I have noticed vintage safety razor prices have down 29% over the last 3 weeks. Is this normal for prices to fluctuate so drastically?
Vintage safety razor prices
- Thread starter Gary H
- Start date
Star's and Kampfe's lather catchers are way up and the everready streamline is approaching all time highs. A bargain gets through here and there for all razors but which one's do you see down?
- Thread starter
- #3
Fatboys, adjstables, red tips, blue tips ect. When I started out a user grade fatboys were going for $55.00 on average now they are going for $39.00 same with adjustables a month ago user grades were going for $40.00 now they are at just $27.00. I alos have to say B&B definately has an impact on razor prices there was a thread on a rare razor and almost immediately the price sky rocketed and as stated this was a record price for the said razor.
I think allot of it is luck too. I had a pretty good run on a few razors on the bay. I NEVER bid above 15 bucks, and I got a few for considerably less. Some of em' I was the only bidder.
If you are referring to prices on ebay, or a similar site, then you really should not consider that to be a reliable market indicator. Most sales are auction based, and auctions inherently result in wildly varying sale prices. It just depends on how many people want the razors and how much they want the razors. Auctions regularly result in items selling considerably above and below true value. At least that is my opinion on the matter.
- Thread starter
- #6
I do consider auction sites as reliable and cannot consider lucky finds at estate sales and flea markets becasue it would be impossible to track these. Ebay is and always will be a reference for fair market value prices on most vintage items. I do agree that there are those who will pay 300% more for an item than it is worth for reasons unknown to me. If I had a dollar for every antique shop owner who has said to me "Look here on Ebay see this is what it's worth" I would have abrand new Ferrarri. Where else in the world can you go and look at 40 pages of vintage safety razors?
Last edited:
the problem with people going off of ebay prices is that they go off the buy it now price. "look this slim is going for 100 dollars on ebay" .............. 
Absolutely. There are some pretty insane prices on "the Bay". I know it only takes one buyer but I wonder how many of those items actually get picked up. I would sell both my W&Bs for $500 
I guess the short answer for the OP is "yes, you're seeing it". Every material item is a commodity, whether it be flour or Williams Soap.
Speaking of Williams Soap, this morning I looked at online prices - the first price I saw this morning was over $3 shipped. This evening I picked up a couple of pucks for under $1 - that would indicate a 66% drop in just one day!
Markets, in general, are driven by emotion (not logic). But sometimes what we see is just our perception of a market, what an individual is exposed to and not the entire market. I don't think it's logical to analyze an entire market based on just a couple of data points. I also try to avoid "painting with sweeping terms" unless I'm seeking an emotional response.
I guess the short answer for the OP is "yes, you're seeing it". Every material item is a commodity, whether it be flour or Williams Soap.
Speaking of Williams Soap, this morning I looked at online prices - the first price I saw this morning was over $3 shipped. This evening I picked up a couple of pucks for under $1 - that would indicate a 66% drop in just one day!
Markets, in general, are driven by emotion (not logic). But sometimes what we see is just our perception of a market, what an individual is exposed to and not the entire market. I don't think it's logical to analyze an entire market based on just a couple of data points. I also try to avoid "painting with sweeping terms" unless I'm seeking an emotional response.
Last edited:
Prices = Exactly how much hype is on the forums at a given time. If the razors you are keeping an eye on are down in value, that basically means people are talking about different ones on the boards.
In my experience, a razors ebay selling price has less to do with its quality and performance, and more to do with how loud its fans shout on forums. The eternal problem, of course, is that you always feel compelled to buy the said razor yourself, just to see, and so does everyone else, and...
The trick is finding the razor that works super well, that nobody is talking about, and then stockpiling a bunch for yourself. Actually, the trick is doing that, and then creating the hype. And I've seen that done more than once...
In my experience, a razors ebay selling price has less to do with its quality and performance, and more to do with how loud its fans shout on forums. The eternal problem, of course, is that you always feel compelled to buy the said razor yourself, just to see, and so does everyone else, and...
The trick is finding the razor that works super well, that nobody is talking about, and then stockpiling a bunch for yourself. Actually, the trick is doing that, and then creating the hype. And I've seen that done more than once...
Guess it just depends on the person I dont care about who paid for what and how much he got it for.. I just bought a rocket set from a collector in mint for a good price but I wanted it so it did not matter.. Each person will have there own standards on what they think is to high.. I dont look at trending but I do admire peoples collections and If I want certain things I might pay a little more and not focus to much on what the market is doing at the moment because you might not get a shot at it again..
I should visit the local antique shops and flee markets .. the interest about DE shaving here is close to 0 .. so if they have some razors i expect they will be dirt cheap
as always economy follows the demand
as always economy follows the demand
Isn't that what defines the market value regardless of the venue? An objects value fluctuates in direct proportion to how many people want the item, and how much they want it.
No, that is not really what I meant. Two people in auction format can easily cause something to go for more than it is actually worth. They fall in love with an item or just get caught up in the moment and overspend. I do not feel that reflect true value overall. It might just reflect value to that one person. When you see these it makes you say, "Wow, that person spent too much money on that item. He/she won't be able to get that amount back out of it if they try to sell it later on." That is what I was trying to convey.
I agree that online auctions are a good measure of the current worth of something. For me the key is to look at completed listings and look at many of them to get an average. Some people will, as stated above, pay whatever because they just want that one and price is no object but for me fair market value is just that. You can show me an official appraisal all day long but the true value of something is what the majority of the market is willing to pay for it IMHO. There are always deals to be found though, if you dig around and be patient. Over the last month I've purchased 7 vintage Gillettes in good to very good condition and I'm averaging about $10 a razor shipped.
Prices for vintage razors on eBay are pretty consistent and usually land within a certain "window". That's if the proper keywords are used. For example, if you list a Fat Boy as "Gillette razor" and as "Vintage Gillette Fat Boy Razor", take a wild guess which listing will be searched more often and get the fair price. Also, saying you're picking up "vintage gillettes" for x dollars doesn't tell me anything because we don't know what model you're talking about.
I'm still not familiar with all the correct names but a fat handled Tech, ball end Tech, 1 black Super Speed, 2 silver Super Speeds, and a Slim Adjustable. I was wrong it was 6 razors. I got a Fat Boy that was more than $10 but still pretty reasonable. I usually just enter " Gillette razor" or "safety razor" in the search bar.
29 percent?
What are the baseline prices for vintage razors?
Um..insane? A thousand dollars for a razor? Two thousand for a Toggle? I've heard of overheated market but this went passed stupid and out of the solar system.
Similar threads
