"Thinning the Herd" question

jmclfrsh

jmclfrsh

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Dec 1, 2012
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I've come to the position where I need to sell off the majority of my collection. Luckily I do not absolutely need to, but I want to. I'm keeping only a handful, and want to pay off the credit card I've been floating that I used to buy many of them with.

In the past I've sold stuff on eBay, occasionally, but this time I'm not sure what to do. They are all LNIB, primarily $150-$200 range production folders. Benchmade, Spyderco, CRK, then some Browning Black Label and a some new and used Cold Steel fixed blades.

What is the best way to do so and lose the least amount of money? They have been purchased and lying on a dresser to admire since new, and I have all the boxes and paperwork for all of them.

How does selling them on the forum compare to selling them on eBay? Since we are in an enthusiast group, I was not sure how close I could get to what I actually paid for them.

On eBay as a SWAG (Systematic Wild-Ass Guess for those unfamiliar with the term) I expect I'd lose $20-$30 on each.

For those that have sold, what are your experiences? Thanks for the insight.
 
Selling here is actually pretty awesome. You post how much you want for each knife. If people buy them, cool. If not, you lower your price after a few days and see what happens. I have had great luck with it. Just make sure you purchase a gold or platinum status here on the forum.
 
Purchase a $25 membership here and sell them here. I have found ebay to be hit and miss. At least here you have a concentrated group of knife enthusiasts who view your items.

I'm sure your wares will be met with enthusiasm in the sales thread.
 
Keep in mind the ebay final value fees and the paypal fees... but it all depends... sometimes when nobody shows interest here ill post on ebay and sell it with in a week.
 
It depends on a lot of variables - people are stupid on eBay and will overpay to a surprising degree for uncommon or high-demand items. However, you do lose something like 13.5% in total off of the final sale price. Here, your only operating costs are shipping and PayPal fees. I find that I get more of my money back selling and trading here with items that are otherwise still available, but the rarer items seem to do better on eBay.

People expect deals on the exchange here. That's something to always keep in mind. You might not be able to sell an item in mint condition here for the exact same price as a dealer would like you can on eBay, but the fees typically make it a better deal to sell here.

Let's say you have a $200 knife. You could sell it for $200 on eBay, but then you pay $27 to eBay and PayPal and then have shipping costs. You can probably sell the same item for 190 here and only pay $7 and then shipping.

On the flip side, if you have a very expensive item, eBay can be less useful. Let's say you have a $900 knife - you lose over $100 to fees! Here, you list it for $850 and have much more cash at the end of the day.

The exchange here is a benefit to buyers and sellers alike. The prices are lower and so are the operating costs. I know that my $25 paid for itself in the first week, and my lifetime membership at USN ($150 via auction) did the same when I got a $600 knife for $450.
 
If you sell here on the exchange and use Paypal the "correct way", you will still have 3% of your sale going to Paypal. When selling here on the exchange, figure your Paypal fee into your asking price.
 
sell what you don't need, and then seek out some counseling on impulse control and for spending money you don't have.

Boy, I sure wish I had done that years ago. :eek: :D
 
Keep it in the family, buy a membership and sell on the exchange. I've sold and traded many knives over about 5 years, and everyone, every single person I've sold to or dealt with has been pleasant and honorable. People do expect deals, but they also know what you've got and the typical value, so I would think you're more likely to get a consistently fair price for what you have.
 
This place is a bit better to sell on than eBay. Although it is a hard comparison, this is a community and eBay is just, well eBay. When you buy a Gold membership you are helping to keep the lights on here.
 
- Become a Gold Member and use the Exchange
- Watch / Search the Exchange to price the knives- Price to Sell and hit the sweet spot where if they think too long the knife has sold.
- 1 Price Delivered- Shipped Priority Mail (Free Boxes), Insured, Paid Via PayPal Normal
- Pack the knife the way you'd want to receive it. It's paid for and you're now responsible to deliver it.
- Put a shipping label inside the box, ideally inside the bubble wrap with the knife. If it gets lose it'll still have an address.
- Notify the seller when it ships and give them the Tracking information- communication is essential.
- Ask them to inspect the knife as soon as possible and let you know that it meets their expectations- or leave Feedback.
- Don't spend the money until they verify satisfaction with the deal.

I once posted a knife on Sunday, got paid via PayPal, Shipped it Monday and it was Delivered on Wednesday. Low stress for a short period of time.

Mitch


sent from my iChair
 
I appreciate these responses! I'm going to do just that, buy a Gold membership (have needed to anyway, absolutely) and put them up here.

I got burned on a knife just this week on eBay and it was a good lesson. I just wish it had not cost almost $500 to learn it!

Thanks again, much appreciated - each and every one.
 
How did you get burned on a $500 knife? If it wasn't what it was supposed to be or seller didn't pay up, etc. I think ebay and/or (or it was just paypal) paypal has a $500 reimbursement thing they do if they can't have the seller/buyer fix the issue themselves. Though this is going off memory from several years ago. It's worth looking up what your options are, and telling us what happened if you don't mind as I bet there are quite a few of us who are familiar with what your options are.
 
Sell them here. Ebay has ridiculous fees and can be a real headache. Plus it is great to support bladeforums. Good luck with your sales, I will be checking them out (assuming you sell on BF).
 
Ebay takes around 10% and paypal takes 3% of every sale. So here you would save $ cause you would only have paypal fees. Espeically if selling high price knives would save lots.
 
On Bladeforums you'll have a much better time directing your ads to the target audience. On eBay, you'll have a much larger potential audience who could possibly end up bidding against each other. Toss-up as to which is the better approach. Some items might do better on eBay, while others might do better here.

jmclfrsh said:
Since we are in an enthusiast group, I was not sure how close I could get to what I actually paid for them.

On eBay as a SWAG (Systematic Wild-Ass Guess for those unfamiliar with the term) I expect I'd lose $20-$30 on each.
Click to expand...

As far as the knives themselves, you've done everything right so far to resell them - keeping them in unused condition and keeping track of the original materials.
As far as your financial recovery, it is up to each specific knife's popularity, how you present them, timing, and luck. Some knives that people paid $150 for twenty years ago sell for under $50 today. Other knives could sell for far more than you paid for them, especially if you purchased only during closeout or clearance sales, or if they are rare or discontinued.

One big tip, whether on eBay or here, "Pictures sell knives." Good lighting. In focus. Closeups of tang stamps, other markings, or special features. Scans of documentation.

Best Luck to you.
 
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