New Deluxe: A Tale of Two Auctions

[TADIII]

I recently wrote about razors I had tried to love but couldn't. One was a New Deluxe. Lots of people seem to like them best of all, and I received several replies (including PMs) stating such.

So, I thought I would ask about two eBay auctions I watched recently and seek some insight. Neither razor was identified as a New Deluxe, but one went for ~$42 while the other went for ~$10. One had no case and the other had a late ‘40s Tech case. One had what looked like a Lady Gillette New or a New Improved Decolletee handle and one had a common bar handle that did not appear to me to have the correct shoulders. I don't know if either one had the correct handle!

The ~$42 razor did profit from a late feeding frenzy, but four different bidders thought it was worth more than $25. And it was shinier than the ~$10 razor. Since both auctions are over I have pasted the URLs below:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Gil...H7WcRoqQ8kWiR6WyoUaxk%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

http://www.ebay.com/itm/vintage-raz...H7WcRoqQ8kWiR6WyoUaxk%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

What was happening here? Inquiring minds want to know.

 

[Haggises]

One was shiny - even the worn through to the copper top plate sparkled.
The other was dingy and unappetizing.

Unless I'm missing something rare about the bar handled one, I can't see anything else that would have inpired a bidding war to 30 bucks more than I would have expected it to go for.

 

[nuclearblast]

Both handles are correct. One razor is looking nicer than the other. Apart from that, I don't see anything unusual about those listings.

Even though their condition is not the best, and I would probably not pay $42 for a razor in that condition, let's not forget that the Deluxe isn't exactly as common as the other NEWs, such as LCs and SCs ...

Actually, the $42 razor does not look so bad, now that I saw the pics more carefully.

 

[MacDaddy]

That $10 one looks like one of the long Tuckaway-style handles, which we've seen turn up in Red & Black sets before. Those seem to have been made from the outer barrels of the Criterion/Belmont style NEW DeLuxes with the end fittings of the Tuckaway/Norfolk style razors. I'd say it's actually the more interesting of the two, though obviously in much worse shape.

The other one may be a swapped handle, since we do consider the flat-shouldered handle to be the more typical one to appear with the NEW DeLuxe head. However, I've seen so many examples like this as well as the reverse (standard NEW head on a flat-shouldered handle) that it's probably more likely that Gillette was just putting together sets with whatever they had on hand. Remember, these Red & Blacks were being sold during the depths of the Great Depression for just 49¢.

 

[DrAwkward]

The first one is the LC version, sometimes called a 15mm. They are harder to find than the more common 17mm version.
I would post the comparison pic but I'm using Tapatalk and I'm just not that adept.
Ok, here goes nuthin'-- with any luck, this should be the wiki's comparison pic:
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=264623&d=1344812878&stc=1

 

[taco8slo]

Here it is DrAwkward, from the link you posted.

Short Comb on the left, Long Comb on the right.

View attachment 484061

 

[BSAGuy]

Sometimes there is no rhyme nor reason on eBay. Shiny usually sells better then dull, but I have also seen some very similar items sell for diverging prices.

 

[nuclearblast]

I agree with Porter, from those two, to me the most interesting would be the one that went for $10. I just like the Tuckaway handle a bit better. The condition isn't brilliant, but it will still shave.

 

[MacDaddy]

Just pulling over a photo of each for posterity:

 

[DrAwkward]

Is that an optical illusion or is the center hole in the top picture (17mm baseplate) extra large?

 

[nuclearblast]

Is that an optical illusion or is the center hole in the top picture (17mm baseplate) extra large?

I am not sure Doc, but mine is also like that, I guess the razors that came with the Tuckaway style handle are like that?