Vic Swiss Champ: The art of the deal

[GraysonK]

Hi all,
Well, I'm pretty excited.  Way back when, there was a thread about wish lists and I stated, rather emphatically, that I didn't think I'd ever ever get a Swiss Champ because I was certain I would never use it and at that time I'd only ever seen them for $50 - $80 dollars and I just couldn't see spending that kind of money on something I'd never use.  Well, today, while trolling Morgantown looking for SAK's (Kim wanted a Swiss Card so I went out looking for one before I ordered one from Saz or online).  After searching high and low I took a chance and went to ACE Hardware.  And low and behold they not only had a SAK, they had a Swiss Champ.  But they wanted $80 for it.  I was ready to argue a bit for this one and here's why:
http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w63/kelrob3/SAKs/Swisschamppackage.jpg
The package looked like it was older than me and was in horrible condition.  Here's more:




Needless to say I was ready to haggle.  I will say that I was quite excited when I saw it there, covered in dust and looking completely unloved.  There was a young woman and a guy there to "help" me.  They girl looked at the man like he was nuts when he told me they were selling it for $80. I said to the man, "Seriously?  This package looks like it's older than I am and it's looks like this knife has been returned."  He swore to me that it hadn't been returned and that it had been damaged like that when they'd gotten it.  I said, "Uh huh".  I took the package again, turned it over and noticed a sound.  Like something rattling.  I looked really close and smirked at the man and said, "I don't want to be a pain, but I can prove that this package was at the very least opened, the knife used or fiddled with and then returned.  Probably used and returned."  He asked me how and I asked him if I could open the package.  So I carefully peeled back the tape and there, in the bottom of the plastic was the straight pin...burnt like someone had tried to sterilize it with a needle.  I showed it to the guy and said, "This wouldn't have just fallen out"  He told me that that pin didn't belong to the knife I said, "Uh huh" and showed him where it goes.  I also pointed out that it was burnt.  He took the package and came back and told me that he would sell it to me for $40.  Score!!!!  While that guy was where ever he was, the girl started asking me questions about the knife, about how I knew where the straight pin was and how I knew so much about it in the first place.  LOL!  I showed the knife to her, all the tools and such, pulled out my Hiker and compared to the Swiss Champ...she was really interested.  And I told her if she really wanted to know more, I suggested she visit MT.O and Sakwiki.  She was nice. 
Okay, so that's the story...the rest of this a couple of pictures.  I have more to post in the shutter shop because I was bored and took a lot of pics of this little beauty. 



 

[ICanFixThat]

Nice pics (and picks), and now you have a good reference for most of the tools.

Good negotiating!

[Santos]

too funny, but seriously... you would have to be 18 or younger for it to be 'before you where born' since the hook came out in 91  

but i am all for recuiting more women into MT.org there is nothing better than women who have more technical aptittude than those fools blinded by 'I am a man, therefore i know' myth.  

[GraysonK]

too funny, but seriously... you would have to be 18 or younger for it to be 'before you where born' since the hook came out in 91  

but i am all for recuiting more women into MT.org there is nothing better than women who have more technical aptittude than those fools blinded by 'I am a man, therefore i know' myth.  

LOL  I know, it just that that package was in really really bad shape.  It sounded good at the time. 

[jazzbass]

Very nice - looks like a 1993/4 knife. Put it on eBay, call it "Vintage" and watch the cash pour in!

[Smitty44]

You go girl,great bargain,I tried to bargain down a LM Supertool 200 last year at a Ace Hardware also,and they didn't even have the box or sheath for it,they would not go below $60,even after they went to the manager,so I was in a TJ Max the following week and got the same thing in a sealed bubble for $32.
 &

[Santos]

Very nice - looks like a 1993/4 knife. Put it on eBay, call it "Vintage" and watch the cash pour in!

Are you nuts?
she needs to hack it up for the sheer kudos of being a modder

[GraysonK]

You go girl,great bargain,I tried to bargain down a LM Supertool 200 last year at a Ace Hardware also,and they didn't even have the box or sheath for it,they would not go below $60,even after they went to the manager,so I was in a TJ Max the following week and got the same thing in a sealed bubble for $32.
 &

Fantastic deal!  I about dropped over when he said $80.  Seriously!  I know that on the Vic site the price is $88, but wow!  I could have gotten it cheaper on Amazon, but I thought it was pretty good deal.  I almost never find Vics that interesting around here.  Dick's Sporting Goods has some Wengers for outrageous prices, but not Vics around here that I either don't already have or have no interest in.  

[ICanFixThat]

You rescued a Vic, your karma just increased 10 fold.

[GraysonK]

Very nice - looks like a 1993/4 knife. Put it on eBay, call it "Vintage" and watch the cash pour in!

Are you nuts?
she needs to hack it up for the sheer kudos of being a modder

LOL!  I have no intentions of hacking this up, but I must say...I'm loving those pliers.  I'm having some vague notions of those pliers and alox.  Wonder if that would be possible...hmmm.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Right you've just become my official Sak buying buddy Kel

Good result that girl, and I hope you get on with the Swisschamp

[AHB]

I enjoyed reading this and great deal you got yourself..  

(Why aren't girls I don't know asking me questions about my tools.?)  

[Santos]

I enjoyed reading this and great deal you got yourself..  

(Why aren't girls I don't know asking me questions about my tools.?)  

Clearly they aren't aware that you actually know how to use them. 

[Chako]

Kel, you just know sooner or later, you will start to seek out the special material handled SwissChamps. Assimilation is inevitable.   

[Craig]

I actually remember you saying you didn't want a SwissChamp (I need to get out more, I know) and it seems I told you that you'd have one by the end of the year.

http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,12475.15.html

Damn, 3 days out

Congratulations anyway Best SAK of all IMO

[DaveK]

I think everyone should have a Swisschamp. It should be the law really 

[GraysonK]

I think everyone should have a Swisschamp. It should be the law really 

I humbly admit that I was wrong about the Swiss Champ and respectfully agree with you.

I actually remember you saying you didn't want a SwissChamp (I need to get out more, I know) and it seems I told you that you'd have one by the end of the year.

http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,12475.15.html

Damn, 3 days out

Congratulations anyway Best SAK of all IMO

Yep, I remember you telling me that too.  LOL!

Kel, you just know sooner or later, you will start to seek out the special material handled SwissChamps. Assimilation is inevitable.   

Oh, Lord help me!!!

[Woz]

Congrats!
I personally think the Swisschamp is way too large and heavy to carry it, but I guess some crazy folks see that different. It´s like the Surge of SAK, a monster! (But still cool. Will not get one, but like it )

[P35]

I think everyone should have a Swisschamp. It should be the law really 

I agree,  the world would be a better place, might even bring about whirled peas

[WhichDawg]

(wipes eyes) we're sooo proud of you Kel, knows her stuff and is a good haggler!"

(wonka voice) "Wonderful story!"

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

I think everyone should have a Swisschamp. It should be the law really 

I agree,  the world would be a better place, might even bring about whirled peas

Damn right it should be

[Chako]

Kel...      







 

[AHB]

I think everyone should have a Swisschamp. It should be the law really  

I agree,  the world would be a better place, might even bring about whirled peas

Damn right it should be

Yes, but it had to be Stayglow..  

[Chako]

Now that is interesting. I just noticed after looking at my last photo, that the two newer SwissChamps with the clear magnifiers also have shorter Phillips drivers.  .

[ICanFixThat]

I do believe that the new mag is always paired with the shorter Phillips.

[nuphoria]

A shorter phillips seems like a retrograde step 

Nice score though - I never carry mine really but it's definitely a great tool.

[Sazabi]

I do believe that the new mag is always paired with the shorter Phillips.

That's generally the case, however there was an overlap period with the new magnifier and the longer-shank Phillips, if memory serves. 

[ecfiffer]

kel  sweet find....


chako  seriously bro  your killin me with those sweet shots!!!!!

[DaveK]

I never carry mine really but it's definitely a great tool.

Same here. I actually have three of them now, one that my father bought for me, one that I made from scrap bits, and one I got in a trade with scrappy recently.

I never use them, but the "fiddle factor" makes them a must have item.

[GraysonK]

I love fiddle factor!  And this thing is definitely way up there on the fiddle factor scale!    I doubt very seriously that I'll ever carry it, but you and Chrissy are right, it is an extremely cool thing to own.  It's also very neat to get to actually "play" with tools that I don't have on any of my other SAK's and see if I like them.  For instance, the pliers.  None of my tools have them, but I have kind of been eying a Deluxe Tinker but didn't have any experience with the pliers so I didn't know if I'd like it.  Now, I can safely say that I really like the pliers.  I also love the little scraper on the back.  I originally thought it was a "dedicated" flat head screwdriver...nope.  That's a really handy little tool right there.  The rest of them I have some experience with but it's neat to be able to see all those together like that.  I know there's SAK implements out there that aren't on this, but it's still kind of cool.