Has anyone received fair price for high end knives at a gun and knife show. There is one in Kansas City this weekend and I am considering taking my Brend fixed blade to see if I can get what I want for it. The commercials advertise"buyers paying up to $10k for rare collections" but anytime I have been the dealers usually prefer to trade what they have and not part with their cash.
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Selling at a Gun/knife show
- Thread starter cruse98
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Honestly to be blunt, you'll probibly be better off trying to sell it here. But on the flip side of that coin, I have never gone to a KC show. (did a lot of shows in Lincoln, Omaha, Souix City, and Des Moines and those surrounding areas for years.)
I'm not sure how you will do when a lot of people are looking for guns, or will do the "I'll give you 50 bucks" thing after tossing your custom on a table. (happened to me a few times from dealers, collectors, and people with crappy knife manners.)
Also do you have enough for a table or are you going with just a few on you?
I'm not sure how you will do when a lot of people are looking for guns, or will do the "I'll give you 50 bucks" thing after tossing your custom on a table. (happened to me a few times from dealers, collectors, and people with crappy knife manners.)
Also do you have enough for a table or are you going with just a few on you?
Bill Siegle
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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You will be told by just about all dealers that they don't pay full price because they have to have room in the price to make money themselves. A knife can easily be sold by you for a better price here or elsewhere. The only advantage selling to a dealer usually offers is speed of the sale. Now if you go to the show and rent your own table you may be able to get a lot better price.
silenthunterstudios
Slipjoint Addict
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I have seen high end knife dealers at some gun shows, and to some, their knives are worth all the money in the world, and your customs are either nice, but priced too high, or just junk that is priced too high. Some have no idea what you have, and others are very excited and only want to pay a pittance. Some are honest, and tell you that they would like to trade rather than part with money, and that you might try selling it elsewhere, but that their offer still stands. I was surprised taht I was able to sell some knives, production knives, the weekend before Christmas. Right now, knives that are cheap are going to be flying off the tables at any show you go to, and the customs are probably going to sit for a long time. There were three types of knife dealers I saw at that show. A couple of tables selling junk and Benchmades and military surplus, a couple of tables selling junk, and a couple custom knife makers. The junk and the military surplus sold well, from what I could see, and the custom and Benchmade knives sat. I was offered deals on several Benchmades I picked up and looked at, but I had to pass, I had already over extended myself on slipjoints.
The rare and vintage collections is an attention grabber and b.s. Any collector at a show will pay good prices for something they are hard up to get, or which commands good prices.
Take a look at all of those Benchmades/Spydercos/Kershaws/Case etc selling at the gun shows. You've got somebody that has to lug all of these knives around to all the gun shows, all year. He might store his knives in his house, but he usually just sells at shows. He has overhead in that he has to pay for his table. Compound that for a dealer that has high end rare knives. He might look at your Brend, say it isn't a Randall or xxx knife, and hand it back. The chances are very small that you might find a dealer that knows what you have. He might try to undercut you, or just plain flat out tell you to try selling it online.
If you luck into finding a dealer with some custom or high end knives on his table, take a look at some of the knives they have and get an idea for what you want to trade. They will most likely offer or counter offer a trade/cash for your knife.
I have been very lucky in my dealings with knife purveyors at gun shows, in that most are ethical and knowledgeable.
The rare and vintage collections is an attention grabber and b.s. Any collector at a show will pay good prices for something they are hard up to get, or which commands good prices.
Take a look at all of those Benchmades/Spydercos/Kershaws/Case etc selling at the gun shows. You've got somebody that has to lug all of these knives around to all the gun shows, all year. He might store his knives in his house, but he usually just sells at shows. He has overhead in that he has to pay for his table. Compound that for a dealer that has high end rare knives. He might look at your Brend, say it isn't a Randall or xxx knife, and hand it back. The chances are very small that you might find a dealer that knows what you have. He might try to undercut you, or just plain flat out tell you to try selling it online.
If you luck into finding a dealer with some custom or high end knives on his table, take a look at some of the knives they have and get an idea for what you want to trade. They will most likely offer or counter offer a trade/cash for your knife.
I have been very lucky in my dealings with knife purveyors at gun shows, in that most are ethical and knowledgeable.
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- Jun 16, 2003
- Messages
- 20,207
"anyone"? Probably. But few.
I have purchased knives at what I thought were outstanding prices from people tired of walking around and being repeatedly offered half of the retail market price (NOT half of MSRP) by dealers.
I have purchased knives at what I thought were outstanding prices from people tired of walking around and being repeatedly offered half of the retail market price (NOT half of MSRP) by dealers.
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2003
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- 1,711
Dealers buy for wholesale and sell for retail. Seeing that you are a gold member why not try to sell it here. There are probably more potential buyers here that at a show.
Thanks for the feedback everyone. I have listed the knife on this site and only received 1 offer which was a trade. I am really just interested in a sale at this point. I watched a Brend Model 2 sell on ebay for over a grand and I would think that mine would be worth more but I this is really my only knife other than a case and a buck hunting knife. Again thanks for the feedback. I won't bother the dealers at the show I guess!
