The Price of Usage

The moment you drive a brand new car off the lot, the resale value has already dropped significantly. Less so with a used car, but still, depreciation is a given.

With shaving equipment, many of us sell off things... razors, brushes, etc after (usually) mild usage. Countless times, though, sellers ask to get back what they paid for the item. Some even try to recoup shipping and paypal fees.

I am not talking about discontinued things or razors that are hard to find. Just the usual stuff.

I am just curious as to what people think is the acceptable cost of being able to experience a particular razor, brush, etc. in terms of % devaluation, ie, how much would you normally mark down an item after trying it out and deciding to pass it along?

Well if you wanted to move an item,i would start at 30% off . And that would be like a new WACKER you tried out and it wasnt what you wanted. JMO

If your talking items that wear very slowly like a razor and it's like new I would price it 25% off actual selling price when new but any wear will rapidly increase the discount. Of course depending on the demand that could trump every other factor.

I would tend to agree here so far ..

But let's toss in a wrinkle
A Hart razor or perhaps a TI both of these are known to have some minor inconsistencies, the Hart when released had some bevel angle issues and some of the TI's have some scale fitting issues (please don't get all defensive I could pick on many new razors)

So let's say you bought a Hart and measured the angle and it was a much sought after 16.5 degrees and you had honed it, assuming you know what you were doing, and used a Nakayama.... Now you have a barely used "proved shaver" Three things here just added to the value of this used razor over it's brand new in the box counterpart...

One most anyone who sells on SRP will stand behind the sale...
Two the razor has a proved measured angle
Three the honing has been improved upon, and also proved not to be warped....

So where is the real value?????

Things that make ya go Hmmmm

I can see how a razor will decrease in value with use.
I can see the same happening to a synthetic stone.
I can't see this happening to a natural stone in good condition, little use, no shipped edges etc.
I am not interested in brushes, but i wonder how would they fair in price in used condition?

Interesting question. I paid a premium for a used Simpson Chubby 2 Manchurian used. They ain't making anymore of 'em. I sold a magnificent lightly used Plisson HMW Plexi size 18 for what I paid for it new. In the old days with pocket knives and tobacco pipes if the knife was sharpened or the pipe smoked the value was cut by half of new retail. Of course this is a general rule of thumb. A collectible would have intrinsic value that a run of the mill item might not have. A used dubl duck Wonderedge will bring way more than a current new Dovo. I won't even say Filarmonica. :)

One other thing

Using the car anology...

On the car lot (something I know a bit about) there is a saying about used cars,
"The profit is made in the Buy not the sale"
What that means is any used car has a perceived value and there for a perceived sale price... How low you brought it for has no bearing on what you sell it for... The reverse is also true if the lot buys a car at book and the transmission goes out, now we own it over book, doesn't mean we are going to recoup that cost, the perceived value in the selling price never changed...

Back to razors,
I go to the charity garage sale and find a 7/8 DD Wonderedge NOS in the box and spend $10

What should I sell it for :D

Things that make ya go hmmmmmm again


Great thread Ray

I think it varies quite a bit, depending on what the item is. Perhaps too much to make any blanket statements. In general, the market seems to sort things out - if someone lists something at retail and gets it, then I guess someone was ok with paying retail. If someone has to go to 40% lower than retail, well I guess that's just what it takes. In the small market of straights, supply and demand can do funny things.

How about the case where you sell a product for what you consider a fair value, then realize that the same object you sold is being re-sold for a higher price than you originally sold it for. (Did everyone follow that?)

It is interesting to see my work increase in value.