Where has the aftermarket for knives gone?

synthesist

synthesist

So many knives so little time
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I’m sure a lot of people wonder what happens when its time to sell off a knife collection these days. My, personal, tastes have transformed quite a bit over the years and my collection reflects those shifts. I don’t buy many knives anymore but the ones I do buy are a delight. When I dig in to what I have I see many knives I’d never buy again that are perfectly fine but no longer to my taste.

So those comments made:

1) Does the current knife aftermarket reflect the general economy’s malaise? Has it gone down dramatically the past few years? I realize that tastes change and what was once hot may have cooled off quite a bit. I also recognize that knives by many custom makers like Moran, Loveless, Lake and Walker are appreciating by the minute

2) So how does one go about estimating a collection’s value without spending $1,000s having someone like Bernard Levine appraise it piece by piece? What CURRENT price guidebook(s), if any, (or other methods for that matter), would allow one to do this research by themselves?

3) If there is no pressing, economic need to sell a collection would it be better to just wait and let it regain some of its prior, higher, value?

4) If I were to decide to sell the collection now, would it be better to consign ALL the knives somewhere, perhaps the aforementioned Bernard Levine or an internet knife seller’s site, a specialist in knife auctions ( J. Bruce Voyles or even eBay), or sell these directly in some other way? How do you know where to turn to and who can be trusted to advise you, realizing of course that appraisals are someone’s “opinions” and that what a cash-in-hand buyer is willing to pay on a given day is the HARSH reality of life that we all deal with?
 
Knives and knifemakers popularity follows fashion, what was once popular eventually runs out of steam as new designs and makers appear to replace them. There are very few knives/knifemakers that stand up to the test of time.

Look at yourself as an example, as your taste changes, so do other people's. If you no longer are attracted to a knife, there is a high chance that others have also lost the desire to own it as well.
 
If anything a poor economy bolsters the secondary market while diminishing the primary. More people buy used when they can't afford new. I agree with CWL above. ;)
 
I would think alot of it has something to do with the economy. Since the downturn my company hasn't cut our pay we are still busy and doing well. Yet weekly I hear my coworkers talking about delaying or avoiding purchases because of 'the economy.' I'm guilty as well, for the first time in my adult life I am driving a paid for car...and I am not looking for another. When we moved I cleared out alot of stuff. If I don't use it I don't keep it.

I went from a shelf full of knives to about seven. I have my eyes on a couple that are just coming out, and I may buy them, but the ones I replace will be sold or gifted. I think that alot of people's outlook has changed. I think alot of markets that aren't necessities have bottomed out. (Art, Antiques, etc.)

I don't know what your collection consists of, but I wouldn't think that factory knives are going to substantially appreciate, unless it was a highly sought after limited run. In my opinion even some of Spyderco's sprint runs from the past may not still sell in for high prices in the future as better materials and steels move into the marketplace. I remeber when ATS-34 was the best availabe and only used on a very few knives. I wonder if in ten years S90V or M4 will be old hat.


As for customs, There are lots of custom makers right now. The prices paid for Loveless and Moran's have brought many people to the field of knifemaking. For custom knives to continue to appreciate, the maker has to stay visible in the marketplace, or have already achieved a reputation. Loveless has already made a name for himself. Almost any person with even a casual interest in custom knives has heard of him. Same for Randall knives. Even a non-knife person might say, "I think my father had a Randall knife that he used."

Unfortunately it's true. Buy a nice framed photograph. If it was done by Ansel Adams, it will cost you a mint. A photograph done by your aunt, in the same frame, on the same paper, of the same landscape, and just as good. Lets just say you don't need to take out an insurance rider on it.

I don't know what would be the best way to get money back out of your knives. I've tried the bay but never had much luck...of course all my knives have been used and in many cases customized. But if they don't appeal to you and you don't have any family that would truly appreciate them, I would recommend selling them now. Good luck

Grizz
 
Thank you all for your replies. I'm not sure I got the answers I wanted to hear yet but I appreciate your time and thoughts.

When I started collecting knives it wasn't for investment purposes but somewhere along the way I made some "educated" bets and those have ( or will ) pay off whenever I decide to succumb to the urge to cash them in. At the same time I agree that most of my new factory knife purchases, other then Case and Al Mar, haven't appreciated substantially in value. I don't regret those at all............

I'm still curious about how people dispose of the ones that they want to go.

Thanks again

Syn
 
synthesist said:
I'm still curious about how people dispose of the ones that they want to go.

Thanks again

Syn
Click to expand...

I used to have a large knife collection. The only ones that had any real value were the randall's I had bought back in my single days in the 1960's. I sold them all off about 20 to 25 years and made some money. The other stuff, high end production knives and some mixed bag stuff i just gave away to frieds and family. About two or three years ago I did another downsizing, and gave them away here on bladeforums. Pick the forum you are in the most and just do give always. The money you get from the are not going to change your life, so just let go. I felt better after. Now I'm down to just a handful, I make a rule; new one it, old one out. It keeps things in perspective.

Carl.
 
If you do not have a really big collection - you should not be overly concerned about the issues you have listed. If you have such a big one - you should worry about selling all of it off, it may take some doing and obtaining good prices for all your pieces may not be that easy at best of times.
That is not real estate after all. Of course you may have a few very expensive pieces. But then I do not think that premium market changes that much no matter the economy. At least it does not in cars, watches and so like...
 
Unless you have a lot of 'famous' knives I don't know of any good price guide. Best bet would be the internet, simply see what other people are selling them for. Obviously there's a mark up a certain sites, but if you see a mint Strider/Busse/Hinderer sell for X dollars, then you could probably at least start asking around the same price.

As for sell now or later, my opinion based solely on watching the for sale section here and other places is that yes, prices are down for some things. If you have the right knife and find the right buyer you'll do fine, but less people are making impluse buys. Some knives will probably go back up, others probably never will. Depends on what you have.
 
Again, I appreciate all the thoughts and suggestions from all of you.....................

It's obvious that some of the custom knives I own have appreciated a great deal over the years and there's no way I can lose $$$ on those. Other, mint NIB factory knives, and excellent, as-found, vintage knives are going to take time to sort out (if that can be done at all). At the same time, the joy of discovery, that thrill of finding a gem somewhere unexpected,and those memories, are priceless. I'm thinking that some of these should, eventually, be posted for sale here and passed along to others who will cherish them as I do.

Thanks again for taking the time to respond.......................

Syn
 
The economy always plays a part.

But there have been quite a few new knives recently released (or will be released soon) so I think a lot of knife guys (and girls) are kind of cash strapped because of that. The used market is suffering, unless you have a really desirable, discontinued knife, you will probably not get the price you once could.
 
I understand that "collecting" anything, no matter how precious it is, is a luxury that many people have had to forgo given their personal situation and the world's economic state. We all make decisions on where to spend our disposable income. Over the years a chunk of mine has gone into "things" knives being one of those things........... Some of them I use daily, the magnificent kitchen knives that Tim Wright made for us for example. Those were worth every penny that was spent on them and more. At the same time the stunning Loveless-styled D5 Archer Chute knife he made sits in a display case, pristine and inviolate to this day (to Tim's chagrin I might ad since he likes his knives used). I suppose I regarded the kitchen knives as "mere" tools, to be used as such............. The kitchen knives have paid for themselves many times over btw unlike that Chute knife.

Now that my tastes have retreated from Randall, Case, Al Mar and Spyderco to more delicate pocket jewelry like vintage Orange Blossoms and lockback whittlers, which are rarer, it's easy for me to control the urge to ad more to my collection. As I said I've become more discriminating. My wife says, after reading this thread, that I should divest what I don't like without worrying about how much they might have been worth 5 years ago and to take the proceeds and buy what I like at today's prices (that way it all evens out in the end). I'm thinking about that comment.

Thanks again............

Syn
 
Looking back at this thread after a year I don't think much has changed.

Thoughts? Comments? Flames?

Syn
 
It doesn't seem like knife collecting is a great way to invest. Dealers with good taste can buy direct and discounted from makers, make their markup and make a living doing this. Especially if they have access to contemporary trendsetters e.g. Hinderer. To collect and profit you'd have to have great taste and foresight, and/or find knives on the exchange and grab them at bargain prices. This means you know the going rate for all these knives, and the market isn't so big. IMHO, customs have the greatest upside potential. And I'm not talking in the $100-$200 range. Classic designs should stand the test of time if you can pick em. For example, I grabbed a custom Lum deluxe tanto at a price I know I could flip and make 50% on my money. How do I know that? Because its rare. Like gems, rarity and quality drives price. Loveless, Moran, who will be next? There were hundreds of thousands of Schrade slipjoints made, but how many are in excellent condition? This is not meant as a flame comment, but look at Spyderco. (I own a few of their knives by the way). They just aren't built like old Schrades with nickel silver bolsters, hand cut swedges and beautiful jigged bone, with a hand fit shield.. The Spydies might have a sentimental value to someone some day but are they really going to fork over triple current value? Don't think so. Early and mint Schrades go for 100 times original price, discounting inflation. The Randalls and rare Case should stay strong, but man, you gotta enjoy them to keep them around, and the favorites in your collection are probably the most valuable and hardest to part with. I'm in the same boat believe me. If you want to test values put em up on the exchange. Good luck.
 
Obviously, some larger brands will have knives that are guarenteed to appreciate in general. I'm thinking about limited production/sprint runs. I can't even guess for customs, as I neither HAVE any or would have ANY idea how the knife colector market responds to early models of custom knives.

That said, I honestly can't imagine getting into a hobby like this with the intent of making money from it. At the very most, I'd hope that my knives would hold a good percentage of their value should I ever find that I needed to liquidate them for some unfathomable reason. Personally, I collect knives for the pleasure it gives me to carry a different knife every day and to explore different designs. Making a profit never entered my mind.
 
Syn and others: You will find hard truth and good info in this non-knife related article on selling 'Collections'. It's a unilateral concern and sometimes a problem.

Harry Rinker on selling a Collection.

Selling one by one or in small groups seems to net more, but it's work.

Coop
 
Once upon a time, A Scagel was pure gold. The grail of customer made. Now, as Bernard has discussed on his forum here at BF, not so much. How many here, as a % of the whole, even know who he was? Fashions, as observed above vs. intrinsic worth.
 
I recently had to liquidate the estate of my father. He had a few nice knives, but nothing to sell. Some of the "fine old users" no one would even look at unless it was less than ten cents (I do mean that literally) on the dollar.

I have been to other estate sales and the agents there tell me that they love pocket knives, pipes (tobacco), etc. as they sell fast. They mark all the CASE knives that are in great shape as $10, and if they are in excellent shape, $15 - $20. They mark other according to what they know and how much they find them for on EBAY, etc. Unfortunately, no matter how I plead with the owner of the company she will not call me for first look.

Some knives seem to fetch a pretty price on EBAY. Some don't.

The guy I find at the gun show that sells used and estate type knives told me that he was happy to get $20 for a good medium folding knife in good shape (read: CASE, Schrade, Buck, and not much else). With that in mind, when he buys out estates or collections, for those same knives he only pays from $3 to $5 bucks. Obviously there are exceptions, but that is his rule of thumb.

He buys no new designs such as Benchmade, Spyderco, Kershaws, etc., as he told me unless they were some kind of super collectible, he could never get his money out of them. Traditionals, only.

With that in mind, I happily use all my knives now, knowing that if I can't sell the knife here on the exchange to a fan, I won't get anything of value for them.

Robert
 
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