• The rules for The Exchange can be found here. Please read and follow them. Stop using Paypal Friends & Family and follow our best practices to prevent getting ripped off or having a bad deal.

eBay flippers

I think we are all in agreement here.... Hate flippers.

I prefer working with individuals, rather than selling outright publicly.
Person to Person.

In the past though, I've always wrote that I'm able to refuse any sale, for any reason.
I'm sorry.
I Also only want my knives staying in the Community.

Idk if it's ok with the rules here....?
But maybe if we put a time duration in the sale?
You vet out poor characters in that first 24 hour period, picking the Best sale, rather than the first offer. Obviously not fishing for increased price, but searching for "increased worthiness" if that makes sense , idk?
 
My opinion of flippers is that they are lower than whale crap. They have no conscience of good intentions or character only self interest.
 
I don't sell period for a number of reasons but I decided a long time ago that if I would, I would refuse sales to what I deem as "trader accounts", users who most if not all of their posts are concentrated to the exchange.
 
Crag the Brewer said:
I think we are all in agreement here.... Hate flippers.

I prefer working with individuals, rather than selling outright publicly.
Person to Person.

In the past though, I've always wrote that I'm able to refuse any sale, for any reason.
I'm sorry.
I Also only want my knives staying in the Community.

Idk if it's ok with the rules here....?
But maybe if we put a time duration in the sale?
You vet out poor characters in that first 24 hour period, picking the Best sale, rather than the first offer. Obviously not fishing for increased price, but searching for "increased worthiness" if that makes sense , idk?
Click to expand...

Seller has the right to sell to whomever they wish based upon whatever metric they choose...membership level, activity level, participation in discussion threads, etc. And can make it clear that they will choose whom they will. It doesn't hurt to explain your reasoning up front.
sailfish said:
I don't sell period for a number of reasons but I decided a long time ago that if I would, I would refuse sales to what I deem as "trader accounts", users who most if not all of their posts are concentrated to the exchange.
Click to expand...

The last several years have seen us inundated by droves of members whose only activity here is buying and selling for profit. It's gotten pretty unmanageable in large measure.

Once theirs weren't the majority of sale posts in the Exchange. I shudder to think of the relative percentages now.

Personally, I don't do a lot of selling...and when I do, it's often based upon a member reaching out to me about a particular piece, as opposed to me posting up a sale thread. If their offer motivates me, and I find them to be credible, or fans of a particular maker's work, I'll often try to accommodate them if I can.

You can tell a lot about people from the totality of their posts you read, and what they bring to the forums.

(And assuming you take all necessary precautions regarding unsolicited emails, hacked accounts etc.)
 
Blues said:
Seller has the right to sell to whomever they wish based upon whatever metric they choose...membership level, activity level, participation in discussion threads, etc. And can make it clear that they will choose whom they will. It doesn't hurt to explain your reasoning up front.


The last several years have seen us inundated by droves of members whose only activity here is buying and selling for profit. It's gotten pretty unmanageable in large measure.

Once theirs weren't the majority of sale posts in the Exchange. I shudder to think of the relative percentages now.

Personally, I don't do a lot of selling...and when I do, it's often based upon a member reaching out to me about a particular piece, as opposed to me posting up a sale thread. If their offer motivates me, and I find them to be credible, or fans of a particular maker's work, I'll often try to accommodate them if I can.

You can tell a lot about people from the totality of their posts you read, and what they bring to the forums.

(And assuming you take all necessary precautions regarding unsolicited emails, hacked accounts etc.)
Click to expand...

I agree with All of this...

It probably feels like preaching to the choir?

Most "regulars" know all these things, and aren't so much here for the Dealing.

But the casual viewer who sees something too good to be true....
(And with how some knife circles seem to be entering a bubble)
Desired knives don't last long.
Greed sees this price/availability, notices the opportunity to finally get that knife... and the person pounces, hook set! :(
 
I'm personally not one to flip, but honestly could care less what someone does with thier own property. If someone bought an item or 100 items from the forums, FB, IG Reddit and paid what the seller was asking why should anyone else care. Also don't see these great deals talked about. By the time it's listed on eBay and they take thier piece no one is getting rich.
 
yup, sadly the traditionals f/s section is mostly trawled by folks who snatch up gec knives just to dump else where. you can tell they sit there and watch all day because the knives are claimed within seconds. Its part of what ruined the hobby for me of late. I used to add every one i see to the ignore list to make sure the knives dont end up in flipper hands. Nowadays I just dont list them any more.
 
I started Slipjoint Addict on FB. A large amount of initial members asked me to be the price police, on one brand specifically. I refused, they got mad and left to start their own groups. Some do great for which I am happy. There are differing levels of what people can pay. I sold off my GECs at a loss, they were used. I wanted to get some back, was appalled by the prices and got some nice entry level customs from makers that command four figures now. I want a custom Bose or custom Cook, but carry a Case Zulu and Sebenza. I’ve been looking at a chestnut Case tribal spear on eBay. Ridiculous amount of money. I submitted my best offer, seller said he knew he could get his amount all day long, I didn’t lowball, we left on good terms. It’s still there.

If you want a specific brand and cannot afford it, submit a best offer. If it doesn’t go through, look for a different knife. There are other knives out there. Don’t try to control the market. There will always be someone with more $ than sense. The flippers will weed themselves out.
 
DrubieG__MimicKnives said:
I’ve been wondering for awhile now what people here on the forum think of eBay flippers. I’ve avoided asking this cus it could be a source for sour expression. I don’t mean to incite anything… I’ve just observed some members swoop up the majority of the good deals on the exchange, I assume to flip for a buck on eBay. I know cus I’ve sold the good deals and seen the knife the next day on eBay, as well as seeing others knives there. I also don’t see the flippers selling on here to other members.

Obviously everyone has a right to do what they want with what they buy and own fair and square. I’ve flipped a few, but never with that intention before hand and I don’t make a habit of it. I look for stuff I really want to try and use and enjoy. Also, I see lots of members express their disappointment that they didn’t react quick enough on a listing of a knife they were looking for, and maybe an eBay flipper got there first.

Is it in line with the spirit of the forum? Are they contributing to and participating in the forum according to its intention? I wonder. (Only cus it bothers me a little) sorry
Click to expand...
I appreciate the GREAT deals offered by the BF community.
The Spyderco BBB 15v drop was one that I was sleeping on.
Members sold me the knives at just a bit over cost to buy plus shipping.
Ebay flippers were selling the knives for cost +200 and more.

Thank you for making knives more affordable.
: )
 
Certainly not defending flippers, especially when I miss a good deal. But at what point does it make someone a flipper? Selling a knife for a profit 1 time? Buying a package deal to keep one, then reselling the rest to recoup some money? Getting a few good deals to resell to buy your grail knife?

At first, it used to drive me insane. But now, it seems at long as seller and buyer are happy with the price, who cares and what business is it of the community. The knife will come back, a little more expensive as does everything else.

The community, can actually do something and stop buying from these assholes. Or moderators can ban them. But it will take more than a couple discontents to change that.

Now if anyone preys on someone selling out of desperation / need and offers them super low prices, well flipper or not, then I’ll sharpen my pitchfork.
 
My one experience buying a knife on eBay was bad.

A guy with good ratings, who sold lots of stuff from dolls to shovels, had a William Henry knife I'd been looking for. It was advertised as BNIB. It was cheaper than when WH sold them - now discontinued - but he asked like 1K. He was not a knife seller per se.

So I bought and not only was it clearly used, but the box was bought separately and the knife has some damage. He denied everything and claimed I must have damaged it, but my wife filmed me receiving it and opening the package. Ebay was great and didn't even need to see my evidence. eBay refunded me the money because the guy said he would NOT refund me.

My guess is that the guy was a trader and got the knife in a trade. He googled William Henry and saw they were expensive so he thought he hit the Lotto.
 
I bought a bunch of knives off eBay 15 years ago. Spyderco, ZT and never had a bad transaction. It used to be a real go to for oddball motorcycle parts and other stuff so I was on there a fair amount. Everyone just sells direct now so it's not necessary to hang out there. Auctions were kind of fun.
 
Is it against the rules or considered to be in bad taste to point out someone who appears to be an obvious flipper here in our Knife Exchange?
 
Sibyrnes said:
Is it against the rules or considered to be in bad taste to point out someone who appears to be an obvious flipper here in our Knife Exchange?
Click to expand...

If done in the sales thread, it would be against the rules
Rule 5 for buyers, not to comment in the threads other than interest to buy.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top