The differences between New and Veteran Collectors

[Stephen F]

Murray, do you have an online photo albumn of your collection? I would love to have a browse, some of the pieces you post are stunning.

Stephen

 

[Chefget]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Chefget

So where is the line of sufficient specificity for being a collector drawn?

-Michael
a stinkin' newbie

Wherever you choose to draw it.

P

Peter,

Thank you for saying that. I thought for a moment that some were being condescending to those without an narrow focus to their 'collecting'

-Michael

 

[SharpByCoop]

Thanks to all for indulging and politely commenting on my personal sidebar. Now that we have THAT figured out, let me get back to the original questions... :thumbup:

Once upon a time, we were all new collectors. I would like to open the floor to some of our "grizzled vets", so they can comment on the changes in their thinking and approaches to custom knife collecting that have happened to them, since they started out. I would ask for specific advice or stories that would be of help for relatively new collectors.

I was SO excited when I first started that I wanted to get my information anywhere. One of the great sources is the internet, and one of the worst sources of 'information' was eBay. I learned much about eBay, advertising, and custom knives through these experiences.

I never had an unfortunate transaction on eBay, but I did purchase unfortunate knives. I blame only me. In my exuberance, I listened to the wording of the lister for the credibility of pieces and, knowing nothing more, I purchase some of these lessons. Fortunately, The ones I wince over now were all under $300, so I did no dramatic damage. Subsequently, my photo and now newly-learned advertising skills allowed me (most times) to relist and sell these pieces back on eBay for close or better than what I paid. I am pleased for these experiences.

It is wonderful that we have an ability to sit in the comfort of our homes late in the evenings to purchase any number of custom knives. It is more of a benefit to the newly initiated to search out their excitements either on this forum or Google, to assess what others (read: Experienced) collectors have stated. The lessons are invaluable.

There is an incredible energy that arises from the thrill of the hunt. eBay has made fortunes off of this energy, and it's inescapable. The learned ability to hold back was just that for me.

Incredibly, (likely because of what Kevin stated about how much I experience top quality knives on a daily basis) I have gone to a number of large NYC shows and returned having purchased nothing. I have learned to become very selective in my purchases. I think quality is the forerunner of aspects I am interested in nowadays. But.... I always need to 'like it'. Something more than quality has to grip me.

Those trips to the shows gave me an opportunity to meet and greet all the key players in our craft: collectors, dealers, makers, etc. Whether I came away with hardware or not, I ALWAYS returned exhausted with good vibes and a bit more usable knowledge.

The dialog we enjoy here is a pattern of learning. Like Keith Montgomery always points out, it is an education that he aspires to the most.

Good thread, Peter.

Coop

 

[Keith Montgomery]

If you want to have a collection of one of every different kind of knife, that is up to you. I don't see any reason to classify only someone with a focused collection as a real collector. As a matter of fact, my collection is starting to lose a little focus. For a while it was only bowies, but now I am branching out to other styles. However, I still only collect forged fixed blade knives. The forged part could change in the future. I would love to add a Lovett, and ultimately a Loveless knife to my collection. At some point I can see the only focus of my collection will be fixed blades.

 

[Murray White]

Stephen -- I have the collection viewable at

http://phymurphotos.fototime.com/welcome

also if you have interest in other images, travel images from the past two European Trips we have done are on the site as are photos that Phyllis did when in Las Vegas and others we did at the Chinese Lantern Festival that was in our area last Fall.

 

[Jose Reyes]

Hi Peter,

If someone is looking to make money from knives in a reasonable amount of time then it would probably be wise to focus on one segment of the market to try to familiarize yourself with it. A real seasoned pro though will be able to spot a good piece at a good price from just about any maker<Les? >. You can make a fortune selling Corvettes but the same can be true for Mustangs or Ferraris. A hodge podge collection wouldn't necessarily preclude someone from being a true collector. A car guy that comes to mind is Jay Leno who enjoys everything from steam to jet engines.

IMHO, a new collector should focus on learning about good fit and finish, the subtleties of design, blade geometry, forging practice/ht and the pros and cons of the various steels/materials popularly used. Do your homework and ask a lot of questions from makers and established collectors who own the style of knives that interest you. Try to make it to shows or visit custom knife shops where you can handle the knives in person to see the difference in balance and ergonomics. Bide your time before you begin to purchase but when you feel ready then try to save up for the highest quality knives you can afford, even if it means buying only a few pieces a year. Try to be patient and don't expect to make money at first.

 

[Jose Reyes]

Stephen -- I have the collection viewable at

http://phymurphotos.fototime.com/welcome

also if you have interest in other images, travel images from the past two European Trips we have done are on the site as are photos that Phyllis did when in Las Vegas and others we did at the Chinese Lantern Festival that was in our area last Fall.

Holy smokes, Murray! That's some collection... :thumbup: If you ever invite me over make sure the Burke is still there before I leave.

 

[Kevin Jones]

Hi Peter,

If someone is looking to make money from knives in a reasonable amount of time then it would probably be wise to focus on one segment of the market to try to familiarize yourself with it. A real seasoned pro though will be able to spot a good piece at a good price from just about any maker<Les? >. You can make a fortune selling Corvettes but the same can be true for Mustangs or Ferraris. A hodge podge collection wouldn't necessarily preclude someone from being a true collector. A car guy that comes to mind is Jay Leno who enjoys everything from steam to jet engines.

Hi Jose. You state a good example to support my point for being specialized in your collecting. Jay Leno does collect every car from A-Z, however he also employs two curators to research, source and buy his pieces, enabling him to be a top collector whose cars generally always bring top dollar at auction.

But most car collectors, realizing the need to be experts do focus on specific makes, models or themes. Other famous collectors who are examples of this are former NY Yankee Reggie Jackson who collects late 60s-early 70s GM muscle cars and Tim Allen of "Home Improvement" fame who only collects Fords, specifically high performance Mustangs.

 

[Jose Reyes]

Hi Jose. You state a good example to support my point for being specialized in your collecting. Jay Leno does collect every car from A-Z, however he also employs two curators to research, source and buy his pieces, enabling him to be a top collector whose cars generally always bring top dollar at auction.

But most car collectors, realizing the need to be experts do focus on specific makes, models or themes. Other famous collectors who are examples of this are former NY Yankee Reggie Jackson who collects late 60s-early 70s GM muscle cars and Tim Allen of "Home Improvement" fame who only collects Fords, specifically high performance Mustangs.

That was the least important of my paragraphs, and is missing the point point a bit, but okay...

 

[tom mayo]

First of all..........


The people that have the most money get the best stuff......period.
I have seen some of these collections.....they have so many they dont know what they have.
Whether they have great taste or not, they can afford it.
Everyone else gets a little.
I used to collect custom folders by the best makers.....at one time I had eight, all by the top guys.
But they just sat in the drawer and that made me sad.....I couldnt use them, they were too valuable......

Now I collect tools........so I can make knives!!!!!!!

 

[Jose Reyes]

Hi Jose. You state a good example to support my point for being specialized in your collecting. Jay Leno does collect every car from A-Z, however he also employs two curators to research, source and buy his pieces, enabling him to be a top collector whose cars generally always bring top dollar at auction.

But most car collectors, realizing the need to be experts do focus on specific makes, models or themes. Other famous collectors who are examples of this are former NY Yankee Reggie Jackson who collects late 60s-early 70s GM muscle cars and Tim Allen of "Home Improvement" fame who only collects Fords, specifically high performance Mustangs.

Crisp clean damascus pattern from tip to choil, beautiful texture or figure on a handle be it stag, sheephorn or wood, good ergos and flow in the design, steel that displays the proper properties and the geometry to take full advantage. A Bill Moran might command a higher premium than a Fisk of equal merit, and Jerry's might command a higher price than so and so's but getting a grasp of what makes a knife special will help a new collector buy wisely. IMHO, once you can see what makes a knife special then you'll have a better chance to buy quality and when it's time to sell there will be others lined up to buy. Just learning that a specific maker's knives tend to sell for x amount of dollars won't help at all if you can't spot the faults on a specific blade.

 

[Jose Reyes]

Now I collect tools........so I can make knives!!!!!!!

Smart man!

 

[Ren the devils trailboss]

Understand that there is an important difference between collecting and accumulating.

Harrumph!!! I'm not a collector...that is so...Passe...so Gauche...I sir am a PURVEYOR!

 

[Kevin Jones]

IMHO, a new collector should focus on learning about good fit and finish, the subtleties of design, blade geometry, forging practice/ht and the pros and cons of the various steels/materials popularly used. Do your homework and ask a lot of questions from makers and established collectors who own the style of knives that interest you. Try to make it to shows or visit custom knife shops where you can handle the knives in person to see the difference in balance and ergonomics. Bide your time before you begin to purchase but when you feel ready then try to save up for the highest quality knives you can afford, even if it means buying only a few pieces a year. Try to be patient and don't expect to make money at first.

Jose first, my comments pasted below from my previous post has nothing to do with a new collector making or trying to make a profit. I suggest that they be patient to determine where their passions lie before going out and buying folders, tacticals, art knives, production knives, forged knives or what ever the flavor of the month happens to be. I have seen too many new collectors do this just to dump everything at huge loses to move on to other hobbies.

I have just recently seen where a dealer sold two knives at huge discounts. One was originally purchased less than a year ago for just under $3000 and judging from what the dealer sold it for last week, he paid somewhere around $800 dollars for it. I will bet the dealer bought it from a new collector.

The subtleties of design, blade geometry, forging practice/ht and the pros and cons of the various steels/materials popularly used; you speak of is all great information and would make a wonderful three year learning plan for a new collector. However I'm more concerned they know enough about knife economics to get them through their first year of collecting.

So I advise new collectors to study the many types and styles of knives to determine what their interest are, learn all you can about that particular sector of knives and focus your collection on them. I think that’s good sound advice for a new collector to insure they don’t end up disenchanted with a hodge podge of knives that are worth 40% of what they paid for them.

 

[Keith Montgomery]

So I advise new collectors to study the many types and styles of knives to determine what their interest are, learn all you can about that particular sector of knives and focus your collection on them. I think that’s good sound advice for a new collector to insure they don’t end up disenchanted with a hodge podge of knives that are worth 40% of what they paid for them.

When I started collecting, my interest was in tactical folders. I did a fair bit of studying, but after a couple of years my interest changed to forged knives. When I sold my folders, I pretty well broke even, and that was because I had done enough homework to know which makers work was going to hold its value. I have picked up a couple of knives that won't hold their value if I sell them, but I did that knowing full well that I would lose money on those knives. One I don't really care if I lose money on it, because it only cost me $300.00. The other will not be sold by me. It was made by a maker that has passed away, and I want to keep it as a remembrance.

I can not agree more with the idea of a new collector doing his/her homework. Along with it being the best way to keep from ending up with a bunch of deadwood, it is also enjoyable.

 

[Mitchell Knives]

I consider myself a beginning collector, as I only own 3 custom knives. I am most interested in tacticals and EDC/utility knives. Fantasy or artsy pieces are not really my style as I enjoy a knife that I can actually use. I would really like to get into forged knives, but haven't had time to research the subject.

 

[Kevin Jones]

Well, you are at the right place to learn about forged knives as many of the top forged makers and collectors hang here.