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Comment by Trent Rock on November 23, 2009 at 15:13

So, I ask again, where our investment dollar best are spent…. Should we buy only collectables in today’s timetable? Are we best off with what we know fits all economic models for increasing value and that’s the “Law of Scarcity”? If I had known last year I think I would have been best served by purchasing “known” rare knives in today’s $. I have bet a fifty year bet for my son, and that is, that these new Case, Queen and GEC knives that I bought will see an appreciation of value as great as the collectable we see in today’s “Vintage” class knives.
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Does Case, Queen and GEC release their production numbers?
How does one find out how many black Case XX Sodbusters were made in ,say, 2002???
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Are the eBay deals on new knives diminishing the value of our entire portfolio that’s not “vintage?”
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I'd say no
As long as the "supply" of vintage knives remains constant
New knives don't really hurt
In fact maybe the proliferation of tacticool knives creates MORE DEMAND for knives "like granpappy had" with The Good Carbon Steel.....
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Where are you knife $ going now? What’s your collection strategy?
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I think for collecting for profit one needs to specialize
I guess my specialization is Western knives, Schrade, Camillus and Imperial
And I kinda know a little about axes and hatchets
and WWII knives
If you specialize you can take advantage of the concept of asymmetrical information
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_asymmetry
Whether it be on EBAY, the antique shop display cases or the kitchen knives bin at the thrift shop
I went to an antique shop a few months ago
He had the plain ol' Camillus 1970's Cub Scout knives at 40 bucks
And the Schrades with the "good carbon steel" at 10 bucks
I joked with the guy, "Dude...you got your prices all backwards!"
he laughed and said ."You probably know more about knives than I do..Have away!!"
We talked about specialization and he admitted that the most succesful collectors typically come into his shop and "clean him out" of ANY "undervalued" items
I pretty much cleaned him out of the under valued knives!!!
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Am I off base here? Is the fake retail value set by manufactures not luring us all into an upside down position that it will take years to recover from?

I pay little attention to the MSRP
It's a pricing tactic
Suggested pricing methods may conflict with competition theory, as it allows prices to be set higher than would otherwise be the case, potentially negatively impacting consumers
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suggested_retail_price
Has to do with the fact that everyone , subconsciously, has a "reference price"
http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=917599
http://gateway.nlm.nih.gov/MeetingAbstracts/ma?f=102275979.html
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90% of collecting knives for me is about the history of the knife
The intrinsic value you speak of
The knife of my dad's I found in my mom's drawer
My 1st Camillus Cub Scout Knife
My 1st Buck knife
The first knife I got as a gift

the other 10% is for hopes of capital appreciation!!
I'll admit it
Yeah..I do want ANY knife I buy to go up in "value"
It's like an extra bonus
A bonus on paper anyways......

Comment by Frank Evans on November 20, 2009 at 20:24

Chris,

For instance!!!!! I saw TWO - Toney Bose go the past week on eBay (or feeBay as it's put to me lately) go for $40.00.... 1/10 thier listed price! It make you say HHHUUUMMM!

These were two nice Sowbelly's too!

Those Yellowhorse knives everyone put's forth now! Will they be worth thier orriginal for sale prices....?

Let's all watch! ans let's spend our new knife dollars wisely and follow some of the comments here by others!

Thanks to all!

Frank

Comment by Chris Taylor (CTAYLORMAN) on November 20, 2009 at 20:15

I have thought about this topic alot. I cant justify going to a Case XX dealer or any knife dealer and paying say $100.00 for a knife that I know I cant turn around and sell for the same amount (or usually anywhere near it). In my own opinion for what it is worth I think the "retail price" for knives are overpriced at the present time, especially (should I dare say it) Case knives! Of course not 100% of the knives are overpriced but very close. Some collectors would rather just pay for a particular pattern or handle material to add to or complete their collection rather than risking not doing so and this is understandable. I have done it and will continue to do so if the particular knife I am seeking is limited in production or has a good chance of selling out quickly(Case Bose knives!). I think there are too many knives to choose from. Too many handle materials. We need to go back to the basics of the late 60's and early 70's with a little of the 21st century in the mix and I think this will help the value of knives to increase over the next 50 years or so (or not). I also wonder if the Case Tested, Case XX and USA knives that most people seek today will continue to increase in value over the coming years also. How do you determine the value of a knife? Man I have so many questions that I could go on and on all night. I am just rambling now. I have only been collecting for a few years so I am far from an expert but there is one thing that I have learned over the past few years of "seriously" collecting knives is that I will rarely purchase a knife whether vintage or new that I cant sell for the same price. Excellent topic!

Comment by Frank Evans on November 20, 2009 at 20:13

Thank you all for such well thought-out responses! I still have comments to make about certain questions but for now will let your wisdom rule the day/week!

Thanks for your comments! Frank

Comment by Halicon on November 20, 2009 at 8:12

To me you first have to look at what materials was used in the process, how the mechanism will stand the trial of time in the case of a folder, what people made it and their fame. The last is something I have never looked at as it fluctuates way too wildly to be reliable.

Vintage stainless steel as in case knives are poor in demand, few still use them in the days where hrc 58-60 is more of a requirement than a luxurity.
If you look back at the old days, the most valuable knives are well-preserved carbon knives. Things like Japanese blades that were polished and taken care of comes to mind, and these are also knives that still can compete with todays engineered powdersteels.

I have to pay atleast $400-500 for a rusted piece of Japanese steel that still needs about 2 weeks of daily polish to bring out to it's original state.

I suppose this is a topic worthy of a lengthy discussion, however in my mind Case simply doesn't stand up to what we use today, the steel is simply too poor atleast for me to even consider (worthy of mention is that I have NEVER purchase a stainless vintage knife, but plenty of rusted carbon knives to restore).

I just paid close to a grand for a custom knife made by Randy on this website by the way, a knife that will be used extremely hard in the woods and I don't regret a single cent a spent on it!

KnifeMaker Comment by T.A.DAVISON on November 18, 2009 at 22:05

Posted by - CaptJeff Saylor
knives will increase in price if the demand increases. simple supply and demand! some of the recent Case knives made with Bose will probably gain in price because of the unique style and the "first of its kind" sort of thing, anything expensive today, will probably stay expensive in the future.
I think the future will have a lot to do with how kids are being raised? Not allowed to have knives like we did in the past. Why collect something if you will get in trouble having it? Why should they care about them? I make knives for a living - BUT I could careless about being famous. WHY because the future for our youth will NOT be like it was for us?
I just make the best knives I can and be happy to sell them and keep doing it.
The knife company's today are about the profit? Turn out as many blades as possible for the buck.
I guess that is just business though? Saturate the market with knives and no one to collect them?
SAD - VERY SAD!
TA

KnifeMaker Comment by CaptJeff Saylor on November 17, 2009 at 21:32

i guess i am old fashion, (or cheap), but i agree with Jeff's uncle. when i buy a knife i plan on using it. i cant see myself paying $100 or more on a knife that i am going to use, and i am definitly not going to display it! no i have seen special knives on here, like the signed one from Tony Bose, or Scott's special Toenail with the certification.

knives will incrase in price if the demand increases. simple supply and demand! some of the recent Case knives made with Bose will probally gain in price bacause of the unique style and the "first of its kind" sort of thing, anything expensive today, will probally stay expensive in the future.

thats just my opinion, and thats not much. i have an appreciation for expensive knives, but do not buy them, so i may be biased.

thanks,
Captain, CJS knives