Originally Posted by
crouton976
I dunno... I would think that, to at least a certain degree, the sheer numbers of Gencos in existence helps lend to a lower price tag, both then and now... after all, they were at one point the largest razor manufacturer in the world. Also, the fact that while they give fantastic shaves and are made from great steel, they weren't very ornamental, again reducing costs to make and to buy.
DD's are usually VERY ornamental, so people think "OOH! SHINY!" and immediately attach a particular value (not saying that DD's don't deserve to be considered top quality). W&B's age lends to their reputation, in terms of perceived value (again, not saying they shouldn't be in the top tier of razors), so people tend to flock to them.
Genco's, while plain in nature, are made from a consistent quality of fine steel (like Sheffield steel) from around the northeastern US and are great workhorses in general. The fact that they were so abundant on top of being inexpensively made and made with consistently great quality, by comparison to some manufacturers, means they are less rare than W&B, DD or Filly's, which can drive down their perceived value...