What makes an old knife collectible?

[Fujimo]

It doesn't seem to be scarcity. I see some pretty scarce knives go on ebay for a pittance.

About the only thing I see is the presence of a collectors club. That seems to make an old Case more desirable.

I collect rigging knives, myself. MIB/NIB new Camillus knives are creeping up since the closing of the factory in February, but still too early to say what will happen with those.

 

[tirod3]

Broad based appeal among a knowledgeable group with the money to get what they want. Old Remingtons, for example. Very common in the day, many rare patterns and handle treatments just because the market became so competitive it could sell them. Once out of production, a generation of users noticed they were no longer available except in the secondary market and went after them.

Much like the pony/muscle cars of the '60s. Mustangs/Camaros run a lot higher from demand, even though a American Motors Javelin may actually be superior in performance due to the lack of low cost options like 6 cylinder drivetrain with 4 lug wheels. That's an apples and oranges comparison, but there were a lot of 6 cylinder Mustangs, and very fewJavelins. So the market interest is in Mustangs, and they are priced accordingly.

Or, Carroll Shelby's 427 Supersnake that sold for millions. One of a kind.

Early Gerbers, some Bucks, early Spydercos, and a lot of early generation tactical knives are all ready collected heavily for the same reasons - lots of exposure, not so many knives.

 

[Triton]

Simple economics. Supply AND (this one's important) Demand.

If you have a supply equal to the demand it's not collectible.

This one is common sense. If you can find widget x on any street corner for a reasonable price they aren't going to be sought after and the values aren't going anywhere.


If you have a supply but no demand it's not collectible.

Again common sense. If there's a pile of them and no one wants them the value isn't going up. Think home shopping network cutlery.


If you have no supply and no demand it's not collectible.

This one is harder for some people to grasp. They think that just because Great Grandpa Bob's knife is one of only two dozen made that it must be worth a lot of money. It's not. If no one wants it then it's just a knife. The same thing applies to people who have some really old knife they found somewhere. They think because it is old that it's worth a lot of money. It's not. If there's no demand it's just an old knife.

If there is no supply and there is demand then it is collectible. The items don't even have to have any intrinsic value. Think beanie babies. They are worthless except as a child's toy but a lot of people spent ridiculous amounts of mony on them because a bunch of people wanted them and there weren't enough to go around. Same thing with cutlery. Think Busse knives. Now Busse do have some intrinsic value by all accounts they are tough user knives, but their secondary market prices are way out of wack when compared to the primary market prices. Why? Small supply big demand. Do you think Busse is oblivious to this? Yeah right! This same thing applies to old knives or other new knives.

 

[Bob W]

I gotta go in a different direction to answer.

I think the supply/demand equation is what makes a knife valuable. I don't confuse my own collecting habits with value. I collect, or more accurately Accumulate, knives of every sort and age without regard to financial gain, and I never think of my purchases as an "investment". If I buy a knife on closeout for $30 and a year later it's worth $150 then that's nice, but it's not why I bought the knife and it doesn't affect the fact that I'm not going to sell it.

Personally, I think almost any knife is worthy of being "collected," particularly good quality knives, knives no longer in production, unusual/original designs, or just 'cause.

-Bob

 

[Fujimo]

Most of what I've bought, collected accumulated, is because I like it. But there are a few that I'd like to sell some day and pick up a few $$ on.

 

[SlamFire]

Message Deleted

 

[Bob W]

But there are a few that I'd like to sell some day and pick up a few $$ on.

I've only recently began buying a couple of extras, popular knives on closeout for dirt-cheap. My goal is to use them as future trade offerings. But you never know what brands or items will be desirable in the future. You can't predict the unpredictable...

-Bob

 

[Fujimo]

I've only recently began buying a couple of extras, popular knives on closeout for dirt-cheap. My goal is to use them as future trade offerings. But you never know what brands or items will be desirable in the future. You can't predict the unpredictable...

-Bob

Absolutely true. Most of the ones that I've picked up and hope I might make a few $$ on, I'd give away, trade or use if their value doesn't increase. Mostly some Camillus riggers.

 

[kamkazmoto]

For me what is collectible are the memories associated with various knives. The knives may or may not increase in value but the memories that are evoked when I handle my fathers Chinese cleaver or my grandfathers kama (a Japanese scythe) will be with me forever.