Internet? listings?

[Sut Tatersaul]

I just took some time to look for listings of sales of older knives sold in the past. Well I had no success with that venture. I'm not surprised at the result of that venture, as, to put it mildly, my computing skills have " Got up & Gone". Well, in navigating 40 pages of offered knives, for sale, on E-Bay , I was amazed at the prices that some of the knives were offered at! Many of the Chinese offerings were listed at under $1.00, and even more at under $2.00, and many of those had free shipping! Even if I were to want to buy knives, from sources of this kind, I don't understand how they could afford to sell knives, at a prices such as these? Are these "Scams", offered to cheat people out of their money, or, what is the game they are playing? I know I'm Old, and ignorant, but I don't understand this at all! What am I missing here?
Sut Tatersaul

[TripleF]

I think most of us have purchased from these overseas sources for some cheap crap (I just bought a LOT of mini keychain bright lights for cheap and free shipping)......don't know how they do it, don't care to know. I got my stuff and we're good.

There must be some sort of shipping deal worked out somehow, some way.........


I'm baffled too!!

[kootenay joe]

They are not scams. Pay for them and however many knives you have paid for will arrive. The sellers in China i have dealt with have been very conscientious. Some of the very inexpensive Chinese knives are surprisingly good while others can be barely usable.
kj

[SolWarrior]

I just took some time to look for listings of sales of older knives sold in the past. Well I had no success with that venture. I'm not surprised at the result of that venture, as, to put it mildly, my computing skills have " Got up & Gone". Well, in navigating 40 pages of offered knives, for sale, on E-Bay , I was amazed at the prices that some of the knives were offered at! Many of the Chinese offerings were listed at under $1.00, and even more at under $2.00, and many of those had free shipping! Even if I were to want to buy knives, from sources of this kind, I don't understand how they could afford to sell knives, at a prices such as these? Are these "Scams", offered to cheat people out of their money, or, what is the game they are playing? I know I'm Old, and ignorant, but I don't understand this at all! What am I missing here?
Sut Tatersaul

Sut, if you're looking for older knives (particular brands & models) that already sold, eBay is a good source to find what you're looking for in a few easy steps. Go to eBay and type what you're searching for (For example: Schrade Cut Co) and hit the search button. Once they pop up scroll down while looking to the left of your screen. There's several choices to select from but at or near the bottom is the category "Show Only" and four or so choices to click on. Click on "Sold Listings" and it will take you to the brand of knives (and model if you so choose) that sold up to a few months ago, or less if there's many knives listed. From there you can change the search to other brands and models without having to go thru the other steps. The prices of sold items will be in green. Good luck and happy hunting.

[just bob]

I bought a new carb for my weedeater for $7.50 from China with free shipping. Worked great. The local dealer wanted more than that for the needle valve. I think the strategy is to eliminate competition. Once they do that the price will sky rocket. Enjoy it while it's there.

[Mumbleypeg]

I think the strategy is to eliminate competition. Once they do that the price will sky rocket. Enjoy it while it's there.

This is exactly what is happening. While I have traveled extensively to Asia, including China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia etc., I found that I was unable to purchase many items including all electronics, as cheaply there as I could buy the exact same item here at Walmart. For example Chinese-made electronics sell in Singapore (after negotiation ) for at least 25% more than the identical item sells at Walmart. The U.S. retail price is less than they pay wholesale.

The practice is called "dumping", and is designed to eliminate competition. The U.S. is a huge market, the biggest in the world. Products are dumped here at a loss, with the end game being to eliminate all other competition, after which the government-subsidized Chinese manufacturers will raise prices. It is commonly practice in Asian culture for businesses to form alliances, agree between companies how to divide markets, to exclude companies outside their "group", and so on. In the U.S. this practice is illegal, a violation of antitrust laws. The rest of the world doesn't play by our rules.

Unfortunately, "enjoy it while it's there" isn't an effective strategy to level the playing field.

Ken

[just bob]

I got curious about how this works - especially the postage when it costs me $2.60 to send my neighbor a package. Here is a great explanation with a lot of information.


http://thydzik.com/how-do-chinesehong-k ... ing-items/

[Sut Tatersaul]

I have been looking a little closer at the, "China Knife sales" situation. In the couple of weeks, that I'v been following it, it seems to me that the trend is shifting to much higher costs for the knives, and shipping costs are rising also. One knife offering in particular, was listed at a reasonable price, but, the shipping cost, for the knife was listed at $30.00, Weird? I did decide to take advantage of the reasonable prices still offered, and order some to be used as gifts, but the dirt cheap prices, seem to be a thing of the past. There seems to be some real shenanigans going on right now pertaining to this situation. Well, now, to sit back and see how my experiment works out.
Sut Tatresaul

[just bob]

If what is stated in the article is true and it cost so little to send a small package from China to North America and Europe imagine the costs the postal services are having to absorb to deliver all of these goods with no power to put a rate increase into effect for any foreign governments. All they can do is raise the rates in the countries they serve and we are all suffering those effects. $7.20 is a lot for a priority package but that may just be the tip of the iceberg. It looks like the politicians would get involved in this.

[Sut Tatersaul]

First of all, I don't intend this post to be political. I never thought that I, a lifetime member of the laboring community, would buy merchandise from a foreign manufacturer. Well, after much thought, I decided that since a lot of USA based knife manufactures' knives are made overseas anyway, I would try dealing with their makers directly, and try to determine how the quality of the knives made for sale in the USA, compared to to the ones to be sold in China. Although I don't fully understand the situation, It has been an interesting experiment. I bought several Knives sold under major knife brands, intending to use them as gifts, after accessing their quality. Five different knives have been received, and accessed so far, and have passed with flying colors. I am waiting for delivery of a couple of the more elaborately decorated Knives, to judge for quality, we will just wait and see, the outcome.
Thanks for sharing my experiment.
Sut Tatrersaul

[Sut Tatersaul]

I was beginning to think that the quality of the USA Named Chinese knives being offered to the public in the USA were all of the same quality that were being made for the Same USA companies, to be sold under their old established names. Howzat for confusing? Well, i finally received one that was probably worth the dump price that I paid for it, but it had plenty of room for improvement in quality. Now that's not a bad average. The experiment goes on, this time with some knives of higher prices, and more embellishments. I'll wait, and see.
Sut Tatersaul

[Sut Tatersaul]

Well folks, there seems to be a fairly rapid change taking place on the Chinese knife dump scene, mostly here, in the USA. In less than two weeks, the prices have jumped by about three times the asking amount, with postage added. Our USA sellers have started to take advantage of the situation. Now, Our super efficient USPS employees have decided to get into the action, and "teach us a lesson"? They claimed that an item delivered from China was delivered, to me last week, but no one was their to accept it, and needed to be rescheduled for delivery, or picked up at the USPS facility. This action, I can only assume, is to teach us, their employers, a lesson, on buying from a foreign country? In my case, there was a shipment delivered from a USA source at the same day, and time, with one from China. I know it caused me to have to make a trip across town, to pick up the knife in question, although I don't understand the lesson it it was supposed to teach me.
In looking through the knives listed by our "shameless" USA Knife manufactures, that have all of their knives made at the same Chinese factories, have no problem putting a price of more than ten times more on the ones to be sold as made by them. That leaves the legitimate USA based knife manufactures, at a large economical disadvantage, and the American knife collectors at one also. I have no idea where this will all end, but it is taking the enjoyment of knife collecting away from me. Please forgive my rant.
Sut Tatersaul

[Sut Tatersaul]

More, concerning my education on the "Chinese knife Dump". I am probably boring all the good folks here on the AAPK Forum, but it does concern us all. Having never ordered directly from a Chinese based "Knife Dump Dealer", I unknowingly did, and ordered a small Knife. the knife was listed for many uses, and to be delivered as soon as they received payment. After twenty two days, the knife finally arrived, No box or packing, in a plain vinyl envelope, Filthy dirty, dull, not lubricated, and poorly finished, No brand name, an amateurish knife at best. The supplier supplied detailed instructions on not giving the product a poor rating, and to contact him if not satisfied. I wonder what good that would do? and what the length of time that would pass, before a solution was offered? Just another step in the process of what knife collecting is becoming. Well, no one twisted my arm to make me bite on their scheme, and I don't think the good folks on the AAPK forum care to hear me rant on this subject, so this is the last that I'll offer. After a thorough cleaning, and lubrication, I took pictures, I only wish I had took before pictures. Thanks for sharing.
Sut Tatersaul