Hello densand123, Welcome and oh heck.... your gonna sell them all so Hijacking in progress
That C C C thing usually comes with a price although Mr. Murphy does as well as anyone finding those treasures at the right price. I'm starting to think he has an inside connection

I have an approach to collecting that can be affordable and fun too. Since I sell a knife here and there well, you guys know how it is, everything has a price (or does it?) so I consider knives I buy for my own taste to be temporary tools etc. (momentary companions?) I have never been handed down any family heirloom and the good collections I have gathered I had to sell due to one emergency or another which is NOT the way you ever want to "cash in" your knives but thankfully I knew a few good knife guys who didn't drag me across the coals like many of the opportunists out there (ring a bell?) and now I only collect, as in "NOT FOR SALE", Knives that were given to me and now unusual,rejects,damaged,freakouts,put togethers etc. I thought about collecting counterfeits so we would know what and where they are but the knife dealers who have them want way too much money for their good counterfeits

Sometimes I look for knives with something obviously wrong with it yet different (almost worthless).I'm not looking for Frankensteins even though I like them as well,but rare tang stamps , patterns, companies etc. If it looks like it's been used and fixed and used and rebuilt and used somemore I might just buy it for myself if there is any life left in it at all. This eases the stress and letdowns from shopping the fleabay if you don't like to ask 1,000 questions about everything you are interested in. You know, the stuff 90% of the sellers will not offer up unless you have them at gunpoint, It's like they are saying okay I'm going to be a crook if I can get away with it and if you think you might want what I'm selling FIRST you must unlock the combination of BS and trick photography....this also saves lots of $$$ spent on well needed Vasoline

usually required to help ease the pain afflicted upon you by these strangers and at the TOP OF THE LIST eBAY themselves... Not to mention paypal... eBay + Paypal + eBay schemesters = hard lessons learned about humanity Thank GOD for the 10% or so that play by kinder rules. For the Newbies to this game, just always grin and be prepared to tighten up your shoelaces at any given moment, eventually someone straight,honest,forthright and true will cross your path and you will feel like you finally won one and their welcomed honesty will help to ease your pain

... OR only buy knives that you can hold in your hand first. At least until you know some of the good guys that ARE out there...Dang it I'm posting on the wrong topic !!! ARRRRRGH ... Want a link to me griping about sellers on eBay?

hehehehee ...........I have actually gotten better at reading the knife if there is more than one clear picture and also deciphering the lingo on details or lack thereof
