Gillette adjustables and wet shaving getting quite expensive

[Nxspam]

The last few days I've been prowling the "bay" looking at fat boys, slims and black beauties. I've also been looking at price threads here on B&B. By about June 2012 the general consensus seamed to be that any very good slim, boxed, should go for about $40 and a user grade slim with brassing and general wear and tear could be had for as little as $10. Fat boys for more because of the shorter production run.

Right now slims are pulling in $100 and more, and there are some with the Buy It Now option set at over $150!

It's funny and ironic, but when I got into DE and straight shaving, one of my excuses was "think of the money you'll save on cartridges".

Since about October I've bought: a new dovo, a dovo strop, TOBS soap in a wood bowl, Edwin Jagger DE, and assortment of blades, pre shave oil, 2 after shaves balms and I've got a fat boy on the way and a black super speed that I chose because its my birth year date code. Not to mention 9 antique straights for restoring and all the gear I'll need for doing the restore, and honing stones. Now I'm lusting after black beauties and slims and prices are going through the roof!

When I talk about wet shaving with friends and co-workers, I often hear my self saying, this is the last razor you'll need. Yeah Right!

Does it stop?

 

[Dalejr]

It fluctuates and I feel it's going to go sky high before a crash. It's a case of supply and demand and right now demand is high...

 

[Maxime D.]

DE is affordable for everyone, it can be inexpensive....it only depend on your will ^^ It's very difficult to resist the temptation of purchasing shiny razors. About the adjustable price, folks purchase Futurs for 90$ or Visions for even more. You can say 'Yes but they are new' and I'll answer 'Yeah but the Slims are Vintage' lolll Moreover, there's new DE shavers everyday and everyone want his own vintage adjustable.

 

[Nxspam]

Watching one right now. $183 with 2.5 hours to go. Wow! Granted, it's a beauty.

 

[Maxime D.]

It's not only adjustables, I saw SS sold as high as 200$. The final price of an auction is decided by buyer, not sellers. When you want it (and I mean WANT IT BAD), money ain't a problem.

 

[Nxspam]

It's not only adjustables, I saw SS sold as high as 200$. The final price of an auction is decided by buyer, not sellers. When you want it (and I mean WANT IT BAD), money ain't a problem.

Well, sadly it is for me, I haven't got the bucks to blow. But in just a brief amount of time, from not owning a DE and not even thinking about them, I've ended up drooling over shiny Gillettes, just knowing, without trying, that I'll love it. I hope I dont p*ss anyone off here, but to me, Futuras and such don't have have half the style. Just knowing that some of these things where designed and built in the '50s and '60s is too cool!

I have a Fat Boy on the way. It's not the prettiest and the price I'm paying reflects that. Its not in the same league but it works and I can't wait to shave with it. Im praying that nothing goes wrong in the shipping or something horrible like that. Someone on this site (a wise man) said that just using one type of blade in your DE is like eating pizza every day with the same topping. I think that might apply to razors as well, or at least for some people. I think I might just be one of the unlucky ones that needs a blade and razor rotation.

 

[Maxime D.]

Well I don't think having only one razor is like eating pizza everyday : / Shaving is shaving IMHO, it's just cool to have many tools to do the job.

 

[Mick]

I must have all that I can handle as I don't have anything on my "got to have" list any longer.

I have a couple on the way to me but nothing in the "cooker"..... yet.....

 

[dcobranchi]

I saw a bunch that were closing in the next few hours in the mid $30 range. Yeah, higher than I'd pay but not crazy high. I picked up a Fatboy and a Black Beauty on Craigslist the other day-- $50 shipped for both.

 

[GG1]

Well for me, I don't like to have excess. If I have too many soaps, creams and after shaves it's a bit unsettling for me. Even brushes as well. I'm that way in many things but not all things.
Now hardware can get me, especially straights. There are just so many cool razors out there. So, I don't look, therefore I'm ok with what I have.......for now anyway

 

[Luminose]

Prices do seem kinda high right now. The two Gillette razors I'm waiting to be delivered are the last I'm going to get unless I see a great deal but I mainly buy what I want to use.

I think the best deals are probably going to be found when the flea markets come back in the spring since all the antique stores around me have zero DE razors..

 

[seattleshaver]

DE's don't have to be expensive. I've just been doing this for a couple of months and I got good user grades at reasonable prices. My Super Adjustable was $25 shipped, the SS was $10 shipped and the New Short Comb was $15 shipped.

 

[rxonmymind]

Step sideways and avoid the bay altogether. Go to antique stores, estate sales, yard sales etc. More work but a LOT cheaper.

 

[Maxime D.]

You forgot to mention 'And burn a 30 gallons of gas to 'Maybe' find something' : -/ Ebay have something that the wild doesnt have, variety Where else can you find a No15, a Toggle, an Eclypse Red Ring and an Aristocrat at the same place ?

 

[ThePatrician]

Step sideways and avoid the bay altogether. Go to antique stores, estate sales, yard sales etc. More work but a LOT cheaper.

A BIG +1 to this. With so many people desperately searching for vintage razors and straights, the Bay can get crazy overpriced way too fast. The same things can be had at antique stores for way cheaper. I completely agree that it's more work, but it is also a HELL of a lot more fun, IMO.

 

[seattleshaver]

I don't know where all these "antique" stores are! I live in a bigger city and I never run into these kinds of stores.

 

[ackvil]

And just think, I bought my Slim and FB when they first came out and both cost me less than $3 each. After about 50 years they still work great.

 

[Maxime D.]

My experience of antique stores is not very good, most of the time they ask 50$ for a crusty super speed :-/

 

[seattleshaver]

Ebay is expensive only if you are a collector and just have to have a certain model right now! It does matter how high something went for as long as there are other cases of the same thing going for an inexpensive price which is usually the case.

As far as I can tell the only reason to get a Fatboy is as a collector or because everyone else is doing it If everyone else is bidding up Fatboy's then just get a Super Adjustable!

 

[k4dm0nky]

I was in a market for a Fatboy, but prices have been so ridiculous I just settled for a brand new Merkur Slant.