Thread: Old timers, what have you seen change over the last ---- years?

No more Butchers being made. I think the only good razors will mostly come from collections. High dollar?

Originally Posted by sharptonn

No more Butchers being made. I think the only good razors will mostly come from collections. High dollar?

Perhaps, But there are a lot of kids that are getting rid of dad's old stuff for scrap prices at "Anty Q" stores and and some hock shops. There are still gems to be found. A lot harder now but not unusual. I have a small booth at a store and there are about 10 other cleanup-able straights in that store alone.
The problem, it seems to me is that the antique stores themselves are going away! Most of the ones I know have disappeared for a hundred mile radius of my place. Old folks and high costs for maintenance and heating/cooling, make retirement very appealing to them. The big stores did not rotate stock and were usually one product ie. glass, ceramic, oriented. After a while people stopped going to them 'cause of nothing new in them.
~Richard
I stopped at one of the stores nearby and was talking with the single owners. It costs them about USD $100 a day to meet expenses and there always surprise cash flows that come up. Electricity, credit card acceptance, water, sewer, heat/ AC. mowing, snow removal, etc.

The main thing that has changed is many view this as a hobby. 30 years ago it was not and when you look at it from a hobby standpoint you tend to get much more involved in the minutia of it all. When straights were in their heyday they were implements pure and simple and cost a couple bucks. Of course there were 7 day sets and ivory Scaled and Silver scaled and fancy pieces for the well heeled but if you go back 100 years when it was the only way to shave the average joe had one or two common razors and one hone and one strop and that was it.

Because of the market names come and go but that doesn't change the quality. A great example is Puma. 10 years ago it was considered the best and a mint piece cost a mint. Now no one talks about them and they can be had for very reasonable prices.

If your into straights as a make profit,investment opportunity,your barking up the wrong tree today.
I tell the newbs I know,Buy six of the best of the best,have them pro honed,learn how to maintain the edge.
You will than have razors that will last the rest of your life.
Some of the ebay Crap I see SRP members post up amazes me.

Originally Posted by Geezer

I have also put in about 60,000 miles driving, finding and hitting antique stores over the last few years.
YTMV
~Richard

Now I understand why I like so much your SOTD pics!

Interedtingly enough, the same thing is happening in the watch world. It may be my small part of the world or just the things I am interested in but the interest in automatic and hand wound watches has an intense following, like traditional shaving. I love it. It just goes to show that the really good and quality things in life may ebb and flow but they never really go away.

I see it harder to find decent razors in the wild. As stated before much more custom makers out there.

Originally Posted by rosborn

Interedtingly enough, the same thing is happening in the watch world. It may be my small part of the world or just the things I am interested in but the interest in automatic and hand wound watches has an intense following, like traditional shaving. I love it. It just goes to show that the really good and quality things in life may ebb and flow but they never really go away.

I'm into vintage watches too. I think appreciation for watches and straights are much the same, it's great to be able to enjoy a quality piece of equipment for its intended purpose 100+ years later. And to have it work as well as when it was made is amazing. So much of what is made today is meant to be disposable.

Not my cup of tea, but:
I see many also getting into quality ink fountain pens of many types and skyrocketing prices. And...custom manufacturers. One of which I am aware makes the body out of hollow nitrocellulose acetate blanks which have been in a controlled environment for ten years or more; very stable by then.

I think that money over and above foreseen needs in a bank and excess securities can be a losing proposition but hard quality durable goods to be sold by the recipients can stay ahead of inflation.

YMPV
~Richard

The big S is correct. I still don't think of this as hobby.

As Richard said of pens, old pocket watches used to be fun to buy and swap. THen it got fashionable and the prices went WAY of out sight. Same thing with pocket knives. A utilitarian tool that has been elevated to cult collector status.