7 day set on eBay for £1200: pure madness?

jodypress

jodypress

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London, UK
I've just seen this on eBay: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/OFFERS-Antique-Set-Mappin-Webb-7-Day-Razors-Coromandel-Brass-Inlaid-Box-/140840378764

A lovely set for sure but the Thursday razor has a big chip and crack on edge. A lot of work needed to make good.

How can the seller offer this up for £1200?
 
They're just fishing I guess. Anyone can make an offer up to that price and perhaps they're hoping someone wants it at all costs.... I'm no expert on straight razors but to me if there's pieces missing from the blade then I don't see how that could be repaired.

Not for me I'm afraid!
 
Well, £200 a piece for 6 M&W razors in ivory scales in such a nice case aren't to far off... I think that's where the finish price would end, approx., if the seller had an auction (and not started there). I could be wrong though, it actually happened once, in 1982 ... :D
 
A pal of mine had a 1950s Bendix washing machine that had only acted as a spin dryer for years. He asked me to help him take it to the tip. I stuck it on Ebay for a start price of £5, bidder to collect. It sold for £235.

So you never know!
 
Fido said:
A pal of mine had a 1950s Bendix washing machine that had only acted as a spin dryer for years. He asked me to help him take it to the tip. I stuck it on Ebay for a start price of £5, bidder to collect. It sold for £235.

So you never know!
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That can be the beauty of eBay. One person's rubbish is another's treasure etc.

I doubt you'd have got £235 if you'd put a buy it now price. For the money the seller is asking. I wouldn't expect a damaged razor but a set in very good condition.
 
I do think the Thursday one is wrecked and surely that must affect the value.
I cant deny that retro generates a lot of interest on the bay - right now I have a 1964 newspaper about the TSR-2 and there are just shy of 40 watchers and my 1960's tin of shoe polish has 10! Weird.
 
When you consider there is only six razors well then they are no longer a set, so they now become individual razor, even with the ivory handles and a good makers name I still wouldn't pay more than £100 for each razor, box looks nice, but why do you want a box for six razors, It's a shame that one broken razor as dramatically reduced the asking price. I would be tempted if they were mine to hone them up individually sell them as that, give the box a light clean and offer that box up separately.

Jamie
 
pugh-the-special-one said:
ferroburak said:
If it is ivory, 800-900 sterlins asking price is not overpriced imho.
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Well make your move, I guarantee you make the seller an offer for £500 and he will e-mail you back within 30 seconds wanting to deal.
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I have quite a number of razors already.

The value is of two types:

-Sale value
-Core value(I dont know the correct English word for it. Production value, Core value comes to my mind.)

The core value for an ivory handle razor set imho is over 1000 usd. If no one is able to cover this cost, then sale value is less.

This is some old school(careful, I'm not meaning primary school etc.) economy theory..

Note that if an item has a sale value considerably lower than its core value, it drops from production. This is what happens with straight razors.
 
ferroburak said:
I have quite a number of razors already.

The value is of two types:

-Sale value
-Core value(I dont know the correct English word for it. Production value, Core value comes to my mind.)

The core value for an ivory handle razor set imho is over 1000 usd. If no one is able to cover this cost, then sale value is less.

This is some old school(careful, I'm not meaning primary school etc.) economy theory..

Note that if an item has a sale value considerably lower than its core value, it drops from production. This is what happens with straight razors.
Click to expand...

I want to check that I've understood you correctly. Are you saying that because of the expense of obtaining legal ivory it costs more than what people are prepared to pay for an ivory straight razor, thus none are made? I am not an expert but I think ivory which is certified to have been around for a long time and isn't new can be sold... I'm comfortable with the economic concept, I just have no idea on ivory.
 
There's a seller of ivory scales on the American forum the straight razor place, and they are very reasonably priced, and I would have purchased quite a few sets, but It's totally illegal to import or rework Ivory in the UK, and you are miles away price wise, as ivory is far more affordable than you think, trouble being you can't rework or import it, but we do have huge stocks in the UK of vintage ivory but it's exported to other countries. just take a look at one of many suppliers in the USA, http://www.elephantivorytusks.com/elivbasl.html
 
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