What's a Good Price for a Vintage Straight?

[Darth Indiana]

one of the local antique shops has a few old straight razors, decent to good condition though they all need a polish, most still have the tube, most for around $40.
i'm in there fairly frequently, and i imagine she'd let me snap a pic or two for comparison if that would help.

 

[natchez]

Some are worthless, others may be worth hundreds. Pictures would indeed help, but somebody who is experienced to go with you is better. If you found a good blade in excellent condition than $40 may be reasonable.

 

[Troggie]

Value is in the eye of the beholder.. and the area you are in. I have found straights in antique stores ranging from 5 bucks to 50 bucks around my area. In the more metro areas they tend to range 20 to 200+ depending on the condition. If you really like it and there is no major pitting in the blade or chips in the edge then I would say go for it or find someone in your area a little more knowledgeable and take them with you. You can also dicker with antique stores if you don't really think it is worth 40 then offer them 25 or 30 for it and see if they will take it.

 

[taffy]

I have paid as low as £6 and had real beauties but also seen them for £30 with cracked blades and scales.

 

[Darth Indiana]

well, the only wetshaver i know of around here is me, so i'll see if i can take a few pictures and get some names off the blades. i'm planning to spend a few hours antiquing, and if i see any elsewhere i'll ask if i can shoot them.

 

[Leon]

I have paid as low as £6 and had real beauties but also seen them for £30 with cracked blades and scales.

It really depends.
Most of the sellers at the antique stores don't know their "real" value. I've bought some nice NOS and near-NOS razor for really cheap and on the other hand I've seen some thrashed broken junk razor for 30 Euros.

 

[Desdinova]

I find most antique stores on the high side.


They either take what they paid and tack on their markup, or they go to eBay to determine price. But with eBay, they look at the higher costing models and don't take into account the actual shape of their razors.


I went to one a little while back and saw a Wade & Butcher they wanted $30 for. But it was rusty, chipped and the scales were completely broken off (blade and scales were in separate boxes). Told the guy it was only worth $10 based on the amount of time and money would be required to restore it to working condition.

 

[Darth Indiana]

well, i hit a mini jackpot today. got a WH Morley&sons Trademark and a GEM for $5 each, and a Koelaer&Co finest grade for $15. there were a few others, including a Duplex and some funny looking safeties that i would have grabbed if the budget had been bigger.
Where would one get Duplex blades?

 

[Telecaster52]

i've heard mixed results on honing up hardware store carpet blades for the duplexes, haven't tried myself

 

[LarryAndro]

Ebay has collectible razors with a pedigree that cost a lot. But, most of us aren't really good at recognizing what is collectible or not. On Ebay, a general vintage razor that is sound in scales and blade, but isn't a pedigreed razor like a Boker or a Wostenholm, sells for around $15.

Based on that, unless you know the razor is pedigreed or collectible and has more value, I would suggest that $15 be your basic level.

You look at a razor in an antique store. If it isn't overly rusted, if the blade is not chipped, and is secure in the scales, if the blade tracks true into resting position, I would think the value would be around $15. By that I mean that that is the price, or close to the price you could get from it if you simply relisted it on Ebay.

There are a lot of situations where the above advice might not apply. So, take it as very general ballpark advice.

 

[ouch]

The price of good entry level straights has taken a pretty big hit of late. I bought several really nice, clean, restored, and perfectly functional razors just a few years ago in the $15-20 range. Can't do that no more.

 

[joshmpdx]

I think a good clean razor with a nice shaving edge CAN be in the $35 range.
Take away some hone wear and add $5, make it a 6/8 and add $10.

Edit: i think finding fun straights at this price point is very doable. even more doable if you're willing to be paiteint on ebay for razors that are not shave ready.

There are handfuls of fella's on the BST that will sell a nice 6/8 razor with minor hone wear for $50 that's shave ready.

 

[SliceOfLife]

Based on what I've seen lately?
5/8 to 6/8
New condition no name vintage on eBay? $40-60
No name vintage in good condition. Maybe needs a touch of sanding and a honing? $15-30

7/8? ~twice the price.
4/8 ~half the price.

8/8 in good condition? $150+

Then there's the various price increases. Ivory, aluminum, bronze, silver, etc, Decorated Celluloid, Mother of Pearl, Covered Tangs, Fancy engravings, Popular names... etc. They all increase the value quite a bit.

This is just a very rough estimation. If you're just looking at a 5/8+ razor in good condition to send away for honing and you don't care about name or decoration AND are confident you can tell the razors condition from the pics. I'd say 15-25$ is the range you should look at. If you're willing to spend more than that you can start adding stuff in. Want a 7/8 or NOS or Ivory handle etc, prepare to pay more.


In antique/thrift stores, there's no rhyme or reason to it. Someone got a VERY good condition 1" W&B masonic razor (~$400+ on eBay) for like $10 recently. I've also seen a chipped and rusted to hell, totally worthless except for beaten up horn scales 6/8" Sheffield in my local thrift store for $150. Lots of people have snagged nearly new Dubl Duck 'Edge razors ($200+ on eBay) for under $20 locally.

Basically if shopping in person, just use your better judgement. If the price seems high, try offering less.

 

[gugi]

Once I bought ivory Mappin&Webb in what most sellers would call NOS, or mint condition for $5 plus a couple of dollars for the shipping.
I thought that was a good price for a vintage razor.
Another time I got a different Mappin razor, very well restored and with a $30 plastic scales on it for over $400. I also thought it was a good price for that razor.

So, a good price can vary a lot.