am i pricing right?

[KHKnives]

im getting 40-50$ a piece for my karambits on ebay, no reserve or buy it now, im starting them at 20$. i havent attended a show as a seller yet because i want something to really bring to the table and im worried that i might be laughed out of the show or waste my money on renting a booth or table. my knives are 1095 steel at this time and ive got about 1-2 hours in each knife according to how its finished. arizona custom want me to send in my stuff and still i dont think its professional caliber yet. heres an example, this one sold for the minimum bid of 25$

 

[burchtree]

If you don't think they are "professional caliber", then you probably shouldn't sell them until you believe they are. eBay isn't the best place to establish yourself as a maker in my opinion. You gotta set a price and stick with it. If you have a minimum bid of 25 dollars, then you're basically telling your customers that that's what you think they are worth.

 

[KHKnives]

i agree, i think they are sellable thats why i put them on ebay to begin with. just to get a feel of making and selling. my feedback there is impecable though, with comments like "pictures dont do this justice" and "this is a true artist". youre right though and the advice is very much appreciated. thank you sir

 

[EdCaffreyMS]

I agree with Michael about Knifemakers and Ebay. I cringe any time I run across one of my knives listed on Ebay (it's always a secondary sale situation as I have never offered any of my work on Ebay)....although that is not looked upon with as much disdain as a maker listing his knives there.
In the custom knife world, the thought pattern goes something like this: If a knifemaker must resort to listing his knives on Ebay, then he must not produce a level of quality that is sellable in the custom knife market. The tough part is that once a person does it (sells his own knives on Ebay) and it is noticed by the knife world, it's difficult for him/her to ever shake the stigma that comes along with it.

Now, having said that, it's certainly not a blanket statement. There is at least one custom maker that I know of who makes specialty cutlery, and has been super successful on Ebay, selling pieces for $8K+, but he caters to those outside the mainstream of the custom knife world, and therefore the mindset of his clients are different.

 

[KHKnives]

Wow, thank you, that really makes a lot of sense. As a new knifemaker it is hard to sell to seasoned custom collectors and I do need some sort of turn around on the money I'm spending on this passion of mine. However I see your point and will be sending my new stuff to arizona custom. Point taken as I do not want to degrade myself as an artist. Thank you Ed and Micheal for the great advise, your opinions are appreciated and respected.

 

[James Terrio]

That's interesting info about selling on Ebay possibly hurting your value in the long run. I hadn't even thought about that.