Yeap.Sequimite wrote:Churning knives is the only way I can afford to buy the Spydies I want.
Buy Sprints, then Flip Them at a Profit?
I won't flip. Because I'm lazy.
Some of you guys are too funny. A dirty business? You mean like manufacturing and selling knives? Money changing hands! Profits! The horror!
The flippers are providing a service. Spyderco gets cash with which to build more knives. People who missed a sprint can get one for much longer. They both win. The guy who invests the money may or may not win. That's called risk. To whine when someone else takes a risk and wins is to be a poor sport, at best.
The transaction is voluntary on all sides. Can't get more fair than that. Next thing, some of you will want the government to take over the knife industry, control prices, and force people to buy lousy knives that they don't want.
Gordon
Some of you guys are too funny. A dirty business? You mean like manufacturing and selling knives? Money changing hands! Profits! The horror!
The flippers are providing a service. Spyderco gets cash with which to build more knives. People who missed a sprint can get one for much longer. They both win. The guy who invests the money may or may not win. That's called risk. To whine when someone else takes a risk and wins is to be a poor sport, at best.
The transaction is voluntary on all sides. Can't get more fair than that. Next thing, some of you will want the government to take over the knife industry, control prices, and force people to buy lousy knives that they don't want.
Gordon
JNewell wrote:Agree. Reminds me of a dealer that raised the price of a sprint above the prevailing street price (but still below MSRP) a few years ago. The dealer was widely vilified here and elsewhere. Never made sense to me.
Exactly. I passed on the m390 smurf because 1. Didnt like price and 2. Did not like the color. I have seen these sell for more on ebay and yet they are still available at original market price. Some people have money and no time to search where the knives are sold and pay whatever for them. If you care about knives and where to get them, well then you are here reading this. You will get the "good" price. I would never spend 300 on the mili sprint I just bought but was happy to pay 220. We can all go around on this or we can agree to disagree
The flippers aren't providing a service, they are filling their pockets. It's legal, so be it.gaj999 wrote:I won't flip. Because I'm lazy.
Some of you guys are too funny. A dirty business? You mean like manufacturing and selling knives? Money changing hands! Profits! The horror!
The flippers are providing a service. Spyderco gets cash with which to build more knives. People who missed a sprint can get one for much longer. They both win. The guy who invests the money may or may not win. That's called risk. To whine when someone else takes a risk and wins is to be a poor sport, at best.
The transaction is voluntary on all sides. Can't get more fair than that. Next thing, some of you will want the government to take over the knife industry, control prices, and force people to buy lousy knives that they don't want.
Gordon
The point is that people take advantage of a situation. It may be legal and the way that
things are, but that doesn't mean that everyone has to like it. Many of us don't like it and
have stated as such.
What if you were driving late at night with your wife and small child and broke down in a
bad part of town or on a long stretch of highway with nothing in site. Along comes a tow
truck that would normally charge $100 for a tow. However, he realizes the situation and
says that he will tow you for $500 or even $1000. Maybe it's in the middle of a snow storm
and your car doesn't start and and your small child is cold.
This scenerio might be a stretch, but it's the same type of situation. It's a voluntary situation
so you could just send Mr. Tow truck on his way, can't get more fair than that.
Dude that is ridiculous. A broken down car and a cold child? That seems a reasonable comparison to my need to own every color handle Para 2? WOW. Only in America. Talk about entitlement. I don't like the flippers because they are taking advantage of my "need" to own more than 1 Spyderco knife.BAL wrote:The flippers aren't providing a service, they are filling their pockets.
What if you were driving late at night with your wife and small child and broke down in a
bad part of town or on a long stretch of highway with nothing in site. Along comes a tow
truck that would normally charge $100 for a tow. However, he realizes the situation and
says that he will tow you for $500 or even $1000. Maybe it's in the middle of a snow storm
and your car doesn't start and and your small child is cold.
I don't think flipping is cool. I have purchased and sold many Spydies personally and usually always recoup my investment even when used. I like to try stuff. If the knife doesn't fit me or I need the money I usually sell them.
I understand why people buy several sprints and turn them for a profit , but that isn't the reason sprints are released. I would like to have had several knives that have re released as sprints, but sometimes finances/timing dosen't allow for it.
I understand why people buy several sprints and turn them for a profit , but that isn't the reason sprints are released. I would like to have had several knives that have re released as sprints, but sometimes finances/timing dosen't allow for it.
V8R
Opinions are like belly buttons most people have one:p
Opinions are like belly buttons most people have one:p
If you feel that kind of desperate need for a particular knife, akin to the welfare of your family, you might want to join a 12 step group and stay away from knives. For goodness sake, it's a hobby.BAL wrote:What if you were driving late at night with your wife and small child and broke down in a
bad part of town or on a long stretch of highway with nothing in site. Along comes a tow
truck that would normally charge $100 for a tow. However, he realizes the situation and
says that he will tow you for $500 or even $1000. Maybe it's in the middle of a snow storm
and your car doesn't start and and your small child is cold.
This scenerio might be a stretch, but it's the same type of situation. It's a voluntary situation
so you could just send Mr. Tow truck on his way, can't get more fair than that.
Our reason is quite satisfied, in 999 cases out of every 1000 of us, if we can find a few arguments that will do to recite in case our credulity is criticized by someone else. Our faith is faith in someone else's faith, and in the greatest matters this is most the case.
- William James, from The Will to Believe, a guest lecture at Yale University in 1897
- William James, from The Will to Believe, a guest lecture at Yale University in 1897
-
MachSchnell
- Member
- Posts: 617
- Joined: Sun Feb 13, 2011 11:52 am
I kinda think that eBay shouldn't deal in weaponry like knives, but they make such a huge gain on the sale of blades. I sold my used Lone Wolf T2 Ranger that I wasn't using not too long ago and the bidding hit $250+ and my eBay fees were almost $30 and then you get hit by PayPal fees; this is the leading factor of why these knives go for such a premium on eBay, the rigmarole required to try and reap a rewarding profit is ridiculous. The sellers who only sell on eBay cannot be making that much profit, they are mostly greasing eBay's pockets. But why don't the the sellers buy a bladeforums membership and sell there with only the PayPal fees to deal with, and have lower prices for customers while not taking a hit on profits.
Not to mention if eBay didn't allow the sale of blades the counterfeit market would most likely be crippled.
Not to mention if eBay didn't allow the sale of blades the counterfeit market would most likely be crippled.
Agree, the two scenarios asre very different, one is a want and one is a need. No one needs the next hot sprint run, they want them. The want is why I don't really have an issue with flippers. If society and people could reconcile the distinction between want and need we wouldn't have seen and be seeing the economic turmoil over the last few years.jeffc wrote:Amen brother
These are what I call "First World Problems" when you are worried about food on the table or a roof over your head none of this matters.
Time to step down from the soap box for me.
I resemble this thought.Evil D wrote:Hey now, i did say i hypothetically kept one copy for myself, that counts right?
I bought 2 Bushcraft 2nds and 2 Swick2's when they came out. I wound up selling the unused duplicates but for only what I paid. I forget if I added shipping or not.
Buying sprint runs for the sole reason of making a profit defeats the spirit of a sprint run. There is nothing I find abhorrent about getting some pre need replacements if they're going to be used hard.
If the only motive is pure profit I would find it distasteful and kind of rude..........
Charlie
" Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler."
[CENTER]"Integrity is being good even if no one is watching"[/CENTER]
" Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler."
[CENTER]"Integrity is being good even if no one is watching"[/CENTER]
Oh, yeah, sure, blame the victim. People need to have authorities and laws that look out for them so they don't have to be responsible for their own actions. In the good old days, the Soviet Union and Red China knew this and took care of things the right way.Donut wrote:If buyers were not willing to spend more than the original going price for sprints, then we would not have inflated secondary market pricing.
...NOT!!! :rolleyes:
Lol, victim? No one locked them in a cell while pre-orders were up. If people don't have time to find pre-orders which takes minimal effort, then pay the premium or wait till you find a good deal on one. 204p Para 2s sold out in a week. That's not really a short period of time. Check once a week for new knives, get what you want. Don't, don't. If it's that important to people to get a knife, they can find the time. I've never flipped a knife and had someone come crying to me about how upset they are the missed pre-orders.
If you really want to get pissed, try collecting TAD edition knives. They usually get 12 or less at a time and you compete against hundreds of people to buy them in the MAYBE 20 seconds they are available. $1000 knives get released at 10:00 and are gone by 10:00:15. Then next time you see one for sale, if ever, they're going for $2, 3 or 4000.
I know most people don't like it, but victim? C'mon. Supply and demand, simple as that. Why should knife collecting be any different from anything else. Rare things are worth more. It's part of what makes them desirable and collectible.
If you really want to get pissed, try collecting TAD edition knives. They usually get 12 or less at a time and you compete against hundreds of people to buy them in the MAYBE 20 seconds they are available. $1000 knives get released at 10:00 and are gone by 10:00:15. Then next time you see one for sale, if ever, they're going for $2, 3 or 4000.
I know most people don't like it, but victim? C'mon. Supply and demand, simple as that. Why should knife collecting be any different from anything else. Rare things are worth more. It's part of what makes them desirable and collectible.
People can flip because others will buy them, I don't need or want ANY knife that bad, and if you all do the same there wouldn't be any flippers.
But if you take the emotional element out of it (same goes for the spyderhole argument), it's no different than what you do everyday. It's the base of capitalism and it's how your 401k goes up, and certainly no one is pissed about that.
I have sold one or two for more than what I paid, but that's because I wanted to get rid of them, same as when I sold stuff for less than what I paid.
But if you take the emotional element out of it (same goes for the spyderhole argument), it's no different than what you do everyday. It's the base of capitalism and it's how your 401k goes up, and certainly no one is pissed about that.
I have sold one or two for more than what I paid, but that's because I wanted to get rid of them, same as when I sold stuff for less than what I paid.
If the value of the knife goes down, as some have, he LOSES MONEY. At the same time, Spyderco inventory is reduced and they have the cash to spend on other things. Like new knives. If you don't think that cash flow is important, you better keep working for someone who does.BAL wrote:The flippers aren't providing a service, they are filling their pockets. It's legal, so be it.
The point is that people take advantage of a situation. It may be legal and the way that
things are, but that doesn't mean that everyone has to like it. Many of us don't like it and
have stated as such.
I can't believe that there are so many people in this country, of all countries, that are so clueless about how capitalism really works. Our school system is doing an abysmal job of educating future voters. And it shows. I'll give you another example. When the last big hurricane hit Florida, there was a big hue and cry about gouging. Stupid. If I'm one of those poor slobs down in Florida who's desperate for a generator, I WANT some guy three states north to fill his pickup with generators and drive all night so that he can sell me what I so desperately need. All anti-gouging laws do is ensure that I'll be waiting three months for FEMA to come help me. The government can only ensure equality by making everyone poor. And they're eager to do so. Ignorant voters give them the green light. Hmmm, who's in charge of education? Could this possibly be a coincidence?
Gordon