Thread: eBay?

TexasToast:

Yes, Case is a good razor, obviously depending on its condition.

If I may suggest, however, assuming you're just starting out as a straight shaver, try to avoid eBay until you get to know your way around the straight razor world, because it's easy to end up with a piece of junk. Instead, look for quality razors in the SRP Classified, or buy a new and shave ready razor.
Good luck.

Obie

Razors should be full bladed. No visible chips in the blade, cracks in the blade or scales. If the photos aren't good , or if you have any questions, ask the seller before you place a bid. Avoid razors with uneven or excessive hone wear.

Buying less well known Solingen or Sheffield razors can save money as opposed to well known brands that may be collectibles as well as shavers. Realize that unless the seller has listed the razor as shave ready you'll have to send it out for pro honing. That will add to the total cost.

As others have suggested, razors listed in the SRP classifieds are more likely to be what they are claimed to be and in some cases may be less expensive. Finally, the SRP library has a list of "razors to avoid." Check that out and don't buy any of those.

I am with Otto - check out the ebay 101 thread

Something else to consider is how much experience you have with eBay in general... If you have done a fair bit of buying and selling on eBay you probably aren't at much risk. Sometimes you just get a gut feeling about deals no matter what the item is for sale and that sense can lead you often in the right direction.

I'm not sure where the concern about eBay comes from... I've done a fair bit of selling and a LOT of buying of many types of items and I have never had an issue in many, many years. Caution is prudent, of course, but just like in Gambling... You can't lose what you don't put on the table.

Read and absorb as much as you can but, in the end, until you get your hands on something you won't be able to tell a lot. Experience is priceless and education always has a cost. Even junker type razors can have value in the trial phase of whatever you are trying to learn... Snapping the scales on an eBay clunker you got for $8 is a cheap lesson versus doing the same on a $100 blade. ;-)

That's the way I look at it anyway.

To clarify... The only time I've ever had an issue with a purchase Online in the last 20 years was a Knife Forum similar to SRP. It was eventually resolved so I've never 'lost' anything... Just had to deal with a pain in the butt situation.

(Sorry for the double post... Doing this on my phone and hit Reply instead of Edit... Doh!)

It seems to me a better and more comfortable thing to deal with people on the shaving forums than with strangers on Ebay.

Having said that, I have only one bad Ebay experience and that was the result of a very corrupt person and not Ebay.

--james

There are several reasons that ebay is a bad place for newbies to straight razors. First are the objects that look like razors but are completely ill suited for shaving. Second are the so called restorers who are looking to make more money by making the blades look good but ruining the temper. Then there are the sellers that really know nothing abiut razors and don't disclose or know about the things that we look for in shavers, i.e. cracks, rot, pitting on the edge, etc... And finally, there are the unscrupulous sellers who only care about making money and mislead buyers.

A hint I just thought of that helps sometimes...

Use varying types of search data. Like, if you are looking for a Wade And Butcher do your searches for "Wade And Butcher" and "Wade & Butcher". Sometimes the search engine will include both but not all.

Think of as many different terms for what you are looking for and search in as many ways as possible. I've had some luck from mis-typing something that got me a different search result which was not being bid-up as much as another.