What's going on with razor prices?

[serbrus]

Hi everyone,

So, I've been pretty good at keeping my RAD in check, until recently. I got into wet shaving almost two years ago, at which time I went on a (limited) buying spree - a few razors, a brush, some creams, etc., - you guys know the drill. A new Merkur, an old Superspeed, a Red-Tip. The last razor I bought was a Gillette Slim Adjustable, in December, 2010, and this has been my daily shaver, save the occasional Slant shave...

Recently I started looking at razors on ebay, as I thought I might get my brother an adjustable for his upcoming birthday. I am surprised at how high the prices have gone for old razors, particularly the adjustables (and more specifically, for the Fat Boys)!

What's going on? I get the idea of supply-demand, but really, double (and more) in two years??? I suppose I could justify the inflated prices by the ultimate saving over time relative to cartridges, but I don't know...

Any thoughts on this? Have that many more people entered the hobby? Has the hobby changed from a build-a-collection approach to more of a money-making approach? Are vendors capitalizing on RAD? All of the above? Other thoughts?

 

[JonM]

You've pretty much nailed it. Traditional wet shaving is on the rise and the supply of vintage razors in good condition is rather limited. Also, eBay sellers typically look at similar items before pricing theirs. So, between the growing demand for them and the going price of similar items, there seems to be a steady increase in the perceived value of specific razors. The Fatboy is a perfect example. Is a nice clean model really worth $150? Hell no. But some people are starting to believe that they are. The name "Fatboy" seems to carry a certain cachet now and some people are willing to pay for it. Don't get me wrong, the Fatboy is a great razor - just not great enough to break the $100 mark.

TLDR

Forget eBay - stick with BST

 

[cosmicdoom]

I wouldn't charge more than $45 for a Fatboy, and I think that is a fair price. It gives an excellent shave, is a limited quantity vintage item, and if properly cared for will last the rest of your life.

That being said, eBay prices are driven by what people are willing to pay.

 

[JonM]

I wouldn't charge more than $45 for a Fatboy, and I think that is a fair price. It gives an excellent shave, is a limited quantity vintage item, and if properly cared for will last the rest of your life.

That being said, eBay prices are driven by what people are willing to pay.

Exactly! Stick with us. We'll treat you right.

 

[cosmicdoom]

Stick with me, I sell razors in the hobbyist forum, I prefer it to dealing with eBay, even though I might miss out on the higher prices. It's nice knowing I'll be dealing exclusively with the fine gentleman here!

 

[Mick]

Start shopping on the razor boards. Better quality products, lower prices, and nicer people

 

[7 O Menthol]

Start shopping on the razor boards. Better quality products, lower prices, and nicer people

Yep, agreed 1,000%

 

[nannahill]

I was hunting for a FB on ebay. Prices went way too high for my liking. Plus a lot of the pics are taken by a 5 year old in the dark with a disposable camera.

A gent helped me out via the BST for a cased FB. It turned out even better than described and pictured. Win win.

 

[JonM]

Case in point. As I type this, there is a cased Fatboy up on eBay that has been bid up to $197.50 plus $7.50 S&H. The auction isn't even over yet. I mean... Really???