Mystery Box

[Frozenspyder]

Just opened my $250 mystery box. I don't care what they're worth, but I'm happy with what I got. Titanium Cara Cara 2, GITD zome Endura 4, forest green 204p Para 3, and a smooth G10 Cru-Wear Manix 2 XL. I feel like Christmas came early this year.

[aimark42]

$250 Seconds Mystery box

* (2) Sharpening Stones
* Stretch 2XL Lightweight, Black FRN, VG10
* Endura Zome Green FRN, VG10
* Paramilitary 2, Brown G-10, CPM-15V

I'm pretty pleased about the PM2 15V.

[apollo]

We're lucky all the way to the bank, fellas.

Here in the UK buying a knife has become, well, internationally no way - with knife "laws" and seizures but even buying from shops locally - where, let's face it, you're getting your pants pulled down with the price rather like Ned Beatty in Deliverance.

One thing it does do, to try to find a positive, is make you **** sure you want a knife before going through the circus and insult of getting it to your home.

I'd say in a couple of years, or less, here in the UK we'll have no chance of getting a knife in the post, rather like a gun... so get what you fancy now, while you can.

Mark

I feel for you. I hope it does not come that far.
But my i ask do you even have the idea those laws even have an effect in your country besides just harrasing the collectors like yourself?

I wonder because if i am honest here in Belgium every time something happens with any kind of knife its 99% of the time the usual kitchen knife that is used.
Never a folder let alone something expensive.

[WilliamMunny]

Just opened my $250 mystery box. I don't care what they're worth, but I'm happy with what I got. Titanium Cara Cara 2, GITD zome Endura 4, forest green 204p Para 3, and a smooth G10 Cru-Wear Manix 2 XL. I feel like Christmas came early this year.

Congratulations, that is a pretty solid box. I have to wait a few more days for mine but that's part of the fun.

[Roefisher]

We're lucky all the way to the bank, fellas.

Here in the UK buying a knife has become, well, internationally no way - with knife "laws" and seizures but even buying from shops locally - where, let's face it, you're getting your pants pulled down with the price rather like Ned Beatty in Deliverance.

One thing it does do, to try to find a positive, is make you **** sure you want a knife before going through the circus and insult of getting it to your home.

I'd say in a couple of years, or less, here in the UK we'll have no chance of getting a knife in the post, rather like a gun... so get what you fancy now, while you can.

Mark

I feel for you. I hope it does not come that far.
But my i ask do you even have the idea those laws even have an effect in your country besides just harrasing the collectors like yourself?

I wonder because if i am honest here in Belgium every time something happens with any kind of knife its 99% of the time the usual kitchen knife that is used.
Never a folder let alone something expensive.

Everyone's tarred with the same brush, as far as I can see recently. There was even an official comment on social media the other day about seized knives where they had the gall, if even legally?, to show a stock photograph of a Spyderco knife - rather than anything they had actually seized.

I'm not sure what knives are used in crimes recently although history would tell us it is indeed usually kitchen "chef's" knives.

Main thing is, as far as I can see, it's a grim time in the UK, both for prices and borderline comical laws.

I'm trying really hard to build my collection (of Spyderco knives, for what that's worth) now before it becomes impossible. Some might call it going over-the-top, but time will tell and I fear the worst.

Mark

[DSH007]

I'm a pretty empathetic guy, but I can't muster the tiniest fraction of an ounce of sympathy for people complaining about these MYSTERY (hello!!!??? ) boxes on the internet. I get the desire to gamble and couldn't care less how other people spend their money.. cool if it pays off for someone and they get a model they want or perceive to be more valuable.. what my brain just can't rationalize is the negative commentary (mostly on other social media, much less so here) directed at Spyderco because people simply don't like the knives they're receiving.. how can they really be upset with anyone but themselves*?

*rhetorical question - i don't actually care to learn what manner of entitled thinking leads to people bashing Spyderco online for sending them heavily discounted knives in a MYSTERY box they agreed to pay for..

Hahah well..

If I'm being honest, there's certainly an entertainment factor to some of it! Took about 30 seconds this morning to read a few mystery box argument posts on the instagram and I won't lie, I had a chuckle or two before realizing that I had better things to do with my day hahah.

[Kaparaman]

I just recieved my $400 box and I'm very happy with it.

PM2CUPBK2 $125 pm2 REX 45 with copper scales, black blade and hardware. Wow this thing is heavy!

C253GP $90 Yojumbo S30V black G10 looks like the only thing wrong with it is a rockwell testing dimple

C127GPIVD $161 Urban Bjorkmans Twist Damascus blade and ivory scale I have no idea why this is a 2nd I can't find anything wrong with it. I guess the Spyderfolks have better eyes than I do.

Bone River fixed blade $20 Already in the kitchen knife block. Will make a handy utility knife for food prep.

Baliyo pen I've always wanted one of these. Have no idea why I never bought one, but here it is

My thanks to who ever packed my mystery box. Merry Chistmas to you and yours

[Napsterninja]

Red Black Factory Seconds Sale 2023 are in. I'm happy with the boxes. Some out of my normal buys. Probably get rid of or trade the Rec PM2 and lil native since those are duplicates in the collection. Thanks Spyderco!

$400 Mystery Box value $391
-PM2 CTS 204P $119.00
-Delica 4 wharncliff $58.00
-Endura 4 Dlc M4 $84.00
-Itamae Nakiri Superblue/SUS 410 $130.00

$250 Mystery Box value $248 + sharpening stone
-Mule K294 $75.00
-PM2 S90V $110.00
-Lil Native S30V Spydie edge $63.00
-Sharpening Stone white/brown

4 stickers

[ninemm]

$250 Mystery Box received and thoughts…can’t say that I’m thrilled but that comes with some of my own perceptions.

1. I assumed on my own that the value of the box would be greater than the $250 paid to compensate for the risk of not knowing what you were getting.

2. Someone elsewhere stated Mystery Boxes might be best for people new to Spyderco who don’t already have a bunch in their collection. I agree strongly with this.

My box was the same as a poster above.

S90V Para 2
Combo Edge S30V Lil Native
Mule in K294
Stickers and sharpening stone
Value = $248

For me having several PM2s already and a Lil Native in 20CV my thought process was oh great another PM2 and a Lil Native in a blade edge I don’t love. And an unusable fixed blade (until handles and sheath are applied).

For someone new to the hobby they would think Wow one of Spydercos best knives in a super steel, a cool Lil Native I’ve heard about but not handled, and an interesting weird fixed blade.

Just a matter of perspective. I’m pretty disappointed but I’ll survive after all it’s just a hobby. As far as constructive feedback I’d say it would be great if Spyderco could or would list the anticipated value of the knives included. “This box will contain at minimum $250 worth of seconds knives and at maximum $300”. I’ve seen some boxes which are excellent and some like mine that seem pretty lackluster.

For additional reference we got a second $250 box in my household and it had:
S30V Military 2
S30V Para3 LW
S35VN Resilience
S30V UKPK Slipit
Stickers and stones
Value = $240

Less value than mine but at least 4 knives and unique ish models. Don’t know what I expected here and there’s always FOMO seeing what others got but I don’t believe I’ll be doing another mystery box anytime soon. But the new online platform for seconds seems great! Looking forward to grabbing specific models whenever another sale comes around.

[LeDe]

I know some here will disagree but I really believe that one should be compensated for a) the risk of getting something you dont want and b) giving Spyderco the opportunity to offload some knives that dont sell as well.
Maybe it is even ok that some box end up being sub-$250 but then that should increase further the average price above the $250 mark.
Basically the bigger the lottery, the bigger the rewards. And the rules should be clearly stated.

I am sincerely not trying to upset anyone. I know Spyderco does a lot of the right things. Starting by organizing those seconds sale, then listening to feedback about the previous sales and organizing a smoother operation this time.
I dont think this will be any different, they'll see the feedbacks here and clarify the rules.

I am also sure that some people go overboard in the complaining department (mostly on other mediums). That is part of the internet life and one of the reason I am really selective about where I spend my time. I like it here.

Best,

[TABA68]

My two mystery boxes are veeeery mystery. I am from Europe, and according to shipping number I received, they are out of delivery in poste office in LOS Angeles. I have paid 60 USD for priority international shipping and really not very mystery happy :-))). I wrote email to spyderco and to spyderco special event. Waiting for answer ...

[Coastal]

What I've read so far confirms my decision not to gamble on a mystery box.

On the other hand, the mystery box sale served as an effective proof-of-concept for the hosting server that simply selling individual knives in a seconds sale would not have. Because my impression from many of the above comments is that these knives wouldn't have generated enough traffic to stress the system, and little would have been learned.

[ramblinwreck]

My $400 box has four knives that don’t even add up $250. Not one “premium” knife.

https://postimg.cc/RJVsb3xt

[MacLaren]

Mystery boxes have always been a way to clear out unwanted inventory. It’s only a select few that get better items. Tons of companies do this. I do think it was great for them to do this. I still rather spend $400 on ones I want.

Although I've never bought a Mystery Grab Bag from Busse, I do like the way Jerry does it.
Anytime Jerry has Mystery Grab Bags, you ALWAYS get more than what you pay for.
For instance, he will do a $500 Mystery Grab Bag for $450 - and your exactly right. It's just a great way for them to clear out some inventory- but man, I have saw some people really freakin score on those Busse Mystery Grab Bags

[MacLaren]

Just opened my $250 mystery box. I don't care what they're worth, but I'm happy with what I got. Titanium Cara Cara 2, GITD zome Endura 4, forest green 204p Para 3, and a smooth G10 Cru-Wear Manix 2 XL. I feel like Christmas came early this year.

Wow. 204p? You did great!
I don't think I've seen 204p used in years!
It's my favorite pocket knife steel along with its family members m390 and 20cv
Congrats!

[Ramonade]

Mystery boxes have always been a way to clear out unwanted inventory. It’s only a select few that get better items. Tons of companies do this. I do think it was great for them to do this. I still rather spend $400 on ones I want.

Although I've never bought a Mystery Grab Bag from Busse, I do like the way Jerry does it.
Anytime Jerry has Mystery Grab Bags, you ALWAYS get more than what you pay for.
For instance, he will do a $500 Mystery Grab Bag for $450 - and your exactly right. It's just a great way for them to clear out some inventory- but man, I have saw some people really freakin score on those Busse Mystery Grab Bags

That's a good way to do it. I thought all boxes items would've more total value than their price since this is usually the main appeal to buy such things. People usually buy mystery boxes because of their added value, and too bad if the items are not exactly what they were hoping for.

_____________________

Since I'm in europe, shipping and taxes would add too much for me to take the risk of getting stuff I don't want for a not-as-good price. A couple of fellow europeans bought 400$ boxes, I'll ask them how much it cost them total and what they got from it. Maybe it can still be ok for me to try next time, but I doubt it is worth it.

[WilliamMunny]

I know some here will disagree but I really believe that one should be compensated for a) the risk of getting something you dont want and b) giving Spyderco the opportunity to offload some knives that dont sell as well.
Maybe it is even ok that some box end up being sub-$250 but then that should increase further the average price above the $250 mark.
Basically the bigger the lottery, the bigger the rewards. And the rules should be clearly stated.

I am sincerely not trying to upset anyone. I know Spyderco does a lot of the right things. Starting by organizing those seconds sale, then listening to feedback about the previous sales and organizing a smoother operation this time.
I dont think this will be any different, they'll see the feedbacks here and clarify the rules.

I am also sure that some people go overboard in the complaining department (mostly on other mediums). That is part of the internet life and one of the reason I am really selective about where I spend my time. I like it here.

Best,

In a level playing field I totally agree with you. Being able to pick your own $250 in knives has a lot more value than getting $250 in random knives you might or might not want. They probably should give you $400 in random knives for $250.

The problem is that it is not a level playing field. If you travel, wait in line for hours even days you get your pick of $250 worth of knives. If you are not willing to travel and do not want to wait in line then you get $250 in random knives for your $250 while you are warm in the comfort of you home hundreds of miles away.

Would I like more knives for my money sure but as of right now people are stepping on each other for the chance to buy these. Maybe in the future demand will be lower and Spyderco may up the value of knives in the box but who knows.


The only issue I could see is the MAP holidays. I could be totally off but the good sales (50%+) off can get fairly close to the price of a second where only $30-$40 more might get you a brand new one with warranty.

[LeDe]

I know some here will disagree but I really believe that one should be compensated for a) the risk of getting something you dont want and b) giving Spyderco the opportunity to offload some knives that dont sell as well.
Maybe it is even ok that some box end up being sub-$250 but then that should increase further the average price above the $250 mark.
Basically the bigger the lottery, the bigger the rewards. And the rules should be clearly stated.

I am sincerely not trying to upset anyone. I know Spyderco does a lot of the right things. Starting by organizing those seconds sale, then listening to feedback about the previous sales and organizing a smoother operation this time.
I dont think this will be any different, they'll see the feedbacks here and clarify the rules.

I am also sure that some people go overboard in the complaining department (mostly on other mediums). That is part of the internet life and one of the reason I am really selective about where I spend my time. I like it here.

Best,

In a level playing field I totally agree with you. Being able to pick your own $250 in knives has a lot more value than getting $250 in random knives you might or might not want. They probably should give you $400 in random knives for $250.

The problem is that it is not a level playing field. If you travel, wait in line for hours even days you get your pick of $250 worth of knives. If you are not willing to travel and do not want to wait in line then you get $250 in random knives for your $250 while you are warm in the comfort of you home hundreds of miles away.

Would I like more knives for my money sure but as of right now people are stepping on each other for the chance to buy these. Maybe in the future demand will be lower and Spyderco may up the value of knives in the box but who knows.


The only issue I could see is the MAP holidays. I could be totally off but the good sales (50%+) off can get fairly close to the price of a second where only $30-$40 more might get you a brand new one with warranty.

Hello,

I respectfully disagree.

For the $250 boxes, there could be debate, though I think the contents value should definititely at least match the price of the box (and a bit more) excluding stickers and the likes.

For the $400, I remember reading about a premium knife which everyone understood as a top of the range Taichung or an exclusive/sprint in an expensive steel. It seems those expectations were not met.

What I am saying is, the rules should be clarified. If Spyderco went for something like:
- Everybody gets a $250 box containing roughly $250 of knives, so that they can clear their inventories.
- But for those who wants to pay $500 for that, they would enter a draw. A few lucky ones get a trio of Taichung like a Paysan, a Stovepipe and a Drunken and a dinner with Sal.
Most people lose out, a few get very lucky and a lot of people start saving cash to enter the next draw.

Now for the part around people not willing to travel, I sincerely cant believe that Spyderco thinking is :"Let's send the knives our real customers did not want at the factory sales, to those who cant be bothered to travel"

The previous online sale was not the smoothest, but there was a lot of knives to be chosen from without trying your luck with the boxes.

Again, not trying to upset anyone, and I can see some people happy about their boxes. It surely can be an exciting way to get knives. i think it is just a matter of Spyderco calibrating expectations.

Best,

[Kaparaman]

My $400 box has four knives that don’t even add up $250. Not one “premium” knife.

https://postimg.cc/RJVsb3xt

If that's what you got in a $400 box you should call spyderco. Theyll probably make it right.

[Dnwrghtsr]

I did pay to go to the sale. I did get up at 3:30 stood in line I was 104th in line. But I got an exclusive blue Spydiechef, an elmax Fraden Lock pm3, and a pm2 s30v tanto. $381. I thought it was worth it.