Thread: A Moral(ish) Question

Hard one. I know that after being burned once I start to remember the location if not the names of venders. I really watch and ask a lot of questions on anything over 30$us. Proudly I was banded from buying from a dealer when I asked him how he could repeatedly and specifically date razors if they had no specific date codes or unique marking. His answer was that he had done it for years and he knew. Then banded me.
Now I'm not obnoxious when I ask questions but I don't buy if I don't get any reply or one that really sounds like a lie.

Originally Posted by Tsunami

I can agree with you on one hand but on the other I am a capitalist and would never begrudge someone making a buck but but buying a razor for 30 bucks only to hone it up and try and sell it for 200 is a wee bit much.

Unfortunately, that's exactly how certain brands end up fetching ridiculous prices on a regular basis - eventually it becomes the 'going rate'. Someone out there was the first to charge $300 for a W&B, or $600 for a Fili, or $400 for a DD Goldedge; someone else pays the asking/auction price and before you know it those high prices are the norm. Is it moral? Who knows. Greedy? Yes. I know because when I came on the scene you could find any of the brands I listed for under $100. The vintage products haven't changed, but apparently the amount people are willing to (over)spend on ordinary razors has increased.

In defense of ebay sellers (me enc) are plenty of honest people selling razors on the bay.
As I said above,I start all my auctions lowball and let the buyers decide what they are willing to pay,win some lose some,I sleep well at night.

Originally Posted by pixelfixed

In defense of ebay sellers (me enc) are plenty of honest people selling razors on the bay.As I said above,I start all my auctions lowball and let the buyers decide what they are willing to pay,win some lose some,I sleep well at night.

I'm the same way when I sell on ebay. Start low and bite your fingernails waiting for the bids to approach the low end of what you hope to get out of it. I certainly can't fault the people for having such high BIN prices though as there is almost always someone out there willing to pay the high price.

IMHO, Ebay is not SRP! In fact, This is the only shaving forum that I know of with a subforum such as this. There are plenty of razors for sale in the classifieds here. Also, it is obvious that if you think something is overpriced, do not consider it! Look elsewhere, put on some bids! There are tons of expensive items on Ebay, craigslist, or any "for sale" medium in every category. A look around usually yields a better deal. Knowing about quality, shipping, etc helps. I could be unhappy that Ferraris cost more than I want to spend, but I buy a Dodge because I know what I can afford. Having sour grapes toward Ferrari does nothing for me. In short, if you do not like the price, you buy elsewhere. It is silly to slam someone for a price. After all, it is their price and their right. You have your price and that is your right.

I do enjoy ebay and know there are lots of great sellers out there...

and while I understand "why wouldn't I put a high BIN price if someone will pay it" it just seems...tacky. the good nature of a majority of the people on this site (and to be honest, the wetshaving community in general) is one of the main reasons I spend time here reading opinions and asking questions instead of just figuring everything out on my own. running up the market prices for personal gain just seems to fly in the face of that good nature...

Originally Posted by sharptonn

IMHO, Ebay is not SRP! In fact, This is the only shaving forum that I know of with a subforum such as this. There are plenty of razors for sale in the classifieds here. Also, it is obvious that if you think something is overpriced, do not consider it! Look elsewhere, put on some bids! There are tons of expensive items on Ebay, craigslist, or any "for sale" medium in every category. A look around usually yields a better deal. Knowing about quality, shipping, etc helps. I could be unhappy that Ferraris cost more than I want to spend, but I buy a Dodge because I know what I can afford. Having sour grapes toward Ferrari does nothing for me. In short, if you do not like the price, you buy elsewhere. It is silly to slam someone for a price. After all, it is their price and their right. You have your price and that is your right.

granted, two very different things/places. it's not a matter of me not being able to afford a ferrari, it's if someone is charging more than what a ferrari is worth shifts the focus (for me) off the price of the item and to the person trying to sell it. i'm not trying to slam anyone (note i don't list anyone by name or anything terrible like that), just wanted to have a discussion if they feel it's strange that sometimes the good nature that pervades this (and other) forums ends once you log in to ebay

Another thing to consider is that we as users of straights are not the only ones buying them. In fact, we're not even close to being the majority. The collector market for straight razors is quite large and consistently draws higher prices than the user market would. That is why the classifieds here is so nice. The sellers here are selling more towards the user price than the collector price that is set in the more public sales sites such as ebay. And as much as I hate to see collectors drive the price up on straights, it is a necessary evil because without the collectors, I would think that most of these straights out there would have already been tossed out long ago. Sorry for the mini rant.

Originally Posted by ryanjewell

the good nature that pervades this (and other) forums ends once you log in to ebay

Yes, I have noticed the same thing in going to the grocery store!

I've seen this happen, and I can understand where people are coming from, but there are a few things at work that may add some level of complexity to this question.

First thing that comes to mind is the risk of the unkown when you buy something on the bay. For example, if you are buying from an estate auction, or an antique dealer, you can only ever be so sure of a razor's condition. I bought a Wester Bro's early on that was in GREAT shape. It looked sweet, shiny, and even had fancy bolsters on it. I dropped maybe 18 bucks on it a couple of years ago. I sent it right off to a pro to be honed up, only to find that my then inexperienced (and overly excited) eye failed to notice the smallest of hairline cracks in the blade. Basically, I was out my 18 bucks, until the seller agreed to take it back. On some auctions, you don't get the option of sending things back (like on a large razor lot).. so you take the risk that you'll get some useable razors in the box, or you could strike out.

On the other hand, there are a few members here who sell on ebay, who I am absolutely comfortable buying a razor from on the bay. I know these people, their reputation, and I am confident that I am not taking a substantial risk when buying. Sometimes these razors cost a lot more.. but they are a known quantity to some extent. So when you buy a razor from someone else who is in to razors..you may pay for just the razor... the razor plus the risk/losses of the seller, or the razor plus the experience of the seller.

Now, does this experience/risk merit a $200 price bump? I have my opinions about that... but the market still operates even with a high "buy it now" price. I remember watching this one shoulderless Henckels with a worked spine for probably 4 months straight (a long time ago), where the buyer would post a price, and then repost each month or so with a lower price when nobody bought it. It never got down into my wheelhouse, but the market still functioned to adjust the price of the razor.

Also, sometimes people realize that they have let their collection grow a bit larger than they wanted.. or maybe they have found that they no longer prefer wedges to full hollows etc... then it may be a case of "yeah, I suppose I could let this one go.. but it'll have to go for the right price." I have a few right now that I could see myself selling... but I'm not going to do that unless I get a good price for them.

Last point- There are always going to be people out there (in such a big pool like the bay) who will pay crazy prices for razors that they think are cool. I don't see things in the same way when comparing a worldwide auction site to the SRP classifieds. I give a bit more leeway for people trying to shoot for the moon out there.

I guess I would draw the line on this one at the point of someone with experience taking advantage of someone else, but I don't know that I've ever really seen this though in person to be honest. This would almost require a blatant lie about the condition or intrinsic value of the item. I have seen people who had just finished their first resto, and wanted 300 bucks for their "masterpiece". But I think that was more a case of someone naively comparing their rookie work to the work of some of the real pros we see here. Guess what I'm getting at is that the more people know, the less likely they are to overpay, and until then you may have to pay for someone else's expertise, or be prepared to wait a while in order to get the kind of deal you want.

And I've gone on too long.....