"While there are many facets to this project, people are now beginning to focus on only one: the secondary market impact. This was merely ONE of the projected goals, and a smaller part of the overall goal. As I clearly stated in the video... there is NO WAY to eliminate the pricing insanity that is currently going on with the secondary market, and certain dealers profiteering. PART of the goal of this project is to help point us back in the right direction as the market naturally corrects itself over time.
What prevents a flipper from buying from the show and immediately flipping for immense profit? Nothing. Just as nothing can stop them at a show, or by ordering direct from a maker. I am however able to restrict their future purchases from me once they've proven themselves to only be in this for the profit. 90% of the knives I will offer are one-offs and easily spotted if immediately resold for profit. On the positive side, taking flippers out of the conversation... my project puts more desirable customs in the hands of collectors who want them, at the right price. Even if only ONE knife stayed in someone's collection for the right reasons... that's one more than there would have been without this project.
What stops other dealers from buying and then reselling at a huge markup? Probably nothing. HOWEVER If you were pissing in the office coffee pot before work each day... would you want to be caught and exposed publicly? If a "dealer" were to buy one of these knives for $850 and then resell it for $2,000 guess what... it helps ALL collectors more easily identify the crooks, and know who to avoid doing business with. They robbed you of your opportunity to own this knife by buying it out from under you, then sold it for an insane price.All it does is brand them, publicly, if they are fool enough to attempt this. So I say bring it on! Let's get them, and their intentions out in the open. Most of us know who they are anyway, but it's never really "out there" and certainly not admitted to by these individuals....
How is this unlike a lottery? Isn't it still "luck" to be able to get my order in before anyone else? It's nothing like a lottery. It's completely standard retail as in every other industry. The item is there, you have the money, you're next in line, you buy it... it's yours. The same way it works in a retail store, online store or a home shopping channel.
Won't the phone lines be so jammed up that I won't be able to get through? Nope. I will not be taking phone orders. I have a different system set up through my producer to take the orders.
Won't people just order right away before anyone else can get the chance? Nope. As I present the item live, i will instruct everyone on how to purchase. At that time, i will release an identifying item number that must be submitted on the order (so no one can just buy a knife 20 minutes before it comes up to be presented), and the first order in with the code, gets the opportunity to buy. So everyone has the same shot, at the same time, no one can "snipe" you.
Can't someone (especially a dealer or deep pocket collector) just say "I'll take everything" or buy many multiples when they do place an order? Nope, it cannot possibly happen. One item at a time is presented, one item at a time gets an identifying item number, so only one item can be purchased at any one time. If you want more than one item, you must wait till the next item is presented, and place another order.
Nothing can take away from the fact that custom knives deal with the supply vs demand scenario. It cannot be overcome. But this is the most fair way possible to do the sales. NO system is perfect. Not everyone will be happy. Nothing can be done about that. But every effort is being made to create a fair system that puts great knives in the hands of passionate collectors at the right prices.
I am doing this in my free time. Outside of work, another business and my family. I ain't gettin rich off this, I ain't retiring from this, and my margins will be tighter than any dealer you know. If you don't like how I am doing this, don't participate. Don't watch. Better yet... come up with a better system and do it yourself. With your money, your time and do your best to give back to the community with little regard for "getting paid".
Those who cannot come up with ideas of their own, tend to tear down the ideas of others.
So now, hopefully some questions have been answered, and we can get to enjoying this. I wanna have fun. I want you to have fun. And I want to make a difference, no matter how small, in order to better strengthen our community and this industry."
This is from the man himself. Hopefully this makes things a little more clear. Regardless of how you feel about this project you still have to give the man props for trying.
