• The rules for The Exchange can be found here. Please read and follow them. Stop using Paypal Friends & Family and follow our best practices to prevent getting ripped off or having a bad deal.

Thoughts on authorized dealers raising GEC prices above the minimum sale price.

knifeswapper said:
I appreciate that but realize I probably should just keep my thoughts to myself. And discussing the topics are why we are all here. All should be able to express their opinions as their opinions as long as they will not be offended if others opinions do not line up. Generally reality is somewhere in the middle, if not actually "none of the above".
Click to expand...

Good info. Good to get your perspective.
 
Last edited:
knifeswapper said:
2) Setting a maximum dealer prices sounds like a good idea - but do I really want GEC getting into my business? Once you or I buy a knife - it is ours to do with how we see fit. I don't like dealers fleecing the customers, but I am not going to contest their ability to do so.
Click to expand...
I hadn't thought of this perspective but is a great example of the insight these forums provide. I'm interested to know if shifting the volume allocated to specific dealers is something GEC does/should do as a shorter term solution to promote their stated values? Of course, like the insight from Mr. Latham above, I'm sure there are angles to this that I'm oblivious to.
 
Just as a fun data point, one GEC dealer was offering 89 Fruit Knives at $179, which seemed high, even to a free market pirate like myself. These have remained in stock for quite a while, and the same dealer has now dropped the price to $159.

At some point the hassle of monitoring sales and price changes will outweigh the benefit of quickly turning over inventory at a lower profit margin for certain GEC dealers trying out these new higher price points.

It also makes me question the value proposition of the other knives this dealer has for sale, and causes me to spend more time and money at websites of GEC dealers that are not charging such high prices.

One lesson that I have learned in business is that often a fair deal is a fair deal, and trying to extract that little bit extra has very large negative effects on the business relationship.

I still support the rights of GEC dealers to charge whatever they want, and I also support the rights of consumers to decide which dealers they do business with.
 
So my take on this is still that dealers can sell for what they want. Due to the number of dealers if one is grossly out of line they'll just see their customer base evaporate.

What I don't like is when a dealer is selling the run of knives on eBay as a private person at a highly inflated markup. That's a party foul.
 
Elgatodeacero said:
One lesson that I have learned in business is that often a fair deal is a fair deal, and trying to extract that little bit extra has very large negative effects on the business relationship.
Click to expand...
This, in spades. ^^^ I know I've said it before, but the intrinsic value of the knife doesn't change when desirability goes up.
Scarcity, on the other hand, is extrinsic.
Imagine the disappointment of a person who immediately buys a $179 fruit knife only to find the price magically drop to $159! 20 dollars less, yet the product hasn't changed in any substantial way.
Danke42 said:
What I don't like is when a dealer is selling the run of knives on eBay as a private person at a highly inflated markup. That's a party foul.
Click to expand...
"Yes peasants... quarrel over my desirable goods... QUARREL! I WILL SELL TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER!"
-Maniacal laughter-

... there's no other way to interpret that kind of dealer power move.
 
Elgatodeacero said:
Just as a fun data point, one GEC dealer was offering 89 Fruit Knives at $179, which seemed high, even to a free market pirate like myself. These have remained in stock for quite a while, and the same dealer has now dropped the price to $159.

At some point the hassle of monitoring sales and price changes will outweigh the benefit of quickly turning over inventory at a lower profit margin for certain GEC dealers trying out these new higher price points.

It also makes me question the value proposition of the other knives this dealer has for sale, and causes me to spend more time and money at websites of GEC dealers that are not charging such high prices.

One lesson that I have learned in business is that often a fair deal is a fair deal, and trying to extract that little bit extra has very large negative effects on the business relationship.

I still support the rights of GEC dealers to charge whatever they want, and I also support the rights of consumers to decide which dealers they do business with.
Click to expand...
You can always lower a price, however you can't go back and ask for more once it has sold if the market is hot.
 
So, in the “hot market” this one dealer gets an extra 60-80 bucks a knife for 10-20 knives, and causes 100 potential customers to take notice that he is charging double other dealers.

Seems like an unwise way to try and make 1000 extra bucks, but maybe I am wrong.
 
Elgatodeacero said:
So, in the “hot market” this one dealer gets an extra 60-80 bucks a knife for 10-20 knives, and causes 100 potential customers to take notice that he is charging double other dealers.

Seems like an unwise way to try and make 1000 extra bucks, but maybe I am wrong.
Click to expand...
We will see.
 
Elgatodeacero said:
So, in the “hot market” this one dealer gets an extra 60-80 bucks a knife for 10-20 knives, and causes 100 potential customers to take notice that he is charging double other dealers.

Seems like an unwise way to try and make 1000 extra bucks, but maybe I am wrong.
Click to expand...
The only problem is that the majority of people, maybe uninformed people, don’t seem bothered by it.
 
Price check on a 71? I know I paid at least a bit of a premium yesterday at $99, but it didn’t seem terribly unreasonable in the very limited time I allowed myself to think about it.
 
BigKurtHaze said:
Price check on a 71? I know I paid at least a bit of a premium yesterday at $99, but it didn’t seem terribly unreasonable in the very limited time I allowed myself to think about it.
Click to expand...

I don’t know what they are going for now but I paid under $60 (55ish, I think) for one of mine at retail a couple of years ago. They are probably a little more than that nowadays.
 
Pàdruig said:
I don’t know what they are going for now but I paid under $60 (55ish, I think) for one of mine at retail a couple of years ago. They are probably a little more than that nowadays.
Click to expand...
Yes, I had heard that number thrown around. I was (morbidly) curious about the minimum price for the current run, I heard CK sent out invoices?

Edit: Looks like they were $61.95 at BHQ.
 
Last edited:
I don’t know if BHQ had the 71’s and sold them or if that is from last release?

I have seen 71’s from this release offered by dealers at prices between $69 up to $89.

Anyone want to trade a tank of unleaded plus for a new 71?!
 
WOW I was just on one of GEC's distributors site and he had an announced release at 8PM of the 83 in bocote. Before 8:02 he was sold out.... at $110. I was lucky enough to get in on one with another site for $86.20 a few days ago. I didn't even try to pick up one for my brother for $110, but he sold all he had. Nice knife but ....
 
Danny C said:
WOW I was just on one of GEC's distributors site and he had an announced release at 8PM of the 83 in bocote. Before 8:02 he was sold out.... at $110. I was lucky enough to get in on one with another site for $86.20 a few days ago. I didn't even try to pick up one for my brother for $110, but he sold all he had. Nice knife but ....
Click to expand...
Say hello to a man who just paid more than he should to get a pocket knife! My wife’s phone went off for a completely different reason at eight o’clock, and I thought, “Hey, I’ll give the drop a try.” Got through, looked at the price, thought for less than one second and pulled the trigger. It’s like getting a shot, I only felt the pinch for a moment.

I turned my nose up at a 74 in burlap micarta at $130 from the same dealer last year. I said to myself, “Huh, they’re not going to make a chump of me. I’ve seen what those should cost!” Well, that was the last stop before crazy town and I missed it. So call me a chump. The same quality isn’t available anywhere else right now at a better price.

FWIW, I think that dealer’s lottery system was a lot more fair to collectors who aren’t as “techy”.
 
byjiminy said:
Say hello to a man who just paid more than he should to get a pocket knife! My wife’s phone went off for a completely different reason at eight o’clock, and I thought, “Hey, I’ll give the drop a try.” Got through, looked at the price, thought for less than one second and pulled the trigger. It’s like getting a shot, I only felt the pinch for a moment.

I turned my nose up at a 74 in burlap micarta at $130 from the same dealer last year. I said to myself, “Huh, they’re not going to make a chump of me. I’ve seen what those should cost!” Well, that was the last stop before crazy town and I missed it. So call me a chump. The same quality isn’t available anywhere else right now at a better price.

FWIW, I think that dealer’s lottery system was a lot more fair to collectors who aren’t as “techy”.
Click to expand...
Did he at least pay the shipping? I got on just to see what the price was but didn't bite as I already had one. It is a great little pattern. I have one in "blood orange bone" from a run in 2015. Maybe you will get one of the ones that have the more interesting bocote wood grains. The one I got was pretty plain jane but still nice. The good news is you may forget how much you paid for it eventually.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top