Thread: Ebay in a buyer's market right now

This post is for those of you who donate your razors to the Ebay cause... Have you noticed that it's become a BUYERS market the last couple months, with few exceptions (filarmonica's, certain 8/8 W/B's, etc)

It concerns me, as a seller, who relies on a SELLER's market to make it worth my while...
Will that nice buyer's market ever come back?
Is it the time of year, and things will pick back up in the winter?
Have the 60,000 or so straight razor collectors worldwide all decided to do their own restores, and won't empty their pockets for one where the work is done for them? Even prime, unrestored, 8/8 wedges are reasonable now, for buyers...
Is everybody concerned that they're going to get burnt with a "restored" razor with a fried temper?

I've been doing this for a couple years now, and my question is for the veterans who have seen many a year of the ebay market. Are we in a razor housing market right now?

thanks for your thoughts!

Nope..I had good luck on eBay with all my cleaned up razors...snazzy description+great pics=easy sell..few other additions when listing but that's about it..

I don't think so. I had as many viewers in 3 days this time with the same items and pictures as I had in 10 last time earlier in the summer. The traffic just hasn't been there and ebay has been doing promotions the last 3 months to move things along.

Even this forum had been slow up until recently. People gots lots to do in the summertime when weather is hot.

The prices on new factory razors haven't been going up for a while, and these do set a limit on the prices of vintage razors.
In my opinion this whole straight shaving is a bit of a bubble and will fade. I don't really care though, for me it's a hobby, not a money making machine, and I will enjoy it just the same regardless what happens with the market.

There are a couple of 8/8 I'd like to offlaod before the bubble bursts.
But I think some has to do with the summer holidays. People will spend more time on holiday or outside, rather than in front of their computers.

There are a lot of affluent new users around now who seem to acquire 10's/100's of razors in an incredibly short time - most of whom I expect to drop off once the air of exclusivity fades. At that point I think the market will collapse and eBay will be flooded with hoarded FBU's and EPBD's, just in time for me to swoop in and gather them by the sackful

Some of the more well known sellers are still bringing big $ for their razors. Check their completed listings. From my perspective you have the antique/flea market sellers who know little or nothing about straight razors. If it is a 'hot' item they may bring in the $ if they take good photos .... and it is excellent or better condition.

I've been fooling with collecting straight razors since the mid 1980s and watching them on ebay, off and on, since '99. Like Eschers and coticules the market ebbs and flows. Hot and cold. These forums help to stimulate interest and the more we talk about a brand the more demand for a limited time.

One of the downsides IMHO is the 'restorers'. I usually won't even give a second look to a shined up vintage razor that says "shave ready" in the listing. I can count the truly qualified restorers on the fingers of one hand. That is why I tend to go for razors that have that honest patina on the blade. These forums and youtube have made a whole class of guys who could say, last month I couldn't spell restorer and now I are one.

Like many other things you have to look at trends long term. If you do then you see behind the ups and downs. In the end if you have a good quality razor in great shape from a recognized seller then price will be high. You also need to look at the number of razors being sold which has increased steadily. Granted, a lot of it is junk and more Pakistani junk is being hawked but over the long term things will equalize out. I don't see any gold mines in razors.

Wouldn't know, I have never sold anything on Ebay

Every razor I buy off eBay I do in hesitation. Half the time I don't even bid. I just watch them and see how the price goes. If someone puts a razor up for "Buy it now" I take their bid price and buy price as to what they think the razor is worth. I won't say a razor isn't worth the asking price, I am just cheap and I can't afford to pay what most are asking for.

I am like a shark, in the bay ... Waiting for my desired meal to swim by.