Why is the price often removed?

Hi OTE,

You have never bought a knife from me???? What are you waiting for? LOL

My prices are not negotiable. Mine is a business web site, not an auction site.

The makers and I have an agreement, I don't undercut their prices and they continue to sell to me.

Additionally, by not negotiating on prices, this helps to stabilize the after market prices. There are plenty of dealers who over charge. By doing so this allows them to negotiate.

Just like the furniture sales you see. They raise the price 50% and then give you a 50% discount. You gain nothing but a warm fuzzy that you got a deal....when in actuality you did not.
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I understand why you and others would want me to keep the prices up. The problem is that if the price goes up then some people think they are being ripped off because I advertise one price and charge another. This is the difference between the collector view and businessman view.

Joe Cordova is still making knives and his contact information can be found on the ABS Website.

Charlie Morris passed away a few years ago.

Your predicament is why I keep recommending to people that they do their homework before you purchase a knife. Get the info before the knife purchase....not after.

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Generally if you see a big drop in price the seller was "trolling" with a premium on the knife. Once they realized there were no takers the price comes down.

If the condition of the knife is in question the seller should list this in their description.

Being wary of a huge price drop is common sense...part of doing your homework.

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OTE,

It is your job to keep track of what the prices of the knives in your collection are. Generally when I put SOLD on a knife, that selling price is merely a "snap shot" of the market on that day.

Question for you...how long would you keep prices on a knife if you had a site?

As you wrote earlier popular makers prices go up and not so popular makers prices go down.

My site is a Business Site. While I am glad it can help with some pricing of knives in the after market. That is not its intended purpose. As well you have to remember that as a businessman I am competition with other sellers. To the point I have had people steal photos from my web site and/or use a link to my site to show the price I am selling the knife for.

When you have a successful web site and it is being constantly updated it takes more time than you would think to do this.

Keeping track of the prices of the first 10,000 custom knives you sell is easy...after that they start to all run together. :)

OTE, you appear to be caught between a collector and investor. If you are moving towards the later...it is imperative that you do a lot of homework.

I spent years developing criteria for determining a makers position in a particular market. While it is not easy, it is doable. Just takes time and energy.

Good Hunting.

Les Robertson
Custom Knife Entrepreneur
www.robertsoncustomcutlery.com
 
Les,
Thanks for taking the time to provide a clear reply. I understand your position, but honestly don't know that I would do things the same way if I was walking in your shoes. I just don't know, and a lot of insight can come from a little experience. If I tried to do the same thing you did, then it might become immediately obvious that the way you have been doing it is indeed the best way, if nothing else, to maintain your own sanity.

In answer to your (joking) question, I have not yet purchased anything from you, but I have been close on a few occasions. Ordinarily, I see something incoming, and then wait for it to show up on the site and it never does. I presume those knives are immediately snapped up by other more savvy folks who have the knowledge to buy sight unseen. Maybe as a long-time customer, they ask you to hold a knife until they see it (ie. you get it) at which time they make an immediate choice to buy. I'm not really sure what happens, but eventually, I probably will get a knife from you. Which maker, what price range, what style knife...who knows? Time will tell.

And as an aside, if Charlie Morris did pass away, then that is the first I heard of that and I am saddened to hear that. I have a folder by him that I love which I got from Randy Morgan. And before I got the knife from Randy, I actually did talk to Charlie by phone. His then-failing health made it impossible for him to continue making knives, but I think his son was going to try to pick up that business and keep going with it. I am not sure if that ever happened or not. Regardless, he seemed like a VERY genuine fellow, very pleasant to talk to.

-Chris
 
Hi Chris,

I'll be the first one to admit, especially when Internet sites were something new. There has been a lot of trial and error.

One that I have learned is that a web site is never "perfect". There is always something to be done, improved or cleaned up.

I spend most of my day answering and/or sending emails and answering phone calls.

A weakness of mine is that I will talk for hours with a client about custom knives.

While there are some slow days. Fortunately most are very busy.

Everyone has an idea of how to run a business or make it better. As the saying goes, "If it was easy...everyone would do it".

There is a reason there are only about 5 dealers who only sell custom knives.

Most sell some factory and accessories. A business model that has been successful for several dealers.

Personally I have a problem keeping up with all the new makers that seemingly show up daily. Many of them are talented enough to take a look at.

The custom knife market is as fluid as it has ever been. Trends come and go quickly. Some new makers raise to new heights only to crash and burn.

Fortunately there is this guy who keeps getting quoted in Blade and writes for both Blade and Knives Illustrated. He keeps me focused on who to watch out for. :D

Your assessment is correct about the incoming knives. Many people who know what they are looking for see the inbound knife and but it before it makes the website.

Hopefully one day you will see something you can't live without.

Les
 
on_the_edge said:
Les,..
In answer to your (joking) question, I have not yet purchased anything from you, but I have been close on a few occasions. Ordinarily, I see something incoming, and then wait for it to show up on the site and it never does. I presume those knives are immediately snapped up by other more savvy folks who have the knowledge to buy sight unseen.
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Guilty, as charged. :)

No, I am not proclaiming myself to be "more savvy" - but I have on more than one occasion seen an incoming knife listed and sent Les a "if that thing isn't spoken for, it is now" e-mail. Should have a sweetheart pair later this month as a consequence.

This would only happen in respect of a maker with whose work I am extremely well acquainted.

Cheers,

Roger
 
Roger,
I don't mind if you get some of them as long as you won't mind the one time I get lucky and get to Les before you. :p It's all good, ya know.

RogerP said:
Guilty, as charged. :)

No, I am not proclaiming myself to be "more savvy" - but I have on more than one occasion seen an incoming knife listed and sent Les a "if that thing isn't spoken for, it is now" e-mail. Should have a sweetheart pair later this month as a consequence.

This would only happen in respect of a maker with whose work I am extremely well acquainted.

Cheers,

Roger
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