Observations of Recent Ebay FatBoy Auctions

[DonN]

i've been following the FatBoy auctions on Ebay recently & have noticed that most have sold for under $100 , a handful in the $150 range , and the ones that are listed at $300+ are not moving - it seems like the current "market" price for FatBoy has been held to essentially under $100 - at one point i thought there might be runaway upward price movement but it doesn't seem to be the case.

is anyone surprised that prices haven't escalated ? is it a reflection of the times or is it just that a FatBoy isn't worth $300-$500 for most guys.

 

[gearchow]

i've been following the FatBoy auctions on Ebay recently & have noticed that most have sold for under $100 , a handful in the $150 range , and the ones that are listed at $300+ are not moving - it seems like the current "market" price for FatBoy has been held to essentially under $100 - at one point i thought there might be runaway upward price movement but it doesn't seem to be the case.

is anyone surprised that prices haven't escalated ? is it a reflection of the times or is it just that a FatBoy isn't worth $300-$500 for most guys.

IMHO, they are worth $25-$35 depending on condition. Basically $5-$10 more then a slim. Add $10-$15 for the case depending on condition and that is their worth.

In your list of solds, I wonder what the ending price was on auctions that started from 0 with no reserve?

-jim

 

[mmack66]

There are very few razors that can be said to be worth $300-$500, and the Fatboy isn't one of them.

 

[Dave Deluxe]

I wouldn't pay more than $50.00 for one and at that price it would need to be immaculate with a case.

DD

 

[Fletch]

I wouldn't pay more than $50.00 for one and at that price it would need to be immaculate with a case.

DD

This. Honestly I don't know why people value them over the slim. I actually prefer the slim and sold my fatboy off. Actually I now have 2 slims.

 

[Mike'sWorld]

IMHO, they are worth $25-$35 depending on condition. Basically $5-$10 more then a slim. Add $10-$15 for the case depending on condition and that is their worth.

In your list of solds, I wonder what the ending price was on auctions that started from 0 with no reserve?

-jim

Pretty much true. Additionally, these prices can be reduced dramatically with anything that scares off bidders. Poor feedback, fuzzy pictures, not directly naming fatboy or even Gillette, etc.

 

[Greg1911]

I like the 58 and 59 Fatboys and the Slim. Get great shaves with both.

If you have been watching Ebay auctions recently your observations mesh with mine that items were selling for less lately. (Last weekend I won a 50s Aristocrat for 17, a Red Tip for 10 and a big Le Creuset skillet for 5 bucks)

I attribute this to people being broke after Christmas shopping.

 

[DonN]

all great responses - good point GearChow about looking at the closed group that started at 0 without a reserve - for a large sample size this subgroup would definitely skew the overall average downward - and Mike's World's point is very good also - I'm less apt to bid on something with a 3 day or no return policy than an open ended or 7 dayer - bad and/or too few pictures are another factor as well as a skimpy description.

one final question - what is the max you would pay for an NOS FatBoy with case, blades, & instructions ?

 

[michiganlover]

IMHO, they are worth $25-$35 depending on condition. Basically $5-$10 more then a slim. Add $10-$15 for the case depending on condition and that is their worth.

In your list of solds, I wonder what the ending price was on auctions that started from 0 with no reserve?

-jim

I fully agree on your pricing. I have used all three Gillette Adjustables, the Fatboy, Slim, and Super Adjustable. I would rank them as Super Adjustable, Slim, Fatboy. I love my Super Adjustable, and they can generally be had for far less than the price Fatboys typically go for.

Honestly, anyone paying more than $50 for a Fatboy (for a pristine example) is seriously overpaying. Yes, it's a good razor, but in my opinion the Slim, and Super Adjustable are superior tools.

 

[BBrad]

Honestly, anyone paying more than $50 for a Fatboy (for a pristine example) is seriously overpaying. Yes, it's a good razor, but in my opinion the Slim, and Super Adjustable are superior tools.

John is correct based on performance criteria versus the Slim and SA. (I agree, they both shave better than a FB!)

"Worth" is quite difficult to quantify. If I buy a Fat Boy for $100, and shave with it for 10 years (36,500 shaves) was it "worth" less than 8/10ths of a cent per shave? Probably! If I buy the same razor, use it once, and put it away for "safekeeping", was that one shave worth $100? Maybe not.

If I buy it, put it on display, and look at it every day for the next ten years (and feel joy and pride when I do) was it "worth" $100? Certainly! If I spend $100 taking SWMBO out for dinner . . . is that meal also "worth" the price? (The food, maybe not . . . but SWMBO and the smile on her face - Priceless!)

In a free market, a willing buyer and seller determine a price. Worth goes way beyond the price, and is the result of what the item does for you over your time of ownership or use.

eBay prices are all over the place . . . some feel prices are down, while others feel prices are up . . . both at the same time!! But an item's worth is determined by more than price alone.

 

[GDCarrington]

I was fortunate that I was able to snag a mint FB on the bay with the instruction pack and the two spoiler blades unopened with a mint condition case for $30. With that being said, I like both the Slim and the FB, but the Slim is a little easier to maneuver than the FB.

However, it does make me laugh when I see a Ball Tech advertised as a FB.
Then it makes me growl for the fraud that it is.

 

[gearchow]

I was fortunate that I was able to snag a mint FB on the bay with the instruction pack and the two spoiler blades unopened with a mint condition case for $30. With that being said, I like both the Slim and the FB, but the Slim is a little easier to maneuver than the FB.

However, it does make me laugh when I see a Ball Tech advertised as a FB.
Then it makes me growl for the fraud that it is.

Yeah, but if the choice is between smart criminal or stupid seller, I'll check off stupid seller most every time. Very little difference if it sells though.

I got about 4 or so fatboys but I would still pay $30 for one like you snagged!

-jim

 

[Paul12644]

Prices on E-bay seem to be in a bit of turmoil right now. On the high end, a Gillette Toggle(1-5 pre-production) which was pristine with a pigskin case went for around $730. as memory serves me, and a 195 in excellent condition went for $630. as memory serves me. I would have thought the 195 to go for more, based on rarity. Those are the high water marks I've seen for Gillette razors.

The mid to high price razors, anywhere from $100. to $500. seem to be steady to falling, except for a few egregious examples, like a $560. sale for a Gillette President, that while complete and very nice, seems to me to be a stretch. I'm sure the buyer doesn't feel that way however. I've seen multiple Fat Boys, that are complete, with asking prices from $230. to $450. which is absurd based on a very large supply. I haven't seen any of them selling.

Lower end razors seem to have gone up somewhat, especially Fat Boys. They are probably a good long term candidate for appreciation.

Eclipse Red Rings are fantastic long term candidates for appreciation.

Only my humble opinions.

 

[_JP_]

This. Honestly I don't know why people value them over the slim. I actually prefer the slim and sold my fatboy off. Actually I now have 2 slims.

About four years back there was a gent in obe of the shaing forums who praised the Fatboy. Others joined in and declared it the greatest. The prices took off from there in the bidding, not the asking price.

At this point I think that most of those that want a Fatboy have one. And there is the possibility that people have come to realize that Gillette made millions of them over the years and they aren't that rare.

 

[DavyRay]

About four years back there was a gent in obe of the shaing forums who praised the Fatboy. Others joined in and declared it the greatest. The prices took off from there in the bidding, not the asking price.

At this point I think that most of those that want a Fatboy have one. And there is the possibility that people have come to realize that Gillette made millions of them over the years and they aren't that rare.

So, _JP_, you are saying we've seen a Fatboy bubble?

 

[sas71]

2 yrs ago when i started into the DE world..i thought $50 for a sparkling clean one was just more than i wanted to spend..look at the prices now. i wish i had bought one then.

 

[stringtyer]

I have two FBs - one of which I have had since I started shaving in '67 and one I got at a flea market for $8.00. I like them but not enough to pay more than about $15. They are nice but, as others have said here, I prefer a slim or my red tip. My favorite remains my ball-tip tech.

 

[Voomie]

It is a classic case of what do people think it's worth? If it is hard to get or there is a lot of hype, regardless of quality, then yea the "worth" goes up. That is my two cents.

 

[BigFoot]

I put one on ebay last week. Very nice condition no case starting price of $10.00. It sold for $36.00. I did the same thing with a slim never got a bid.

Prices are coming down but there is still a Fatboy allure. The one I have cased for my collection I paid $25.00 for. Bought a nice 40s Ariztocrat in a great case last night for $32.00. IMO that Aristocrat is worth more than a Fatty uncased.

 

[MikeC]

I was watching some listings for a Fatboy in the summer and they were going for $30-$60. For $150 it would have to be in near mint condition.