GEC Auctions of Note

GEC specializes in highly collectable and premium quality usable pocket knives. The company's USA manufactured knives have quickly proven to be a big hit with both collectors and users who seek quality American craftsmanship.
kootenay joe
Posts: 13373
Joined: Mon Jan 11, 2016 5:36 pm
Location: West Kootenays, B.C.

Re: GEC Auctions of Note

Post by kootenay joe »

GEC knives are like the Stock Market: wish i knew then what i know now. Then i could have bought the ones that go for multiples.
kj
robbobus
Bronze Tier
Bronze Tier
Posts: 343
Joined: Sun Jul 18, 2010 3:30 am

Re: GEC Auctions of Note

Post by robbobus »

That TC was a very limited acces handle material. I have never seen another up for sale. A 1 of 15 CC barlow, clip point to boot. I think it would have sold with a BIN in excess of 600.

And I think that 38 Grinling whittler is going to go for around $580.
kootenay joe
Posts: 13373
Joined: Mon Jan 11, 2016 5:36 pm
Location: West Kootenays, B.C.

Re: GEC Auctions of Note

Post by kootenay joe »

Quote: "And I think that 38 Grinling whittler is going to go for around $580."
36 hrs to go and this knife has already exceeded all predictions !
Have a look: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Great-Eastern- ... 1438.l2649
kj
User avatar
gsmith7158
Gold Tier
Gold Tier
Posts: 8548
Joined: Fri Dec 25, 2015 7:25 pm
Location: Canton, Ga. 100% of the time
Contact:

Re: GEC Auctions of Note

Post by gsmith7158 »

My goodness that whittler price makes me wonder what my mammoth double pull sunfish prototype might be worth ::hmm::
------------------

Greg

IF YOU AIN'T BUYING OR LOOKING AT A KNIFE THEN YOU AIN'T LIVING.
Always looking to buy good quality Empire knives.

PROUD MEMBER AAPK, NRA.
kootenay joe
Posts: 13373
Joined: Mon Jan 11, 2016 5:36 pm
Location: West Kootenays, B.C.

Re: GEC Auctions of Note

Post by kootenay joe »

Greg, is there a picture posted of: "my mammoth double pull sunfish prototype" ?
I am thinking this is a 36 pattern ? Would like to see it.
kj
User avatar
gsmith7158
Gold Tier
Gold Tier
Posts: 8548
Joined: Fri Dec 25, 2015 7:25 pm
Location: Canton, Ga. 100% of the time
Contact:

Re: GEC Auctions of Note

Post by gsmith7158 »

kootenay joe wrote:Greg, is there a picture posted of: "my mammoth double pull sunfish prototype" ?
I am thinking this is a 36 pattern ? Would like to see it.
kj
Here ya go Roland.
Attachments
20180603_104802 (2).jpg
20180603_104802 (2).jpg (22.77 KiB) Viewed 4268 times
20180603_104743 (1).jpg
------------------

Greg

IF YOU AIN'T BUYING OR LOOKING AT A KNIFE THEN YOU AIN'T LIVING.
Always looking to buy good quality Empire knives.

PROUD MEMBER AAPK, NRA.
kootenay joe
Posts: 13373
Joined: Mon Jan 11, 2016 5:36 pm
Location: West Kootenays, B.C.

Re: GEC Auctions of Note

Post by kootenay joe »

Oh My ! What a special knife ! It has to be your BEST GEC.
Do you know how many 36's there are with ivory or mammoth ? I think it is an exclusive 'club'.
kj
User avatar
gsmith7158
Gold Tier
Gold Tier
Posts: 8548
Joined: Fri Dec 25, 2015 7:25 pm
Location: Canton, Ga. 100% of the time
Contact:

Re: GEC Auctions of Note

Post by gsmith7158 »

Roland I know of 4. Ken Daniels had them made for friends and special dealers apparently.
------------------

Greg

IF YOU AIN'T BUYING OR LOOKING AT A KNIFE THEN YOU AIN'T LIVING.
Always looking to buy good quality Empire knives.

PROUD MEMBER AAPK, NRA.
User avatar
Tsar Bomba
Posts: 3622
Joined: Fri Jan 30, 2015 5:14 am
Contact:

Re: GEC Auctions of Note

Post by Tsar Bomba »

robbobus wrote:That TC was a very limited acces handle material. I have never seen another up for sale. A 1 of 15 CC barlow, clip point to boot. I think it would have sold with a BIN in excess of 600.
There's an identical knife currently on the fleabay for around $180...albeit with days to go and over 40 watchers.
Tony
ImageImageImageImage
Everything's better with a Barlow
robbobus
Bronze Tier
Bronze Tier
Posts: 343
Joined: Sun Jul 18, 2010 3:30 am

Re: GEC Auctions of Note

Post by robbobus »

That 38 went for $819. ! I recognize the seller's avatar, he's a stand up good guy, good for him. Honest auction and some bidding madness.
User avatar
FarSide
Bronze Tier
Bronze Tier
Posts: 393
Joined: Thu Jun 02, 2016 8:13 pm
Location: Central Valley of CA

Re: GEC Auctions of Note

Post by FarSide »

robbobus wrote:That 38 went for $819. ! I recognize the seller's avatar, he's a stand up good guy, good for him. Honest auction and some bidding madness.
That is beyond crazy. So much for my lousy +$500 guess ::shrug::
-Tim
kootenay joe
Posts: 13373
Joined: Mon Jan 11, 2016 5:36 pm
Location: West Kootenays, B.C.

Re: GEC Auctions of Note

Post by kootenay joe »

I think the very high prices that quite a few GEC's are getting will not be sustained. We are in a time of "GEC Infatuation" and for good reason. Traditional style knives of this quality have not been made for a very long time and we are hungry for them. I think this 'hunger' will decrease over time as we become accustomed to the high quality of these knives. I do not see the GEC 'market' as crashing. Most GEC knives will likely sell for prices in the range of original price and a few will be 2-3 times this amount but many of the 'most highly priced now will not be in this 'few'.
Now let's hear from someone who thinks today's prices will seem like a good deal in 10 years time. My guess as to future GEC prices could be wrong so hearing a counter argument would provide some balance.
kj
robbobus
Bronze Tier
Bronze Tier
Posts: 343
Joined: Sun Jul 18, 2010 3:30 am

Re: GEC Auctions of Note

Post by robbobus »

Interesting point and it is quite impossible to predict the price of collectibles 10 years in the future. When I compare other knives to GECs, they usually come up short - with exceptions of course. I think it will be the shorter run knives in popular patterns which will be the valuable items in the future. I still enjoy my knives and likely will for decades to come. I recall when the secondary market on TC barlows rose to $100, then $125. I could hardly believe it. I've since been offered over $500 for a ppp TC, and it was tempting to let go but I would likely never have another. So I still have it. Now the more recent runs of TCs seem to be selling for around $200 give or take - an increase over retail in the 50% range. In this respect the prices already have leveled off, it is just those actual rare knives commanding ridiculous prices. The 38 American whittler was limited to 50 knives, there was only about 600 total configuration produced. I recall that being a formula for a potentially valuable collectible. Variants consisting of 250 examples out of a run of 2000 or 3000 are obviously less rare and demand could be higher but prices lower due to availability.

That's all I know about my take on the knife market. Prices could go in the toilet like with sports cards, plates, etc. Or through the roof, its shocking what truckers and farmers hats from the '70s and '80s can bring for example (need to go through the closets back home). When all is said and done, I buy and collect knives because I enjoy them and the hobby. If they go up, awesome. If they go down, I'll buy more. ::groove::
kootenay joe
Posts: 13373
Joined: Mon Jan 11, 2016 5:36 pm
Location: West Kootenays, B.C.

Re: GEC Auctions of Note

Post by kootenay joe »

Here is a Stag Whaler from 2011: 462211; just sold for $792.12. These are high prices. Wonder what i could get for my ivory #46 ?
kj
Attachments
s-l1600 (15).jpg
User avatar
RalphAlsip
Posts: 2320
Joined: Sun Feb 02, 2014 9:01 pm
Location: Southern Illinois

Re: GEC Auctions of Note

Post by RalphAlsip »

kootenay joe wrote:Wonder what i could get for my ivory #46 ?
Probably not enough to prevent you from regretting selling it. :)
kootenay joe
Posts: 13373
Joined: Mon Jan 11, 2016 5:36 pm
Location: West Kootenays, B.C.

Re: GEC Auctions of Note

Post by kootenay joe »

I agree. I was just havin' fun 'cause a few people here want it. But being serious, there are some collectors who want to get 'out' of ivory handled knives now fearing future 'hassles'. Usually when something desirable gets banned, prices go up but this might be tempered here by collectors eschewing ivory. For the GEC Whalers maybe Stag will get higher prices than ivory ? They might if there were equal numbers of each. But there aren't. There are just a handful (5 ?) with ivory so that puts price up.
I am not selling so i won't find out. You are right. It feels to be worth more than just money. Even getting a large amount for it, i would still feel it's loss. Only a few knives do this to me.
kj
kootenay joe
Posts: 13373
Joined: Mon Jan 11, 2016 5:36 pm
Location: West Kootenays, B.C.

Re: GEC Auctions of Note

Post by kootenay joe »

Here is a surprising high value GEC auction, a 735113 with Stag handles: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Great-Eastern- ... _cvip=true
$665.99

The #73 single blade has been made in numerous years beginning with the first GEC 2006 offerings and with every run Stag was one of the handle choices. It has been made with caps and as a liner lock. This one is the 'plain' barehead version with fairly nice stag but not one of the best of the #73 stags to generate $660 worth of excitement.
kj
Attachments
s-l1600 (3).jpg
kootenay joe
Posts: 13373
Joined: Mon Jan 11, 2016 5:36 pm
Location: West Kootenays, B.C.

Re: GEC Auctions of Note

Post by kootenay joe »

Stag Whaler sells for just under $800 !
Stag 462211 sold at $797.87 : https://www.ebay.com/itm/GREAT-EASTERN- ... _cvip=true
This $800 value has been realized by at least 2 other Stag Whalers, one of which is in this thread, means this is 'market value' not a 'one off' occurrence.
kj
Attachments
s-l1600 (16).jpg
robbobus
Bronze Tier
Bronze Tier
Posts: 343
Joined: Sun Jul 18, 2010 3:30 am

Re: GEC Auctions of Note

Post by robbobus »

Those are ltd quantity knives and quite stunning.

Guys are asking 500+ for the 2018 version of which there were just under 1000 produced. For sure they haven't tripled in value, likely held their own or went up 10-20%. I always tell the house commander I'm checking the market when I'm on eBay, only partially kidding.
kootenay joe
Posts: 13373
Joined: Mon Jan 11, 2016 5:36 pm
Location: West Kootenays, B.C.

Re: GEC Auctions of Note

Post by kootenay joe »

Did any of the 2018 Whalers come with stag handles ? I think not.
The extreme high prices for the Whaler are for those with stag or ivory handles only i do believe.
kj
kootenay joe
Posts: 13373
Joined: Mon Jan 11, 2016 5:36 pm
Location: West Kootenays, B.C.

Re: GEC Auctions of Note

Post by kootenay joe »

Here is a Whaler with "White Pearl Acrylic" handles that just sold on ebay auction for $725. I think this is high for synthetic handles.
kj
Attachments
s-l1600 (7).jpg
s-l1600 (8).jpg
User avatar
Sharpnshinyknives
Gold Tier
Gold Tier
Posts: 5106
Joined: Mon Jul 16, 2018 2:32 am
Location: Indiana
Contact:

Re: GEC Auctions of Note

Post by Sharpnshinyknives »

While that is a beautiful knife, I would never pay that for an acrylic handled knife. These prices make no sense to me.
SSk
SSk Mark “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.” Ronald Reagan
User avatar
KnifeSlinger#81
Posts: 4171
Joined: Tue Aug 11, 2015 8:50 pm
Location: Oklahoma
Contact:

Re: GEC Auctions of Note

Post by KnifeSlinger#81 »

There was a mint 81 stockman in osage orange wood that sold for about $250 a couple days ago. It's just stupid how high they go. :x

At those prices I'll buy old minty knives instead.
-Paul T.

WANTED: Shapleigh Diamond Edge branded Schrades in good condition.
User avatar
wlf
Posts: 4762
Joined: Thu Mar 24, 2011 2:55 am
Location: WV

Re: GEC Auctions of Note

Post by wlf »

People want them, bottom line.
I don't think that will change as long as Bill Howard still heads the operation. All the knives seem a good investment as Bill won't live forever ,and who's to say what follows him for GEC. Hopefully William carries on the GEC tradition, but that's not a given.

GEC is a small time manufacturer that produces a product of remarkable quality, I'd say reviling most antique knives we collect.
I buy roosters combs and farmers..........................................................jack knives [/b]

GEC SFOs and others at LICK CREEK CUTLERY- www.allaboutpocketknives.com/wlf

May the Father and Son bless
Lyle
kootenay joe
Posts: 13373
Joined: Mon Jan 11, 2016 5:36 pm
Location: West Kootenays, B.C.

Re: GEC Auctions of Note

Post by kootenay joe »

These high prices are due to strong collector interest. With many GEC patterns there are more interested collectors than knives to collect. If knife collecting does not continue to attract new members, in 10 years or so there could be far fewer knife collectors. If this happens the high prices being seen now will decline.
But the converse could happen. GEC is making such outstanding knives that many people new to knives might become enamored and become knife collectors. If this really took off then prices for the most desired patterns and knives with excellent handles would go higher than they are now.
It could go either way. The future is often not what had been expected.
kj
Post Reply

Return to “Great Eastern Cutlery (GEC) Collector's Forum”