When is it time to sell?

dsmegst

dsmegst

Joined
Jul 21, 2009
Messages
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After going through many brands, models and styles, from $20 knives to $400 knives, I'm at a point where I know what I like and what I actually use. So is it time to start selling the ones I don't need?

Even if I rotated through one knife a month, it would take me 10 years or more to use them all. And I know there are knives I won't miss terribly much if I was to sell them. I mean I don't even think about them unless I'm rearranging them or come across them while looking for some other knife. So at what point did you guys go from hoarding to selling?

And just how much seller's remorse should I be prepared for? :rolleyes:
 
If your having to ask you already know it is time to sell, come on rotating one a month are your 10 years deep. Keep what you like and use or have some kinda sentimental attachment too and sell the rest. Yes, be prepared for some sellers remorse but if you keep what I suggested it should be minimal. Besides you can take what make from the sale and buy some more of what you like and use, back ups if you will.

Good luck
 
Best time to sell is 2-4 weeks before you kick the bucket :D

Seriously, I'm at the same point, even being a bit of a collector, I have too many knives, and some I'm sure I will never miss.

Trouble is, as I go through them to decide, I find it difficult to decide whether or not to let them go.

I guess the best time is when you are ready to part with it. The reasons would be different for each individual.

Kevin
 
Here are some questions to ask yourself that might help you:

- How much money do you have tied up in knives you no longer use or never did, and what would you put that money toward if it wasn't committed to those knives?

- How many of the knives are out of production and would you regret not having held onto them if, in the future, you decide you'd like to own them again after selling them?

- How much are these knives cluttering up your life? And what would you do with the space created by getting rid of them?

I like to think of things in terms of energy expenditure, too -- as in the time and money you have wrapped up in the knives you're considering letting go. Sometimes it's liberating to clear out the clutter. Sometimes, in doing so, we let go of things that later we miss.

If the knives don't clutter your house, and you don't need the funds tied up in the knives for anything pressing, and you think you might regret selling certain ones, then maybe try to whittle the collection down, but hold onto some a bit longer and see how you feel about it.

I've found that my tastes change widely from year to year and something (not just knives, but all sorts of things) I hated the year before, I discover in the bottom of a drawer or back of the closet and end up enjoying and being glad I didn't let it go.
 
i think MikeC has hit it pretty cleanly. it's sounds like time for some serious editing.

go through them all and be utterly RUTHLESS. any non-safe-queen knife you havn't actually used in the last five years can be the first cabs off the rank for sale.

then take a good long look at the rest.

if there are any knives that basically duplicate almost exactly another knife (eg: an Izula and a Becker-Necker are essentially the same), pick which one you like best and sell the rest.

any in there you were a little underwhelmed about when you initially got them? have another try of them, if you still have doubts, put it in the "to sell" box.
 
If you havent used a knife in a while look in the Trade forum and get a knife

you would like & use. Ive done that a couple of times.....better than having

a drawer full of steel just sitting there.:D;)
 
Not wanting to reiterate, I'll just agree with the posts above. Sell them if you need the money (or run out of "fun" money), need the space, or need to move on. I have three categories for these things

- Knives I'll never sell/trade
- Knives that I value but will trade in extreme circumstance,
- Users and trade fodder.

Oddly enough, the few knives I have that are in the first category are probably the least valuable - i.e. Gifts, heirlooms, or special in some way. Category 2 is just about any collectable, discontinued model, or limited edition model. The last bunch would be anything that is easily replaced.

In terms of true collecting, I have tried to narrow my range of purchases and trades to knives that have a theme or similar design, like Benchmade Axis locks, or Case Whittlers, or Spyderco Sprint Runs, etc. It helps me in decision making on buying and trading.
 
I decided to sell off at least 1/3 of my items recently. I'm keeping my Spyderco sprint runs and production folders as well. Selling off some of the knives I bought recently, received in trade, have too many duplicates of, or that will see no pocket time at all.

I like the simple system that Dallas outlines, that is basically the structure I have in place:
1- Spyderco Sprints, Benchmade Limited Editions, Kershaw/ZT Limited Editions, Gifts (Won't sell)
2- Knives received in trade, or multiples of an easily found production model (will sell or trade)
3- Trade material, knives that I bought, and ended up not using or liking much shortly after the initial sale. (Material that I just want to use as bartering chips for other knives)
 
I sell knives I never use or hardly never use, I also sell some when I need the $ or I really want something else like another knife or gun and just dont feel like saving.

If you have to ask...you surely know the answer. If a knife has sat for a long time and you dont favor it....why not sell it? Or do what I do and give it away. I give knives away every so often to a deserving friend/relative etc. Its almost better that way as the knife brings someone else happiness and it perhaps gets used when it may not have been when with you.
 
On a more pragmatic note, now just isn't the right time to sell. My Brother, my Dad and I are buying Bowies on eBay for 5 bucks. My Dad bought a Dan Dee knife at a gunshow in June for under a hundred bucks and my neighbor's Brother-in-law sold me his S.O.G. Trident Fighter for 50 bucks with the stipulation that he can buy it back when he is not hurting for money. I just bought a new blue Boker Plus Rhinoceros on eBay for $3.75! Great time to be buying but just way too much inventory available (drives the prices down.) Used knives aren't setting any records in my neck of the woods too.

The perception of poor economic times/slow recovery isn't helping either.

In August in preparation for Hunting season, things will get a little better but if it's anything like last year put the emphasis on "little". (Last August I purchased a Colt Bowie for 10 bucks from an individual at a gunshop who said he was done with knives.)

Of course November and December will be the best time to sell, (the day after Thanksgiving and the week before Christmas.) But if it were me I'd hold off for another year and see. Chances are that in the interim you might find a real knife guy that can appreciate what you have which would the be best scenario!

My friends can tell when its a good time to buy because I'm buying (like now,) and when its a good time to sell because I'm selling.

Cameras and Lenses are doing well right now even though it's the off season, Laptops, Computer parts, Guns & Ammo but knives are at rock bottom I'm afraid. (If you find a geographical region that is isolated, my hat's really off to you!) Oh, I'm in the South West...

Just one more as an illustration, I bought a new S&W (SWHRTMG) with the super cool Smith & Wesson Performance logo on it, for 99 cents on eBay on 21JUN2010.

Did I make my point?
 
I just sold a 10 year old DDR 5.5 Maxx for $450. I bought it a year ago for $700. The economy today is s#it and sellers don't do well.
 
I didn't address market conditions in my first post, mainly because there wasn't a obvious note of panic from the OP. Assuming this is the case, than waiting through the current economic climate to start selling might be prudent. The aftermarket for anything that doesn't have HINDERER on it is pretty tough right now. There are some good sales, but only for very special items and the sentiment not widespread.
 
Don't get me wrong, I'd rather such wasn't the case and that the knife folks were just doing outstanding! (Dirtbikes got it rough too at the moment.) Y'all are in my prayers!
 
dsmegst said:
After going through many brands, models and styles, from $20 knives to $400 knives, I'm at a point where I know what I like and what I actually use. So is it time to start selling the ones I don't need?

Even if I rotated through one knife a month, it would take me 10 years or more to use them all. And I know there are knives I won't miss terribly much if I was to sell them. I mean I don't even think about them unless I'm rearranging them or come across them while looking for some other knife. So at what point did you guys go from hoarding to selling?

And just how much seller's remorse should I be prepared for? :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I can count the number of knives I have on two hands, so I'm not prepared to sell any time soon. It sounds like you could let some go though. We can't kid yourselves, we could accomplish almost any cutting chore with a $10 Opinel, a $15 Mora, and a $5 Tramontina.
 
The economy,hording of ammo, and the panic buying of black rifles spelled doom for anyone selling all but the truly sought after knives. Sell now because you won't get much more by waiting till later. It is what it is. Look at the web-sites amount of web-sites selling
below MAP pricing.
 
It's time to sell when you start asking yourself if it is time to sell.

As far as now not being the right time - I disagree. Set a fair market price for the knife, and if it is a popular model from a reputable company someone will pick it up. Be willing to withdraw the knife if it doesn't command the fair price you are asking for it.

I have been part of forums for some time now and there are always new people getting into the knife collecting game looking to build their collection. There are some good deals to be had on the exchange, and also the opportunity to pick up models no longer in production.

My personal rule for selling - if the knife can be sold "Like New in Box" after owning it for a while it means I really don't have love for it - so I put it up for sale.

I never had sellers remorse - but most of the knives I've sold were production models. I'm sure if I let customs go there would be!!
 
You could box up everything that you might want to sell, pretend that they are gone, and then stick everything in the closet for 6 months or a year or whatever. At the end of that time, you will probably have a better understanding of whether you really want to sell them.

I have thought of doing the same. I am not quite at the point of selling, because the cash would just be dissipated and then I would have neither knives nor cash. But I do have a ton of knives that just lay there and never get carried.
 
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