All About Pocket Knives

My strictly unscientific observation has brought me recently to conclude the price of poker (knife buying) is on a major upswing. I don't have any hard data to support this but it sure does seem to me that knife prices are on the rise.

Am I out in left field on this or do others have the same impression ?

If you agree with my observation, what do you think is driving this ?

Your right Phil.

I've actually posted on this very thing.
I started a thread titled "Crazy Asking Prices". Where this topic was discussed.

Why the high prices?? Greed.

I agree and I think what started it is the amount of money people are willing to pay for GEC knives. I think that seller's see that happening and then list their knives regardless of brand, for more than they normally would to see if they get any bites.

Then when it sells they think "Heck, let's try that again".

Yep. It has. Since the pandemic started last year a lot more people are getting into hobbies again. Knives is one of them. I have noticed an upswing in some of my other hobbies as well. Watches, firearms, and vintage collectibles. It's a good time if you're selling.

Absolutely, prices have gone up since pandemic forced people indoors. Now they need a hobby. Before knives, I had been really big into plastic model cars, and had accumulated quite a collection. I just recently sold twelve of my old built up "contest cars" from the 1990's, ... for $500 on ebay. I had boxes of parts too, selling for twice as much as usual. Usually the model car hobby flows with the petroleum market, but this has been different. (and yes, I flipped all that $$ into new knives)

I mentioned something last year in the customizers forum here, that TL-29's were going for twice as much as usual. I used to get salvageable TL-29's for $10 - $15 a pop off the bay. Now those same knives, in even lesser condition, are 2x - 3x higher in price. Same with Italian Stiletto style knives, they have doubled in the last year. And I'm talking about the generic "Made in Italy" stamped tourist trade knives. The Kissing Crane, ROMO, and Gutman import knives have gone up to insane numbers.

Knives and everything else are going up.

Not all collectibles are going up. Furniture and pottery are down, been down for a while. In knives, not all knives have gone up, some have gone down. Remington hunting knives are way down for the more common ones and the smaller more common Sheffield bowie hunters are down.

Internet prices are definitely up. I still shop the flea markets, antique alleys, junk stores, etc. and I can't say I'm paying more for knives. Recently, I paid $65 for a Catt EO but it was a peach , and $80 for an Olcut hunter that was very nice (We started at $135.) But the average, bone-handled, "good" knife is still $10-$25 . I haggle with sellers who price their stuff from e-bay, etc. They can usually be convinced that those prices are out of line or the items aren't selling. After all, they are collecors of various things too and run into the same inflated prices we do. Shop sales have also suffered from Covid , and, CASH talks.
Just this month I was given five or six OK knives in two deals that the dealer had for a while and "threw them in" because I bought a good knife at an agreed price. I posted earlier that I'm fortunate to live in an area where shops are abundant. I am a frequent customer and we understand one another.
Local on-line auctions have had some good deals too but you can't see or handle things so you have to be careful.

You can't haggle on e-bay.

J.O'.

In a word " YES ". I like simplicity.

Gunsil wrote: ↑Tue Mar 09, 2021 5:19 pm Not all collectibles are going up. Furniture and pottery are down, been down for a while.

I have collected a lot of things and vintage/antique furniture is one of those that has never really had much traction unless it's got some kind of historical significance. Like it belonged to Abraham Lincoln.

But I will say finding new furniture has been a pain in the rear since the pandemic. Because most of it was made overseas when my wife and I went looking back over the summer to replace our bedroom set, almost everywhere we went had a waiting list for next year (2021). We eventually just ended up buying used.

RevolverGuy wrote: ↑Tue Mar 09, 2021 9:53 pm

Gunsil wrote: ↑Tue Mar 09, 2021 5:19 pm Not all collectibles are going up. Furniture and pottery are down, been down for a while.

I have collected a lot of things and vintage/antique furniture is one of those that has never really had much traction unless it's got some kind of historical significance. Like it belonged to Abraham Lincoln.

But I will say finding new furniture has been a pain in the rear since the pandemic. Because most of it was made overseas when my wife and I went looking back over the summer to replace our bedroom set, almost everywhere we went had a waiting list for next year (2021). We eventually just ended up buying used.

I can relate. My wife and I bought a Lazy Boy recliner on Saturday and we won’t get it until September.

Railsplitter wrote: ↑Tue Mar 09, 2021 10:34 pm

RevolverGuy wrote: ↑Tue Mar 09, 2021 9:53 pm

Gunsil wrote: ↑Tue Mar 09, 2021 5:19 pm Not all collectibles are going up. Furniture and pottery are down, been down for a while.

I have collected a lot of things and vintage/antique furniture is one of those that has never really had much traction unless it's got some kind of historical significance. Like it belonged to Abraham Lincoln.

But I will say finding new furniture has been a pain in the rear since the pandemic. Because most of it was made overseas when my wife and I went looking back over the summer to replace our bedroom set, almost everywhere we went had a waiting list for next year (2021). We eventually just ended up buying used.

I can relate. My wife and I bought a Lazy Boy recliner on Saturday and we won’t get it until September.

Well it is " Lazy ". Sorry could not help myself, the ball was there to be hit out of the ball park.

cudgee wrote: ↑Tue Mar 09, 2021 11:02 pm

Railsplitter wrote: ↑Tue Mar 09, 2021 10:34 pm I can relate. My wife and I bought a Lazy Boy recliner on Saturday and we won’t get it until September.

Well it is " Lazy ". Sorry could not help myself, the ball was there to be hit out of the ball park.

Ha! I already have one just like it and I can assure you that I'm lazy when I'm sitting in it.

Railsplitter wrote: ↑Tue Mar 09, 2021 10:34 pm I can relate. My wife and I bought a Lazy Boy recliner on Saturday and we won’t get it until September.

It is worth the wait - take it from one who knows!!

It seems to me that knife prices on Ebay have gone up, but that is the only place I check. Maybe everyone is spending their Covid bonus on knives?

Dinadan wrote: ↑Tue Mar 09, 2021 11:45 pm

Railsplitter wrote: ↑Tue Mar 09, 2021 10:34 pm I can relate. My wife and I bought a Lazy Boy recliner on Saturday and we won’t get it until September.

It is worth the wait - take it from one who knows!!

I couldn't agree more but we are bummed that we have to wait that long. My wife bought one for me last year and we took delivery of it on 2/14/20. I remember the date because it was Valentines Day. She has been wanting one just like it so we finally broke down and got her one exactly like mine.

Regarding furniture prices discussed above, Saturday's price for the exact same recliner was the exact same price we paid a year ago. Right down to the penny. But back then we only had to wait about 2 weeks for it.

Dinadan wrote: ↑Tue Mar 09, 2021 11:45 pm

Railsplitter wrote: ↑Tue Mar 09, 2021 10:34 pm I can relate. My wife and I bought a Lazy Boy recliner on Saturday and we won’t get it until September.

It is worth the wait - take it from one who knows!!

It seems to me that knife prices on Ebay have gone up, but that is the only place I check. Maybe everyone is spending their Covid bonus on knives?

Ebay is not the only place with high prices. Check out the AAPK stores.

edge213 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 10, 2021 12:45 amEbay is not the only place with high prices. Check out the AAPK stores.

Ain't that the dang truth !!

I used to be able to get a bargain on ebay. Now the most worthless "one-blade-missing" POS is asking top dollar.

That may be because more people have been relying on online sales during COVID than flea markets and knife shows, of which many have been canceled for a year. Sellers realize they have a mostly captive audience, so they can charge pretty much anything they want.

Definitely agree that on line knife prices have gone up. And, prices in stores as well. Hard to find what I consider a good deal. I have been shocked what some knives sell for on eBay. My maximum bids are often less than half of the final sales price.

If I was smart (and I'm not) I would be putting a number of knives up for sale. If I got anywhere close to the prices I have seen some of them going for, I'd be real happy. Real happy.

I refuse to get into the GEC frenzy. They are nice knives, but aftermarket prices are absurd. That takes the fun out of it for me.

Everything has gone up other than wages not had a pay increase since 2019

Pardon the politics, but these may be the good old days for a while. Gas here is up 55 cents a gallon. Multiply that by the daily consumption in the US and tell me where that money is going, to save the environment ?? Think so ?? J.O'.


(Sorry, I'm finished, I'm sticking to knife talk from here out. )

To add to the problem, some dealers look to ebay to set their prices at the shows.
I wouldn't be surprised if AAPK dealers did the same.

Great discussion.
I just checked, I've only purchased 8 knives in the past year due to the fact that I can't find very many good buys.
On the flip side, I feel like I have a good investment in what is in my sock drawer.

Paul

The big thing going now is Facebook auctions. Saw a Knife (book price $850 ) sell for $1,400.

OC