Thread: Are there deals in the future?

I just got a great Sheffield blade, it might even have ivory scales, for less than 30USD. It was not on ebuy...

Wow what a thread. From my point of view, I think prices of vintage blades are being driven up by a warming market - as demand increases so do prices as the perceived value increases, regardless of any 'real' value a rzor may have - after all, any product is only ever worth what people are willing to pay for it.

A few years back straights in half-decent order could be had on eBay for as little as £3 - £5. Now it's more like £20+ for anything that's not basically scrap. As straights become more popular (and there is every reason to expect them to so do) then second-hand values will continue to rise - it's the same whatever market you're looking at.

From a vendor's point of view this means that resale prices must increase in order to maintain profits - after all, vendors who truly warrant that title have bills to pay too! Our ethos has always been to 'refurbish' (as opposed to 'restore') straights to a usable condition at an affordable price (and yes we do restore as well but let's park that for the sake of this thread).

I can state quite frankly that the work done on any razor featured on our vintage site is usually out of proportion with the price - IF you allow a reasonable hourly rate to be charged. Sure we make money on what we sell - the term for those that don't is normally 'bankrupt'! - but the whole idea is to make SR shaving affordable at a grass roots level. This is sadly becoming more difficult as the market heats up but we do our best.

There are two main classes of buyers that I identify from their emails and queries - those who have 'green' leanings - and those are growing apace - and those who like the more macho aspects of SR shaving. One thing does stand out though - the majority of them are YOUNG guys under 30-odd, though I did send a piece to a 74-year-old newbie recently!

I agree with Lynn - this forum is about promoting the use and popularity of wet shaving generally and I for one applaud the fact that it sees fit to let anyone have a say with no obvious backroom agenda.

I'm sure some of the people here have a time machine in their back yard that they are not willing to share with others.

As for what's fashionable, I have seen many hip younger people wearing cheap imitation fedoras. So maybe old hats will take the money that these hip young people would have spent on razors.

Since the OP started this string several weeks in the past, I guess anything that happens since then qualifes as "the future". After striking out at an auction and yard sales on Saturday and flea markets on Sunday I saw an auction listed on the internet for today that was about 45 miles from my house. There was a photo of two razors and some coffins with the listing and I thought I would take a chance on what might be in those two old looking coffins.



When I got there I was happy to find several nice old razors tucked inside. In the single coffin was was a W. Greaves and Sons with some sexy curves and a nice thumb notch from between 1816-26. In the triple coffin was an older brother to the first, just marked W. Greaves and below that Acier Fond (not fondu) which dates between 1780 and 1816. The other razor is a Joseph Elliot probably made before the Civil War. It has seven silver inlays but, unfortunately, the scale on that side is broken at the pivot pin. And, did I get a good deal in the future? Seven bucks for all three. I also picked up the other two straight razors, but passed on the Durham Duplex. That one sold for a dollar. Happy hunting.

Regards - Walt