Stupid question, because I do not know the reply, about why you collect.

A

Akapennypincher

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Sep 12, 2013
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Never thought as my self as a knife collector, did at one time buy about six Coopers, several were colabaration with Jody Sampson, when Jody worked in Nelson's shop in Burbank, CA. Most of the six were put in a box, carried with me each time I moved. Many yeas later I took em to some knife shows, and gun shows.

Anyway all brought a huge return on my price paid. The ones stamped Cooper, Sampson were the big surprise. My mission was not collecting, just lived near the shop, and bought some knives that I like the design.

My question is to you guys who have big collections, are you in it's a hobby, or are you looking for a return on investment some day?

What would you buy today, projecting a big increase in value on?
 
I think most of us are more into buying knives for actual use than collecting. Sure, we may have a grail or something to keep in the safe, but I for one refuse to own a safe queen. I buy knowing I'll use the knife and that the money I spend is most likely not coming back to me. Some people do buy the LE and Sprint runs just to sell them at a higher price, but I believe that is the minority here.
 
Akapennypincher said:
My question is to you guys who have big collections, are you in it's a hobby, or are you looking for a return on investment some day?
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I will never make money on knife collecting, because I have no interest in selling. :)

I'm always happy to see that some knife has increased in value, but not because of the potential for personal gain. It's more a confirmation that I made a good choice, and an encouragement to continue collecting.

What would you buy today, projecting a big increase in value on?
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It's impossible to guess. Some knives from years back that I thought were interesting and 'collectible' now sell for fractions of their original prices. And other knives that I thought were ordinary and mediocre have skyrocketed. :confused:

The biggest tip I can give for someone wanting to make a profit on reselling knives, buy on sale. The odds of financial gain are greatly improved when you don't pay too much in the first place.
 
Well, my answer is simple... You have to have to the right tool for the job.

I carry a Victorinox Alox Cadet in the office.
I carry a Zero Tolerance ZT 0561 with jeans/shorts out of the office.

I'm constantly on the search for something for those in between days, wearing basketball shorts or bumming around in sweats. Clipping a small fixed blade or deep carry knife IWB is my preference for those days, but I have yet to find a knife that fits my needs.
 
There's a pleasure in having things that are "special", and this means different things to different people. Some people like rare designs that have been long discontinued. To them those knives are "special" because of their rarity and because owning them imparts a certain kind of kinship with like-minded collectors of those specific models.

Others like knives that are accentuated with exotic materials like damascus steel, abalone, hardwoods and ivory. To them those knives are "special" because of their value as art and the skill required of the craftsman to produce those knives.

Others still like knives that are purpose built and will gather an array of knives that are optimized for each specific purpose, whether it's food preparation, bushcraft, personal defense, or woodwork. To them those knives are "special" because of the careful thought that went into each of those designs to give them the maximum utility for a single purpose.

And some, like me, follow a brand very closely and believe in for what that brand stands for, and appreciate the design and workmanship of that particular brand. Call it what you like, fanboyism, fanaticism, but to them those knives are "special" because the knives coming out of that factory or maker appeal personally to that individual, for whatever reason, and ownership and use of those knives bring a great deal of pleasure and fulfillment.
 
Collectors collect, their personality enjoys putting order to some tiny chunk of the universe. Scientist, museum curators and librarians are all driven by the same basic instinct, a desire to identify, catalog and sort through information. Individually, these are small contributions, a few knives, photos or scraps of info; but collectively, this is the process by which the species learns and progresses. So whether you have collected a handful of knives, thousands of fossil dinosaur bones or 3 million mounted birds (the latter two were extremely valuable collections purchased by the Museum of Natural History in NY from two private collectors) you have assembled something and in the process learned about whatever you pulled together.

n2s
 
I consider myself a collector in the sense that I buy knives with no likely need to use the vast majority of them, but on the other hand, I don't buy knives that I wouldn't use if the need arose. I guess the best way to describe it is a fascination with the artistry of certain knife designs, and a non-functional design that exists only to look pretty isn't "artistic" to me. My other hobbies are shooting and playing guitar, and while I won't buy a gun or guitar that I think is ugly, I likewise won't buy one that looks nice but isn't suited to actual use. As with guns and guitars, I have some knives that see a lot more use than others, and a few that rarely get picked up, but again, if the need arose . . .

I have a few knives - ZT 0801, Benchmade 300SN, Spyderco Ulize and EDI Genesis among them - that I bought because I liked the design, but that includes the feel and the mechanics, not just appearance. It's unlikely that I'll use any of them, simply because I don't need to. I guess that might be to my benefit if I ever need to sell any of them, but I prefer think of it as a different sort of investment. I don't have kids, but if I ever do, I feel that a favorite knife of mine (or a collection of them) would be a fine thing to hand down. I also have a godson whose father (my brother-in-law) is a knife/gun guy, and a friend's son who is fascinated by various knives, flashlights and multi-tools I've showed him over the years. Both are likely to benefit from my obsession.
 
Collecting is fun and it is what I considered myself to be doing for much of my life. But now, because of the current state of affairs in this country and worldwide, I consider my knife (and gun, ammo, tools, supplies, etc.) purchases to be more of an investment than anything. Paper stocks, bonds, and portfolios (and even paper money) will be worth nothing in a societal and/or financial collapse. My knives, tools and supplies will be worth even more than I paid for them - and that's good investing!
 
I buy to use so I wouldn't label myself a collector because every one of my knives gets dirty and doesn't lay in a drawer long. That and I don't like to own more than 8-10 knives. If I go over that, I give away.
 
I have a compulsion to collect things and I love knives, so it just works. Obtaining the next knife, or rather everything up to the point of obtaining the next knife gives me much joy, the search, the find, the deal etc.


Also, I will buy l.e. and sprint runs and use them. I justify my collecting by being practical and using with the things I collect
 
One forumite said one time that you have to have a "Theme" for it to be a collection.
Otherwise its an accumulation.
So I am a collector in that I have an "Eclectic" accumulation. :D

I like one I get it. Problem is I usually don't get just one. :rolleyes:

Over the years I have sold off some that are no longer that meaningful to me, and sometimes at a small profit.

Just my 2 centavos worth..
 
Collecting is about taking pleasure in owning things, getting satisfaction from it. Some people do, some people don't.
 
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It's both, a hobby and an calculated risk investment. Love to collect them, have issues on turning them. I know I should rotate some and move them but I can't bring myself to let go. It's a investment, sometimes good, sometimes not so good. In the end, I may not make a dime, probably will lose some. That's all good too because the level of entertainment, interaction will great folks here beats the hell out of letting someone else take money from me.
 
I collect Cold Steel knives basically because I like collecting, and I like the knives. On the other hand I don't have any knives I wouldn't use if need be, it's just they're not all particularly useful for every job.
 
I buy and collect what I like, but I also have some hope that some of my collector knives will at least hold their value for the future. I don't buy knives expecting to make money on them in the future.

I've been on other "hobby" forums such as bicycles, watches and photo. I would say that on those forums a high percentage of the people are doing it for fun and not expecting to get rich. On the other hand I find that a high percentage of "knife collectors" don't really care about knives but are in it for the money. Among the people that actively post and discuss, maybe most of them are enthusiasts and don't care about the money. But considering how people react to various sprint runs and limited edition knives I have to think that there are a lot of people around here with profit as their motive.

This is strictly my opinion.
 
Blind consumerism. And obsession with design.

I can't/wont stop but they're cheaper than guns and take up less space too.
 
Personally, I collect because I am always looking for something that makes me happy and that I can use every day. I know people that collect paintings and coins but they cannot carry and use either every day (I understand coins can be carried but why would anyone?). I like my knives for the same reason they like what they collect. I appreciate the knives for what they are; tools to help me in my daily activities, but also because they are works of art. I appreciate the lines of each blade I own and appreciate the time spent designing and then redesigning each knife I have.

I won't ever make a penny on any of the knives I own, I bought them to carry and use and that brings a smile to my face every morning when I get to pick out what's going in my pocket for the next 12+ hours.
 
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