ZT Factory LE's vs Vendor LE's

[ArabianKnight]

I was wondering why the limited editions from the factory people kill over and secondary prices are above MSRP, yet the vendor editions such as the ones from Minuteman, Going Gear, etc just don't really sell even though they are more limited?

 

[GatorFlash1]

I was wondering why the limited editions from the factory people kill over and secondary prices are above MSRP, yet the vendor editions such as the ones from Minuteman, Going Gear, etc just don't really sell even though they are more limited?

I just don't think collectors realize the value of these rare productions. I have one of the rare Minuteman ZT's and have never seen another for sale.

 

[RevDevil]

Personal preference. Some LE models are "better" or "more desirable" than others. Pricing also has a lot to do with it. If people feel they can buy something that will increase in value over time so they can flip it for some cash will likely get better sales then that will be what gets sold out quicker. LE does not always equal super desirable.

 

[ArabianKnight]

Personal preference. Some LE models are "better" or "more desirable" than others. Pricing also has a lot to do with it. If people feel they can buy something that will increase in value over time so they can flip it for some cash will likely get better sales then that will be what gets sold out quicker. LE does not always equal super desirable.

Given the latest LE released (0392) that is selling now around $475ish, after shipping and insurance the "flippers" are only making maybe $50 bucks in profit, not worth it to flip IMO. I think the LE's from the factory are super hyped anyway, but I would still like to own them for MSRP not secondary prices. I also had a Minuteman 0801 and it was great, they only made 50 of them and maybe seen 2-3 on forums for sale.

 

[Misanthropia]

I was wondering why the limited editions from the factory people kill over and secondary prices are above MSRP, yet the vendor editions such as the ones from Minuteman, Going Gear, etc just don't really sell even though they are more limited?

The vendor LE's tend to be very minor tweaks; usually just a change in steel or some small cosmetic change, like the Minuteman 801, the Going Gear 801, or the KSF 0770 in MF. I don't think that has quite the appeal of an entirely new model. But then again, the 0560CBCF featured substantial changes and the market on those has totally cooled off (but that could be due to them being produced in larger numbers than most LE's).

 

[RamZar]

Perhaps it's also a case of too many limited editions, limited runs, dealer/distributor exclusives this year for ZT having an overall impact.

• 0770CFM4
• 0801S110V
• 0392
• 0454204P
• 0392BWBRZ
• 0566CFM390
• 0801S110VBLK

 

[RevDevil]

Given the latest LE released (0392) that is selling now around $475ish, after shipping and insurance the "flippers" are only making maybe $50 bucks in profit, not worth it to flip IMO. I think the LE's from the factory are super hyped anyway, but I would still like to own them for MSRP not secondary prices. I also had a Minuteman 0801 and it was great, they only made 50 of them and maybe seen 2-3 on forums for sale.

I've seen a couple for sale here, it was about 6-8 months after they were sold out. As for the 0392 because it is so close to being a Hinderer knife, that would be the reason why it is so popular. The first run of those netted almost double the original selling price. If it is a new model rather than a variant it will tend to do better than a variant of an existing design. Again, it all depends on what it is and what the market is looking for.

 

[Scurvy092]

Factory LE's are usually one offs or rather extreme variations on an existing design. Dealer LE's are usually just a color or blade steel variant. The only dealer LE that had substantive changes was the 0801s110v.

That knife had a pretty steep buy in but I'm surprised the resale isn't higher.

 

[RamZar]

The 0801S110VBLK dealer exclusive is only a run of 98 produced so it's pretty limited. Regardless, even though it has now been for sale for two full months at $325 there are still 24 units left in stock!

 

[Comeuppance]

Demand, flippability, etc - all of these factor in.

Users often don't spring for LEs because they're so much more expensive than the base model - and many LEs are not eligible for replacement blades and parts under warranty, or the quantities of such parts are extremely limited. That does a number on the value in my eyes, as a big draw of a $200 knife is that the warranty is fantastic and fast.

Flippers only like LEs that are in high demand. Many of the LEs are priced so high that they don't sell out for there to BE a secondary market (Snap-on, 0801S110VBlk, etc) and very few people want to pay yet higher prices.

That pretty much just leaves avid fans and collectors - and if a model doesn't "click" with them, they aren't likely to buy the LE.

Years down the road (really, several years) many of these otherwise low-demand LEs will finally be very hard to come by and will command higher prices - but, certainly at that point, only to collectors. I doubt many people are going to on a rabid hunt for a 0801S110VBLK, willing to shell out $400, and then actually use it.

 

[bodog]

These guys are right, it's all a money making venture to these buyers. The knives definitely aren't worth the secondary prices people pay for them except to buy bragging rights. They'll buy and then pull the rip cord when they see the market is about to fall. It's speculative gambling for most.

The companies keep that crap going because people keep screaming for the stuff like 12 year old girls at a Bieber concert and will pay exorbitant amounts for the product. The companies know they'll do it, too, so they charge much more than necessary knowing that flippers will buy them at any cost and then the screaming fan girls will snatch them up on the secondary market keeping the scheme going. It'd kind of sad, really, but to each their own. If I made a product and had a legion of screaming girls looking to buy what I made at any cost, I'd keep it going too.

The ZT 0600 is the finest knife I've held from ZT and it was really kind of a dud market wise. It still wasn't worth 400 bucks. Maybe 300 +/-. The 0454 was close but nowhere near worth 1500 or even the original asking price of 500. That was maybe a 300 or 350 dollar knife, at the most. Very, very fine production knives, but overpriced because of the rabid fans.

For whatever it's worth, I think the hysteria is dying. There hasn't really been anything truly breathtaking in the last year and people are getting sick of the limited edition game ZT is playing. They lowered the QC, materials, and craftsmanship while pumping up the whole hysterical fanbase crap and I think it was a bad strategic move for them.

 

[Maybeso]

These guys are right, it's all a money making venture to these buyers. The knives definitely aren't worth the secondary prices people pay for them except to buy bragging rights. They'll buy and then pull the rip cord when they see the market is about to fall. It's speculative gambling for most.

The companies keep that crap going because people keep screaming for the stuff like 12 year old girls at a Bieber concert and will pay exorbitant amounts for the product. The companies know they'll do it, too, so they charge much more than necessary knowing that flippers will buy them at any cost and then the screaming fan girls will snatch them up on the secondary market keeping the scheme going. It'd kind of sad, really, but to each their own. If I made a product and had a legion of screaming girls looking to buy what I made at any cost, I'd keep it going too.

The ZT 0600 is the finest knife I've held from ZT and it was really kind of a dud market wise. It still wasn't worth 400 bucks. Maybe 300 +/-. The 0454 was close but nowhere near worth 1500 or even the original asking price of 500. That was maybe a 300 or 350 dollar knife, at the most. Very, very fine production knives, but overpriced because of the rabid fans.

For whatever it's worth, I think the hysteria is dying. There hasn't really been anything truly breathtaking in the last year and people are getting sick of the limited edition game ZT is playing. They lowered the QC, materials, and craftsmanship while pumping up the whole hysterical fanbase crap and I think it was a bad strategic move for them.

Proof of the 0600 being a "dud market wise", please.
Proof that KAI LE's are "overpriced because of the rabid fans", please.
Proof that people are "getting sick of the limited edition game ZT is playing", please
Proof of "lowered QC, materials, and craftsmanship", please.
Proof of "a bad strategic move", please.

You like posting your opinions like they're fact, don't you?



As to the OP's Q, a lot of the difference in cost between factory and vendor LE's also has to do with marketing. LE's like the 0454 were introduced months before they were available, and were hyped as much as possible. It's inevitable that something hyped up with so much anticipation will sell out in record times and demand a high secondary market value, simply because EVERYONE knows about them, and EVERYONE wants one.
Enter the vendor LE. Usually they are advertised only on the vendor's website, in their emails to subscribers, and on various forums where those vendors have a presence. Combine the lack of visibility with the lack of availability and you have something that's not as desirable to the masses, therefore will not be as valuable, except maybe to a very dedicated collector.

 

[Scurvy092]

The 0801S110VBLK dealer exclusive is only a run of 98 produced so it's pretty limited. Regardless, even though it has now been for sale for two full months at $325 there are still 24 units left in stock!

It's a real shame that the price is so high. I got a good deal on my regular 0801s110v and its really the only production knife I carry on a regular basis anymore.

 

[Scurvy092]

Also, vendor LEs don't get the added awareness that comes with winning Blade Show awards.