Thread: eBay Prices?

Is it just my imagination or have the prices of straight razors been going up. It seems to have taken a leap in the last month. If you think this is true why? And does it continue?

The nature of trade is to always increase the price when there is a demand for a particular item. Throw into that mix the fact that a lot of new straight razor shavers are erroneously thinking that eBay will deliver a bargain, no matter the price. Example is the current craze for wider and wider razors. W & B's 7/8 and up are going for almost double what a 4/8 or 5/8 is bringing. A 6/8 is in between in price.

Originally Posted by Razorfeld

The nature of trade is to always increase the price when there is a demand for a particular item. Throw into that mix the fact that a lot of new straight razor shavers are erroneously thinking that eBay will deliver a bargain, no matter the price. Example is the current craze for wider and wider razors. W & B's 7/8 and up are going for almost double what a 4/8 or 5/8 is bringing. A 6/8 is in between in price.

Hahaha...why do I have the feeling I'm going to get blamed for that!?!

Deacon Phrank, your Pope still loves you despite it all.

Yes I believe that there are many new people trying the straights and the company's that make them can't keep up. I also believe that for the most part the straights on eBay are the last of the vintage razors and old shavers and new shavers alike want them. so the price keeps going up. I really don't know when it will level off but I see one on the bay now for almost 200.00 us and still time left to bid. it is nice but my face couldn't tell the difference. I get nicked whether it's a 2.00 dollar razor or 200.00 dollar. maybe the 200.00 dollar one wont give me lock jaw.

Originally Posted by rhensley

maybe the 200.00 dollar one wont give me lock jaw.

Probably not, but you can bet your bottom dollar it gives lockjaw to my wallet.

Originally Posted by Razorfeld

Probably not, but you can bet your bottom dollar it gives lockjaw to my wallet.

I just looked at the Wade and butcher on the bay and so far it is 199.00. my wife locked up my wallet. that's bad enough but a few weeks back there was one that went for 1125.00 and when I saw that I almost had to have cpr.

Originally Posted by rhensley

Yes I believe that there are many new people trying the straights and the company's that make them can't keep up. I also believe that for the most part the straights on eBay are the last of the vintage razors and old shavers and new shavers alike want them. so the price keeps going up. I really don't know when it will level off but I see one on the bay now for almost 200.00 us and still time left to bid. it is nice but my face couldn't tell the difference. I get nicked whether it's a 2.00 dollar razor or 200.00 dollar. maybe the 200.00 dollar one wont give me lock jaw.

The prices will keep going up on these beautiful vintage razors until there's none left. Already you see, even in my year of buying, prices doubling and tripling for less and less quality blades. The thing with the vintage blades is they don't make them anymore, and in most cases they haven't been made for over one hundred years.

Eventually the new makers will catch up and there will be lots to choose from again, but the old vintage blades will become rarer and rarer.

Notice that on a world wide forum like eBay, pretty much the entire straight razor community will notice when a sought after blade comes up. And when they do, with the occasional exception, go for very high prices.

I just finished selling off a bunch of razors on Eboy and I reject the notion prices have gone up in general. As a matter of fact prices have gone down, way down. If you have one of the "hot" brands yes they have gone up but for a typical piece it's the opposite. With just about every razor I sold I got less than when I bought them over 10 years ago. Most folks these days want a razor not in the best of shape and want to spend like thirty bucks or less for a razor.

When I started in this the razors that were fetching high prices were those considered to be the top quality pieces and brands. Many of those brands have fallen by the wayside. An example? Take Puma. 15 years ago you couldn't touch any puma no matter the condition for less than $200. A top of the line Puma Gold in mint condition would break the bank. Prices on these have basically been cut in half.

All these wedges like the W&Bs that are fetching high prices you couldn't give away 15 years ago. The market has turned into a hype driven affair.

Just my observation.

Originally Posted by Razorfeld

The nature of trade is to always increase the price when there is a demand for a particular item. Throw into that mix the fact that a lot of new straight razor shavers are erroneously thinking that eBay will deliver a bargain, no matter the price. Example is the current craze for wider and wider razors. W & B's 7/8 and up are going for almost double what a 4/8 or 5/8 is bringing. A 6/8 is in between in price.

I CANNOT be the only one who was able to read between the lines here, right? RIGHT?!