Another over priced eBay item.

[ufox9al]

If you are interested in who is bidding this high here is one of the high bidders. I can't identify the other yet.
http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewBidItems&all=1&_rdc=1&userid=rp19541954&&rows=100&completed=1&sort=1&guest=1

Hey, I was bidding on some of the sigsal auctions (s)he won... no wonder I lost them all.

[Chako]

Welcome to the club then.   

[stressmaster5000]

Doesn't that US serviceman in S Korea have a ton of those?

That knife was a completely different model. The 1st Mate was what he found a bunch of and helped some of us here to get them rather low cost comparatively. The model that just sold for this record amount has a can opener and is called the "Midshipman" at least on the SAKWicki. The actual model is just a number to Victorinox. The 1st Mate has a pruner blade instead of the can opener. Still this price seems out of touch. I think SAK collecting has come around to those who put more money into valuable collectibles.

[Neil]

I'll put this down to freaky fluke. There is no way a Midshipman is worth that! 

I'm almost wondering if someone isn't trying to artificially over inflate prices 

[Gareth]

I'll put this down to freaky fluke. There is no way a Midshipman is worth that! 

I'm almost wondering if someone isn't trying to artificially over inflate prices 

At that kind of money you have to be slightly suspicious, but I probably believe it was just two people with no sense.

[bren10man]

Doesn't that US serviceman in S Korea have a ton of those?

That would be me.

I moved all 28 or so of the NIB old stock First Mates I stumbled upon at the Vic store located in Namdaemun Market, Seoul, last January.  All gone by April I think (I bought and shipped them to Felinevet over several months so as not to create attention via USPS and US Customs).  

[felinevet]

I'll put this down to freaky fluke. There is no way a Midshipman is worth that! 

I'm almost wondering if someone isn't trying to artificially over inflate prices 

The last Midshipman I sold went for about $85. IIRC.

[stressmaster5000]

I'll put this down to freaky fluke. There is no way a Midshipman is worth that! 

I'm almost wondering if someone isn't trying to artificially over inflate prices 

The last Midshipman I sold went for about $85. IIRC.

When was the last time you had a Midshipman for sale? Do you remember? I can't recall if I have ever seen one for sale anywhere in the years I have been buying, but I certainly could have missed out as I do many times anyway.

[felinevet]

I'll put this down to freaky fluke. There is no way a Midshipman is worth that! 

I'm almost wondering if someone isn't trying to artificially over inflate prices 

The last Midshipman I sold went for about $85. IIRC.

When was the last time you had a Midshipman for sale? Do you remember? I can't recall if I have ever seen one for sale anywhere in the years I have been buying, but I certainly could have missed out as I do many times anyway.

I have had Seaman, Sailor, Midshipman, 1st. Mates and all the other red Alox series within the last year or so.

[stressmaster5000]

I'll put this down to freaky fluke. There is no way a Midshipman is worth that! 

I'm almost wondering if someone isn't trying to artificially over inflate prices 

In tough economic times, collectibles almost always improve in value along with gold and silver and other precious metals just as we are seeing now. I truly think that SAK's as a collectible market in general has been undervalued compared to other cutlery collectibles.

The new found interest in SAK collecting has been given a worldwide boost the last few years with this website and others like it.

Another key ingredient is the lack of very many modern SAK collectibles. Victorinox and Wenger have made a few highly prized commemorative pieces. However compared to other cutlery makers, they lag far behind in producing models for the collectible market. This means that the older and harder to find models have that much more attention from both new and experienced collectors.

That price does seem a bit too high but when you mix in collectors new to a market with loads of money to throw into their collection its what happens. You could also say that one could wait until you find another identical item to bid on or buy but if you want it NOW then that will overpower your normal sense of value. I regularly find collectible SAK's for a decent price but due to budget constraints I miss out on many more due to competition.

[stressmaster5000]

I'll put this down to freaky fluke. There is no way a Midshipman is worth that! 

I'm almost wondering if someone isn't trying to artificially over inflate prices 

The last Midshipman I sold went for about $85. IIRC.

When was the last time you had a Midshipman for sale? Do you remember? I can't recall if I have ever seen one for sale anywhere in the years I have been buying, but I certainly could have missed out as I do many times anyway.

I have had Seaman, Sailor, Midshipman, 1st. Mates and all the other red Alox series within the last year or so.

OK, so the Midshipman is the only one I have missed out on then. I guess I should add your store to my RSS reader. Maybe I tried to do that but you do not have any RSS feed links to your store. Oh well, can't have them all. 

[american lockpicker]

I don't care for SAKs becoming collecter's items now the prices will become unnessecarily high. 

[shadeone]

I'll put this down to freaky fluke. There is no way a Midshipman is worth that! 

I'm almost wondering if someone isn't trying to artificially over inflate prices 

The last Midshipman I sold went for about $85. IIRC.

When was the last time you had a Midshipman for sale? Do you remember? I can't recall if I have ever seen one for sale anywhere in the years I have been buying, but I certainly could have missed out as I do many times anyway.

I have had Seaman, Sailor, Midshipman, 1st. Mates and all the other red Alox series within the last year or so.

OK, so the Midshipman is the only one I have missed out on then. I guess I should add your store to my RSS reader. Maybe I tried to do that but you do not have any RSS feed links to your store. Oh well, can't have them all. 

tools/internet options/set home page/

[ufox9al]

Well, Midshipman IS a rare model, and one of the posters on SOSAK KF forum, being a Mishipman, was looking for this specific SAK model. With that in mind, and considering that our own Chako was willing to spend $180 on it, there is really no surprise that it sold so high.

[Neil]

Wayne's right about SAKs becoming a more widely collected item and that has certainly upped prices.  I told Dunc when he traded a First Mate from me a little while back to look after it, as the price would go up and up. (I believe he just fondles it occasionally, whilst wearing a bib    rather than uses it ).

I still don't get that this price is at all realistic, $435 people!   Chako's bid was a high bid, $435 is just nuts 

By the way I have a new in box Midshipman I'd be more than happy to sell for $400 to anyone with way too much cash

[Chako]

I agree with Neil. I was 100% certain that my high bid would get it for me. I did after all do a bit of research on it first to find out what would be an acceptable amount of cash to get one. I am flabbergasted that it went so high.

Not a realistic price at all, and I feel it has nothing to do with more people finding SAKs as being collectable. I do however feel it has everything to do with someone out there just getting into it with too much money and too little knowledge.

But that is ok. I know there will come a time when I will come across another one to add to my collection.