Thread: Wild Bill Hickok's Straight Razor

Well it’s just Hickok. So ok a few dollars but the razor John Wayne used in his cowboy movies. I’ll write the check. Besides ole Wild Bill didn’t have any luck so I don’t want it. And I’m in the group that thinks, I’m not sure about the ptoof.

Originally Posted by tcrideshd

Well it’s just Hickok. So ok a few dollars but the razor John Wayne used in his cowboy movies. I’ll write the check. Besides ole Wild Bill didn’t have any luck so I don’t want it. And I’m in the group that thinks, I’m not sure about the ptoof.

Antique rental (used to be a store to) in Atlanta has straight razors, but will only rent them for movies/theater.

I have a banana peel and empty jar of Jiffy that Elvis' maid was carrying out to the trash at Graceland. I think that I'll have a notary 'authenticate' them and try to get an auction going.

If I was going to set a Buy It Now price, what should it be?

At least a couple thousand.
PT Barnum had it right when he said, "There's a sucker born every minute"

A sucker? No I don't think so. You might not think very much of it but the fact is there is a very big business in selling things like this and a lot of folks are pocketing big bucks who are involved (and there are a lot of them). Many of the buyers see it as an investment that will only increase over time and the evidence bears this out.

You just have to be educated as to what is junk and will never appreciate and what will.

Sweet looking razor tbh

A great razor to have IMO. I would never hone it up and use it or restore it. No more than I would an old collectible knife. It would sit in a safe or display case insured until I was done looking at it, talking about it, or showing it and then I would sell it for a profit. A beautiful piece of history. Very cool.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

It's an historical item not meant to be used.

As a historian I agree with your statement, as a functionalist I disagree with your statement. I'm a bit of both so things get complicated.
As an investor, I have no opinion. As a critic I question if it really is his razor.


A known or important historical person used the item, ergo it has added worth, a historical item.

That can be said about a lot of items that were used by historical figures, but not many of these are per se known public figures.

For example, the razor of my father, great grandfather, great great grandfather etc. are all extremely valuable to me and are worth more than just the price of the razor. They're priceless to me, but not to others. These razors are worth more than ANY historical figure's razor, for me.
For items belonging to public figures this differs and there's not only an added worth for a small portion of people, but there's also an added public worth for a certain group of people.

OTOH, it's a razor and was made to be used as its maker intended and it's still just that, a functional item.


If I were related to the person in question, I'd make it shave ready and use it, while treasuring it greatly

As I'm not related, I couldn't afford it to begin with and for the price it'll go for it's simply not worth buying it for a functional purpose. Unless you really don't care about money.

For the right price items are functional, for the exuberant price they're museum pieces.
Historical personal items from related family members are both, for me.

Assuming of course the razor is genuine is the starting point.

When it comes to antique or vintage and other historical items the monetary worth is not usually determined by sentimentality or someone close to the item or items owner. It is calculated by what the market will bear and a value assigned by an appraiser who (should) have no skin in the game.

Everyone has something owned by their "great uncle louie" that may be worth the world to the relative but to the world as a whole it ain't worth two cents.

Of course that doesn't mean the average joe doesn't have something that unknown to him might be worth big bucks.

There was a guy who had bought a Rolex in the PX years ago. A Submariner in the first year of issue with some rare colors used. He paid around $150 for it. He sold it with original box, papers, receipt for around 50 grand. If he hadn't changed the bracelet it would have gone for much more.

Watch "Antiques Roadshow" and you'll get an idea how it all works.

As a history teacher, I hate the over use of the term "Historically significant". People bump the value of things based upon association, and claim "Historical significance". Very little is actually significant. Lee Harvey Oswald had a historically significant rifle, but his boxer shorts werent. We confuse curiousities with actual items of importance. People are getting paid this way, but I am not participating. I have sold things that were pretty close to garbage for good money but a fool and his money are soon parted. (I sold a box of 1940's girly magazines that I took out of the Lake George town dump recycling pile, and I got over 400 bucks on ebay for them.)