Thread: Will ebay prices continue to rise?

There's going to be a recession, we are told. Perhaps people will start being a bit more careful with their money.

Originally Posted by Sarty24

I haven't even received the Sheffield yet, but it was more of compulsive buy...I dunno if I should keep it...?

I keep thinking there's something wrong with the blade because it looks crooked, but the seller assured me that's what they all look like...any thoughts?

Let me know if you don't like it.

Believe it or not guys, that one actually is wider at the tip than the toe but it has no hone wear and was that way when I found it . I can even it out but there is one just like it though not as nice that is the same way so I am concluding that that is how it was made. Swarty let me know if you want it evened out cause its not too hard. It just appears that they made it that way and I don't know why. If not it will be shipped tommorrow.

shame shame...Topher always taking care of his customers... I got your PM. Sounds good, and thanks for the help

Chris,

I can't see any bevel on it, but the spine near the tip seems like unevenly worn, so it's probably poor grinding. I'm sure the black hairline speckle at the edge isn't a crack, but have you looked at it magnified? Since you're good at polishing it's probably worth taking it off quickly before honing.
As far as warping goes that's easy enough to check, so if Chris says it's not, then it's not.
It is not unusual for razors to be wider at the tip by design. I've seen it many times and I actually like that. If anything it's helpful with the scything motion when shaving. If it were me I wouldn't like it straightened out. Now the other direction, i.e. wider heel is a whole different story.

My first two razors were from Ebay back in october07. They were Brand new in the box Dovos and I know this cause the razor coffin seals were never broken. I got them for a excellent price and it was all downhill from there... I've never gotten any good deals since then.


My other razors have been from SRP members and classic shaving, my SRP LE # 168 .

Ok, was looking around for a post on prices and what people think of razors who know absolutely nothing about them.

Here is where it all comes down to. Elder parent passes away, sibling who knows nothing about razors goes gets the razors looks at them no matter what shape its in etc. will go on the net do a search and bam! Get the highest priced razor out there and post their crappy fathers, gpas old razor for $10-20 more so they feel they are making 10-20 bucks over what its worth. Its ridiculous to hear talking to some of the sellers.

Ebay is killing us. First thing somebody wants to do to control a price is go to ebay do a search and sell it at the same price or more than whats listed. Its inflated dramatically.

So the ones that hit the net are i bought it really cheap at 60 and its really worth 120! wow what a bargain. well the sibling doesnt know that maybe that razor isnt his stainless pakistan his daddy been hacking his face with all these years. Cant argue with the sibling either cuz daddy or gpa's are always right.

I do however see that demand is going up a "little" its a hobby to some and some on here at SRP use them as a functioning tool to shave with. Who realistly buys a $250 razor who isnt a collector for a good shave or a name of a razor to say i have a "$250 razor" that i look at. Collecting is one thing but using and shaving is another.

Sorry to rant but I just heard some idgit go on about i googled the net and it says my razor is worth $250 cuz someone else sold it for $250. Realisticly. he can keep his razor and hack off his own face with it.

So how do you change the internet from previous purchases.???
Ebay only keeps a running tally of current listings.
Websites, and forums where members put their prices they purchased them at a cost is where the data comes up in searches and in the end does hurt the buyer with inflated prices but because of some special case where someone took some poor bloak money for a crappy razor it is whats setting the high prices.

That's a blast from the past, eh. Two year old thread back to life.

Originally Posted by clintontull

So how do you change the internet from previous purchases.???

You don't but why would you want to do that anyways?

You can get a good razor made by, say dovo, and honed by Lynn for $80 any time you feel like. So, you either want a cheaper razor, or you want something that shaves better. It seems reasonable that in the former case you should be willing to accept various blemishes, and in the later you should be prepared to pay more.
And if you don't value a given razor at least as much as the seller does it simply stays with the seller.

I think we have more than enough resources to help new people but ultimately it's their money and their decision how to spend it. I usually fell bad for them that they can't figure what's important and not what, and don't even realize it so that they can get help, but that's about it. They share large part of the responsibility of making poor choices, and there will always be sellers who are either ignorant, or dishonest to enable them make those bad choices.

Originally Posted by clintontull

So how do you change the internet from previous purchases.???
Ebay only keeps a running tally of current listings.
Websites, and forums where members put their prices they purchased them at a cost is where the data comes up in searches and in the end does hurt the buyer with inflated prices but because of some special case where someone took some poor bloak money for a crappy razor it is whats setting the high prices.

ebay is a free, uncontrolled market where the supply and demand make the price. In short, capitalism. Want the prices to drop? Easy - flood the market with straights and sell them for much less than the market price, people start to wait until they get such good deal and the others need to drop their prices to compensate. You can start with those ones you bought from the antique shop =) Don't want to sell huge quantities of straights for less than they're worth? No? Why should anyone else do that either?

Yes. Some razors are terribly overpriced and misrepresented in ebay. We don't have to buy everything.

Evaluating razor's condition, value and worth to oneself is difficult, which is why the more experienced members constantly warn newbies about buying off ebay until they get a feel for the markets and razors.

I don't think this has anything to do with eBay per se. If you take a look at the old BST (Buy/Sell/Trade) archive, and compare it to the new Classifieds, you will find that prices have risen in general. That said, there are still good deals to be had, both here and on various auction sites.

The main problems I see, and they are interconnected, is (1) beginners thinking that a mental disorder is required to become a proficient shaver, and (2) the rising number of people interested in straight razors, especially those who learned about straight shaving in lifestyle magazines.

Ad (1): While I would always recommend buying two razors and keeping one as a reference and backup, I can see no sense in blindly acquiring dozens of razors. I currently have 20, 8 of which I keep for aesthetic reasons (like the Otto Deutsch "Hans" or the Hess "99" 6/8). Both were fully restored, and do see use. Some of the rest will have to go soon enough, having served their purpose: I wanted to find out which size and grind suits me best. Lesson identified, but not fully learned: Neither matters. I have a 5/8 wedge that refuses to give bad shaves despite the fact that I "like" big full hollows better.

As for the development of the market, I refuse to abandon the hope that not all beginners will jump on the big brand name bandwagon. Things have become mercifully silent WRT the infamous Filly's (sic!), and to be fair, their were only the latest in a series of crazes that has little, if any, relation to reality. Mutatis mutandis, and keeping in mind that razor reviews that rate a razors ability to shave are mostly useless as there are too many variables involved, I recently did a comparative review of a http://straightrazorpalace.com/razor...nica-epbd.html, the final score being Mehl 4 : Filarmonica "EPBD" 0. One argument that does make sense - to a certain degree, keeping in mind that many vintage Solingen razors only exist in quantities of 1 these days - is that a razor's overall quality is massively influenced by how it behaves on the hones. Now, for me that point is moot because I give all problem cases away for professional honing (the price I am will to pay for having really pretty razors...).

To sum this up, market prices are driven by demand (well, duh!), and it certainly is not eBay's (or any other auction site's) fault that demand is mostly driven by people who buy more than they need, or are willing to pay for an item whose quality they know only from hearsay.

Regards,
Robin