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What is the most Collectable Knife today
Given the market today, what knife represents the best value for the collector? Should we be collecting traditional Case knifes, Buck, maybe custom or a utilitarian tactical. What about American made or imports, Maybe imports from only selected locations? Our money is limited, so what do we invest in?
Tags: Collectable, Knife, invest, market
Replies to This Discussion
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KnifeMakerPermalink Reply by CaptJeff Saylor on -
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KnifeMakerPermalink Reply by CaptJeff Saylor on -
OUCH! i am just haveing some fun DON.... settle down bud!
Don said:DONT THINK SO....
CaptJeff Saylor said:
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Permalink Reply by Trent Rock on
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SF Bowies
(Wish I could afford ONE) ;)
My vote is for the classics. Schrade, Camillus, Buck, etc....
OLD ones
None of this limited run, numbered with COA MODERN stuff
I often wonder which would go up in value faster===>
A 1940's Case XX greenbone whittler
Or a 2012 Limited Edition, Numbered (W/COA) Case XX whittler
Any thoughts?
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In MemoriamPermalink Reply by D ale on -
... there's some analogy to land .. not being made any more ..
Catt 3W .. circa late 20's / early 30's
circa 1874~1918
U.S. military utility
Ulster Knife Co.
circa 1942/43.. an early 3 screw .. on a # 1 ..
However .. given the polls .. I'm a member of a small group !!
Trent Rock said:
OLD ones
Any thoughts?
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Permalink Reply by Steve Hanner on
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That is a great thought Trent if we think 10-20 years down the line which one would be valued more? Look at the vintage knives selling on ebay those good knives,not junk ones, are selling for many times their original purchase price.
Trent Rock said:
SF Bowies
(Wish I could afford ONE) ;)
My vote is for the classics. Schrade, Camillus, Buck, etc....
OLD ones
None of this limited run, numbered with COA MODERN stuff
I often wonder which would go up in value faster===>
A 1940's Case XX greenbone whittler
Or a 2012 Limited Edition, Numbered (W/COA) Case XX whittler
Any thoughts?
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Great pics Dale, I wonder 10-20 down the road what will the value be?
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I agree Wouter, but don't want to sell now, want to buy and then sell 10-20 years down the road.Some of our younger members may be selling 40 or more years down the road. What then?
Wouter de Jong [SERE] said:
A lot of people seem to be making big bucks in buying and selling the Hinderer XM folding series. I guess for those who see knives just as an object to make a profit, go for it.
Discontinued knives who had a big name in their days are good investments for making small profit, if... you want to sell. The discontinud Brand Al Mar, Puma Solingen and Othello by A.Wingen from the ol' days are doing good on my side of the ocean. But who want's to sell their rare knives once you got them? I don't any more.
Just my 2 cents.
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You bring up a good piont CaptJeff, maybe a custom knife will appreciate greatly in 10-20 years. What has the market said?
CaptJeff Saylor said:
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In MemoriamPermalink Reply by Scott King on -
Good question, Hog. Here's my 2 cents-
As one who has bought custom and semi-custom knives, production knives and "antique" knives, my personal experience is this:
If we are approaching our collection from a "best value" or "investment" perspective, then it's all about being able to have suffient demand for the knives we buy so we can resale them. That's what I think about when I read your question.
I'll start by taking on the advice of "Buy what you like" that we tell collectors all the time. If you are buying purely for enjoyment without regard to the fact that one day these knives will need to be sold for at least what you paid (hopefully a little more), then buying what you like is fine. However, if you are approaching "collecting" from more an investment perspective, then buying what you like will probably leave you disappointed when you decide to sell.
So, at the risk of reading too much into your "Best Value" concept, I'd say-
BRAND is most important (I know there are alot of Old Timers out there that value CONDITION more important than BRAND, but not me). The Who/When/Where makes up the BRAND. Sure condition weighs on value, but if it's a piece of junk in mint condition, then it's still a junk knife.
And while I'm not a custom knife expert, but have bought and sold a few, I'd say- if it is a custom, then "Buying Value" means buying investment grade knives made by the long term established knifemarkers. Otherwise, we are only speculating on either the trends of today or trying to anticipate the next hot maker. I realize too that price point of the knives comes into consideration here and yes, there are second tier knifemakers whose knives are best values in their price point category too. I have to think that anticipating who the likely buyer will be when you do want to/need to sell must be considered, as well as how deep the buying market for that knife/make/price point is or will likely be. (I know we don't have crystal balls, but the past can offer us a glimpse of the future many times).
As Brand relates to production and even vintage knives, it means the makes that have a proven market of buyers and these makers are known for quality of the knives they produce. Those of us into old knives will probably agree on the top 3...maybe top 5 cutlery firms, but after that it gets into personal preference. While it is dangerous to say you'll be safe buying the most expensive knives as the best values, there is some truth there. They are expensive for a reason. BRAND/RARITY/DEMAND/CONDITION. Like you I've seen "Poor" condition MSA toenails still sell for $1500 (cause I paid that). The BRAND caused it's value/price to be such...the handle material did come into play too though- it was old stag.
The pattern comes into play too. Clearly, some patterns have held up with having high demand for decades now, but even still the pattern must be considered. And while the most popular pattern may or may not be the best value, generally watching the knives that are most sought after will provide a gauge in this regard too.
So, all in all, I'd say study these factors. I know we don't want a "collection" of knives we really don't like, just cause one day we will be able to sell them easily....and for a profit, I understand that. But buying junk knives made in a third world country just cause we thought they were cool and affordable, doesn't point to that being a "Best Value" long term either.
It comes down to what each knife buyer's goals are: Buying what you like or buying knives that are sought after hoping you'll make a $ or $$ down the road...or a combination of the two.
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Thanks Scott, appreciate your reply and I will say many collectors(not super ones anyway) have a limited budget(like me)
we love knives, sometimes many different knives and want to but the best they can for the money. Certainly knife type, pattern, blade type, color, manufacturer and country of origin are all factors. You talked about a crystal ball, well I sure wish I had one. But my value anyway has to be a combination of what I like + what I think is quality plus some consideration(at least a little) towards what others might like.When you look at some of the pictures Dale was nice enough to post. We value those today, sure wonder what the guy that originally bought that knife thought.
Scott King said:Good question, Hog. Here's my 2 cents-
As one who has bought custom and semi-custom knives, production knives and "antique" knives, my personal experience is this:
If we are approaching our collection from a "best value" or "investment" perspective, then it's all about being able to have suffient demand for the knives we buy so we can resale them. That's what I think about when I read your question.
I'll start by taking on the advice of "Buy what you like" that we tell collectors all the time. If you are buying purely for enjoyment without regard to the fact that one day these knives will need to be sold for at least what you paid (hopefully a little more), then buying what you like is fine. However, if you are approaching "collecting" from more an investment perspective, then buying what you like will probably leave you disappointed when you decide to sell.
So, at the risk of reading too much into your "Best Value" concept, I'd say-
BRAND is most important (I know there are alot of Old Timers out there that value CONDITION more important than BRAND, but not me). The Who/When/Where makes up the BRAND. Sure condition weighs on value, but if it's a piece of junk in mint condition, then it's still a junk knife.
And while I'm not a custom knife expert, but have bought and sold a few, I'd say- if it is a custom, then "Buying Value" means buying investment grade knives made by the long term established knifemarkers. Otherwise, we are only speculating on either the trends of today or trying to anticipate the next hot maker. I realize too that price point of the knives comes into consideration here and yes, there are second tier knifemakers whose knives are best values in their price point category too. I have to think that anticipating who the likely buyer will be when you do want to/need to sell must be considered, as well as how deep the buying market for that knife/make/price point is or will likely be. (I know we don't have crystal balls, but the past can offer us a glimpse of the future many times).
As Brand relates to production and even vintage knives, it means the makes that have a proven market of buyers and these makers are known for quality of the knives they produce. Those of us into old knives will probably agree on the top 3...maybe top 5 cutlery firms, but after that it gets into personal preference. While it is dangerous to say you'll be safe buying the most expensive knives as the best values, there is some truth there. They are expensive for a reason. BRAND/RARITY/DEMAND/CONDITION. Like you I've seen "Poor" condition MSA toenails still sell for $1500 (cause I paid that). The BRAND caused it's value/price to be such...the handle material did come into play too though- it was old stag.
The pattern comes into play too. Clearly, some patterns have held up with having high demand for decades now, but even still the pattern must be considered. And while the most popular pattern may or may not be the best value, generally watching the knives that are most sought after will provide a gauge in this regard too.
So, all in all, I'd say study these factors. I know we don't want a "collection" of knives we really don't like, just cause one day we will be able to sell them easily....and for a profit, I understand that. But buying junk knives made in a third world country just cause we thought they were cool and affordable, doesn't point to that being a "Best Value" long term either.
It comes down to what each knife buyer's goals are: Buying what you like or buying knives that are sought after hoping you'll make a $ or $$ down the road...or a combination of the two.
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Scott King said:
Good question, Hog. Here's my 2 cents-
As one who has bought custom and semi-custom knives, production knives and "antique" knives, my personal experience is this:
If we are approaching our collection from a "best value" or "investment" perspective, then it's all about being able to have suffient demand for the knives we buy so we can resale them. That's what I think about when I read your question.
I'll start by taking on the advice of "Buy what you like" that we tell collectors all the time. If you are buying purely for enjoyment without regard to the fact that one day these knives will need to be sold for at least what you paid (hopefully a little more), then buying what you like is fine. However, if you are approaching "collecting" from more an investment perspective, then buying what you like will probably leave you disappointed when you decide to sell.
So, at the risk of reading too much into your "Best Value" concept, I'd say-
BRAND is most important (I know there are alot of Old Timers out there that value CONDITION more important than BRAND, but not me). The Who/When/Where makes up the BRAND. Sure condition weighs on value, but if it's a piece of junk in mint condition, then it's still a junk knife.
And while I'm not a custom knife expert, but have bought and sold a few, I'd say- if it is a custom, then "Buying Value" means buying investment grade knives made by the long term established knifemarkers. Otherwise, we are only speculating on either the trends of today or trying to anticipate the next hot maker. I realize too that price point of the knives comes into consideration here and yes, there are second tier knifemakers whose knives are best values in their price point category too. I have to think that anticipating who the likely buyer will be when you do want to/need to sell must be considered, as well as how deep the buying market for that knife/make/price point is or will likely be. (I know we don't have crystal balls, but the past can offer us a glimpse of the future many times).
As Brand relates to production and even vintage knives, it means the makes that have a proven market of buyers and these makers are known for quality of the knives they produce. Those of us into old knives will probably agree on the top 3...maybe top 5 cutlery firms, but after that it gets into personal preference. While it is dangerous to say you'll be safe buying the most expensive knives as the best values, there is some truth there. They are expensive for a reason. BRAND/RARITY/DEMAND/CONDITION. Like you I've seen "Poor" condition MSA toenails still sell for $1500 (cause I paid that). The BRAND caused it's value/price to be such...the handle material did come into play too though- it was old stag.
The pattern comes into play too. Clearly, some patterns have held up with having high demand for decades now, but even still the pattern must be considered. And while the most popular pattern may or may not be the best value, generally watching the knives that are most sought after will provide a gauge in this regard too.
So, all in all, I'd say study these factors. I know we don't want a "collection" of knives we really don't like, just cause one day we will be able to sell them easily....and for a profit, I understand that. But buying junk knives made in a third world country just cause we thought they were cool and affordable, doesn't point to that being a "Best Value" long term either.
It comes down to what each knife buyer's goals are: Buying what you like or buying knives that are sought after hoping you'll make a $ or $$ down the road...or a combination of the two.
Please do not use the term "investment grade"!! LOL
It annoys me
I think it is a made up marketing term ;)
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Darn it!! Iput 2012 AGAIN!! LOL
I DO know what year I am currently living in
Must be all the end of world 2012 doomsday stuff I've been watching on History Chan!!
The question is this:
A 1946 Case XX greenbone whittler bought for $100 on EBay on Feb 2, 2011
What will it be worth on EBAY on Feb 2, 2000 16?
A 2011 Limited Edition Numbered Case XX Folding Hunter bought for $100 on EBAY on Feb 2, 2011
What will it be worth on EBAY on Feb 2, 2000 16?
(I know the $100 is not really accurate
Let's just use the $100.00 for our hypothetical scenario)
I've tried to think of an economic explanation/theory/model
I am kind of stumped
I guess, like Scott says, a lot obviously hinges on the demand in 2016
And I would also need to know the prouuction #'s for both
And the avg . "supply" that gets "lost" each year
For example, how many 1940's Casee XX whittlers get tossed in the garbage or lost by the fishing hole?
I.e. taken out of the "pool"
I'm going to pose the question to EconGirl and she what she says
http://www.economistsdoitwithmodels.com/
I've been thinking about this one for a while
My gut feeling is that the 2011 signed limited numbered ones don't appreciate as much as the buyers believe
In other words, a MODERN, limited edition numbered system doesn't really mean much in terms of the rate of appreciation
I could be wrong though...been wrong before :)
Hog Hanner said:That is a great thought Trent if we think 10-20 years down the line which one would be valued more? Look at the vintage knives selling on ebay those good knives,not junk ones, are selling for many times their original purchase price.
Trent Rock said:
SF Bowies
(Wish I could afford ONE) ;)
My vote is for the classics. Schrade, Camillus, Buck, etc....
OLD ones
None of this limited run, numbered with COA MODERN stuff
I often wonder which would go up in value faster===>
A 1940's Case XX greenbone whittler
Or a 2012 Limited Edition, Numbered (W/COA) Case XX whittler
Any thoughts?
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