Questions regarding selling factory custom knife

BilboBaggins · Oct 9, 2016

Bought 5 of them? Well, lesson learned i suppose.

Peter Hartwig · Oct 9, 2016

Not so much they are glad you made a bad decision, as many aren't fond of flippers. After all the knives flippers grab to profit from could be going to someone's hands that really wants the knife, not just make a profit and the profit made may be coming out of their pockets. Just trying to explain some-I don't worry that much about it one way or the other.
As many have said-buy what you would enjoy and if someday you make a profit, great. It's a better hobby than income generator.

hookahhabib · Oct 9, 2016

First off welcome to bladeforums! Outside of this possibly bumpy introduction, if you came here with any amount of love/passion for knives and not just a desire to make a quick dollar, you'll see that this is a fantastic place - full if knowledge, amazing knives, and a generally great community of people from all places and all walks of life. That being said, I apologize in advance if anything below offends you - I am just speaking my heart here:

I think the response you're getting here is based on the fact that knife flippers (I'm not talking about dealers here) in many ways are a cancerous (or perhaps parasitic?) element of the knife community. Generally speaking, the prevalence of knife flippers, especially over the last few years has nothing but a negative impact on both the secondary market as well as the knife community as a whole.

Flippers just end up depriving the genuinely enthusiastic and passionate knife lovers here of the opportunity to actually enjoy limited offerings, while also artificially inflating secondary market prices at the same time...by the time a genuine enthusiast had finally scored that sweet LE, they've spent so much money they may be hesitant to even use the knife! And why? Just so someone can flip a knife, exploit a hobbyist who couldn't F5 as fast as you and ultimately profit off of someone else's design and hard work? Yea, I don't feel bad for you or any other flippers at all and I'm glad to see that the bubble is finally bursting on this BS secondary market we've been dealing with for the last few years.

I find NOTHING admirable about your say business "investing" and oh-so-bold "risk taking". If you want to make money off of knives go buy some files and start learning to make them. Or if resale really is more your interest, sack up and open a business and become a real knife dealer. There's nothing respectable about your poorly researched, attempt and trying to exploit a quick dollar....if you were researching and actually doing any kind of speculating, you would have known that unless they do something really special to change things up, the ship has sailed on flipping LE ZT's for mega profit, especially the 0392's.

All this being said, to answer your original questions, your best bet is to just try to get a refund from whoever you bought it from. And hey, if that doesn't work, I'll give you $250 for it 😜😜🙃

Seriously though, welcome. I encourage you to try letting go of the desire to flip and enjoy this forum for all the amazing knife related goodness that there is to be found here. I promise you'll find much more satisfaction, and an overall mire positive response from the community here.

:handshake:

benzy2 · Oct 9, 2016

Come on. Those guys told you it was hit or miss at best. They said some go up and the LE ZT's typically don't lose money. Rather than try one and see how it goes you spent $2,000 trying to make a quick and easy buck. Don't be shocked when people who are buyers as a group don't feel sorry that a flipper, someone looking to profit off these exact people, guessed wrong. It's a guess. You thought it was a certain thing and you so far appear to be wrong.

If it were me, I'd do one of three things.

1. Call the dealer and ask about a refund. If they will take them back without a restocking fee or with one I can handle it would be the easiest route,

2. Put them up for sale now, at a little or no mark up. I bet they would sell and net you your paid price. They seem to be sold out now so asking full retail on something untouched would probably work ok.

3. Sit on them for 8-12+ months. I wouldn't doubt that prices jump to $500-$600 after time passes and new interest pops up. Maybe they won't go up. Maybe they hold steady. I doubt though when there is no dealer source that prices will go down. But today the buying market is saturated. So hold them and hope. It could pay off but should ZT do something between now and then the value could drop in half. It's really a gamble, though historically not a bad deal for a flipper.

Whatever you do, take from this the fact that people you are selling to don't feel compassion when you try to profit off of them and lose. People have no compassion when you try to stick it to them. You're playing a dangerous game. Typically it has paid off. This time it may not. Nobody told you it's a sure thing. Nobody told you to buy 5 and go all out. You saw easy money and went all in planning to make a quick buck. That plan doesn't work. The plan that works is hard work and long term vision. It may sting a little now but it's a lifelong lesson that will help you for years to come.

palonej · Oct 9, 2016

You trusted someone that told you your plan would be hit or miss.....you missed. No such thing as a sure thing.
You expected a nice cuddly and warm welcome from the very people you were looking to fleece.
Joe

Scurvy092 · Oct 9, 2016

Wow.... you bought five of them and then try to pass the blame off on someone else?!

Why would you trust what people on a non-knife forum would (or anyone on the internet for that matter)...

They all said it was hit and miss and not a single person was willing guarantee the value would go up when you asked them.

I believe you also violated the sale terms by buying more than one. Not sure if that is as enforced as it was when ZT sold them direct but still going against the spirit of it.

Fanglekai · Oct 9, 2016

Use a flipper, don't be one.

Biginboca · Oct 10, 2016

Since the guys on the gun forum think they will go up in value I would maybe try selling them there or trading them for guns on that forum. They mostly don't seem to know the knife market well.

Then keep or flip the guns, hopefully break even maybe make a couple $$. It'll be more trouble than getting a refund but if refund isn't an option it might be your best strategy to minimize your loss, and the expense of this lesson learned.

Buying 5 of them to flip, well that's just greedy lol! I don't think anyone will have much sympathy here for that. We buy knives because we love them and you hoarding 5 to potentially overcharge us and make a fast buck isn't going to make friends here.

Brusiedmeat · Oct 10, 2016

Being it's a wharncliffe with purple accents, that really divides the market. Opps!
Also, you clearly missed the gravy train on the limited ZT releases. Supply has met demand with this particular model.
I do not have sympathy for you, as people yourself puts a strain on the flow in terms of prices and availability of a simple hobby. It's one thing to sell a high end knife due to fincial strain, but to mass purchase with the intent to flip is a complete different animal.

singularity35 · Oct 10, 2016

This.

Don't act so surprised when people resent your attempt to exploit their love for knives.

vilePossum · Oct 10, 2016

This was quite entertaining...

Gesendet von meinem SM-A310F mit Tapatalk

poolhustler · Oct 10, 2016

I will.... $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

palonej · Oct 10, 2016

Oh baby!!! Bring it!!! I only need the 7 ball.....and the breaks......and one eye has to be tied behind your back!!!
[emoji51][emoji51][emoji51]
If you are anywhere near NJ lets do it!!!
Joe

poolhustler · Oct 10, 2016

whew... I thought you were gonna ask for the orange crush!! lol Not even close to NJ as I am in L.A.

Hit'em straight!!

palonej · Oct 10, 2016

Stay down my friend!!!
[emoji16][emoji16][emoji16]
Joe

kniferbro · Oct 10, 2016

I mean you're basically asking a board of enthusiasts for advice on making more money off of them. Lol. I like knives. I buy them because I like them/use them. I never understood the whole "playing the knife game like stocks". In the end you're taking advantage of a limited piece to make money off of us. No sympathy m8 sorry.

Peter Hartwig · Oct 10, 2016

I'll add-I really don't like this idea of sending them back to the dealer. Sure the dealer might take them back, but he shouldn't have to. It isn't his problem that the plan to make money off these knives didn't work out for the buyer.
Ethically that idea stinks to me

Apec · Oct 10, 2016

Some of those guys don't have the whole picture. I've known ZT for almost a decade (back when their flagship folders were the Ken Onion collabs), some folks here maybe a bit longer than that. Anyhow, as some here said, sometimes it's just instinct. You won't see many people going crazy for a black wharncliffe with purple hardware (unless they're huge Baltimore Ravens fans, or maybe even Minnesota Vikings fans)

Knowing the value of knives isn't something you can gain from asking a few times on a forum. You'll may even find advice on forums even worse than this (i.e. someone recommends a custom knifemaker who decides to take people's money and not deliver anything - granted their feedback may have been clean up till then).

NJBillK · Jan 6, 2017

I am curious how this has worked out?
The holidays have passed, folks are back into their routines, any word yet?

Mecha · Jan 7, 2017

I got fie' dollar on the 9-ball game. :fox:

Questions regarding selling factory custom knife

BilboBaggins

Peter Hartwig

hookahhabib

benzy2

palonej

Scurvy092

Fanglekai

Biginboca

Brusiedmeat

singularity35

vilePossum

poolhustler

palonej

poolhustler

palonej

kniferbro

Peter Hartwig

Apec

NJBillK

Custom Leather and Fixed Blade modifications.

Mecha

Titanium Bladesmith