Spyderco Forums

Where is the best place to find unusual and out of production model Spydercos?

Are knife shows good places to look but not buy? Or are the prices there comparable to what you can find shopping the web?

Thanks for all the help!

I've managed to pick up a few discontinued Spydies at a local pawn shop, the rest I've purchased on eBay or forums. Our local gun/knife/coin/antique/crap show folded years ago, and the price of gas has prevented me from travelling to any others for several years. I do recall some garage sale prices and some highway robbery prices from past shows. You have to be careful buying at shows, because at the end of the day, the seller folds up his tent and slips away, leaving you little or no recourse.

I had some good luck on knife shows. Some vendors are asking absolutely outrageous prices, some are very reasonable.
Still, I consider e-bay and forums are better sources, they are available 365 days every year (except leap year, than 366 :D :) ).
Sometimes local store can surprise you as well.

I would say from hearing stories on this and other forums that the knife shows in the US seem to be great places where you can find good sale or trade bargains. Pity we don't really have those here in Oz.

However as Roman says, eBay is also a good resource and if you are lucky enough you might be able to get a bargain or two. However in a lot of cases the much sought after disco models get spiked by demand and you can end up paying a bit too much if you don't curb your enthusiasm (don't ask :D :p )

Right now?

EBay all the way. Prices are way down this summer for all sorts of disco Spyderco knives. ****, a rhino Lil' Temp went for sub-$150 a few weeks ago.

Ebay and Bladeforums are the best for deals- especially the wanted to buy section on BF; I got my Massad Ayoob PE for $108 from a fine fellow over there.

Thanks for the help everyone!

I'm new to collecting and want to make sure I get a good bang for my buck!

I would try Blade Forums first, eBay is way too expensive for popular models like ATRs, Millies and others.

Gun & knife shows are great places to find out of production Spydercos , and at reasonable prices. The last show I went to I handled a new in box CATCHERMAN CE. Gun and pawn shops can be good too. I've scored two ATS=55 DELICAS at a gun shop. Prices can sometimes be high there though. Better prices at gun & knife shows.

soldier1231 wrote:Where is the best place to find unusual and out of production model Spydercos?

Betty Budil, Double Eagle (BDouble2Eagle@aol.com) out of Tacoma, WA, has an incredible inventory of knives. I haven't visited her store but @ the shows (knife and the gun/knife) her terrific selection of great and reasonably-priced knives, from all of the fine manufacturers, cover more tables than you can shake a stick at.

oregon

I tried to find Double Eagle in Tacoma and it apparently is a home. I'm planning on going to the Portland Blade show, so I guess I'll see her stuff then.

Police supply stores.
They price them high when they get them so they sit unsold.I have found several old Spydercos at a couple of these stores,the price would have been high when they were in production but after sitting a few years the collector price catches up and passes it.
I have found
pink Cricket
CF Dragonfly
SE Green Lum
Starmate
Meerkat
Wegner jr
SS PE Native
and a few very rare BMs

Sequimite wrote:I tried to find Double Eagle in Tacoma and it apparently is a home. I'm planning on going to the Portland Blade show, so I guess I'll see her stuff then.

Here is some more info from her business card (however, I wouldn't hesitate to give her a ping with your wish list):

607 So. Oakes St.
Tacoma, WA 98405

ph: 2535729460

oregon (PS, I don't know if she attends Blade West)

I just found a Volpe at Sierra for less than $80 with a 20% discount.

I'll have to see if Double Eagle comes to the Lexington KY knife/gun show.

I have always had great success at gun shows.I have purchased a Atr Pe, and a Stretch Pe at local gun shows.My buddy has scored a Yojimbo(traded a orange millie for it and then bought the millie back at same gun show for $100),Se 440v millie new in box for $70, Carbon fiber Dragonfly SE for $40.I also know of a vender that has a BG42 millie and a Impala GH for very reasonable prices.There are still deals to be found out there.At gun shows cash talks,and lots of times venders will give you a better price if you have some.

I guess buying at gun & knife shows is OK if you can live with a knife that has been heavily handled before. Myself, I cringe at the sight of all those edges almost touching in the display windows, of all those knives dropped on counters and of all those morons who want to show their girlfriends that they too can flip a knife.

I always check blade play and the edge before buying.if i buy i give them a good scrub down to remove any funkiness.I always look at it like they are used knives anyway.the stuff I buy has been out of production for years anyway.