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Ok, now I know we all love Dubl Ducks and we are partially responsible for the prices going up to 300.00$ for a wonder edge, but to start at 500.00 for a 5/8 lifetime dubl duck is nuts. Here's the item number:
190394591512
I feel like messaging the seller and asking why the starting bid is so high. Also 10.00 for shipping a razor?! :soapbox:
That's really simple. The famous so called Filly's go for 350-400 and rising. There are hundreds if not thousands of them in the market. This razor is, however, rare. Very rare. Go figure... As they say, one born every minute.
That is a nice one and really scarce with the leather pouch. There aren't that many around and most I've seen have issues. The fellow is pricing it at the minimum he is willing to accept for it and he will probably get it. IME they are good shavers. Easily as good as a dubl duck special, satinedge, goldedge or wonderedge but no better.
with the scale condition, this it not worth the money IMO.
those scales will have to be eventually replaced and then the whole value stored in the Vintage condition is lost. That's how I think of it anyway.
My dubl duck special was only 5 bucks in a thift shop. Best buy I've ever had!
:nono: Shhhhsush ...... lets keep that secret of how good the specials are between us . :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Disburden
10 bucks isn't bad, I once had to pay $20 shipping from a reputable someone who will remain unnamed, and it still took over two weeks to arrive. No special priority or insurance, so I'm not sure why shipping was so expensive. But what are you going to do? Haggle about shipping costs and not get your prized razor? It's pretty much put-up-and-shut-up.Quote:
Originally Posted by Disburden
Well, these usually end up for quite a bit of money, so starting with such a high bid doesn't seem too crazy to me. I'm sure there's a lot more drama starting an auction at 1c and then finding that the person who wanted it most was willing to pay $800 for it, but I really don't see a reason why every razor needs be offered for a tiny fraction of its market value. Seems equally reasonable that the seller may offer it at a more realistic price and cut on all tire kickers and lowball bidders.
The last one sold for about $300 didnt it? I remember the thread a while back.. Yep, here it is. It went to just over $500, but then the guy pulled his bid towards the end.
That is a crazy starting bid, but someone who really wants the razor (and has deep pockets!) might pay that. Then again, the scales are warped to hell, and if they get replaced there goes a good chunk of the value in the razor.
The shipping is showing as $30 when I look at the auction as well..? Which is extortionate TBH!
Guys, maybe my memory is playing tricks on me, but I think the razor in this new auction is actually the same as the one in this auction from March:
RARE Old DUBL DUCK Lifetime GRIM REAPER Straight Razor - eBay (item 350331031208 end time Mar-30-10 19:04:08 PDT)
It's hard to say because the photos from the old auction have been removed (which is why I always post a full photo here PLUS the link so that the photo gets preserved). If it's not the same razor, then excuse the mistake, but the leather case looks really familiar to me. It might also explain why there's such a high opening bid -- because the seller just bought the thing a month ago, saw what it was, and now wants to sell it at a profit.
Personally, I've never seen the sense of these Reaper razors. When they are on eBay, they are never in great condition and always have scales so warped and pins so loose that, on any other razor, they would get replaced immediately. So why do people tolerate it on these razors? I mean, look at it this way, even when people pay an arm and a leg for one of those NOS EPBDs, at least they are getting a really nice shaving razor in the deal (even if the price is a bit high). So why pay the same premium for some non-working POC?
Anyway, that's my $.02. Feel free to flame-roast me now!
I don't think it is the same one. For one thing, IIRC, the pouch on the former auction had the fold over closure while this one is torn off. Finally, checking the end date of the auction and looking at the feedback archive of both there is no corresponding feedback between them.Quote:
Originally Posted by JeffE
For a straight razor shaver it is probably not worth the $ for one of these but if a guy had the collecting bug, shaver or not, and has a collection of ducks the lack of a reaper is a large hole in the collection. FWIW, I like my reaper way more than my wonderedge when it comes to shaving. :shrug: OTOH, I wouldn't want to pay the freight for that one.
I'm not really sure that the scales will eventually need to be replaced. I mean, you could if you want to, but pinch warping like that usually doesn't get much worse - how can it really get worse? Assuming the blade doesn't actually hit the scales on closing, it's fine. If they do close up too much, wedge in some quarters and hit it with the hair dryer for a sec, let it sit and cool, and you buy some time. Repeat as necessary.
I can understand the shipping considering insurance. Via USPS Priority in a Flat Rate Box, shipping with insurance for $500 was already $11 and change. Assuming the price goes higher, so will the cost for insurance. Given that insurance is now the responsibility of the seller, and assuming he insures it, the shipping cost makes sense to me.
Personally, I factor the cost of shipping into my bids, so I don't really care about it.
Hi guys
That's my razor. I always insure my shipments and usually spend more than the quoted shipping price. I don't do this for a living, but to switch in and out of hobby items I am interested in. This is a message I got on eBay; I wonder who it was from?
"SO you want to START the bidding at $500 and then charge $10 for shipping a little razor that costs $3, lol. Good luck with that."
I've been a member here since 2005 and have paid my dues with many lengthy contributions and restoration chronicles. I would appreciate a little more courtesy from fellow members who have no place to bash me in these forums or on my eBay message page. It's my razor; that's what I want for it. It's my time; that's what I charge to ship. The only complaints I have ever received about shipping prices were from people who didn't bid on auctions, but are keen on writing messages.
And to the poster who offered me 150.00; Nah, I didn't really sell it for 125.00. I was just needling you, but I see you are new around here. Enjoy the hobby.
Oh, and to OP; I can understand your concern about the $10.00 shipping. You seem to buy only razors in the 20-30 Dollar price range on eBay, so it's understandable that you would focus on this. Trust me, 10 bucks is less than it will cost me to ship the razor.
Hope this helps.
Bidding ended with zero bids. That's usually what you get with high starting bids: it deters potential bidders. IMHO a reserve works better.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Korndog
I've actually never paid for a razor on ebay, only eschers.
I think the auction and shipping charges are quite reasonable. It's his razor, and it's likely it will sell fir his asking price sooner or later. It could be that he doesn't need to sell it, but he does see the potential to make a profit and therefore asks for the required amount rather than holding an auction an selling it for less. If he's comfortable putting a tag on it and leaving it up there for a while then let him. For sure a lower start bid would guarantee a sale but it wouldn't guarantee a profit, or meeting a high reserve price. As for the shipping, $10-20 insured is actually quite low considering the cost of the razor. Every $100 costs like $1.50 more to insure or somewhere around there, so it's not bad.
Aside from runaway fads or temporary trends that we see with very high prices for certain razor brands, I firmly believe as a rule vintage razor prices are very reasonable and even IMO surprisingly low.
Ebay has enough of the occasional killer deals that buyers broadcast when they score them and sellers have enough of the OCCASIONAL sales where a razor goes for a high price both instances of which keep the Ebay mill churning.
It's been my experience in the little I've sold of razors through the past few years including recently that as a seller, no matter how you configure the auction, IN GENERAL you get less than you'd like for a razor. Far and away, if a seller configures an auction to start at a $1 for a razor, they'll get much less than the razor is "worth" rather than selling said razor for a high price. This generally includes "minty" razors, etc.
Just my experience.
Those that seem to think razor prices in general are consistently high, overpriced, etc. should take some time to view recent auctions. People get great deals on razors all the time. I would say it's the norm on Ebay.
Chris L
This is my experience too. It is like the "man bites dog". That is news, dog bites man attracts no attention. We notice the extremes whether on the high end or the low end. The normal routine stuff is not mentioned.Quote:
Originally Posted by ChrisL
I agree too. thing is, I might be high on a razor or two, but also sold a 8/8 Filly for way under what it should have gone for by listing it with a low starting price and no reserve.Quote:
Originally Posted by JimmyHAD
Oddly, the razor ended up back in Spain. Anyway, sometimes, I really want something "right now" and am willing to pay-up for it and not wait. I might list an item for this type of buyer. I recall a rare large blade Wonderedge that i wanted in the worst way. It went for a big number, but in retrospect, it would have been worth the extra 100.00 to me to have that razor. I still contend that the top razors are undervalued.
It's really disheartening to see the general negative tone of this particular forum (eBay sub-forum) It's fine to identify fraudulent auctions, but the constant deriding of individuals trying to transact honest business is out of control IMO. This auction is a good example of what I mean. I have received yet another insulting message for a "collector" and am frankly glad to be getting out of the hobby at this point. As much as I love honing and restoring, I loved the camaraderie I enjoyed on these pages. I cringe at the thought of what will happen when I list my PT Historical (imo, the finest razor I have put to my face) with the price I want. I hope the gentlemen on this forum will be nice.
Cheers
KD
I understand where you are coming from. If I were you I would have noticed the negative posts but when you take a look at the many members experienced in collecting high end razors who didn't comment. That tells me those members didn't agree with the tone of the thread.Quote:
Originally Posted by Korndog
Some time back there was a thread about some fool who paid too much to some obviously "unscrupulous" seller who was asking way too much for a vintage coticule. I didn't post in that thread. Only one member who did said that he didn't think it was too much for the stone. Matter of fact I didn't post because I was the buyer. :) Very happy to have the coticule BTW. It is a great stone. It was his father's, a barber in lower Manhattan, and during his barbering career from the 1920s into the 1980s he honed razors on that stone.
I have razors, hones and other odds and ends that I wouldn't let go of unless I got what I was asking regardless of what the market is at the time. I have one of those Pierre Thiers Historical and it is a heck of a razor. I hope you get your price.
I agree completely with this and have for quite some time. It's funny too how the big names get all the publicity and the lesser known great razors fly under the radar. It seems in my experience few know Shumate razors (funny since barbers loved them) but the WBs are flocked to.Quote:
Originally Posted by Korndog
Chris L
but the way NICE RACK !!Quote:
Originally Posted by Korndog
LOL relisted at $400 :p