Thread: Are there deals in the future?

I have been hitting the antique shops again and hearing the same thing, young adults asking about straight razors... Ebay prices are all kinds of jacked up... Antique shops putting stupid prices on garbage and being completely picked over.

So... When the hipsters find something else to make them cool will we see a flood of razors to the market or do you suspect they will all be completely destroyed and tossed out by then?

They never seem to dry up on ebay after years of watching it. I keep seeing various members posting great stuff they are finding in antique shops. A few weeks ago a member found a yellow/green Escher for $22.00. ..... on sale no less.

Do you really think it's non shaving enthusiasts buying them? I don't think so personally. The ones I've seen or bought haven't been in good shape or with interesting scales even. Usually they're tucked away behind the counter too and the owners seemed relieved and willing to bargain with me on prices.

Originally Posted by RobertH

Do you really think it's non shaving enthusiasts buying them? I don't think so personally. The ones I've seen or bought haven't been in good shape or with interesting scales even. Usually they're tucked away behind the counter too and the owners seemed relieved and willing to bargain with me on prices.

Around here they are apparently an extremely hot item. One shop I frequent on a fairly regular basis always has someone going through the jar when I am there... The other stores I have checked out have some I would pay $10 for but they are marked $100 unless they are rusty or chipped. If that is the case they are $50. I saw an empty W&B box at one for $60(the tag said empty box but I checked anyway).

I see the pictures people post of their scores and it just makes me wonder where the heck they live.

How the heck am I supposed to develop RAD to the levels of you guys with this kind of market! :P

Originally Posted by DustinW

Around here they are apparently an extremely hot item. One shop I frequent on a fairly regular basis always has someone going through the jar when I am there...

His name is ChrisL. Introduce yourself the next time you see him and tell him Jimmy said hello.

Originally Posted by DustinW

You are a good 10-15 years out of date. Today green, old, vintage, ect are the things to be into. Straight razors, converse high tops, fidoras, ect are the things to have.

I'd picture that kind of stuff to be more popular in Uptown?

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

His name is ChrisL. Introduce yourself the next time you see him and tell him Jimmy said hello.

Ha! Actually, as crazy as it sounds, I've never yet gone to an antique store in Mpls St. Paul area proper. I hit most of the other parts of the state since I travel for business fairly frequently. I spot shops on the way to appointments and you can bet I stop at them on the way home!


Either way, it does take work to collect straight razors, nice ones. To really build am impressive collection with high quality excellent condition razors, it's almost like a part time job. You either pay with money, time or both. I know someone personally who is a pro, a true pro at keeping his ear to the ground on spending a lot of time on Ebay, local sales, estate, etc. He has the luxury of being able to devote a ton of time toward looking and he scores great deals because of it.


Chris L

Originally Posted by ChrisL

Either way, it does take work to collect straight razors, nice ones. To really build am impressive collection with high quality excellent condition razors, it's almost like a part time job. You either pay with money, time or both. I know someone personally who is a pro, a true pro at keeping his ear to the ground on spending a lot of time on Ebay, local sales, estate, etc. He has the luxury of being able to devote a ton of time toward looking and he scores great deals because of it.

Let me put it this way: I have been looking for a excellent/mint Puma 89 with black scales and rubber tang protection for some time. Over two years to be precise. My reasons are purely irrational, mind you: I do not expect super shaves from it, nor is it even my preferred size. It has simply not happened yet. There was one on eBay some time ago, but I had set a limit to 200, and even that would have been vastly overpriced compared to what else is available from vendors (yes, NOS including warranty and all that).

I believe the number of good deals will dwindle, and shortly. What annoys me most is beginners hoarding razors and "restoring" them with lacking skills, sub part equipment, and bad taste. The number of shoddily "polished" razors with bad honing and wooden scales in the market is amazing, and the more people do that to make a quick buck, the less good razors will be available to people truly into straight razors (let alone collecting them) in 5 to 10 years's time. Bit of a shame, if you ask me.

Regards,
Robin

Originally Posted by ChrisL

To really build am impressive collection with high quality excellent condition razors, it's almost like a part time job. You either pay with money, time or both.

I totally agree.

To the OP, you have seen how difficult it is to find good razors in antique shops and how vigilant you have to be on ebay. Factor these in, plus the time and skill it takes to do a proper restore and honing, then you would realize how many razors offered in the classifieds are really good bargains. The past few days alone, I watched a Traveller restored and rescaled 7/8 humpback drop in price from $200 to $135, and couldn't believe no one was buying it at that price. That razor has at least $100 worth of work in it, from one of the best in the business. With shipping, that would be like paying $20 for the blade. No way you could do that on ebay.

Basically, what I am trying to say is that unless you already have the buffing wheels, rouges and skill to use them (not to mention many ebay or antique store blades will need regrinds), or you intend to shave with a tarnished unrestored blade, you need to factor these things in to the cost of these flea market bargains.

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.

Rather than go to antique stores in the metro that are going to be overpriced, grab one of the free antique gazettes and figure out when you can go to some of the larger shows; hundreds of antique dealers in one place. The biggest, that I've never been to is near Rochester at the Olmstead Cty fairgrounds? That's already happened this year, but go next year. Grand Rapids is supposed to have a big one, etc.

Just be prepared to see a ton of worthless crap and look for a few diamonds in the rough and start to bargain.

Chris L