Spyderco MSRP Increase for 2021?

[bearfacedkiller]

A Delica’s street price has almost doubled in price in five years. I get raises at work and I understand how inflation works. These price increases are outpacing inflation and that is most folks’ complaint.

I’ll still be a fanboy but I only bought a handful of knives last year and I suspect I will only buy a couple this year. I used to buy a lot more.

[James Y]

Yesterday, I ordered a Ladybug Hawkbill Salt, only my second Spyderco knife this year. And I decided to pull the trigger because, for its diminutive size, the Ladybug is already expensive, and if I was going to get one, I didn’t want it to be at the 2021 price.

My only other Spyderco this year was an Endela.

The only Spyderco I’m hoping to get in 2021 is an Ayoob sprint (the only sprint I’ve ever been interested in). And whether I do or not will depend on its availability, which steel is used, as well as the price tag ($200+ and I’ll probably give it a miss).

Jim

[SG89]

It's definitely not as fun as it used to be. I miss the ebay coupon days and pre-MAP days. I miss Sierra trading post and White mountain knives BOGO. I bought 200 spyderco knives in 5 years. Guess it's time to slow down. I don't get raises at my job. I'll always look forward to the Reveals tho

[JMM]

I heard a whisper that MAP is staying at 30% but there is a price increase coming, trying to get more specifics...

[Freediver]

I understand why there has to be price increases. Luckily it looks like the SFO is sold out of most everything or I would be making some impulse purchases right now before the increase.

[spoonrobot]

A Delica’s street price has almost doubled in price in five years. I get raises at work and I understand how inflation works. These price increases are outpacing inflation and that is most folks’ complaint.

I’ll still be a fanboy but I only bought a handful of knives last year and I suspect I will only buy a couple this year. I used to buy a lot more.

It's taken 15 years for the street price to come close to doubling, but we're not quite there yet. The first Delica I bought from Knifecenter in 2005 was $46.95:



The price in 2015 was around $69.95:



Street price today is $84.00

I don't disagree with your main point, many Spyderco models are outpacing inflation by a significant margin.

[ekastanis]

The first Delica I bought from Knifecenter in 2005 was $46.95:

The price in 2015 was around $69.95:

Street price today is $84.00

IIRC, 2017 was the first year of MAP (@ 60% of MSRP). That year the MSRP of C11PBK was 114.95, and MAP was 68.97.

[vivi]

I know the Manix XL, Yojimbo 2 and Para 2 launched at under $100, and now they're over $150.

[jtoler_9]

Will this be the year that bento becomes the only “discount” vendor? If not this year, they have to be very close. Maybe they were just thinking ahead of the curve.

[vivi]

Will this be the year that bento becomes the only “discount” vendor? If not this year, they have to be very close.

different retailers take different amounts of time to update prices. smaller shops take longer. some mom and pop stores still sell Military folders for $135-150, etc.

[spoonrobot]

2005-2015 was a heady time. There were more than a few table top dealers that would work with price quantity discounts. New models were coming fast and furious with all sorts of interesting shapes and steels and features. E4/D4 came out, the Manix came out and then got revamped, PM2 and then Para 3. We got to argue or complain about all the IBM Blue and then Foliage Green. It was wild. The last 5 years have been good too, it just doesn't feel quite the same. Probably I'm just getting old. This is me today as I look back through my receipts for all the cool knives I bought at what are now crazy low prices.

[TkoK83Spy]

I feel like this is a big reason why I pretty much only buy sprints and exclusives these days. Just knowing that a couple years ago I could get the exact same base model such and such knife for cheaper, makes them unappealing to me.

[sal]

Hi All,

We struggle with this every year. Especially with our overseas customers. We've had price increases across the board almost every yer. Some times we bite it and take the loss, bit we can only do that once in a while. We've had price increases coming that we question the survival of the model?

2020 was further complicated by a Pandemic, an election, a division among the populace that scares me. We have a hard time even talking to each other anymore. Business in America needs to adjust to the new world. I really feel for those that have closed or are closing. I'm afraid that 2021 will have additional challenges.

I don't want to get political, but I believe that Americans really need to look closely and our premises and come closer together. I also think that Governments cannot do that, the people must.

sal

[bearfacedkiller]

A Delica’s street price has almost doubled in price in five years. I get raises at work and I understand how inflation works. These price increases are outpacing inflation and that is most folks’ complaint.

I’ll still be a fanboy but I only bought a handful of knives last year and I suspect I will only buy a couple this year. I used to buy a lot more.

It's taken 15 years for the street price to come close to doubling, but we're not quite there yet. The first Delica I bought from Knifecenter in 2005 was $46.95:



The price in 2015 was around $69.95:



Street price today is $84.00

I don't disagree with your main point, many Spyderco models are outpacing inflation by a significant margin.

There was no map then. That might have been KC’s price but in 2015 you could buy a Delica from Knifeworks for $54 and a Para2 for $108. A Delica come Jan 1st will likely be over $90. While I exaggerated saying double that is still far outpacing the average persons raises/cost of living increases.

Anyway, I think we agree.

[bearfacedkiller]

Hi All,

We struggle with this every year. Especially with our overseas customers. We've had price increases across the board almost every yer. Some times we bite it and take the loss, bit we can only do that once in a while. We've had price increases coming that we question the survival of the model?

2020 was further complicated by a Pandemic, an election, a division among the populace that scares me. We have a hard time even talking to each other anymore. Business in America needs to adjust to the new world. I really feel for those that have closed or are closing. I'm afraid that 2021 will have additional challenges.

I don't want to get political, but I believe that Americans really need to look closely and our premises and come closer together. I also think that Governments cannot do that, the people must.

sal

Maybe it is only us, the people, that can fix this but I don’t think that it is us that is fanning the flames of division. It is politicians, pundits, the media and foreign actors. We need to stop listening to all that “noise” and listen to each other.

[sal]

Hi Darby,

We agree. Finding truth theses days is elusive. Easier here on this form. :D

sal

[Menipo]

If you Americans are worried about a 3-5% increase next January, you don't know what it is on the other side of the sea.

We have to add VAT at rates that vary in different countries but are in the range of 20%, plus customs duties (in an average range of 7-10%) and transportation and handling costs (in an approximate range of 5-10%). So on a base price raised next January by 3-5%, add all those percentages (that are calculated on the sales price in the USA) and figure out the final price that we have to pay for our Spydies.

I bought 6 Spydercos this year and I'll keep buying them next year, God willing. Standard production models because, thanks to the time difference, Sprint Runs are just a legend for many of us ...

That is why I have already said that we, the overseas clients, are Spyderco's most loyal customers. :D

[Big50]

@Sal,
Thank you for supporting, monitoring, and participating in discussion (throughout the years and throughout the community).
Thank you for supporting our troops and first responders.

@bearfacedkiller,
Very concisely stated.

Maybe it is only us, the people, that can fix this but I don’t think that it is us that is fanning the flames of division. It is politicians, pundits, the media and foreign actors. We need to stop listening to all that “noise” and listen to each other.

[prog_knife]

-snip-
If the other retailers died, as they surely would, then ebay and amazon control all delivery, and they are both profoundly anti-gun. Guns and knives overlap, so there is every reason to believe they would leverage that power "politically."

Very true. Amazon has already stopped most pocket knife sales in my state (Massachusetts), thanks thanks to an agreement with the AG (who has long prevented the sale of new Glock handguns, on the grounds that they have unsafe triggers). It's unbelievable that there are now sub-2.5 inch knives (legal to carry in every MA city) that I can't buy on Amazon. Although it seems that I can still buy ladybugs and some of the more task-specific Salt models.

I've got other issues with Amazon, but I'll just leave it at that.

When Italy was joining the EU/Eurozone monetary union (I forget which), their politicians were looking for a way to enforce austerity/economic discipline (depending on your perspective) on a populace that wouldn't countenance elected officials pushing it through themselves. The utility of the EU to those Italian politicians was as a "vincolo esterno" ("external shackle") to enforce unpopular stuff like pension cuts. So the elected officials could shrug and say to their constituents, "sorry, can't do anything about it; it's the guys in Brussels!" It sounds like Amazon is serving a similar function. You can put a de facto ban on certain items by pulling them from Amazon, especially if they put a lot of the small retailers out of business.

Anyway, this kind of thing is why you'll never catch me complaining about MAP!

[StuntZombie]

Honestly, the price increases don't bother me all that much. If I like a model enough, I'll find a way to foot the bill, whether it means saving up or selling off stuff I already have and don't use. As it is, my buying decisions are based on a need basis these days, so if I don't see it fulfilling a need for me, I likely won't buy it at any price.