What to look for in a listing, sellers, and advice for a beginner.

[Terp11]

Hey All!

So, this is my second post to SRP, and I'm really satisfied with my experience; everyone has been very helpful so far! I'm also getting to the point where my college buddies I live with are making fun of me for how much I'm reading about straights...

Ok, I guess I should start off by saying that I am dangerously close to pulling the trigger on ebay (I've bid on listings already and lost them all), but I haven't seriously bid on something that I expected to win. That being said, I'm kind of glad I haven't won on anything yet because I probably could have made a big mistake.

Now, here is the listing I'm most intrigued by:
SPECIAL SALE #32- Rare! Straight Razor:72 1/2 J.A.HENCKELS SOLINGEN GERMANY | eBay

Can anyone tell me about this razor in particular, whether it is vintage, NOS, or one of the new regrinds that were recently released. I have no idea how to distinguish between them, so some clarification here would be fantastic. I guess I'm looking for some know-how on what key things I should be looking for in a listing that will indicate whether something is a good value or not.

Also, if you care to do more digging, this seller seems to be much more "professional" than others (despite only having 370 feedbacks), particularly in the picture collage setup they have there. This professionalism, the price tag, the location of the seller (Japan), and the fact that this seller has a lot of items like this one are all red flags. The positives are their feedback, and that recently people seem satisfied with the razors they're getting. Any thoughts here?

Bottom line, I think I need a Str8 razor-ebay 101 lesson. Anyone willing to take me up?

Thanks,
Terp11

[mapleleafalumnus]

Hi Terp! Welcome to SRP from a fellow rookie member.
I'd pass on that razor. It just looks too good to be true. I think you'd be better off buying from a vendor here on SRP. I lack the knowledge to "name names" re: from whom to buy, whom to avoid, etc., but based on other members' comments I've read, most sellers here are reputable.
Except for the experienced restoration artisans, most members here eschew eBay razors, and usually for good reasons: no photo can show the real condition of the blade/scales, lack of shave-readiness, sellers overpricing their wares, outright lying, etc. "Caveat emptor" very much applies to eBay.
If a more experienced buyer of razors posts here, perhaps s/he would be kind enough to PM you re: quality razors currently for sale in the classifieds, i.e. which buyers are noteworthy and their opinion(s) of the razors currently listed. Hope this helps. Sorry for the rambling

[Havachat45]

I can't see anything wrong with the razor or the price.
There is a thread about what to look for in eBay razors, however, I can't locate it ATM.
I've bought most of my razors on eBay and haven't had any real dramas.
Just ask the seller anything you want to know and (most of them) are pretty easy to get on with - those that aren't you can just ignore, just like the ones that charge over $30 to post an item.
Hang on and enjoy the ride

[epd]

Welcome to the forum,
Ill echo the above, I have bought a lot on ebay without any serious problems. Just remember ebay is a bit of a gamble, sure if your not satisfied you could send it back but who has the time for that....

Try to save your bids for the last 10 seconds this will keep yourself from getting into bid wars, not sure whos quote this is, but its helped me save a lot of money! "bid low, bid often"

Also you can kiss that razor goodbye now that 10 people have seen it. Posting a link to a live auction is a big "no no", most of us believe that we are the only ones watching the auction so when a link, or advertisment is posted, drama is created.

[Otto]

(snap)
Bottom line, I think I need a Str8 razor-ebay 101 lesson. Anyone willing to take me up?

Search and you will find.
Joed's thread: ebay101

[gssixgun]

Here is a hint,,,

When a razor has been "Restored" the seller should be honest and up front and tell you the razor has been restored... It should be a matter of pride that they have the skills to restore the razor, not something left un-mentioned...


Sorry a pet peeve of mine with ebay sellers

It is a Genuine Vintage Henckels BTW, the 72 1/2 is a well known and quite common model, ie: not rare at all

[Theseus]

This seller has been mentioned here before for his crazy, haphazard pricing. At one point, if I remember correctly, he had a NOS DD Goldedge for the low price of $1200,BIN. At the same time he had a NOS Tosuke kamisori for under $100. Nothing wrong with the quality of the blades, just odd pricing.

[JimmyHAD]

Welcome to SRP. Two things to take into consideration are your lack of experience in knowing what to look for and whatever you get, if it is from ebay, may need honing at a minimum, and possibly restoration of sorts. Many of the people selling razors on ebay are clueless when it comes to straights so even if you know what questions to ask they may not know the correct answer with the razor sitting in front of them. So whatever the final price is add the honing and whatever to that, plus shipping to wherever you get the service done.

The SRP classifieds is a better bet. You'll stand a much better chance of getting a working tool that is ready to go. Personally I'd recommend buying an entry level Dovo razor/strop combo from Straight Razor Designs, Classic Shaving or Vintage Blades. Since you don't know for sure whether straight razor shaving is going to be your cup of tea , making a minimum investment to start is a wise way to go. With a brand new razor, professionally honed, you can get most for your money out of it if you decide it isn't 'for you.'

SRD offers the initial and the second honing free so that is something to take into consideration. It is usually a twenty dollar job from most of those who do it. IIRC the other vendors charge the fore mentioned fee to hone a new razor. You'll need a strop so that is why I suggest the combo. A 5/8 or a 6/8 size is recommended for the average person. Once you know you're going to stick with it you can add to your rotation with more razors and you'll know more about what to look for.

[Cove5440]

I agree with the ones that are mentioning to pass on it. Unless it really speaks to you, you can get something for the same price or better from members on this forum that will provide a shave ready blade. The price isn't the concern to me, more the shave ready part, that I believe someone else mentioned on this thread already. Check out Glenn's site gemstarcustoms.com as well.

I also want to echo the comment that posting live auctions isn't a good idea if you want the razor. You'll have a couple of situations. First, someone else might be watching it and waiting until the end to avoid a bidding war. Second, you will be bringing the razor to the attention of a large number of razor collectors that have AD's.

[FDR]

I agree with the ones that are mentioning to pass on it. Unless it really speaks to you, you can get something for the same price or better from members on this forum that will provide a shave ready blade. The price isn't the concern to me, more the shave ready part, that I believe someone else mentioned on this thread already. Check out Glenn's site gemstarcustoms.com as well.

I also want to echo the comment that posting live auctions isn't a good idea if you want the razor. You'll have a couple of situations. First, someone else might be watching it and waiting until the end to avoid a bidding war. Second, you will be bringing the razor to the attention of a large number of razor collectors that have AD's.

I have to say that while I agree in part I have been buying and selling on ebay for quite some time and have friends that make their living solely on ebay these days. We have found that if it is something you really want bidding early is the way to go as long as you know what your max price is and you are disciplined enough to not go over that even if the bids reach that mark. I know from personal experience that waiting till the end you have a 50/50 shot at getting sniped by someone with software in the last two seconds and it has happened to me many times in the past. Again this is if it is something you want for your personal use or your personal collection and know "how much it is worth to you". If it is something you are looking to grab cheap and resell the approach is usually quite different and that is where software and sniping come in handy. These days though even with software you often get sniped and the price goes through the roof in the last minute. I had a friend a few month back use his software to try and get a Murano Chandelier for my wife for her birthday. The price was sitting at $325 and IIRC 12 bids up until ten seconds to go and he set his software to take it to $480 for me. In the last few seconds there were 9 more bids and it went for guess what.......$485.00 Grrrrrr............! Sure that is an extreme case but it happens quite often. Sad part is I'd have spent $600 and we based the $480 number on what it was at knowing there would be other snipers trying to hit it. Most often snipers are in it for resale and cheap to make profit and waiting till the end when you want it for yourself is where that will bite you. If one is willing to pay 80.00 for something and a reseller is only willing to go $50 so there is margin they will beat you almost every time when an item is sitting at $10 or 15 bucks right to the end. Setting the price early knocks them right out of the game. Now getting lucky and being willing to wait indefinitely to get what you want can pay off but it is rare. I know I have and know many others that said to themselves "I should have gone more!" many times.

Just my experience from what I've seen from both sides of that fence.