Thread: Ebay has ruined people chances for people who want a good razor to get one

For every 5-6 painful antique store experiences I seem to have a nice surprise. Here's an early surprise; I think it was $11.



Sent this one off to KenRup for scale repair, polishing and honing and now it's great. The pitting was shallow, not on the edge, and is now largely gone. It took a real nice edge.

Very nice find. Congratulations. Post a pic when you get it back.

Originally Posted by LarryAndro

Not much different than a flea market, junk and treasure beckons, naked sirens sing...

I need to go to the flea market you go to! Those around here don't have any naked sirens singing!

Not sure what I just bought, but Ebay is great for finding the unexpected:
FANCY KUKRI GARANTIE SOLINGEN TUESDAY STRAIGHT RAZOR NM - eBay (item 190337179491 end time Sep-23-09 12:25:23 PDT)

It may just be a piece of junk, but for 20 bucks it's worth the gamble. The only downside is that I can only shave with it on Tuesdays.

Originally Posted by radaddict

Not sure what I just bought, but Ebay is great for finding the unexpected:
FANCY KUKRI GARANTIE SOLINGEN TUESDAY STRAIGHT RAZOR NM - eBay (item 190337179491 end time Sep-23-09 12:25:23 PDT)

It may just be a piece of junk, but for 20 bucks it's worth the gamble.

Is not ebay great?

good lord, I went to 5 antique malls this weekend hunting. I saw 1 blade that maybe possibly could be restored but the scales were a complete loss. Nor was it anything fun, just a 4/8 unmarked carbon steel blade. I didn't see a single blade under 35 dollars. I didn't even see any nice scales. Then one of the guys got a little pushy with me trying to sell them. Literally one of them, if I'd thumped it with my finger, it would have gone all the way through the blade the rust was so bad.
Ebay a long time ago went the way of a expensive second hand market place. IMO its success was its demise. Now you have people making a living and running business solely on ebay. VS just some joe selling a few things.

Originally Posted by stdreb27

good lord, I went to 5 antique malls this weekend hunting. I saw 1 blade that maybe possibly could be restored but the scales were a complete loss. Nor was it anything fun, just a 4/8 unmarked carbon steel blade. I didn't see a single blade under 35 dollars. I didn't even see any nice scales. Then one of the guys got a little pushy with me trying to sell them. Literally one of them, if I'd thumped it with my finger, it would have gone all the way through the blade the rust was so bad.
Ebay a long time ago went the way of a expensive second hand market place. IMO its success was its demise. Now you have people making a living and running business solely on ebay. VS just some joe selling a few things.

You've got a point there. I agree in the sense that "in the beginning" Ebay was THE worldwide garage sale venue. People selling things where they were not aware of the "value" of those things. They were just getting rid of stuff and figured someone somewhere on Ebay would want to buy that "junk". You still see that often enough of course, but you're right, it's changed in that there are power sellers with stores now and people who specialize in selling singular vintage items and market them specifically as such in high volumes.

I very rarely if ever bid on razors on Ebay any more. I don't have the time or the patience to fish endlessly for that one great deal that's "under the radar". The times that I have bid and bought razors, often, being honest with myself after paying for the razor and shipping, I've paid more than the arbitrary limit I normally set for myself when I go to antique stores and am able to personally inspect razors. Ultimately it's more fun for me to personally inspect razors before I choose to buy or pass. That said, I'm glad Ebay is there if I do see something I really want to try to buy. I just rarely do that now.


Chris L

Originally Posted by northpaw

Took a little looking, but I got lucky on the very first eBay special I decided to bid on. Scored a sweet Solingen Wagner 13/16 for $10 and some change, shipped from the motherland over here to Macedonia. Wasn't shave-ready, but I took care of that, and the scales are pristine. Might not win any beauty contests, but she shaves real nice. What can I say? eBay been good to me.

I think I saw this razor and forgot to bid on it.

Originally Posted by ChayesFSS

Larry, go try and get the razors for yourself. Maybe if they turn out to be great you'll think about selling or trading one to me. My collection is giving my poor wife agina as it is, getting a bundle of razors mailed to my house would just make it worse. I've sent him a few emails but hadn't heard anything back yet concerning what kind they are. Please, let me know how you make out!

ChayesFSS, I had to drive 50 miles one way to get to Denton. But, they are mine now! Link to another post with a few pictures and details at bottom.

Believe me! I appreciate the link you provided earlier today. It will take me a week or two to scope out what I have, and value. But, if I sell anything in the set, or the set, I will keep you in mind as you asked.

In fact, why don't you send me your address on the private message I sent you earlier if you want me to send you the second custom-made leather pouch? It's excellent craftsmanship, scarcely used, has 12 slots for razors, and I think you will like it!

Here's a few pictures, and a list of the razors...

http://straightrazorpalace.com/gener...tml#post458001

As an aside, the seller said he has been running the ad for several days, and got a few calls. Today, almost 40 calls!

Originally Posted by Stubear

I think part of the problem with eBay, and its the same with all the car boot sales you get in the UK, is that people think that the junk from the loft is worth something.

There are so many daytime TV antiques shows when someone brings a random vase or something along to be valued and find out its actually worth a few hundred quid so people have got the message that their "junk" is worth a few bob, hence the silly prices and people posting totally useless razors with stupid reserve prices.

Uh huh. It's an interesting bit of human nature to watch. Especially when someone holds on so tightly to his belief that he'll get the price he's asking for, if he just holds on a little longer. Even in the face of really poor sales on his other items, he'd rather deny a reasonable offer to purchase, to hold out hope for the potential jackpot. I almost felt sorry for one guy, because I had asked him how business was that day, and he said he sold a few dollar items and one larger item, but other than that, he told me people just weren't buying. Anything much these days. He said that it's been that way for months now.

I saw another vendor completely remove his stock of straight razors. And I can tell he's just looking at numbers and basing his gamble on increased customer traffic, for that particular item and that he doesn't know much about SRs. He too, isn't making much on other stuff. But he'd rather burrow away his razors like they are precious metals, or Mickey Mantles. Oh well. It's his prerogative. I'm of the mind that like the stock market, there's peaks and ceilings, dips and floors. "What goes up, must come down."
So as many wiser than I here, have said, in effect, it's all about patience.

That said, as per other posts here, you can find some good stuff if you look! I guess its just a case of not losing heart and not minding too much if you lose a bid. There does seem to be a bit of an interest in straight razors at the moment though... Wonder what started that off?

Maybe we're getting close to that ceiling. And hopefully a bounce is on the way?
Because, I can't foresee a 100 percent conversion rate to SRs, I think there'll always be stock. Fathers will continue passing down to sons, who will take it up......or sell it on Ebay. I think there will always be a percentage of guys who think/believe one or more of the following: 1) it's a bad shave 2) it leaves your face more nicked than cartridge shaving and 3) it's dangerous/crazy/potentially infectious with something other than RAD. (Hepatitis/HIV/AIDS)
Myth has the power to make fact in some men's minds.