Straight Razor market dying out?

[scag315]

I've been away from collecting for awhile (new job, baby, etc...) as life happens. I've noticed that the market for razor collecting is definitely a buyers market (Great for collecting) but it's harder and harder to find quality razors as nobody wants to sell the rare ones that they won't get a great price for. Anyone else seeing this pattern? I'd love to try and find some stuff that i've always wanted but nobody is willing to risk taking a loss it seems.

 

[mrlandpirate]

That doesn't sound like a buyers market to me
just sayin'

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Dovo going into bankruptcy would reinforce the theory of such a decline.

 

[ajduplessis]

Dovo is still operating and selling razors. I am not sure if someone through them a lifeline. They survived in the 50’s, hope they can do it again.

 

[scag315]

Dovo going into bankruptcy would reinforce the theory of such a decline.

First I've heard of this. That sucks. They were one of the last few quality commercial manufacturer of modern straight razors. I'm guessing cheap alternatives to buying expensive razor heads like dollar shave club have tremendously affected the market

 

[global_dev]

I've noticed that the market for razor collecting is definitely a buyers market (Great for collecting) but it's harder and harder to find quality razors as nobody wants to sell the rare ones that they won't get a great price for. Anyone else seeing this pattern? I'd love to try and find some stuff that i've always wanted but nobody is willing to risk taking a loss it seems

I'm having trouble understanding. can we discuss this out until i get it?

"Buyers market - great for collecting"
Does this mean there is availability of collectible pieces? or just mass amounts of razors available in all categories of price/quality from RSOs to custom jobs.

"Quality/rare razors available at high price. No one ( assuming you mean "seller") wants to risk taking the loss?"
I've seen this playing out for coveted models for at least a decade on W&B FBUs, Filarmonica 14s, all the discussed brands (Let me beat everyone else to the punch who is/was gonna say this: Lots of inexpensive quality models exist though!)


What would be a more acceptable trend in your opinion? i know i was recently thinking about this with a vintage piece i was looking at....

For example,
comparing NOS relative value to one with

• no honewear vs slight vs medium
• oem scales vs rescaled in your preferred material vs non-preferred
• unrestored vs restored
• community adoration vs non
• etc.

i know no valuations, but perhaps you could elaborate on what you are thinking

 

[global_dev]

First I've heard of this. That sucks. They were one of the last few quality commercial manufacturer of modern straight razors. I'm guessing cheap alternatives to buying expensive razor heads like dollar shave club have tremendously affected the market

IMHO Dovo didn't help itself with the rep of the Best Qualities razors... the pricing relative to other models, is enticing, but.. i wonder if someone with more info could write a quick analysis of BQ and it's effects on the market. i wonder what rebrand/resllers like @Colonel Conk think, obviously it's ok and perhaps fits the brands market. is it more of a talking point or having something for everyone. what will they do without dovo? china?

I'd really be interested to see how much a market impact "shave clubs" have had on Dovo or TI, who seem to be the 2 with the greatest volume of "entry" level straights sold/manufactured (maybe boker too?)

i'd think aust, wacker, and others still enjoy a similar rate of revenue as before, being more niche in my mind.

 

[scag315]

Buy buyers market I'm saying that the razors you do see for sale haven't in my experience been going for nearly as high of a price as I've seen in years past. At one point Dubl Duck Goldedge razors for example were super sought after and I've seen prices very high on them where recently i've seen them posted for much lower prices. Nothing in my opinion made them any better quality any other similar razor and they weren't exceptionally rare unless you found one of the NOS ones that didn't suffer from cell rot but people just really wanted them. There are lots of vintage razors that are going for prices much closer to say 2009/10 price points rather than the higher price points you saw a few years back IMO. I find it a lot harder to sell Straights these days as people just really aren't as interested in them as they were a few years back.

The downside of this is sellers aren't willing to part with harder to find pieces (tortoise shell scales, MK33, GB's, 10/8", etc...) as they would have been a few years back when they could have easily commanded a much higher price point, and frankly one they probably payed themselves. I remember in past years I would post a listing of 15 different SR's and by the end of the following day they were all gone. I doubt there is that much demand now.

 

[Steve56]

Jon is on the right track. I don’t think that the SR market is in decline. It is very difficult to source desirable razors, and when they do become available they sell very, very, quickly at high prices.There was a period when ordinary or normal say, 5/8 razors sold at a price above what they were worth based on availability, and that part of the market has corrected itself to more normal levels - you don’t see a worn, patinated, 5/8 barbershop razor selling for $60 anymore, the ‘Skyfall’ effect has worn off.

Almost all custom makers have or have had waiting lists, and demand is high for these razors that are on the upper end of the price spectrum.

As far as Dovo goes, I don’t believe that their problems are a result of the market. Many razor manufacturers use the same blanks as Dovo, Boker, Wacker, Revisor, Aust... AFAIK, the others seem to be doing OK, and some you might have to wait for.

 

[scag315]

Jon is on the right track. I don’t think that the SR market is in decline. It is very difficult to source desirable razors, and when they do become available they sell very, very, quickly at high prices.There was a period when ordinary or normal say, 5/8 razors sold at a price above what they were worth based on availability, and that part of the market has corrected itself to more normal levels - you don’t see a worn, patinated, 5/8 barbershop razor selling for $60 anymore, the ‘Skyfall’ effect has worn off.

Its reassuring to hear that my observations are off base. I enjoy this hobby and I would hate to see it die out. Prices IMO were getting way too inflated at some points so it's good be able to get guys interested in the hobby without them having to pay $60 for a vintage razor that needs an entire restoration

 

[global_dev]

good discussion fodder

At one point Dubl Duck Goldedge razors for example were super sought after and I've seen prices very high on them where recently i've seen them posted for much lower prices.

IIRC this was the effect of one guy in relatively smaller community (than now) mentioning that company.

Nothing in my opinion made them any better quality any other similar razor and they weren't exceptionally rare unless you found one of the NOS ones that didn't suffer from cell rot but people just really wanted them.

I've had one NOS larger than normal DD goldedge come through my hands in perfect condition, and i totally agree.

There are lots of vintage razors that are going for prices much closer to say 2009/10 price points rather than the higher price points you saw a few years back IMO. I find it a lot harder to sell straights these days as people just really aren't as interested in them as they were a few years back.

i don't know about this, i think if you have the right piece at the right price.. plus my collection is screaming for a liquidation, not an enhancement. I think the concept is forums start talking up a brand/model and then they go searching for it on the bay or BST.

The downside of this is sellers aren't willing to part with harder to find pieces (tortoise shell scales, MK33, GB's, 10/8", etc...) as they would have been a few years back when they could have easily commanded a much higher price point, and frankly one they probably payed themselves. I remember in past years I would post a listing of 15 different SR's and by the end of the following day they were all gone. I doubt there is that much demand now.

Absolutely the truth about the pay/sell comment, you would have had to turn around and sell right away with a potential unrealized expectation that someone else was there.

I'd also say that I feel a lot more people are willing to put in the effort to restore something themselves or sending it out, rather pay it out up front. I know i've been disappointed seeing the super shiny restos with "rounded line/edges" (ugh) going for 3-10x what i think it originally sold for.

 

[Polarbeard]

As I see it the interest for straight razors has been going up steadily for the last ten years of so. The interest and market for DE razors has gone up very much more than so. Then again both are still niche markets, but no one looks at me as if I was an alien if I tell them that I shave with straight razors. These days it's not too uncommon to use straights, at least not where I live.

I've no idea what the current demand and supply looks like when it comes to straight razors, but I wouldn't be surprised if the pandemic somewhat has brought down the prices of vintage razors.

As mentioned above skilled razor makers don't seem to have problems finding customers eager to buy their goods, not even under the current circumstances.

I like my Dovo razors, but the prices often are higher than what you'd expect given the quality.

 

[global_dev]

Its reassuring to hear that my observations are off base. I enjoy this hobby and I would hate to see it die out. Prices IMO were getting way too inflated at some points so it's good be able to get guys interested in the hobby without them having to pay $60 for a vintage razor that needs an entire restoration

i kind of feel like $60 is a bit high for most also... but it depends on whats available and what you are looking for.

 

[johnmrson]

I don't think that the use of Straights is in decline but the current seller / buyers market is. I think that it's a reflection of the current economic reality that Covid has left us with.

 

[camoloc]

i kind of feel like $60 is a bit high for most also... but it depends on whats available and what you are looking for.

depends in the razor.

anyone wanna sell a WB 8/8 FBU for $60?

please contact me immediately lol.

camo

 

[xmacro]

Worth mentioning that the high class stuff, $1,000+ Iwasaki, Zowada, etc, sell before they ever even hit the bay, BST, or even the re-sellers/blacksmiths site. I guess the lower market is definitely dying out though

 

[Tanuki]

Out in the wild, I see SR quality going down, with prices for even absolute unusable/unrestorable junk sometimes in the $40 ballpark. Only the occasional gem keeps me going to the trouble of examining SRs that are priced as though they only need minor restoration.

It looks like a sellers market, with buyers who have no intention of shaving SR buying rust buckets and broken blades with good names on the tang.

 

[scag315]

Out in the wild, I see SR quality going down, with prices for even absolute unusable/unrestorable junk sometimes in the $40 ballpark.

Yeah it's unfortunate. Most of the time when I find myself selling off stuff it's usually in the lower end pieces that aren't mint but they will shave and have a great edge. Usually with the intent to get guys interested in trying out straight razors a cheap option to try them out without having to spend a ton of money on something that they just might not enjoy. I will on occasion throw a Large wedge (FBU, Greaves, Fenney, etc...) or rare natural scale (Swedes like MKs, or sheffield with tortoise/ivory) up for sale but I don't like putting those things on the bay as it's risky and frankly I'd much rather work out a deal with someone that I could potentially connect with later if they have something i'm interested in. Just seems like it's harder to do that these days with guys either flooding a ton of junk as "shave ready" that turns people off or the things that i'm more interested in on the collectors pieces (that can still be shaved with) being harder for me to locate.

Also I noticed that since I was inactive on here for awhile after the birth of my child and new job that I can no longer post in the B/S/T even though as far as I know i've always had a good reputation on there and good feedback on other forums. I get it though, they don't want people using it to pump and dump a bunch of junk or only coming on here to sell stuff every couple months.

 

[Gamma]

I see all kinds of great finds coming in 'from the wild' on various platforms. I personally see lower prices on some things that I am interested int but I think those prices were over-inflated in the first place; it's just that now the pricing is becoming more realistic. Dovo filed for bankruptcy but making straight was not the entirety of their business and I am certain many factors come into play there. For certain, they had difficulties filling orders so it's not like they weren't moving product. Every time I turn around there is a new custom razor maker and a bunch of their goods show up in various SOTD posts across the internet. There are more 'sold' straights for sale on Ebay now than ever. High end customs sell so fast it's not funny.
Prices will always go up/down in any market. I think the field is over-saturated with pickers, antiquers, and junkers digging harder than ever to find something to sell. Straights sell, they know that. With a flood of new items there is bound to be a huge increase in junk because most of the flea-market type people are clueless and they think everything is valuable. Likewise, many new straight razor users think every W&B is valuable so it's a double edged sword feeding that part of the marketplace. I see more interest now than 5 yr ago and 5 yr ago I saw more interest than I did 10 yr ago. A lot of people that thought razors were an investment are now surprised by the shifts in the buying place, the greater availability of what used to be 'rare' and it seems there is some distress over this. 10 yr ago I would see, maybe, 1 8/8 FBU for sale every month or two. Now there are probably a dozen on fleabay, so that $500 blade is now selling for much less. It's not a downturn in the market, it's sort of a supply/demand thing with a few twists in the game too.

 

[Christian1212]

I'd say it is straight razor shaving population grew, restored blades inventory grew, rare and mint straight razor inventory dropped. People deciding the hobby was not for them and selling their restored/used blades helping the restored market. People who spent money on the nice and rare blades I feel are the ones more likely to stay in the hobby (or keep their razor even if they leave the hobby/swap to de)


Definitely a lot more too but I'd say that was the main thing