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Thoughts on authorized dealers raising GEC prices above the minimum sale price.

The Amazing Virginian said:
"Fair means maximum" is an abuse of the English language. Can't find that definition anywhere.
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The Amazing Virginian said:
But you had to have the last word and hurl some supposed insult at me.
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To The Amazing Virginian, never a supposed insult.

Back on topic, anyone can sell their stuff for whatever price they can get. That doesn't necessarily mean they should, as in price gouging after a disaster, but I don't believe that applies to the situation at hand. Or does it? That's a rhetorical question.

LOL, what a great thread. Please don't close it.
 
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abcdef said:
To The Amazing Virginian, never a supposed insult.

Back on topic, anyone can sell their stuff for whatever price they can get. That doesn't necessarily mean they should, as in price gouging after a disaster, but I don't believe that applies to the situation at hand. Or does it? That's a rhetorical question.

LOL, what a great thread. Please don't close it.
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I think it is a great thread as well.
 
Does nobody else understand that the ebay sales that are at and around $300 are dealers for gec? (Sure flippers have jumped on this as well)

People look to ebay to try to score gec knives and see prices ranging from 250-500. So then when they look into the dealers in gecs website and see these prices from 90-120, they are not going to hesistate for a moment.

altenatively, people may go straight to the gec website, going to the dealers page, they find many websites with their prices listed (some low some high) but out of stock and then find the dealers on there with them in stock and extremely high. So when these knives come in at a price around 100, wow what a bargain! They arent going to waste a moment since the prices are about to skyrocket.

Pretty smart business. To think this isnt on purpose is naive and a symptom of fanboyism.
 
Im saying gec is involved and so many swoon over gec that they cant imagine them doing such a thing. Its hard to see things objectively when predispositions are involved. These people selling on ebay are gec authorized dealers afterall. Some “flippers” may even be gec employees since they seem to have the listed so early (though im not claiming this, just understand the possibility). Im not sure if theres anything wrong with what theyre doing and im not trying to judge them. Businesses have the responsibility to do what it takes to succeed.

i dont imagine bill howard to be rubbing his hands together with the thought, “ive got a diabolical plan to create ultimate lolliscrambles!” Laughing maniacally.
Be it him or someone else at the company, someone there knows what theyre doing.

I really dont think its that big of a deal, businesses employ all sorts of machinations. It wont stop me from trying to buy what i want to.
 
Pomsbz said:
I think that any cachet that GEC has would disappear if they went out of country. It's the whole 'handmade in the US' which appeals so much to a traditional market that values tradition. The collector market would vanish overnight of course, except for the pre move knives which would skyrocket.
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This is true, and will remain so up. When's the last time anyone saw recently released Rough Rider models selling for $300+ on Ebay the week after they drop.
 
Quiet said:
This is true, and will remain so up. When's the last time anyone saw recently released Rough Rider models selling for $300+ on Ebay the week after they drop.
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Really it has to do with availability. Rather than making only a few. Quality would stay the same or..
It may eve be possible that fit, finish and quality could go up AND producing more knives. The reason this thread exisits is because the markup from people who buy the few "popular model" knives that are released and then are able to mark them up due to supply is low and demand is high.
 
colubrid said:
Really it has to do with availability. Rather than making only a few.
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Totally disagree and I think most here would too. Start making these in a third world country but keep everything else exactly the same and desirability would drop like a rock.

Where GECs are made and who/how they are made is what makes the brand. They'd be just another knife if anything about the process was different.
 
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometime you find
You get what you need
 
colubrid said:
Really it has to do with availability. Rather than making only a few. Quality would stay the same or..
It may eve be possible that fit, finish and quality could go up AND producing more knives. The reason this thread exisits is because the markup from people who buy the few "popular model" knives that are released and then are able to mark them up due to supply is low and demand is high.
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I think you're failing to account for perception and marketing. CNC machines can pump out knife parts blindingly fast and with high precision. If that's what Bill Howard wanted to do, I'm sure he could, but I'm just guessing that he's decided to make knives this way because he likes the old fashioned, hands-on method. For all I know, there could be a benefit to not relying on CNC machining. And of course, one could argue how many machines it takes before something isn't truly hand made anymore, but I think we can trust our guts on this one. For all intents and purposes, Mr. Howard is offering a handmade piece of Americana.

Also, country of origin isn't intrinsic to the quality of the knife, but it sure does count when you consider public perception of quality or authenticity. As an armchair business guy Colubrid, I think you're "fix" isn't really a fix- it ends up with GEC closing its doors because it loses the one thing that separates it from a lot of other companies; the connection to the people and the process.
 
craytab said:
Where GECs are made and who/how they are made is what makes the brand. They'd be just another knife if anything about the process was different.
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My page just reloaded and I see that someone said it better. ^^^ this ^^^
 
EngrSorenson said:
I think you're failing to account for perception and marketing. CNC machines can pump out knife parts blindingly fast and with high precision. If that's what Bill Howard wanted to do, I'm sure he could, but I'm just guessing that he's decided to make knives this way because he likes the old fashioned, hands-on method. For all I know, there could be a benefit to not relying on CNC machining. And of course, one could argue how many machines it takes before something isn't truly hand made anymore, but I think we can trust our guts on this one. For all intents and purposes, Mr. Howard is offering a handmade piece of Americana.

Also, country of origin isn't intrinsic to the quality of the knife, but it sure does count when you consider public perception of quality or authenticity. As an armchair business guy Colubrid, I think you're "fix" isn't really a fix- it ends up with GEC closing its doors because it loses the one thing that separates it from a lot of other companies; the connection to the people and the process.
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That is the thing we are going backfull circle earlier in the thread. CNC vs hands on method. American labor vs outsourced labor.
 
colubrid said:
That is the thing we are going backfull circle earlier in the thread. CNC vs hands on method. American labor vs outsourced labor.
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As I read it, you keep suggesting changes is GEC production methods (machinery or location) as a method for driving down cost.
My point is merely that these are not viable options to drive cost down.

I'd rather we all (as a knife community) decide what a 1095 slip joint is worth and stick to our guns. I understand that's unreasonable but the alternative is to wait until people are unwilling to spend the money on grossly over-priced GECs.
 
Oh if only there were some CNC pocketknives we all could buy. Then we'd be happy.
 
EngrSorenson said:
As I read it, you keep suggesting changes is GEC production methods (machinery or location) as a method for driving down cost.
My point is merely that these are not viable options to drive cost down.

I'd rather we all (as a knife community) decide what a 1095 slip joint is worth and stick to our guns. I understand that's unreasonable but the alternative is to wait until people are unwilling to spend the money on grossly over-priced GECs.
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Actually I was referring to increase production. Win Win!
 
colubrid said:
That is the thing we are going backfull circle earlier in the thread. CNC vs hands on method. American labor vs outsourced labor.
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Right. There are lots of good choices available to the knife buyer:

If I want a cheap, serviceable knife made in China, I buy a Rough Rider.
If I want a reasonably priced, machine made, easily obtainable knife, I buy a Victorinox.
If I want a traditional handmade knife, made in Titusville, PA, USA, I buy a Great Eastern.

No one will pay GEC prices for a Rough Rider. No one will buy a GEC made overseas. There may be other options to increase production (if that is what they want to do) but the suggestion that moving production overseas is an option for GEC, is laughable.
 
r8shell said:
Right. There are lots of good choices available to the knife buyer:

If I want a cheap, serviceable knife made in China, I buy a Rough Rider.
If I want a reasonably priced, machine made, easily obtainable knife, I buy a Victorinox.
If I want a traditional handmade knife, made in Titusville, PA, USA, I buy a Great Eastern.

No one will pay GEC prices for a Rough Rider. No one will buy a GEC made overseas. There may be other options to increase production (if that is what they want to do) but the suggestion that moving production overseas is an option for GEC, is laughable.
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I never mentioned China or Mexico in this thread. I think I stated "think outside the box". Then I made suggestions to Indonesia. I could eloborate more but the thread will drift.
 
colubrid said:
I never mentioned China or Mexico in this thread. I think I stated "think outside the box". Then I made suggestions to Indonesia. I could eloborate more but the thread will drift.
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I only mentioned China because that's where Rough Riders are manufactured. My point was that Great Eastern Knives are made in Titusville Pennsylvania, and that is a large part of the appeal to collectors.
 
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