The Price of Collectibility

Murindo

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Are Randall knives worth the wait/price? Knives are worth what people are willing to pay. The prices of Randalls have gone up steadily over the years and continue to be sought.

IMHO, compared to other knives of similar quality, they are overpriced and that has been caused by collectors. I'm not saying that's wrong, just an observation.

In 1966, in anticipation of a tour in Vietnam, I purchased a Model 1-6 standard version. The Randall wait was six months to a year so I ordered from a dealer and paid the premium price of $ 35 shipped.

That $ 35 in 1966 would be about $ 300 in 2021 dollars. This knife is now about $ 550 from a dealer which to me says the extra $ 250 is due to collectibility.

Back in 1966, most Randall buyers seemed to be users. My 1966 Model 1 is well used. Today most people seem to be collectors. Their knives are never sheathed and stored in safes.

I'm not judging, there is nothing wrong with collecting. I believe the Randall myth/legend will continue to drive a new group of collectors so I wouldn't worry about investing in them.

I own three Randall's. That 1966 Model 1-6, a 1950's Model 12 Confederate Bowies that I resurrected/restored from an abusive home, and a Model 1-8 that I have modified to suit my preferences.

Enjoy collecting them and using them, they are great knives. I believe that every collector should buy at least one Randall and use the heck out of it so they fully appreciate the design and build quality.
 
It’s an interesting question that you’ve posed. I was introduced to Randall’s when I was a boy (I’m 39 now) by my father. He carried one in Vietnam and amassed a wonderful collection over the last 30 or so years of being able to afford to collect them.

I think the price of Randall’s today is quite fair. Randall could double their prices and I believe they would still have a multi year wait, even though demand may drop some. Besides your calculations of price from yesteryear to today, I think there is something else Randall must take into account when selling futures, so to speak. If I order today, they have no idea what costs will be in 2027 when the knife is actually made. What will their shop wages be, how much will steel be, what will their sheath vendor cost, what do other employer cost become in this time? This plus a bunch of other costs that have gone up in these years makes it hard to directly transfer and correlate what a knife cost back when into today’s dollars. There is a lot more at play.

For me, I have the choice of putting my 50 bucks down, or seeking after a dealer at a bit of a mark up…I think those are great options. I agree with you that every serious knife user should have at least one hard user Randall…there’s nothing like them in this way (I have two to my name, and they are both users).
 
Even a mass produced KA-BAR is $120 now.

The whole knife industry is driven by collectors right now. How many people actually use their knives? Of those how many use a sheath knife daily? 1 good knife will last the average user a lifetime.

I dont know why folks pay a premium to get a knife. That they won’t use anyway. Just wait the 5 years.

RMK has done something no one else could do. Stayed small and stayed successful. Buck started the same way as Randall but Buck went the other direction to become huge and successful.

KA-BAR and Case are still around, but have been restructured they really aren’t the same companies anymore. The rest are all gone.
 
I don't concern myself with how others spend their money or why. I can tell you, though, that I've read about Randall knives pretty much my whole life. I've been lucky enough to have bought a couple of them lately. They were priced right, and I had the cash, so it happened.
 
Can't say what they're worth other than what someone is willing to pay and another is willing to accept; that's between buyer and seller, but I bought, then sold enough to pay for my house on a ridge overlooking a small lake in NW Montana, so they're obviously worth something, to someone...

As to the knives themselves; fill a drawer with other quality blades and one Randall, then open it for yourself of friends and I can almost guarantee that eyes and hands will gravitate to the Randall before long. That should tell you all you need to know...
 
….That $ 35 in 1966 would be about $ 300 in 2021 dollars. This knife is now about $ 550 from a dealer which to me says the extra $ 250 is due to collectibility….
You are grossly underestimating the inflated value of tangible durable goods.

For example the average car price has gone up by 20-25x during the period and housing has accelerated even faster.

As for usage, the great outdoors are not as great as they used to be. Population sprawl and urban growth has made the casual weekend camping far more difficult and cultural norms emphasize low impact activities and discourage hunting, fishing, bushcrafting and camp fires.

n2s
 
I think some Randalls are over priced due to collectors. I'm thinkin of the $400 obviously refurbished Model 10 with the beat, though collectible sheath at a recent gun show. The seller didn't know why one was clean, the other not. I just wanted a knife to use, but not for $400. It was a Franken collectible :)
 
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In the old days (I'm 74) the Model 10 wasn't considered a real Randall since it wasn't forged but ground out of bar stock. The 10 was the knife you picked up while you were waiting for your "real Randall". I remember that 10's were available no wait back in the early 90's.
 
I enjoy collecting Randall Made knives because they are well made, they hold their value, they also work well in the field. Interstingly, well used Randall Made knives, from many decades ago, still retain their value. Most mass produced items, made today, last a few years at best. My five year old refrigerator that died last week, and costs more to repair than replace, is a great example.
 
The real question is if the bubble will burst. Will they loose value someday? I keep an eye on the current wait list as an indicator. The last knife I ordered came in faster than the one before it did. Is that a fluke or are they catching up?
As long as RMK stays small and the wait time is measured in years. Randall’s will be good investments.
 
The real question is if the bubble will burst. Will they loose value someday? I keep an eye on the current wait list as an indicator. The last knife I ordered came in faster than the one before it did. Is that a fluke or are they catching up?
As long as Randall stays small and the wait time is measured in years. Randall’s will be good investments
 
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quality, well -made goods generally hold their value, some increase in value. rarity helps.
 
I collect and display Buck knives and enjoy both but ever since I moved to Florida in the early 80's I have asked at most every yard sale if they had any old knives in the hope of finding one. I had a dream about 7 years ago that this older woman bought out a whole box filled with Randall's at a yard sale..and I woke up asking her the price. I took it as a sign and all summer I went with my wife to many,many yard sales. One day I will find one!
 
They are worth exactly what someone is willing to take and someone else is willing to pay, not a dime more. I retired comfortably, debt free after 20 years of buying and selling RMK's. If you can find a better investment vehicle, I'd suggest you dive right in...
 
I like to collect all sorts of items. My collection is so eclectic, that I finally found a title for it that fits perfectly... It's my 'Interesting Objects Collection'.
Anyhow, knives are a big part of my collecting hobby, and just like a member said earlier during this thread, having at least one Randall Made Knife in one's collection is a good idea.
And, that is exactly the amount of Randalls I have... Just one.
I'm glad to have that one in my collection, it being more than a knife to me, it's a piece of Americana 🇺🇸

👍😊👍

20211105_155047_(1).jpg
 
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I have a Randall knife that was given to me some 20+/- years ago by a neighbor. While I was stationed at NSWDG my neighbor, who was a motivated patriot, gifted me the blade. It has "rested" in my gun safe all these years and I just now took it out to see what I really have...I had no idea!

I see some of these offered with serious price tags, similar. Would/could
you assist me in identifying and estimating the value please?
I am "the FNG" and can't download any pics...yet.
 
If you buy a membership, it will allow you to post pictures directly from your phone. Easy peasy. It will also allow us to talk about value.

Without a paid membership, you have to use a third party hosting site, for your pictures.

Does your sheath have numbers on the back?
 
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