400+ Piece SAK Collection

[squirrlyC]

I posted this in the For Sale forum but I’m mostly interested in feedback.  We are getting ready to sell a very large collection of approximately 470 SAK’s, including the Giant, automated display, cyber tool, XAVT, 125th Anniversary Edition, all the special designs, as well as a few antique pieces and a beautiful storage chest.  Appraiser valued it at $75,000 with the case.  I’d prefer it to stay as an intact collection but I’m pretty sure anyone that could afford the entire collection would already have many of the pieces.  Any thoughts on selling individually or as a whole?

[FolderBeholder]

Whole collections, I think, are difficult to sell.
Knives that are in original box are a bonus to some collectors.
In my opinion, selling separately can give you more in the long run (depending on the SAK as some are highly sought after), but it is a time consuming process.

[Echotech]

 

Firstly what a great collection, I'm sure there'd be many pieces of interest to collectors....I'd love a Giant, if not the price!

I agree with FB, I think it'll be very hard to sell as one collection, particularly as it encompasses quite a few different models.
EG. I mostly collect old soldiers so a bunch of 58mm classics won't be of interest

Any collection is also personal to that collector as well as $75k being a huge amount of money for most of us

Good luck with it, but think you'd be better to split it into lots

cheers

John

[FolderBeholder]

It seems like the estimate of $75,000 seems high to me.
Just doing simple calculations of the estimate divided by 400 SAKs, that is $187.50 each.
Obviously the Giant is worth substantially more and some rare older ones could fetch more.
Just didn't want to you to have your hopes up for that much.  Of course, I don't know all that you have.

[nate j]

It seems like the estimate of $75,000 seems high to me.
Just doing simple calculations of the estimate divided by 400 SAKs, that is $187.50 each.
Obviously the Giant is worth substantially more and some rare older ones could fetch more.
Just didn't want to you to have your hopes up for that much.  Of course, I don't know all that you have.

Minor quibble, the number I saw was 470 SAKs, so $75,000 / 470 =$159.57 each.  Otherwise, I agree with everything else you said.

[AzteCypher]

I agree with all the comments here thus far.  A collection thus far is more difficult to sell.  It would be more time consuming but you'd be more successful selling the rarer ones individually and perhaps making groups of the other ones.  SAK collectors on here I'm sure would be interested in several of them though.

Good luck with the sale.

[nate j]

I also agree with those who have pointed out it would probably be difficult to sell as a collection to an individual collector.

You might be able to sell it as a lot to a pawn shop or other reseller, but it would almost certainly be broken up and resold individually by them.  They would also likely not offer more than about half of whatever they think they can get for it, since that is how they make money.

If you’re in the US, you certainly could try putting it on the ‘bay as a lot.  Just make sure you would be OK letting it go for whatever your reserve price/starting bid is.

Perhaps a middle-of-the-road approach would be to separate the rarer items from the more common.  The rare stuff will probably fetch more individually than if sold as a lot.  You could then get rid of the common ones as a lot.  Edited to add that I see AC just suggested this while I was typing.

[Tuisto]

I think Nate J's recommendation — a middle of the road approach whereby you sell some as lots and others individually — makes the most sense. But then again, it depends on how quickly you need the money. I think the estimate of an average of ~$160 seems exceptionally high (unless you have every single damast model, and a few XXLTs/XAVTs, in which case it's at least possible). I hope that you are able to sell them well. I know collections like that are very long-running endeavours. I'm sure it can't be easy.

[Myron]

Assuming the appraisal is accurate, I could see how a small number of very rare, very valuable SAKs could go a long way toward $75K (e.g., imagine a collection of the finest specimens of Model 1890's from all 11 manufacturers, the rarest Model 1901's and 1908's, etc.).   And if the storage chest is a genuine USA-made Gerstner, that thing alone probably cost this collector $10K. 

But as others have pointed out few collectors are going to be interested in someone else's passion project of Classics with advertising logos on them. 

Good luck with your sale.

[pfrsantos]

Or... you could wait until Chako sees this thread and then he'll buy the whole lot from you.

 

[pfrsantos]

On a more serious note, I agree with the suggestion of breaking it down in smaller selected batches, according to size or colour or models or rarity or whatever makes sense.

You can probably sell everything faster and at a higher price this way than you could keeping everything together at a (for many people, even serious collectors) difficult to pay price.

Care to tell us where you're located? Just a ball park location, like a region or city, no need for a full address, with ZIP code and Google maps location. Depending on it, someone close can give you some ideas/suggestions on how to proceed.

Whatever you decide, good luck with the sale! Hope you manage to get (at least) the full collection value! Let us know how it goes!

 

[Huntsman]

 

Well I do -  that the valuation seems high - and certainly unaffordable to most folk

Just from a personal interest (but not to buy) I'd love to understand the themes of the collection Eg Open the drawers
Certainly what you have shown us a great pieces 

And that certainly is a stunning piece of furniture