Why didn't this sell?

19-3ben

19-3ben

Gold Member
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Jul 27, 2015
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OK guys, a few weeks ago I posted up a BK24 for sale on the exchange. It's unused and has new TKC G10 scales in "midnight tiger."

At first I had asked $115. Didn't sell. I get that. it was maybe a reach. Then dropped to $105. Then $95.

The way I came to my pricing was that it was a $55 knife when it was available. Then another $40 for the scales, so combined is a $95 value just in what i have in it (at new, obviously). This was a limited run of sterile blades, so it had some exclusivity, AND is out of production, AND they rarely pop up for sale. I figured the rarity has to be worth something, along with the fact that it is in unused condition (though does not have box.)

I'm having a hard time figuring how it didn't sell.

I'm not asking for a pity party, and imagine I have some snark inbound, but I'm actually genuinely asking for feedback. Did I over price? is it maybe that I priced too high to start with and by the time I dropped to $95 it was on page 3 and nobody looked anymore? Or perhaps is it not a desirable model?
Maybe should I remove the scales and sell separately?

What do you think would be a fair value on this?

Advice? Comments? Insults? Dirty jokes? Snark?
 
Chrismas is coming.... a part of the year buyers are fewer. And quite frankly, at that price a BK9 can be purchased. Also, at that size, custom makers are selling knives within that price range, so you are competing with those on the Exchange. Just my $.02.
 
Sometimes selling stuff goes like that. It doesn't sell, you take it off the market, then a bit later you put it back on and BAM! All you need is one person looking for a 24 with some nice custom scales. Or, as you mention, if you separate, you need a person looking for a 24 and another looking for some scales for his 24 or 14, which broadens your market a bit.

Perhaps there is a reason KA-BAR no longer offers the 24, meaning maybe it didn't sell all that well. I have heard D2 can be a bit brittle, but I don't know how much truth there is to that. Perhaps many prefer the 14 in that shape.

Plus, as a previous poster mentioned, it is close to that time of year when people are spending their money on all the Black Friday and similar good deals.
 
Good points. Thank you guys.

I dont NEED to sell this right now, though I'd like the funds to buy other knives while there are good deals. Perhaps I'll hold off and repost in a few months.
 
I think we can stick a fork in this one. After the replies here and a couple of PMs, I have a good grasp on what happened, and as I thought, it was my pricing error to blame.

Feel free to ignore, or derail as you see fit.
 
I think this may be skating right at the edge of "what is my knife worth" type of questions, but I think it's worth discussing what makes something valuable in the aftermarket (mods may disagree...).

I think the collectibility of unusual Beckers is overestimated except for a few really hardcore fans here. One of the great appeals of Beckers is their affordability:quality ratio. And since these were widely available and cheap when they were in production, I expect anyone who wanted one badly enough got one then.

Yeah, it's a sweet little package, but I think people expect to find good deals in the exchange on knives in that category, rather than as-new commercial prices.

On the other hand, super-exclusive brands, mid-techs, or customs may increase in value. Ka-bar's production likely exceeded demand, which is why they dropped it, whereas the low-volume producers seldom meet demand for any given model, which leaves a seething secondary market in their wake.
 
Scarcity, collectibility, and Christmas aside, another perspective I might add has to do with what you have added to increase its value.

For instance: I go out and I buy a new Glock. Since I want to carry said pistol, I need a holster, maybe two holsters, in case I want to switch up my carry. I obviously need to train with the new pistol so I also need ammunition, Snap Caps, extra magazines, etc. Since I want it to be the best possible pistol for my needs, I will probably upgrade my sights, trigger assembly, barrel, etc.

My $500 Glock is now a $1000+ package deal.

I now become bored with my Glock and I want to sell it. I tally up all the money I have into it and list it for sale. Accessories are useless to me without the pistol so they become part of the "package". Joe Schmo sees my listing, goes to compare my price with a brand new Glock from a dealer, scoffs at the discrepancy, and moves right along.

My point being: Potential buyers see a "stock" gun, brand new, at considerably less than what I am asking for my upgraded, but used model and they generally have a harder time equating my efforts to any measurable increase in value. So in many cases when I have sold guns, I have had to expect to take a hit, knowing that it would be rare for folks to appreciate the time and money I put into the gun, let alone even be willing to pay what the gun is really worth.

I remember doing a trade a few years back. The guy had a $500 gun I was interested in, he was interested in my $400 gun. I suggested a straight across trade because my $400 gun had a $120 trigger upgrade and a $65 holster where his gun was simply stock with no upgrades and no accessories. Though I managed to convince him to go through with the trade and we both came out happy, he initially balked at the notion of doing a straight across trade, thinking I needed to add cash to sweeten the deal.

Upgrades and accessories don't always equate increased value in the buyer's mind, especially if they are simply "window shopping".

I do hope you can get your 24 sold. Honestly, I would be interested in scooping it up myself if I didn't already have money tied up in other knives.
 
daizee said:
I think this may be skating right at the edge of "what is my knife worth" type of questions, but I think it's worth discussing what makes something valuable in the aftermarket (mods may disagree...).
Click to expand...

I'm a Gold member. I get to ask those questions...

I do appreciate the advice guys. Thank you all.
 
There are some great bits of perspective here, but because I can't leave good enough alone I am gonna toss in my two cents.

When I buy something (and this could be completely just my perspective) I don't view it as a certain amount of invested money or a value, it is simply a thing I bought. That money isn't sitting waiting out in the ether, it is gone. Done. Finito.

So, while I may have paid a certain amount for something, I am out that money. It is gone. Never to return. But if I want to sell said item, then I am starting from scratch, and I have to determine worth.

So if I have item A that has been upgraded with item B, that doesn't give me item A + item B = item C. It gives me item A that has item B added to it. Item A cost a certain amount, lets say $50. Item A cost me that much, but it isn't worth that much. That is just what I paid to the store to get it. Item A is probably only worth $30. Now if I add item B, which let's say cost $40, item B isn't worth $40, thats just the price I paid for it, which included profit for the store that I bought it from. Item B is probably only worth $20. So, if I add those prices, I get to A + B = $50. Thats what it is worth. (All hypothetical mind you, just a fictitious example.)

I love the BK24. Great knife. Wish I had another. I like the TKC grips, but they are not worth $40 to me. As cool as they are, there is no guarantee they are going to give me $40 of worth when added to a $50 knife. They don't make a $90 knife when added to the 24, not for me at least.

Just my two cents, and how I arrive at worth or something close. How I look at pricing for an item I might throw my money at. Other things come into play tho. New in box, awesome, but knife plus grips narrows the buyer down considerably. Now you are looking for someone who wants not the one thing but two specific things.

I think this is something people need to look at when buying and selling a Becker. Alot of folks here have hit on a lot of useful info. The ultimate answer is an item is only worth as much as a person is willing to pay for it. That doesn't always guarantee someone is out there waiting to find the thing you are selling. Good luck, and from what I am seeing it looks like you got your item sold.
 
I believe when it comes to selling anything it's only worth what someone's willing to pay. In the case of the 24 I think it just wasn't in the right place at right time :D I've seen them sell for more then you were asking on an auction site when they pop up .
 
I'll chime in as well. When something is posted originally and the price is too high, that sale is sometimes just doomed. A lot of sellers I've seen consistently post high prices and I glance over those guys.

When I'm buying on the exchange, I'm looking for a deal. If I can buy it from a store for the same price it's a no brainer. Buying from a store isn't "like" new. Anyone who's been around here long enough has gotten a like new knife that looks like it's been used quite a bit.

As a rule, a buyer wants to at least safe a few bucks. I'd say that knife you were selling shouldve been listed at $75 including fees and shipping.

Even then, this time a year it might not sell. Knife market is soft right now.
 
People rarely get their money back for a knife plus custom scales. If you look at past threads for even folders, it's rare that the final price is anywhere close to the combined price. I assume it's because the market for custom scales is not huge, and what you might prefer in handles is not what others might, further narrowing down your market.

You're much better off trying to sell them separately if you're trying to get back what you put into it.
 
I saw the ad when it popped up.
As a buyer, here's why i didn't jump on it.
- I already have a 24
- I haven't touched my 24 in over a year
- the sterile version didn't appeal to me when it was offered by Kabar
- I didn't like the particular scales It was wearing
- it was overpriced

Change two of the last four, and I might have been trying to dump the sterile 24 by now.

On the subject of sterile knives: some people - collectors, primarily - seem to want to attribute a higher value to the lack of markings... likely to the perception of exclusivity. I'm in a different camp. The logo/mark has a value. It represents time and effort by the maker (usually, lol). Further, how do I - as a buyer - know that it is actually what it is supposed to be? I have to have the knowledge that the sterile model exists, and trust that I'm looking at one. Supporting paperwork? Great... one more thing that I have to keep, and will probably lose before I need it.
 
daizee said:
I think this may be skating right at the edge of "what is my knife worth" type of questions, but I think it's worth discussing what makes something valuable in the aftermarket (mods may disagree...).

I think the collectibility of unusual Beckers is overestimated except for a few really hardcore fans here. One of the great appeals of Beckers is their affordability:quality ratio. And since these were widely available and cheap when they were in production, I expect anyone who wanted one badly enough got one then.

Yeah, it's a sweet little package, but I think people expect to find good deals in the exchange on knives in that category, rather than as-new commercial prices.

On the other hand, super-exclusive brands, mid-techs, or customs may increase in value. Ka-bar's production likely exceeded demand, which is why they dropped it, whereas the low-volume producers seldom meet demand for any given model, which leaves a seething secondary market in their wake.
Click to expand...

This short thread had some truly insightful (and civil!) comments. I found the above post particularly insightful. I agree the collect-ability of out of production or unusual Beckers may be overestimated, particularly when a lot of them were made. But I also agree about the comments concerning low production items, which explains the strong secondary market for the BK20 and BK29. If KA-BAR would produce one of both of those priced about like the BK21, I think they would do well. I know I am a bit reluctant to modify or "hard use" my BK29. Much of that has to do with as the value on the secondary market, but there is the irreplaceable aspect as well. Regardless of warranty, what happens when there are no more available?
 
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19-3ben said:
OK guys, a few weeks ago I posted up a BK24 for sale on the exchange. It's unused and has new TKC G10 scales in "midnight tiger."

At first I had asked $115. Didn't sell. I get that. it was maybe a reach. Then dropped to $105. Then $95.

The way I came to my pricing was that it was a $55 knife when it was available. Then another $40 for the scales, so combined is a $95 value just in what i have in it (at new, obviously). This was a limited run of sterile blades, so it had some exclusivity, AND is out of production, AND they rarely pop up for sale. I figured the rarity has to be worth something, along with the fact that it is in unused condition (though does not have box.)

I'm having a hard time figuring how it didn't sell.

I'm not asking for a pity party, and imagine I have some snark inbound, but I'm actually genuinely asking for feedback. Did I over price? is it maybe that I priced too high to start with and by the time I dropped to $95 it was on page 3 and nobody looked anymore? Or perhaps is it not a desirable model?
Maybe should I remove the scales and sell separately?

What do you think would be a fair value on this?

Advice? Comments? Insults? Dirty jokes? Snark?
Click to expand...

It did not sell because it wasn't a good enough deal. If you want to greatly improve the chances of sale then the customer has to believe it is such a good value it is an opportunity not to be missed.

See, the issue is you are essentially selling a modified knife, that means that at a higher price you are dealing with two obstacles, someone has to have wanted that knife, with those scales on it.
 
19-3ben said:
I'm a Gold member. I get to ask those questions...
I do appreciate the advice guys. Thank you all.
Click to expand...

KaBar had a hard time selling them at the "very good price"... i got what i needed, it's great. lots of people wanted the exotic metals. KaBar provides. then they don't sell. compared to the market, the price point was more than fair. go figure. maybe in a few years, there will be some value in it, but like the S30V BK9s, perhaps not.

the D2 in the batch i got seems practically stainless to boot. i cut meat with mine all the time (aluminum custom handles too). no rust. no staining. holds a good edge.

"I get to ask those questions" - well, in theory ;) in this sub-forum, it's actually a forum rule from day 1 for all intents and purposes that valuation questions are typically not allowed. we're not too uptight about it, but it's on the books. wanna talk valuation in the appropriate other forum? gold? go for it :D
 
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