Spyderco preorder problem.

nozh2002

nozh2002

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I heart that some internet stores does not take preorders any more on hot Spyderco knives, because they had situation when they was not able to sutisfy all preorders.

This is wrong. I preorder first ZDP knife Callipso Jr. and was pretty happy about it but now, it turns ugly - same as it was back in Siviet Union when you lurking around for some goods to be available.

Is it possible to resolve this some how in civilized mnner so if you request it while ahead you may be sure that you will have it? May be give some quotas for selected dilers so at least they will be able to preorder some number of knives? May be if you have preorder ahead of time you may plan production in bigger number? Is it possible to resolve it one way or another?

I know about collector club, but this is not a solution, at least for me because I do not really what all Spyderco models...

Thanks, Vassili.
 
There are several dealers who have some collector's club numbers, just to ensure they will get a few pieces at least. The big problems come when 300 people want to pre-order half a dozen pieces (you know, one to use, two to horde, and three to sell on EBay for enough to pay for all six). This wipes out a 1200 piece sprint run before the blades are cut, and disappoints a bunch of people from the beginning. The only solution I know is when an individual distributor commissions a sprint run, so they get all the pieces themselves. Then they can sell pre-orders, and stop taking orders when they are all spoken for.

Otherwise, supply and demand rules. I'm sure Spyderco has a set method for determining who gets what when the knives are ready to ship, and they try to be fair in their distribution. But if they could ensure that everyone who wanted them could get as many as they wanted, they wouldn't be sprint runs.
 
Well, I am not sure that this way you may blame everybody. At least I am not reselling knives and I guess majority is also. And this problem is easy to resolve by allowing preorder only one knife per person. Anyway if dealer has his quota he may preorder as many as he know he will get for sure.

Plus if Spyderco know ahead - 6 monthes or something (9 month?) it may decide to produce not 1200 but 1500. Why not if you know that it will be sold out completely?

Thanks, Vassili.
 
nozh2002 said:
Well, I am not sure that this way you may blame everybody. At least I am not reselling knives and I guess majority is also. And this problem is easy to resolve by allowing preorder only one knife per person. Anyway if dealer has his quota he may preorder as many as he know he will get for sure.

Plus if Spyderco know ahead - 6 monthes or something (9 month?) it may decide to produce not 1200 but 1500. Why not if you know that it will be sold out completely?

Thanks, Vassili.
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First, how would you insure "one per person"? If I wanted extras for resale, am sure I could arrange with a couple relatives, friends, or co-workers to order them for me. As for pre-orders letting the dealer know how many to order, or Spyderco know how many to make, I don't think that would be the case. Pre order figures can be very misleading. A fairly large number of people will place pre-orders for popular knives with several different internet dealers, to insure they will get a knife, but have no intention of purchasing all the knives they pre-order.
 
Well, sure you can not have 100% protection, but it can be done on reasonable level. You may came up with one schema or another but I like to be able to preorder knife and if it will be 100% assured that I will have one I do not see any reason to make several preorders.

This is require some williness from manufacturer to treat their customer fairly - different then commy treated their people (exactle - suspecting them alway being dishonest etc). I think that it is possible to came to some resolution of this problem however it need some will. Let see what Spyderco will say, I hope they will not just ignore this.

Giving qoutas for certain dilers who will to deal with preorders and make preorder procedure clean and fair for both sides very possible thing to do.

Thanks, Vassili.
 
Hi Vassili,

We understand and share your concern. We do not have any solutions that have worked.

We decide to make a model. the manufacturing process is already well along when we announce to our dealers and distributors that we're going to make it. We have no idea how many will be ordered. He "hope" that they will all sell, but that has not always been the case.

Also distributors will order larger amounts thinking that they'll get more that way. As mentioned, we try to be fair.

It's nice to be working with a group of makers that permit us to offer the large variety of new models each year. 20 new models and sprints per year is challenging for a small company.

Distribution of those pieces is also difficult. We have distributors, dealers, catalogs, chains, etc. We are cetainly opened to suggestions.

sal
 
[There are several dealers who have some collector's club numbers, just to ensure they will get a few pieces at least. The big problems come when 300 people want to pre-order half a dozen pieces (you know, one to use, two to horde, and three to sell on EBay for enough to pay for all six). This wipes out a 1200 piece sprint run before the blades are cut, and disappoints a bunch of people from the beginning. The only solution I know is when an individual distributor commissions a sprint run, so they get all the pieces themselves. Then they can sell pre-orders, and stop taking orders when they are all spoken for.Otherwise, supply and demand rules
Click to expand...

....while a market economy must and should rule the distribution of limited production items.......those that have "propagated" the practice of hording only encourage others to do the same; as more and more Spyderco fans begin to catch on to the practice of "buying up" limited runs in large quantities, those that follow this practice will face increased completion from others who have "learned" from them....and those that have "initiated" this practice will find, some day, their their "behavior" will come back to bite them in the a**....and I for one, hope a rather large chunk gets removed. But then regulating ones "appetite" has always been a function of self control...and some folks just never have developed any ! Last time I check...greed still was on the list of "7 Deadly Sins."

Hording benefits NO one in the long run !

-Regards
 
How about if dealers only take pre-order of one per customer then apon arrival sell the rest on their site in any quantity?
 
Roger Blake said:
How about if dealers only take pre-order of one per customer then apon arrival sell the rest on their site in any quantity?
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...it would be eminently fair ! :thumbup: ;) .....especially for limited production runs. Sure, there are ways to get around that....there are ways to get around everything !...and the more "sly" will certainly circumvent the "rules" intended to allow all Spyderco fans an opportunity to own something unique. I don't know if that should stop one from trying a good idea like Rodger's, though. But I rarely have all the answers.....so I'm reminded by my family. ;)

-Best
 
The question is - "Is this really the case or not?". I was actually surprized to hear about this "6 knives" schema.

I am start thinking that if you are buying 6 month ahead it is hard to really know will you be able to resell it or not. Also the one who thinking about buy and sell, probably, will think that this is to long and to uncertain and will try to get profit other way. And if you certain that you will get one then no need to preorder in many places.

And thing like this works already with collector club, why can not Spyderco support similar things for well known and respected web dilers?

My list is (in alphabetical order):

Grand Prairie
Knife Center
Knife Works
New Grapham

Thanks, Vassili.
 
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