Trading Values

[BurkStar]

I've just participated in two trades that went extremely well. When I get a "satisfied" response I'll post my endorsement of these individuals as I was extremely satisfied. BUT...this has nothing to do with my past two trades, what value should you put on your knives and what value should you "assume" that others are putting on theirs? I.E. retail, wholesale, current auction values, what you actually paid? Any help would be appreciated. Once again this is in no way a reflection on my current trades.

 

[martin j]

Trade/sale value can be very unstable, although for most knives still in-production there is pattern, usually 10-20% less than cheapest internet seller prices even if NIB. It is all subject to 'supply & demand", if it is available from internet dealer with return policy, etc. most won't pay same amount from individual seller, therefore, you need to sell for less.
Some are different, Busses that go out of production for example, they will go for more than retails cost (which usually was the same in-store or on trhe internet) because there is current and high demand for them.
Sometimes I have seen very special rare customs not become purchased at very reasonable prices, for example a master smith bowie sold at original price may not get taken online even though it can be sold for much, much more at a knife show. On this forum there seems to be mostly buyers of lower end of good-quality knives, up to moderately high tactical customs. Knifes at good prices outside those popular areas sometimes get taken quickly ,sometimes they stay posted even when their prices are dropped by appreciable margin.
Again, "supply & demand"-
Martin

 

[SIFU1A]

wow, lots of variables, supply/demand/time of year (ie if near a show, hard to sell)/codition of knife/brand of knife/etc

it seems to me for a short period of time when a knife is discontinued (like a spyderco centofante) ya can get them cheap if ya look, then, magically, about a yr later, they are 'rare, discontinued' and people want a premium. go figure.

have paid some ridiculously low prices on discontinued/older styles of knives in the last yr or so, but ya gotta be fast, or someone will beat ya to them. example - LNIB BM 625S leapord, BM boguzewski spike (650S?) or BM 910S stryker, all LNIB, all for $40 to $60 each, a great way to acquire older BM's, of which i have a modest collection.

when i got the stryker, there was an identical knife listed for $100, it can vary that much......i guess depends on how much ya got in the knife/how bad ya wanna sell too.....

anyway, its a guessing game imho, good luck!!

greg