Worthless Collectables

Back in the 80's, people were paying CRAZY money for the Hummels. So of those early Goebels pieces and paltes were going for like $1500!!!
 
"I tell people that keeping collectibles is like storing money under your mattress," says Lou Kahn, head of the Bakerstowne Collectibles appraisal and consignment service in West Hempstead, N.Y. "You're going to have the same amount of money next year, but it's going to be worth a lot less."

Great article, especially this line.
 
Exactly why I'm down to a dozen knives and four of them are for sale. I can see and appreciate knives by attending shows and since I'm not a user of knives I don't "need" to own them.
 
Yes, collect what you like, but like what you collect. Collect out of love not with any thought of making $$$.
The collecting market is very fickle; up today, down or gone tomorrow. I've been collecting various types
of knives and swords for over 60 years and those I've sold I nearly always sold for less than I paid, but
no regrets. I love knives and will collect until I'm 6 ft under. Making $$$ is not the object, the enjoyment
of collecting and study is what's its all about.

Rich
 
Unless the item is one of significant historical value, it is a crapshoot. What I have noticed is that the most valuable items are not ones bought for their value, but for enjoyment. Once people realized rookie hockey cards had value, everyone and their dog started storing new players cards. In future there will be thousands of pristine rookie cards for future superstars, but the number of Bobby Orr cards will stay the same or decrease. Will the next generation of collectors care about Bobby Orr, or will they want to relive their youth and the heroes associated with it?
 
My buddy always said, Colts or Winchesters. The WSJ agrees.

At least if they don't go up in value you can enjoy them.
 
One good thing about collectables is, up to a certain value, the money is untraceable so no capital gains.

Rich
 
interesting the collectibles mentioned in the article started off as small scale production, and once they became mass produced the bottom fell out.
I have absolutely no concern with my handmade knives decreasing in value.
Will they increase in value? The fact is, I don't care :)
 
Nooooo! I suppose all the knives I've been buying from the 2 guys on late night tv for 1000 for 50 bucks. They said it was an investment!!!!!!

That and my Franklin Mint Elvis knives collection. Is has the Velvet lined tin! The seventies Elvis was a sure thing!
 
Lorien said:
interesting the collectibles mentioned in the article started off as small scale production, and once they became mass produced the bottom fell out.
I have absolutely no concern with my handmade knives decreasing in value.
Will they increase in value? The fact is, I don't care :)
Click to expand...

+1

I don't collect knives to make money but I am comforted by the fact that they have an inherent value as a tool and if it is a small scale custom or mid-tech where availability will always be a problem, the piece will at least be able to retain a decent amount of it's value.

I have never sold a knife where I made money on it but there is only one knife I can think of where I didn't get at least 75% of the new retail price I paid.
 
I see it all the time. Somebody buys "custom knives" from lesser known makers that either don't put their name on them or uses a mark that is quickly forgotten. Collector dies and family tries to sell all those super valuable "handmade" knives for big bucks. No one wants them or even remembers the maker. They may be great knives but that doesn't mean much in the long run. A Randall holds its value because everyone know what it is. A "Wilbur Jones" "crow track" that sort of looks like a Randall isn't worth much more than any other factory hunting knife.
 
Interesting articles. They reiterate something I learned about "collecting" in the early 1990's. I was collecting comics at the time, and I asked my comic book dealer how I could determine the total value of my collection. He said to "add up the cover prices on all of (my) comics, and figure half of that." That honest answer was such a shock that I immediately stopped throwing away money on my collection.
 
I did the same thing with Star Wars memorabilia. I collected a ton of that stuff, buying stuff from flea markets, yard sales, wally world, online and QVC (oh gawd, LOL). Well, one day I woke up and said, "I'm done, I'm tired of this stuff taking up space. Lets get rid of it." I sold it all on fleabay for half or less than half of what I paid for it....just to get rid of it all. It all went, and I have only regretted that I wasted so much time, effort and money collecting all of it.

I only collect things I use or will eventually use...now. Nothing sits in a box, and I prefer it that way.
 
Tdhurl1103 said:
... I sold it all on fleabay for half or less than half of what I paid for it....just to get rid of it all. It all went, and I have only regretted that I wasted so much time, effort and money collecting all of it.....
Click to expand...

There is the bottom line right there. A collector spends years if not many decades and countless thousands of hours assembling a collection and then kicks the bucket and their family wants to cash out in 2 weeks. Of course you (they) are going to lose money; not only is it a "fire/going out of business" sale, but they have no appreciation for what they have and are unwilling to spend even 5 minutes on the subject. If they had spent the time to do it right they could have had the bike, the car, the house, perhaps given some of the collections here - even a Greek Ilse; but, most will spend more time researching the pair of sports shoes they plan to buy after selling the inherited inventory for $.01 on the $100. Recently at one of our local flea markets, the family of the deceased was selling his collection of knives at $5 a piece....they were all original WWII era knives....but, they were quite happy that their sale went so well (yeah, I was elsewhere that day :() But, perhaps the take away here is that they were happy, as I am sure a great many other collectors were happy that day. Collections are basically about investing time and money for entertainment value, whatever risidual value may be left at the end is just that, and it would certainly be more than if you had put your money into booze and hookers.

n2s
 
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