Reselling Donated Custom Knives...good or bad?

Dale Baxter

Dale Baxter

Joined
Sep 16, 2003
Messages
171
Reselling Donated knives.

I was recently asked to donate a Custom Knife to a charitable organization for an auction.
Now I have absolutely no problem with donating knives. I have several knives in the Persian Gulf and none of them were paid for. I have a knife on display in our Nations Capitol, it was donated as well.

My question is:
If a donated knife is auctioned off and resold to a collector by the winning bidder for almost twice the bid price, is there wrong in that?

I was pleased with the winning bid (about 80% of my asking price), but disappointed in the bidder when he sold the knife two weeks later for a large profit. Now I am fortunate to have a few dozen collectors that keep me in the shop six days a week, but when I have time to make a knife for our troops or for a donation I don’t want my work to be sold for greed.

Half of me says stop donating knives, the other half says don’t let them get to you…which is right?

This is eating me up.
What do you think?
 
Once it is in the new owner's hands, it is his to do what he pleases.
JMHO of course.
I can understand your angst, but instead, think of the money raised for the needy cause that the auction was held for.
:D
 
I can understand your concerns & frustrations.But it would be hard to regulate or control,what happens with the knife after it is won.But at least your generousity has paid the original benefactor & that is what you originally set out for.
- Vince
 
You did a good and generous deed and should feel good for it. Don't let someone else's greed ruin that.
 
Look at this way, you said it sold for 80% of your normal price and the buyer flipped it for double that. That could mean one thing, your prices are too low. Be proud that you donated for a good cause and then reflect that someone knew a bargain and then sold it for what it was really worth.
James
 
Hi Dale,

A valid question, indeed. There is a moral query that flavors the incident which really concerns you.

A couple of good things: This seller was actually the high bidder, and stepped in either as a benefactor or as an opportunist. The fact that this knife didn't go for higher is really part of the dilemma. On that, there may be questions of exposure to a wider audience, methinks. Not his fault.

Anyway, this buyer did good. And in retrospect he realized he had scored a considerable good deal, to which the profits had been slated to go towards a worthy cause. He fulfilled this portion of the process, your work was another portion, and the promotion was the final third. It took three proponents to make it happen.

OK, he's an opportunist who scouted and found a great sale. Yes, I would feel real good if he declared that he would keep that knife in his collection forever and ever, but the nature of collecting quality knives, is that collectors move pieces around often to subsidize new pieces. In the selling process yet another party gets a chance to enjoy a maker's work. Here's where three people make out: Him, the new buyer, and you. :D

Most makers would welcome the fact that their work is on the secondary market selling for 1.5 times their asking price. Those makers tend to succeed.

You HAVE to look at the positive side of this. And the reality of making 'collectible' quality knives is: they are going to be bought and traded with regularity. Embrace that process.

My kudos for your generosity and willingness to air this. :thumbup:

Coop
 
Dale,Another point to consider.Some knife guys buy many knives & sell many,and have taken a loss on a few.Some guys might consider making a few bucks on one,"making up" for some other past knife losses.
I myself have done this.I am not a knife dealer.
Dale,rest assured,the couple I've sold for a few extra dollars will always haunt me,as to weather I should have kept it & believe me,I miss a few.
Like James Todd said,too,the fella buying at double may have been a happy camper & that should make you feel good,wether or not you raise your price

Someday that fella who sold your knife may look back after the quick cash is gone quicker & wish he had your knife!
-Vince
 
I don't think it should bother you at all. You did a good a thing. What happens to the knife after you donate it is not something you have any control over. The person that won your knife didn't do anything wrong. What he did wasn't greedy, it was intelligent speculation. Don't sweat the small stuff.
 
Of the knives I've donated for auction, I've never checked to see what was done with them,,sorta seemed pointless. You never know,,the person who bought and resold might have used the profits to fund some other worthy cause.
The fact that you're a generous person is the only important thing, imo.

Phillip :)
 
Bladeandbarrel said:
Its not greedy to buy knives at one price and resell them at another. That's called commerce.
Click to expand...

While I can understand Dale feeling somewhat chagrined, the above sums it up for me.

You did a good thing Dale - the charity benefitted from your generosity, which is what it was all about.

Roger
 
I consider my knives like children, once they are raised they have to leave the nest and go out into the world, their job - to serve man. When donated their job is to the outfit I donate them to. I wish them luck, say goodbye and hope for the best. I am very careful as to what outfits I donate to. So far always non-profit outfits and good folks that I know well.
 
Sounds like the high bidder wanted your knife more than any other bidder. Good for him, good for the charity, good for you. Then he found someone who wanted the knife even more than him. Good for the new purchaser, good for the reseller, good for you.

I see no greed in it.
 
Dale - you are looking at this completely the wrong way. Coop expressed what I feel is the right way to look at it, and he did so much more diplomatically than I would. As for greed, well ... "greed, for lack of a better word, is good".

http://youtube.com/watch?v=JaKkuJVy2YA
 
Grapevine said:
Sounds like the high bidder wanted your knife more than any other bidder. Good for him, good for the charity, good for you. Then he found someone who wanted the knife even more than him. Good for the new purchaser, good for the reseller, good for you.

I see no greed in it.
Click to expand...

EXACTLY! :thumbup:
 
Dale, you're more than welcome to donate any of your knives at 20% discounts to me and I'll resell them. Heck, I'll even drive up there to save you the cost of shipping :)

Will
formerly known as badbamaump
 
I am not a maker but in this situation I would not feel bad you fulfilled your part the charity fulfilled their part and the buyer fulfilled his part.
Now if I had donated or sold at a reduced price a knife to a soldier or emergency worker for use and found out that he had sold it then I would be upset as they had not fulfilled their part of using the knife.
 
Kind of just re-stating what's been said, but I try not to peruse the auction sites/forums (for sale areas....)/ whatever b/c once it's gone, it's gone and you can't live and die by each individual knife you make.

If you get too caught up in the 2nd market or re-sale aspects of your own work, then you'll end up being pissed and very unproductive.... I know several makers that are/were so caught up in every knife they made and where it went, how much it went for etc..... that it ruined them.

I would just be really happy that it went for more than the original price and it helped to increase your effective market value...



MT
 
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