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ebay knife values


camillus
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are the values of military knives sold on ebay accurate, I see many that are quite common and are junk selling for over a hundred dollars. Are the going prices being inflated by people asking more for a knife than it is worth. Thanks Mike

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You'll find that asking prices are all over the place. IMHO the majority of buy it now prices tend to be higher than what the same items in similar condition tend to go for in open auctions. This is one of the reasons I recommend for people just getting into collecting to be patient. It doesn't cost nearly as much to watch and learn before jumping into the game.

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It's crazy right now what some sellers are asking for knives. I've seen rusted M3s, w/ missing leather going for outrageous prices. M1 bayonets going for $300 plus. A French Lebel bayonet w/ a $900 Buy It Now, price. Be patient, from now to about February, prices tend to drop. As Sactroop stated, be patient, study ebay prices, know what you want, eventually you'll find it. SKIP

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When comparing prices on eBay, be sure to look at the SOLD auctions under the advanced search tab. The previous comments are absolutely correct, the Buy It Now prices are almost always higher than what it would sell for on open auction. Never go by a single item price as there could have been a bidding war between a couple of people who should have known better. Figure out what you want to fill that open space in the collection, review the prices on the sold section to get an idea of what fair prices are, and be patient.

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The COMPLETED sale prices are 100% accurate because they show what buyers are actually paying.

 

Are the going prices being inflated by people asking more for a knife than it is worth?

 

Values get inflated not because sellers ask more, but because buyers are willing to pay more. If people pay the asking price, then that is what it is worth: monetary worth is simply what two people agree on in any particular transaction. Over the course of several transactions the numbers will vary, so there is a range of market values for similar items and as a buyer you try to strike a deal for the low end of the range (as noted, buying from an ebay auction rarther than But It Now can be one way to do that).

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thanks for the information, I have a grade scale I copied out of a bayonet book but it doesn't give A monetary value. Now how do I find completed listings, it has been a long time since I accessed them and alot has changed on ebay. Thanks Mike

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At the top of the page there is a bar that you can type in your search information and to the right the big button that says SEARCH. To the right of that is a small link that says ADVANCED. That will take you to a page where you can put in your search terms and under that is a section that says SEARCH INCLUDING with three choices under that. If you put in Completed Listings it will show everything that has been listed for the terms you selected for the last few months. If the item sold, the price will be in Green - if not, the price will be in Red. Or you can go to Sold Listings which will show only the items that actually sold and the price that was paid.

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I've actually noticed the complete opposite, prices are very depressed and no cash is flowing. Sure a lot of folks asking way too much, but none of them selling. Blades at NR auctions are doing well unless perfect or rare.

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I've been perusing the knife sales in Militaria for the past several years. There are a lot of knives that just roll over, and there are a number of sellers who always have multiple knives for sale at double to triple what I've seen on the open market. However, the law of supply and demand rules; machetes are not in demand right now, and you can get good deals on those. The price for WWI bolos are about what the open market is charging. Six-inch hunting knives are all over the map; I've seen asking prices for PAL RH36 knives with sheaths go from $35 to $150, and the condition doesn't matter. The lesser known brands, Queen City, Williamson, Robeson Suredge sometimes show up for decent prices, while Kinfolks seem to have higher asking prices. Don't forget EGW. The price for Vietnam era Jet Pilot Knives (Camillus, Ontario, etc) are ridiculous right now, but a year ago they were general around the $40 mark. The Theater knive area is a minefield, so unless you really know your stuff, stay away from there. As for folders, you can often find a great deal on WWII engineer knives with bone handles, and the steel knives are tending to be in the $20 range and reasonably priced. Asking prices for Mark 1s have gone up a lot in the last couple of years, and are now quite high. Mark 2s depend on the maker, with Kabar and PAL way up there, but Camillus and Robeson being fairly decent. Marine Corps fighting knives are always high, but sometimes a deal shows up. M3s and M6 scabbards are pretty much like Skip said, but it wasn't but a couple of years ago you could pick up a really nice set for less than $600. You can still get good deals on Collins and Case emergency kit V44s (I know that's not correct terminology but I'm not sure what is), Western Bowies, Buck knives, and some others. Always look for ones with sheaths, as purchasing them separately can cost you at least half again as much as buying them together (sometimes almost twice as much). I could go on but I think this sums it up. By the way, if you think ebay knife prices are high, go over to Gunbroker and you'll get sticker shock.

And don't jump too fast if you feel you are losing out. Knives that weren't plentiful a couple of years ago are plentiful today; these things always come in cycles.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I agree with thorin6's comments above. Stuff does run in cycles, starting high, then more of the same items show up and the price drops. Common stuff doesn't seem to be moving very well right now; I see many of the same things being continually rolled over on ebay. Good stuff always sells. Good stuff in good condition always sells for a lot. There's a word of caution that I share with friends that I'll post here. It's not always good to be the high bidder on an item. Yes, it means that you are now that owner, but it also means that you were willing to spend more money on that item than anyone else. That's not always a good thing. Patience is the key. A collector firend gave me a list of three bayonets he wanted. I told him that I was sure that I could get them but it might take a while. He went out two weeks later and bought them from a high end dealer, spending 50-60% more than it would have cost him had he waited (and we're talking high three figure pieces).

 

And I also agree that the prices on Gunbroker, for the most part, are outrageous.

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On eBay these days the Buy It Now price for most knives and bayonets is usually very high and tend to roll over without selling for a long time. The auction prices for the more common and decent condition pieces can be pretty cheap if you watch carefully - I have seen WW2 Marine KaBar style knives by all four makers got for sometimes half of what they did a couple of years ago. Agree with Bill that the good stuff sells better and higher, and if you are interested in the possibility of resale at a profit sometime down the road, and are buying fairly common items, you certainly should go for Very Good condition or better. Like most collectibles, the last few percentage points of condition USUALLY will raise the price dramatically. The difference between 90% and 95% condition will often be quite a difference.

 

If you are like me, and are more interested in the history than potential profit, you can save a lot of money be settling for lower condition. I am not saying junk, I don't mean rough and rusty or with grind or file marks but allowing some normal use finish wear. I have some nice pieces and I have some lower condition that I just like. I will let my heirs worry about profit, and since they will have nothing invested, whatever they get will be profit.

 

The late Carter Rila had a saying "First One, macht nichts (roughly, It Doesn't Matter) referring to condition. He was saying that if you see something that you know to be rare or unusual, the condition doesn't too much matter if the price is right. You maybe can upgrade later, but if not, you will at least have one. He certainly wasn't saying Buy Junk, but if it is only fair to good, get it while you can. And yes, I have had reason to regret not applying that principle in the past.

 

Years ago some of us created our own grading scale from 1 to 10. 1 is "Might have been a knife in the past, now just scrap metal" to 10 being as new. We felt that 5 was about as low as a collector should have and then only as a filler until a better one came along. Most of us collected in the 7 - 8 category which is roughly Very Good to Very Good plus. 9 is Excellent and usually both expensive and hard to find for military pieces.

 

My advice to collectors has been "Collect What You Like and Enjoy" and it is up to the individual to decide just what price and condition they are comfortable with. If you are one of the top 10% in income, you probably will want and be able to buy top condition. If you are like many of us, and money is usually tight, then we have learned to be happy with less. If you collect from eBay (and I have) study first, buy later. There are good pieces on eBay often at lower prices than anywhere else, but there is also a lot of Junk, Fakes, Reproductions, and Fantasy pieces also. Read, Study, ask Questions of the seller, and if you are not sure, DON'T BUY.

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Poking around ebay a couple of times today. Lots of low grade knives(junk) w/ asking prices way above what they're worth. Saw a decent, but not mint, M3, Boker blade(single tang)w/ a Barwood M6 sell for $2000(361104830214).Understand someone might be trying to fill a whole in a collection. Patience! Another will come along. That could possibly jack up M3-M6 combo prices sky high. Will have to watch and see. You can generally get 3-4 or more good, rarer M3s for that kind of money. Craziness! Never hurts to make a fair offer, the worse thing that can happen is the seller says "No", you have nothing to lose. SKIP

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I have been watching ebay and it scares me. I am no expet, not even knowledgeable. I can recognize junk sometimes but don't know the subtle variations in knife value. And I am paranoid about spending the price on a fake or repro passed as real. I know get the books but is either the books or the knives. I have been looking for imperials but the ones I have seen are either junk or more than I can afford. I have read what I can find and studied pictures but when I look at the listings I am more confused. Thanks for listing and your patience with my ignorance Mike

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Camillus, another thing you might do to learn is go to as many shows as you can, handle the real knives, ask questions and listen with an open mind. Books are great too, but try to handle both the real and reproductions, no need to point out the knife is a repro to the dealer if so, that'll just make him mad and he won't deal with you on other knives you might want. if the seller accepts returns on eBay you can always try a knife out, post it here for opinions and keep or return. The 2 best pieces of advice I've gotten are 1) junk is always junk and nice things are always nice and appreciate faster if you're looking at this as an investment in addition to a hobby, and 2) buy what you love. I've overpaid on blades I don't know how many times but in the end was happier with the knife than the cash sitting in the bank.

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Camillus- There has been a lot of great info posted here, representing a life time of collecting. There is no quick fix solution. You have to do all of the above. I started collecting as a kid, 47 years ago, bought a mint Utica M4 bayonet through a catalog. Back then there were no good books or good information available, got most of my early knowledge from catalogs. Finally in 1981 bought Cole's Book III. That was the game changer for me, and a lot of other collectors. I read that book from cover to cover many times. Then when I went to shows, I knew what I was looking at. Be glad you have ebay, and other dealers available on the Internet. You can learn a lot by watching items, study the photos, and pricing. Pic what interests you, follow the items til sold, over a period of time you will figure out what to look for, what's a good or bad deal,or a fake. Biggest thing, be patient. It takes a lifetime to learn. Good Luck! SKIP

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I know get the books but is either the books or the knives.

 

There's a few books worth of info on this forum. To more easily access it, go to google and type or paste in this phrase

 

site:usmilitariaforum.com

 

Then after that type in what you searching for, such as particular type of knife, so it would look like this:

 

site:usmilitariaforum.com Imperial knife

 

Here's what kind of results you'd get:

 

knsearch.jpg

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Hi, I know there is a library's worth of information here and I am grateful for this site. And what my problem is my own impatience. No I am not collecting for investment, there are some military knives I have wanted all my life but ignored because of the price. I have to scrap to get them but I will and I don't want a repro. that what scares me about ebay. As much as I wish I could I can't get to shows. I appreciate everybody's help. thanks Bob for the google tip. thanks for listing Mike

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You can ask on here if something on eBay interests you. Unfortunately many eBay listings are poor, in description and more importantly in the pictures. I have passed on several bayonets and knives over the years because I just could not see enough detail to be sure of what it was.

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Hi, Gary thanks I will. The MKII I asked about was a good buy. I don't l;ike to ask to much but I will the M3 is what I am concentrating on now or the M4 bayonet. Thanks Mike

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Mike, we've all been where you find yourself now. I spent over a year before I felt confident enough in what I had learned to pull the trigger on my first WW2 M3. I got a lot of help here during that time. It's normal to sometimes feel like it's just overwhelming. There is an old saying; "you eat the elephant one bite at a time". I also don't think any of us ever really finish (eating the elephant). There are still knives I want to get more familiar with.

One thing that might work for you is to concentrate on one model at a time. This may help in staying focused. A good point was made in trying to see and handle known good examples of the real thing. Militaria shows, even small ones can be great for this. Spend more time listening than talking, keep in mind that some of what you hear won't necessarily be so, but as you gain experience you'll find that you can learn something from the most unexpected places.

Also everyone of us at some point makes a mistake, we just don't like to bring them up. If the truth be told I think it's safe to say we make more than one. Just accept that at some point it's going to happen and that you can even learn from that. IMHO, when it comes to collecting it's more about the hunt, the knives we end up with are really more like trophies.

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Hi, thanks for the advice, I can't get to shows so I don't get to handle a knife until it is mine. I need to learn to be more patient thanks Mike

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Mike - Do you have any antique shops or antique malls in your area? I see M3's, M4's, and Mk2's in the local shops from time to time. If a shop owner knows what you're looking for, they will keep an eye out for them for you. As you know you're very close to where thousands upon thousands of these knives were made - western N.Y.

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