The price of the blade....

Having collected numerous things I have noticed a couple of trends...

1) The "Vacum Cleaner" effect... Item XXX had a relatively stable price, until a guy from Belgium (I call him the "vacume cleaner") started turning up at shows, and buying every XXX he saw... the dealers raised prices at the next show... and he took them all again... so they continue to rise, and he continues to buy.... He is very active on collectors forums, and people admiring his XXX end up competing... XXX have raised from EUR80 7-8 years agao to EUR250-600 depending on the model nowdays...

2) Forums... For years I had 3 Razors... and was happy with them... I have been on this forum for a few weeks... and have 14 razors...

I buy shavers, not in the box with the label... but have the guys who have been in the game for much longer noted a trend which they can attribute to the Internet?

Thanks
Chris

I blame ebay. Without "them" most of these razors would probably be on a dusty shelf in an antique store with a meager price on them. Who in their right mind shaves with a straight razor anyways?:p

Chris

Have not been in the this game long but have experienced exactly what you have in other games. The only difference the net has made is that the effect is now global and not regional as it once was. Items get talked about, become popular and prices rise sometimes drastically so if the item is out of production and hard to come by. Same old just different pile.

Bob

Sure, ebay is the big one... but it goes further.... Next time I am in an antique mal... I am going to vacume anything good... unless another forum member has done it already ;-)

I had someone come through town about six months ago and buy up all the straights I passed on. The chipped blades, the rusted beyond fixing, the horribly over priced(Simmons Keen Kutter-$150, with broken scales). Since thus guy went through, all if the dealers have raised their price quite a bit. Some have stopped selling their straights all together in the shops, instead opting for the bay.

Is also a flip side,for those that collect and use straights and have been doing so for a long time.
For those that bought the best of the best back in the day when this stuff was somewhat affordable.
Ebay is your friend,sort of like a bluebook for razors.
The only people that are getting hurt are the ones just starting out or those looking for there end all be all blade.

Yea, late comers get hurt initially but in the long run may make out OK if the upward trend continues. This is starting to sound like the stock market. Personally, I never looked at collecting anything from an investment POV. I collect what I personally like at a price I don't mind paying and try not to chase the holy grail. It is good enough to break even or have a slight loss on selling and consider the loss as rental on the item that I enjoyed using. Everyone has a different out look.

Bob

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Theseus

I had someone come through town about six months ago and buy up all the straights I passed on. The chipped blades, the rusted beyond fixing, the horribly over priced(Simmons Keen Kutter-$150, with broken scales). Since thus guy went through, all if the dealers have raised their price quite a bit. Some have stopped selling their straights all together in the shops, instead opting for the bay.

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Yea, we used to have that happen in our area with cameras. I guess that happens with most things that become popular.

Bob

I contend that forums do more to up the price than ebay.

When I see things here on show and tell... I want one as well!!!!!!

I could se a XXX razor on Ebay and think "Hmmm... kinda nice..."

But when I see the same one here all honed, stopped and polished up... and go back to ebay... I think "I must have that!!!!!!"

Best
Chris

added to that... with the web, and the forum, and the bay.... as a Medal collector 15 years ago, if I wanted to sell something, it was usually the best price i could get amongst the 5-10 collectors in the area.... now some guy online in Upper Volta or Moscow or new York sets the highest price...

I dont need to spend 10 years waiting for a specific item to show up at a local show..... I get it on the site of a dealer in Florida or London...

It makes a huge difference...