Thread for the brave: Share your vintage razor collection objectives

[sɐǝɹpu∀]

Hey Vintage shaving Collectors,

Have you defined what you're going to collect? There are 10s of thousands of razors out there. It doesn't make sense to try to collect them all. This would be too costly and frankly stupid.

Good things to think about are:

• Why do you collect? (What is the purpose of the collection)
• What categories you'd like to collect? (Single, double, triple edge, sets, soaps etc...)
• Do you have levels of achievements you want to attain?
• What would make a collection satisfying?
• What is your end game? (are you selling it later one? or stop at a certain number)
• Do you set budget limitations?

Let's get this thread going. Let's see how many of us are collectors here.

I collect because I like cool vintage SE razors to shave with. It feels good.
Since I started collecting patents instead of physical razors, life got easier and a lot cheaper.
I have no goals when collecting. I just do. It happens.
I have some eBay searches for razors I would like to own, but even if they do show up I mostly pass because of the price.
I mainly want razors I can and will actually shave with (unless the patent is really cool and I need to see the actual razor)
I try to stick to a very strict budget: £20 per razor. Anything more expensive and I need to have a strict word with myself first.
That has reduced my collecting activities to about three razors a year. I think I'm not too obsessive.
During my initial wet shaving period none of those rules applied and I managed to acquire quite a few razors I wouldn't buy today.
At least not at the prices I paid for them.
My end game? No clue. There is no game, let alone an end game.
No one will ever accuse my of being a serious collector. I'm just a geek.

 

[Walid]

I collect because I like cool vintage SE razors to shave with. It feels good.
Since I started collecting patents instead of physical razors, life got easier and a lot cheaper.
I have no goals when collecting. I just do. It happens.
I have some eBay searches for razors I would like to own, but even if they do show up I mostly pass because of the price.
I mainly want razors I can and will actually shave with (unless the patent is really cool and I need to see the actual razor)
I try to stick to a very strict budget: £20 per razor. Anything more expensive and I need to have a strict word with myself first.
That has reduced my collecting activities to about three razors a year. I think I'm not too obsessive.
During my initial wet shaving period none of those rules applied and I managed to acquire quite a few razors I wouldn't buy today.
At least not at the prices I paid for them.
My end game? No clue. There is no game, let alone an end game.
No one will ever accuse my of being a serious collector. I'm just a geek.

And I thought the only sane person in this conversation was @nongillette .
Now there is you. Maybe you could moderate this conversation between @efsk and me. Apparently this nutjob uses VI, can you believe that?
Just kidding @efsk . Love you friend.

 

[sɐǝɹpu∀]

And I thought the only sane person in this conversation was @nongillette .
Now there is you. Maybe you could moderate this conversation between @efsk and me. Apparently this nutjob uses VI, can you believe that?
Just kidding @efsk . Love you friend.

I'd be very happy to moderate the argument you have with Richard.
I've been using vi for more than 35 years. I wouldn't use any editor that doesn't have vi key bindings.

 

[efsk]

 

[Walid]

I'd be very happy to moderate the argument you have with Richard.
I've been using vi for more than 35 years. I wouldn't use any editor that doesn't have vi key bindings.

You can have VI key bindings in Emacs btw. Let's stop nerdy stuff here.
Read back our comments and report back here confirming that @efsk is nuts and am sane. You surely can do that, right?

 

[efsk]

The nutters are the ones who bring progress. Which, I might add, is the only adjustable I can get great shaves with.

Very good point. The museum analogy is fantastic. Here is where I see the limits of it. Museums have all sorts of grants, revenues and donations in money or assets.
Us, we have to rely on revenues generated from hard work. We have to be prudent and not fall into "a fool and his money".

Musea too have a budget. Agreed, these budgets at times get supplemented by funds from who knows where, but budget it is. In that sense, they operate like us.

It could be a problem that we have and we're not aware of (Or we're totally in denial). And a forum like this we will start feeding and enable each other, thus compounding the problem.

Yes. Forums can help pushing people buy more than they need. Fortunately, my collecting objectives are such that I myself can push me into buying more than any of you can.

I am not into my first collection (you too). Before, it was: Stamps, Coins, Books, perfumes and...Vintage laptops (Linux user with emacs as my window manager EXWM). I am in a razor phase.

To how big of a length would we go to justify what we did or still doing?

The length is as long as our objectives.

Putting a clear purpose an clear guidelines and most importantly knowing the difference between the two (I am not sure you do, please don't get triggered, this is just a productive conversation) will give meaning and a direction to the collection. It will have a clearly defined theme. Too broad and you're just a hoarder with issues that you either deny or diminish.

I agree I am a hoarder, however I do have objectives and ALWAYS compare my buying "needs" with those objectives. And everything lower in the hierarchy will only get looked at when the above levels are empty.

I won't be increasing my collection beyond a certain size. My defined objectives in variety will be achieved with an extra 50 razors max, I might settle at 20. Once done the display will be increase accordingly and I will start the tweaking phase.

Size is not an objective. When I collect slants, as some of you know I do, I try to find ALL slants in ALL variants. I've no idea how many exist. My wantlist has those I know exist, however I am regularly confronted with items not on my wantlist but fitting the collection.
So basically, get what you think fits. Anything other is too subjective, and getting what you think fits in itself is subjective too.
Example: collect the 10 most innovative razors produced. We can spend thread after thread discussing whether or not a razor fits.

The tweaking phase will include the following:

• Complete sets with missing items like blade banks, blades, strops etc...
• Clean razors and boxes to the best I can.
• Replace certain damaged razors or boxes.
• Sell, exchange and replace redundant or less desirable items.

The tweaking phase can start before I complete my razor purchases.

Tweaking is a thing that is ongoing. All the time. Whenever you can improve quality, improve quality. Exception: when faced with the choice between a better specimen of a razor I own, or a model I do not own, regardless of condition, I go for the latter.

I collect because I like cool vintage SE razors to shave with. It feels good.

Those SE I shaved with are terrific.

I have no goals when collecting. I just do. It happens.

I LOVE this.

I try to stick to a very strict budget: £20 per razor. Anything more expensive and I need to have a strict word with myself first.
That has reduced my collecting activities to about three razors a year. I think I'm not too obsessive.

This is really amazing. It means you have to dive under EVERYBODIES radar. I'd like to learn how you do that.

My end game? No clue. There is no game, let alone an end game.

I translate that to my situation: the status quo is I buy razors. No idea how it ends.

No one will ever accuse my of being a serious collector. I'm just a geek.

There's a reason we love you ;-)

 

[efsk]

I do love this discussion.

 

[Walid]

Those collectors that were in the Forum before I landed here, can we get them back? There is an Italian guy who hoarde Apollo razors and another guy...Jacques or something. We need their input here.
Anyone who stopped collecting vintage razors can give us his opinion on things and why he ended his collection. Maybe Andreas or you can invite Renzo Jardella to discuss this with us.
Or maybe, just maybe, we can do a video conference meetup.

 

[sɐǝɹpu∀]

This is really amazing. It means you have to dive under EVERYBODIES radar. I'd like to learn how you do that.

I get good results from eBay queries for stupid misspelt words ('Bakerlight shaver" - gave me boxed Schick E2 for £2.50)
The ultra-rare Butler I got for £5 was just listed as "unusual razor" with crappy pictures. A search term that usually gives you plenty of Rolls or straight razors, but once every two years it might work.
It helps that I'm not actively and desperately looking for specific razors.
I have alerts set up for many, but mainly so I can get a feel for the prices they are going for, and maybe - just maybe - spot a bargain.
The £20 is the threshold up to which I buy without thinking. Any more and I need a cool-down period.
I also find things in the wild (antique shops often have no clue - but most of the time also have no razors).
There it helps to seem knowledgeable yet hesitant and point out the tiniest flaws to get a better price.
"A pity the original blades are not included and there are no instructions and no outer cardboard box and there is discolouration on the case"
None of those issues is an issue for me, but the asking price invariably drops.
That got me an Ever-Ready Streamline bathroom set in good condition worth £80-ish for just over £20.

TL;DR: The trick: Patience and luck. And when I look at eBay I expect to buy nothing.

There's a reason we love you ;-)

Awwwww...

Anyone who stopped collecting vintage razors can give us his opinion on things and why he ended his collection. Maybe Andreas or you can invite Renzo Jardella to discuss this with us.

I got the impression that he is not interested in internet forums at all.

 

[efsk]

Maybe Andreas or you can invite Renzo Jardella to discuss this with us.

I got the impression that he is not interested in internet forums at all.

I have that same impression.

 

[Mark1966]

Hey Vintage shaving Collectors,

Have you defined what you're going to collect? There are 10s of thousands of razors out there. It doesn't make sense to try to collect them all.

Why not?

This would be too costly and frankly stupid.

Oh, OK ...

Good things to think about are:

[*]Why do you collect? (What is the purpose of the collection)

Well it started when I discovered date codes and got a birth year razor, then I saw some others that looked cool, then Mr-Razor's site showed me a universe of options ...

[*]What categories you'd like to collect? (Single, double, triple edge, sets, soaps etc...)

Mainly Gillette DE, and some paraphernalia and 'by-catch'

[*]Do you have levels of achievements you want to attain?

Nope

[*]What would make a collection satisfying?

It has all gotten a little too hard, haven't been actively collecting for a while as I was limited to online auction sites and there was too much competition (especially given exchange rates and postage costs)

[*]What is your end game? (are you selling it later one? or stop at a certain number)

Not sure at present, I wish I had more time to admire, research and restore but will probably need to end up downsizing it

[*]Do you set budget limitations?

Look at every razor in my collection and imagine $US25 for postage ...

What am I talking about?

See videos on my vintageshaving (dot) au website (I cannot post a URL yet)

 

[Walid]

Why not?

Mark O my, that's a very nice collection(250-300 razors) Mr-Razor has nothing on you mate. I am happy to have you with us here. On your first post and you landed in the most important thread.
So, you wanna catch them all...You might be able to catch all the Gillette (no one managed that). There are more than a 1000 mind you. Collecting all you will need not just money but time equivalent maybe to 3 life times.
It's better to define what you have to get some sense of accomplishment. If you try to get them all you will be frustrated. The largest collection I know of is a Turkish guy that was reported on a old documentary on BBC (1990s I think) I think and he had 35,000 razors. That collection was inherited by his father from his grandfather. Three generations...That means his grand father was buying them directly at retail price from. Three generations my friend. This will probably hint at the word "stupid" I used.
It might be that a rich person can claim to be able to acquire them all if he starts buying all big collection and hires people de find razors all around the world.

 

[efsk]

Welcome @Mark1966 ! Nice collection you have.
Collecting all: I think it is a good idea. You know it will never happen, but you can keep trying. I wish to find all different slants in existence, know that will probably be impossible, but that won't stop me from looking. Part of the fun, for me. And every once in a while you manage to acquire an item long on the wishlist, and that is really satisfying. When all goes well, today one such item will be delivered by the mail. I've been looking forward to that thing for about a month.
Apart from that: the hunt is an important part of this hobby. Apart from that: What do you do once you've reached your collection-objectives? Add new objectives? Just sit and look at it? Find a new hobby?
And yes, postage is a thing.also for me in Europe. Whenever getting something from the US, I can add $20-$25 to the purchase-price. Which is what I calculate in my bidding, and for me it works. Living in Australia this part might be a larger problem.

 

[Walid]

@efsk I started this thread to help me understand my self and help others understand themselves too.
Collecting could be benign or malign. You need to dig deep and understand that yourself. People coming to these forums might be influenced and will justify their behaviour thinking it's normal. It could be, if it is limited in scope.

But I need to to quote a website.

Some health problems that might lead to hoarding include:

• Brain injuries
• Dementia
• Depression
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Schizophrenia
• Personality disorders, such as obsessive-compulsive personality disorder
• Alcohol or drug addiction
• Prader-Willi syndrome (a genetic condition)

In these cases, treating the physical or mental health problem may stop you hoarding.

Please don't twist my words or intentions, I am not saying we are sick and need a doctor here. But this could be insightful. And could be a beginning of a journey to heal.

 

[Mark1966]

Apologies for the delay in responding, posted above and then got smashed at work since!

Mark O my, that's a very nice collection(250-300 razors) Mr-Razor has nothing on you mate. I am happy to have you with us here. On your first post and you landed in the most important thread.
So, you wanna catch them all...You might be able to catch all the Gillette (no one managed that). There are more than a 1000 mind you. Collecting all you will need not just money but time equivalent maybe to 3 life times.
It's better to define what you have to get some sense of accomplishment. If you try to get them all you will be frustrated. The largest collection I know of is a Turkish guy that was reported on a old documentary on BBC (1990s I think) I think and he had 35,000 razors. That collection was inherited by his father from his grandfather. Three generations...That means his grand father was buying them directly at retail price from. Three generations my friend. This will probably hint at the word "stupid" I used.
It might be that a rich person can claim to be able to acquire them all if he starts buying all big collection and hires people de find razors all around the world.

Thanks mate and yes, it would be stupid to aim to collected even all the Gillettes. I can imagine that you would be spending extraordinary amounts of time scouring online sites worldwide, missing out on an elusive item as your bid which you thought was WAY too high was not enough ...

... only to wake up the next day and find the somebody in the US stumbled over a NOS version of that razor at a yard sale for $5.00 ...

Is that the voice of experience talking ... ;-)

Welcome @Mark1966 ! Nice collection you have.
Collecting all: I think it is a good idea. You know it will never happen, but you can keep trying. I wish to find all different slants in existence, know that will probably be impossible, but that won't stop me from looking. Part of the fun, for me. And every once in a while you manage to acquire an item long on the wishlist, and that is really satisfying. When all goes well, today one such item will be delivered by the mail. I've been looking forward to that thing for about a month.
Apart from that: the hunt is an important part of this hobby. Apart from that: What do you do once you've reached your collection-objectives? Add new objectives? Just sit and look at it? Find a new hobby?
And yes, postage is a thing.also for me in Europe. Whenever getting something from the US, I can add $20-$25 to the purchase-price. Which is what I calculate in my bidding, and for me it works. Living in Australia this part might be a larger problem.

Sounds like postage to Europe is much the same as Australia, although there is more 'in the wild' hunting in the UK and Europe I believe. Very few places to buy apart from online here.

Collecting is only going to get harder as the years pass too. The owners of a Fatboy purchased in 1960 would now be 77 assuming they were 15 at the time. The average life expectancy of somebody born in the US in 1955 is around that age. As they pass their razors will enter the market for collectors, potentially, but if they are just thrown out ...

I mean, who apart from us would keep a grubby old razor of their fathers? Would most likely be tossed out with the toothbrush and shaving foam!

Give it 20 years and it will only be collectors buying from collectors IMHO.

Happy to hear opposing views though

 

[efsk]

I mean, who apart from us would keep a grubby old razor of their fathers? Would most likely be tossed out with the toothbrush and shaving foam!

This is exactly what is happening. Razors are seen as intimate objects, like toothbrushes, and thus get thrown away.

Sounds like postage to Europe is much the same as Australia, although there is more 'in the wild' hunting in the UK and Europe I believe. Very few places to buy apart from online here.

Postage can be a bastard, but can be worth it. I just subtract it from what would be my maximum bid before bidding. Can mean I miss out on a razor, but I won't pay anything for them anyways.
Hunting in the wild an be done around here, but takes a lot of time and effort. There's two people I know who succeed in expanding their collection by hunting in the wild, one of them is @FvL . I've quit visiting most fleamarkets, as nothing is to be found anyways. Only the large ones can sometimes offer, they're every three months around here. So far only found a slant once, so my collection would be in a sorry state if I was dependent on finding in the wild.

 

[Walid]

Give it 20 years and it will only be collectors buying from collectors IMHO.

Well, that's already the case for me. and most likely @efsk as well.
I stopped buying for now though.

 

[FvL]

Haven't been paying enough attention to the forum lately, only just found efsk mentioning me in this thread. And I can confirm that for me "the hunt", flea- and antique markets and second hand shops are still my main targets for expanding my collection. I only use the net for modern razors I want to try. Let me check your list:

• Why do you collect? (What is the purpose of the collection)
  • An excuse to go out, hunting markets and shops. Luckily lots around where I live.
  • Historical interest (I did study history at university). I like the innovation aspect of razors, the development of industrial design. I like to research the history of brands.
  • I want to use the razors I find. (no need for mint stuff I do not dare to touch)
• What categories you'd like to collect? (Single, double, triple edge, sets, soaps etc...)
  • Any razors from the early safety razors (like Kampfe brothers) up to the cartridge. I focus on brands/models which were available here in the Netherlands (Those are the ones I find, think brands as "National", Swing, and Gladweg, but Also Gillette and most German brands). Interest also on where I like to go on Holiday and will visit markets and shops like in France and Italy. Think Gibbs and Kabrand etc..
  • I do seem to acquire more end more sharpening devices. Not a focus of collecting, and a bit unsettling....
• Do you have levels of achievements you want to attain?
  • Not Really. I do like to upgrade my razors, will buy razors again If they are in a better condition/box/papers.
• What would make a collection satisfying?
  • If there would be a thing like that, I would stop collecting...
• What is your end game? (are you selling it later one? or stop at a certain number)
  • No idea...
• Do you set budget limitations?
  • Not really, but razors "in the wild" can usually still be found boxed and in nice condition for anything up to 30/40 euro. I am always flummoxed when I see prices on the net as compared to prices "in the wild" here.

 

[Walid]

What would make a collection satisfying?

• If there would be a thing like that, I would stop collecting...

Satisfying, means getting to a level where you're proud of what you accomplished, this is why I asked about "levels".

Do you set budget limitations?

• Not really, but razors "in the wild" can usually still be found boxed and in nice condition for anything up to 30/40 euro. I am always flummoxed when I see prices on the net as compared to prices "in the wild" here.

If you're going for shopping once a quarter, you're going to be fine. This question was meant to protect yourself from RAD.

What categories you'd like to collect? (Single, double, triple edge, sets, soaps etc...)

• Any razors from the early safety razors (like Kampfe brothers) up to the cartridge. I focus on brands/models which were available here in the Netherlands (Those are the ones I find, think brands as "National", Swing, and Gladweg, but Also Gillette and most German brands). Interest also on where I like to go on Holiday and will visit markets and shops like in France and Italy. Think Gibbs and Kabrand etc..

If you know about Kampfe, you might wanna take part of the conversation about the HR-P1 here

 

[efsk]

Satisfying, means getting to a level where you're proud of what you accomplished, this is why I asked about "levels".

We're in reorg where I work, meaning I had to apply for a new function. During the jobinterview I was asked what I'm proud of. My collection of classic shaving gear was my answer, much to the surprise of the 4-person committee that was interviewing me
I did get the job.