’t need to sell now, wait - it’s currently a buyer’s market.

 

[norcalAF]

Courtesy to new owner should they want to sell to get there money back.

This and I rarely pay full asking, I am nearly always negotiating with the seller or buyer behind closed doors.

 

[Peter Hartwig]

Easy answer is to buy a gold membership, then you can ask the price. Or you can follow the sales forums. All sales gave a price before they sell, you just have to follow enough to see it.
If you buy the gold membership, you will also be set up to sell on the exchange.

 

[Mk-211]

Easy answer is to buy a gold membership, then you can ask the price. Or you can follow the sales forums. All sales gave a price before they sell, you just have to follow enough to see it.
If you buy the gold membership, you will also be set up to sell on the exchange.

And you can PM the buyer/seller.

 

[coolhand68]

Ebay is ok but knock off 15% from the sale price since the seller has to pay that much in fees for each sale. If a knife sold for $500 on ebay it's probably worth more like $425 in the forums and groups. Though there are exceptions, every so often a good deal pops up but doesn't last long.

I'm noticing a trend of knife owners who are artificially inflating values of the knives they own and all it takes is one person to purchase it at their price and that becomes the new value of the knife until one sells for less.

 

[DennisM]

Ebay is ok but knock off 15% from the sale price since the seller has to pay that much in fees for each sale.

For example:

Not to mention ... this was a free shipping auction so I paid shipping on this. If shipping is charged by the seller - eBay even assess a fee on the your shipping estimate. This is my first year selling on eBay and I am yet to see how it will affect my income tax.

 

[Danke42]

If they sell right away you priced them too low. If they don't sell you priced them too high. Aim for the middle.

 

[donnord]

Generically I use the following rule, usually, If on the bay I don't want to pay more than 1/2 of the cheapest price it can be found on line if still available. If no longer available or discontinued its a harder decision. How many come up for sale each month / year? If I really want the item I may break the rules, but I have been burned many times because forums are fickle and have particular tastes and interests. Pricing your items really just requires patience. Price them, see what happens, then adjust your pricing till you start getting bites. There are alot of bottom feeders that will low ball you, as you know. In short price them where YOU think they should be then adjust as necessary to sell, or decide to keep it.

 

[sgt1372]

I've found that past sales on eBay & ACK are reliable sources for pricing but, as with most things, you have to use your common sense in determining what the current FMV of a knife really is.

For example, you need to make sure that the sales are "recent" (w/in 3 months is best) &, if there is a wide variation in sale pricing, I'd throw out the high & low & pick something in the middle.

Older sales (only ACK provides them, eBay doesn't) can still be a reliable basis for pricing IF the knife is obscure but the pricing of older popular/high demand knives is probably unreliable.

For older sales, sales you also need to account for inflation & "demand" but also need to be able to discount for "greed." No need to worry IMO about ACK's 25% seller fee or eBay's or PayPal's fees in terms of pricing.

A knife will only sell what a willing buyer is willing to pay (fees, sales taxes & shipping included). I personally will only pay or offer to pay a price that includes all additional costs that do not exceed what I think is equal to or less than its FMV.

Most buyers on both sites aren't STUPID. They won't pay anything for a knife & you can see that by how many overpriced knives languish on both sites. The same thing happens here on the BF Exchange.
.
That said, IMO the BF Exchange is NOT a reliable source for FMV pricing. If anything most knives on BF go well BELOW FMV & the actual sales prices are almost NEVER publicly posted here.

Just because a seller lists a knife for a specific price here, doesn't mean that's what it sells for that amount. It might & then again it might not. So, listed (and undeleted) pricing on the BF Exchange is only an "indication" of what price the knife might have sold for.

The only exception would a a clear "I'll take it" for an undeleted asking price for a knife, examples of which are few & far between. On the other hand, unless a private offer has been made/accepted, you'll always know exactly what a knife has sold for on eBay. Same on ACK.

It would be "nice" if that was possible here on BF too but as Blues has already mentioned wishing for that is just pissing in the wind.