While posting my other thread, I started thinking about the prices of razors I have seen...mostly on Ebay. compared to prices I have seen through research from previous years, and it seems that prices on vintage are quite high right now. Have I chosen to jump in the pool to late? What have some of you long term DE shavers noticed in the market and the prices over the years? Thanks again, GB
Welcome! Wet shaving is making a comeback, so due to the renewed interest, sellers are charging more and getting away with it.
Yep - prices going up. Five, six years ago there were a ton of razors $5 - $10. Now you're looking at 5-6 times that. That's at antique stores so I have no idea what the inflation on eBay has been like.
eBay has a drastic jump for DE's, :Straights, Injectors (Not really SE's though) and vintage brushes that one would normally restore.
Welcome to the den! Prices have gone through the roof in the last 6-8 months. You can thank Rick from Pawn Stars..
Go into single edge razors. Prices are still cheap and IMO shave much better than DEs. I already got rid of most my DE razors. Prices for blades are twice as much as DE blades but they last at least twice as long as DE blades. I recommend you start with a mild inexpensive razor such as a Featherweight or Pushbutton and some GEM Stainless blades. Do not get hardware store blades- they're not for shaving.
You would think but the blade is much thinner than a SE blade. Most people find a DE blade tugs after 4 shaves even with the two sides. Ask a straight shaver how many shaves they get. They don't hone every two days... Search around various forums for SE blade life and most report around 10 shaves before tossing them. Thicker blades last longer.
I have started to look at SE. My Granddad used to have a GEM way back in the day according my dad. I have seen alot of them in antique stores around town, prices were in the 20's but I think they would take less.
In the immortal words of the Sufi poets...This too shall pass. Or as Chuck D put it...Don't believe the Hype.
You could find them for less on ebay sadly the antique stores have jacked up their prices and theyre hard to find these days. I only found one vintage razor on my last antique store visit. It was a travel tech that had seen better days with case. $36. No thanks. On the bay I got my first SE less than 2 months ago. A 1924 Ever ready "shovelhead" for $8 shipped. A good condition 1912 or Jr or micromatic can be still had for $15-20. Cheapest ones being the 1924 and featherweight. The featherweight i can understand being partly plastic but the 1924 is very underrated and shaves better for me than all the above mentioned.
Ebay prices fluctuate often. During the past few weeks, prices have reached ridiculous levels. Just be patient, keep your eyes open, and you'll see prices get back to more reasonable levels shortly.
Unfortunately interest is sky high and supply for the desirable Gillette and other brands is getting more limited. They aren't making any more of the old razors, people are soaking them up. As well they should. Some of the most desirable Gillette razors are still less expensive than a new stainless steel razor. Supply and demand is a bugger. The good news is Gillette DE razors still shave just as well as the did 50-100 years ago. Quite a testament to making a quality product. I often wonder if you had been in a meeting room and asked King C. Gillette if he thought that in 80 years people would still be using his single ring razors, what his response would have been?
Millions of those Gillettes and Schicks were made, so you would think there were still plenty to go around. They are definitely plenty of straight razors of all the desirable makes around, yet the prices have gone up considerably in the past year and a half, but there are still always bargains to be found on shaving forums and sometimes ebay or etsy. I found some great deals in a Danville, Virginia antique store. I should have bought the owner out of his stock of straights, DE's and SE's. I found one seller on craigslist who did not use straights but collected them and sold them to me for a song. You can still find what you want for a decent price, if you search hard enough.
Agreed the deals are still out there, just harder to find. Off all the millions of razors made how many do you think ended up in landfills? Now that is a sad thought.
I'm amazed by NOS stashes that show up. Two years ago I bought a NOS 1941 Gillette Tech. The seller's photo showed a bucket of Tech parts, brand shiny new, yet old.
During 2013, I bought two Red Tips: one for eight bucks, the other for 10. I bought a cased 40s SS for 24 bucks and a cased 50s SS for 15 bucks. I bought several Techs for anywhere between two and 10 dollars. I did this when the prices on eBay weren't crazy. They're crazy right now. They'll get back to normal soon, just be patient. Like Lindy said, they made millions of them during the past 110 years. Many of 'em are still floating around.
I have just used a jem and it a really nice shave and i used a carbon blade the only this is they rest if you dont dry them right after I would like ti get a jem but i have to wait till i get some cash lol life lol
Many!! To 95% of people those are not collectibles but yesteryear's technology surpassed by modern cartridges, hence garbage.
Yes prices have gone up in the time(little better than 2 years) that I've been into "traditional" shaving..Prices for some models seem to have skyrocketed,but other seem to have stabalized or even gone down some...With vintage and even new razors if you want the cheapest price, it's all about the hunt.. Are you looking just to collect or for shavers? One good thing about many of the Chinese,Indian,etc Gillette clones is they shave alot or even exactly like the old Gillette's....The difference between them is craftsmanship and better materials....So while "YMMV" if your willing to pay $30 for a new Edwin Jagger R89, which would be considered a good/decent quality razor by most shavers including myself, then paying $30 for a vintage Gillette Fat Handle Tech is a steal, just in the material differences alone, not to mention craftsmanship!!... I.M.O. you can only compare the completely stainless steel razors and not the "pot metal razors" to vintage brass Gillettes and when you do that you get a closer up to date price for a vintage Gillette, and so based on materials used most of the vintage Gillettes are still a DEAL..
