Forgot that the question was really about worth. 1. In a truly free market, nothing is necessarily worth what is being asked, not even when the thing sold is in high demand. 2. It's worth only the max that someone is willing to pay for it. That figure is agreed to by the parties in each particular case and so is not set in stone but will fluctuate. 3. A general price range can be determined (guessed at) but that too will vary over time. All this seems obvious but often it isn't.
I own quite a few Fatboys. I used to fix them, when they were all bent up, and nasty. Most I bought many years ago, for around $10-$20. They are very solid and well built, as long as you don't drop them. Then, you have to learn how to fix it, send it out to be fixed, or sell it. When I need a quick shave, it is favorite razor to use. They are fantastic to use. Best part is, you can adjust it to your desired aggressiveness.
I've got a fat boy and a couple of slims. After using the fat boy several times, it got to the point that I didn't care for the slims at all. I gave one slim away and kept the other one just to have it on my shelf, but I never use it. I always reach the fat boy instead. There's just something comfortable about the size and weight of the fat boy. - Bax
i am sure there were many folks who got one new as a teenager,learned to use it and loved it..or more likely didn't think twice and used it as their normal shave device.i would think most folks didn't have a den of razors to compare with..
In 1958 they were priced at $1.95 not exactly cheap for a first razor; figuring converted for inflation would be about $30. Though a father buying it for himself / receiving as a Christmas gift or given as a graduation gift, could be reasonable. Most that would have used them, have past on or past them on to the goodwill. Really not too surprising to see them in the wild.
then teens got a tech or flaretip,and probably learned to use it efficiently any way...our generation made these razors fabulous today.not them..
True that. To the generation that used them, they were just another razor. No more worthy of attention than we find the Mach III or Quattro razor today. I mean, think about it. Almost all of these razors were replaced by the Trac II. Can you imagine ditching a Fatboy for a Trac II? Well, yes. But...
it happened ..and we were duped,at least on this continent.for commercial gains and not shaving improvements to a degree. Europeans enjoyed DE at least for another decade or more.people overall lost skills for convenience.evoltion is good,but for the right reasons..too late now and we are considered conspiracy theorists.
Nooo ... That's why you are considered a conspiracy theorist. I'm just eccentric. Says so in my title. Seems like the difference between a really good conspiracy theory and the truth... is about six months, these days. Sad state of affairs.
To those who think a $200 for a mint Fatboy in a case with blade and instructions is ridiculous I have a question. How many of you own an $800 Wolfman or $1,000 bbs1? What's a mint Fatboy worth? In my opinion, $1,000. What do they sell for? $35-$200. As with all things, supply and demand, plus condition is everything. Bottom line they're getting scored up by new shavers and collectors and they won't be making more. On the other hand, the Wolfman guy could flood the market if he wanted to... wanted to work full time and devalue his brand. What's a Wolfman worth to me? Half a Fatboy. Happy new year!
True. "Modern" stainless DE razors didn't exist before 2008. When I joined the shaving forums the discussions were all about vintage razors, restoring, identifying, collecting and shaving with them. Now people seem to be hyper focused on what material a razor is made out of, as if the 'magic' metal makes a difference to the shave. I'm certainly guilty of it. I'd also rather own a NOS Fatboy than a Wolfman. Look at the Rolls Razor. In the 30's it sold for the equivalent of $300 today. Now you can pick them up for $10-20. And they were made for almost 50 years. Can barely give them away. Nobody wants them. A minty one ought to be worth $500, and it would be very difficult to even make them today for less than that. If they (hypothetically) suddenly introduced them for the very first time tomorrow, they would be $1,000 razors all day long.
I saw a Fatboy the other day and the lady had it sitting next to an old type open comb that was in the box for the Fatboy. I know the lady at the antique store and told her she had them mixed up and she immediately put the Fatboy in it's proper case. The Fatboy now with case is marked still at the same price of 28 USD.. she put the OC to a price of (I think it was) 8 USD..
I have one, plus a backup, plus 5 backup blades (which I now realize is overkill) It will shave someone for the next two or three hundred years, the Good Lord willing. Cased Fatboy for $28? That is 2005 prices. You bought it, right @jaro? At the very least, if you don't want it, buy it and sell it to someone here for that price plus shipping. Be your good deed for the year. Get you on Santa's nice list. I bet @poppi would take it off your hands. Edit: If Poppi says no, I'd take it off your hands. I have a cased Fatboy, but the hinges on the case are broken.
i agree,and disagree..production numbers play a large part in $$ value.how many bbs1 and wolfman razors were made in comparison to fatboys?considering 90% of fatboys made are in the landfill,then prices like $200 for a mint complete 3 blades missing from the dispenser cased example are fair,more for an nos one is fair as well.they are only nos once.use that $1000 nos fatboy once and you've lost $800 bucks.while collectors sit and drool staring at their now $2000 fatboy masterpiece behind glass,most other folks have moved on.the rolls is a finely made shaving instrument,but sadly got put to bed due to their complexity, and blade maintenance..not all rare artifacts are big $$ these days.my 1943 markwell rf stapler isn't worth beans,but works perfectly.
The Rolls is simpler and easier to maintain than a straight razor, and those are still around, and even growing in popularity. It's funny. One social media post can bump the price up of a razor if it gets seen enough. Darkbulb and I proved that often enough on this forum. There are certainly a few vintage razors that I wish I'd kept my yap shut about.
