Spyderco Forums

So we’re getting a yearly price increase, and MAP is going from 40% - 35% ???

Saw this post from national knives and was also shocked. I’m a loyal spyderco fan boy but things are starting to get out of reach now.

Please say it isn't so.

MAP lowered to 35% AND an overall price increase!? :confused:

I do not get it? What is the point of this? Amazon doesn't even follow MAP and it is supposedly there to level the playing field. This looks like a basic case of the rules only hurting the ones who follow them.

I am still sour about MAP being implemented in the first place and now this? I might be sticking to factory seconds and discontinued models soon.

i am travvy wrote:Saw this post from national knives and was also shocked. I’m a loyal spyderco fan boy but things are starting to get out of reach now.

yep

I've been buying fewer Spyderco knives since MAP enforcement of I think two years ago and now it'll be fewer still.

Here's the full Facebook post by National Knives, LLC an hour ago:

Stock up on your favorite Spyderco knives. Come January 1, 2018 there will not only be the yearly price increases, but also a new Minimum Advertised Price policy (MAP) that will go into effect. Currently MAP pricing is 40% below MSRP. Jan.1, that will be 35%. That's a 5% increase on top of the yearly prices increases!

bearfacedkiller wrote:I do not get it? What is the point of this? Amazon doesn't even follow MAP and it is supposedly there to level the playing field. This looks like a basic case of the rules only hurting the ones who follow them.

I am still sour about MAP being implemented in the first place and now this? I might be sticking to factory seconds and discontinued models soon.

Yup. I was excited about he new catalog and now I’m most likely passing on Spyderco offerings this year. Mandatory MAP was something I wasn’t happy about but understood from a business stand point. We have the ability to vote with our dollars and unfortunately it’s probably already known this won’t be received well.

I am a Spydie loyalist but with so many varieties and quality knives on the market this may be the end of blind loyalty for me. They may have found a point of negative return on this one.

Hmmm. Well, I suppose I will no longer be buying any more Spyderco knives, unless on sale.

Bummer, guess it's time to start showing our disapproval with our wallets, too bad but there are tons of other good makers out there, so much for brand loyalty, all hail the mighty dollar.

What I have seen in the past two years since MAP was implemented (with the exception of Amazon who is above the law) is basically price fixing. The pricing appears to be very rigid and set by the manufacturer. When Benchmade first implemented MAP you could call a vendor and ask for a lower price. I did this with Knifeworks because it said on their site to do so. Then Benchmade put the kibosh to that and told vendors to stick to MAP or else. That is price fixing in my eyes which I believe is technically illegal but apparently not enforced. I have not seen one Spyderco vendor off a lower price if you call them. I have only seen knives below MAP on Amazon or when on clearance.

You can call it MAP but that doesn't make it MAP. “You can put your boots in the oven, but that doesn't make them biscuits." Prices are fixed and steadily climbing.

Dealers gotta eat. In the end it will probably mean I can afford to buy fewer Spydies. On the other hand a more comfortable margin means dealers will continue to stay in business.

This will save me money. Not many planned for 2018 and now it will be less.

bearfacedkiller wrote:I am still sour about MAP being implemented in the first place and now this? I might be sticking to factory seconds and discontinued models soon.

I hate to say it, but I'm starting to feel the same way.

I'd still like to wait and see what prices are like after they're increased and the new MAP is implemented but this is still disappointing, none the less.

Can’t fault people trying to make a living.
It’s more perception to me. I find it hard to spend over $200 for a knife. This will likely put a few out of my range. I am patient and can wait until a sale comes up or something is discontinued. But I’m sure I will buy several each year.

welp, if that's the case, I guess that's the case. However, given that a lot of the 'pricier' models got discontinued this year, I'm not sure if I see the justification for both. I'm not privy to Spyderco's finances, so I can't say.

I'll still be buying.

bearfacedkiller wrote:What I have seen in the past two years since MAP was implemented (with the exception of Amazon who is above the law) is basically price fixing. The pricing appears to be very rigid and set by the manufacturer. When Benchmade first implemented MAP you could call a vendor and ask for a lower price. I did this with Knifeworks because it said on their site to do so. Then Benchmade put the kibosh to that and told vendors to stick to MAP or else. That is price fixing in my eyes which I believe is technically illegal but apparently not enforced. I have not seen one Spyderco vendor off a lower price if you call them. I have only seen knives below MAP on Amazon or when on clearance.

You can call it MAP but that doesn't make it MAP. “You can put your boots in the oven, but that doesn't make them biscuits." Prices are fixed and steadily climbing.

I agree. I have not found a dealer that will give me more than a couple bucks off a Spyderco. I can still get a hefty 20% off ZT's MAP from multiple dealers.

Really hoping someone from Spyderco chimes in and lets us know that this is incorrect.

So in another year or so, it might be cheaper to shop at the factory outlet store. Unless of course they also reduce their in store discount.

Might have to hold off on buying Spyderco for a while. Jeez.