bidding on ebay

I've never had much luck bidding on ebay. I am looking essentially for a good antique, perhaps made in the 40s, that has not been used much. I'm not looking for expensive fancy scales or the big names, just a workhorse razor that shaves well and is in very good or mint condition. How much should that cost? I've found some great razors at antique shops, and my favorite shaver (Meteor Razor Works, from Solingen) was only $15.

In my antique shopping experience, I have found in general that all the good looking razors, with little wear, happen to look that way because of some kind of defect that makes them impossible or very difficult to hone. (warped blade like a helical twist or was put into the grinding machine at the wrong angle and hits the scales when you close it, etc.) I would have to say that having looked at over 300 razors at antique shops, this has been true for 95% of the 'unused' looking razors out there. That said, I'm afraid that dropping coin on a razor on ebay I will end up with a great looking razor that cannot be honed.

What do you guys think, and what's been your experience?

E

Anytime you buy on Eboy its a leap of faith. If the fotos are really good and its a good razor there will be more bids. If the fotos are bad there will be fewer bids but the chances of getting a dud are greater. You can ask questions from the seller but thats no guarantee either. You just have to go with your gut instincts and be willing to take the chance.

Most here will tell you can can do well on Eboy for probably $20 or so. I haven't but others have. I've found quality razors in good shape for about $30. You just have to be patient and be lucky.

This is excatly why I started to sell a few shavers on Ebay. For a new person, I don't want to see them go through what I went through. First, not to spend a lot of money I bought a new Paki, (who knew). Then I bought a paki and a strop package, again (who Knew). Sent the paki to Lynn to have it honed only to have it returned with a note from Lynn saying he would gladly lend me a razor until I had enough money to buy a decent one.

It was a month and a half before I even had a blade that would cut hair on my face. Sad thing is, when I look on ebay and see the bids for those paki's I just shake my head.

When you start, you need a razor that is shave ready, my razors, may not be the prettest in the world but at least they will give you a good shave.

I've had fairly good experience with antique shopping. My best purchase so far has been a George W. Korn razor from the Little Valley Cutlery. It's a heavy 5/8 with a smile profile on it and I snagged it for $20. I've also had good luck shopping off of www.tias.com and Country Joe's. I'd guess there's also a reasonable amount of luck involved with buying on line, but I think Country Joe is a razor collector and his descriptions are pretty accurate. Beats me why, but I generally prefer those places over Ebay.

Thanks Howard, I bought the razor on the link you posted. I think I can clean that up nice and put a good edge on it. It's a nice razor. After I get done with it, I'll offer it at a fair price to someone who needs a shaver.

That's what I mean. No gold, nothing fancy, just a good straight razor that will give you a good shave.

Vince, what is your ebay name? Sorry if this is common knowledge here, but I am new.
I have a very few ebay sellers I will consider. Been burned too often on razors. But I'm always looking for an honest guy to deal with, either on the sell/swap forums (preferred) or ebay. The ebay sellers I tend to deal with are also shave forum members.

You can do great on Ebay - I've bought over 40 razors and had only a handful of duds.

My best ebay buy EVER- was a near-mint 5/8 Bismarck for only .99 cents. :y

It was sold from South Africa and I guess no one wanted to take a chance on it - mine was the only bid. :eek:

With shipping, the total cost was under $8.

Tom

Two of my best shavers were ebay steals: a near-mint Clauss Barber's for $15, and an ivory-scaled Heljestrand #31 for $9. I've also gotten some duds with twisted and bent blades. But then I've also gotten new razors with the same defects, so it's a crapshoot either way though it is easier to return a new razor than an ebay purchase. Eventually you learn how to hone the off-kilter blades, though they're never as easy to hone as the straight ones.

My ebay name is vbellissim. I post a few every one in awile as they get done. The main concern I have with the razors I post is shaving. I'll spend more time on getting the edge right. I shave my chin with all my razors. This is the only way I can tell they're done.

Yea, I make a couple of bucks, but not really what they're worth. I just do my best and put them up. They'll never win a restoration contest but they will give you a good shave.

I think the bit about descriptions is right -- I've lost count of the times I've seen words like 'mint' 'unused' 'rare' etc. on eBay for stuff that was worn, well-used and downright common. It is a bit of a leap of faith when you bid on a razor with a crappy image and someone who's 'seeling it for their great-uncle Arthur' but sometimes you strike gold, sometimes you bomb. It's a kind of learning curve. I decide from the word go what any razor on ebay is worth TO ME and that's what I bid - it avoids 'auction fever' and you end up with less rubbish!

When I bid on ebay I assume I will get screwed. But I have a price in my mind that is probably less than what a good razor of that type is worth and that is what I bid up to. I have yet to be totally dissapointed with a purchase. In fact several times I have been pleasently surprised.

I have bought a few razors on eBay at very reasonable prices. I do not buy much but I try to focus on brands I know or pictures that seem to tell a pretty much complete story. I bought ERNs, Wade and Butcher, Torrey Co, and Antoni Tadross, and they were all great shavers and I spent less that 20 USD each. Of course luck also might play a considerable part, I had never heard of Antoni Tadross before, I bought it because I liked the estching on the blade (sort of Art Noveau) and the age-old patina it had on it. It turned out ot be one scary blade, easy to hone and extremely sharp - it cut even too close for my taste.

It's such a shame that anyone automatically assumes that they're going to get screwed by buying off eBay. I always offer a 7-day no-hassle return on anything simply because i don't sell crap. If people would just be honest it would be easy! I mean, if I saw a lot on eBay for, say, ten razors and the seller said 'look, five of these are good and five are garbage' I could bid accordingly and everybody's happy. I'm going to put a lot on eBay soon that is total crap - nicked blades, bust scales etc but at least I tell the truth - and I bet it still sells. :)

Blue,

You don't come from NYC otherwise you wouldn't be surprised with that attitude. We always have to keep our guard up here. In addition I seen a lot of crappy razors on ebay listed as mint. :nono:

I can vouch for blueprinciple/invisibleedge
I bought a peach from his ebay store last week, it was in better than described condition.

as a general rule, i find that if I want it and i sit there at the end of the auction with plans to make a snipe bid, i lose...

now if i see something i like and i'm not sure about it but i bid early, then it just so happens that i'll win it and i sit there cursing at the snipers for not doing their job