Parting out daggers for a profit

[Mikey]

Lately, I've noticed an increase in the lowlife practice of Parting out very good daggers so the parts can be sold individually, almost doubling the amount that can be made had It been sold intact, mostly on Ebay, but I've also seen It here on the forum. Has anyone else noticed this?
Does anyone else care?
Michael

[K98_1942]

Indeed, its disgusting and will in the long run be VERY bad for collectors. Who wants a dagger that has been constructed piece-meal?

[Ron Weinand]

Sorry boys, its a fact of life. If you will notice, the lower end common daggers will not sell well and, even at a reduced price, most collectors shun them. So, merchandisers will part out low end common ones on eBay and get considerably more than collectors will pay. Sometimes we are our own worst enemies. Money talks.
Also, if someone has a particular maker and is looking for a certain part, the chances of the piece fitting if the maker is the same is much better, especially on early political daggers as no two makers are the same with fittings and parts.
JMO,
Ron Weinand
Weinand Militaria

[Mikey]

maybe It is a fact of life, doesn't mean It's right
Michael

[K98_1942]

Which lower end dagger aren't selling well??? Is there any in particular that can be found cheap for some reason???

[John Huff]

I'm getting ready to "part-out" a "lower end" dagger (Luft 2nd Model) It was an obvious parts dagger when I got it and the seller refused a refund. I highly doubt I will recoup my loss from the sale of the parts. I think the parts one sees for sale are from daggers with obvious problems (badly rusted blades; broken grips; etc.) and that these daggers as a whole would have little collector interest. "Salty" condition can be good if one collects combat tunics. "Salty" daggers have little collector appeal. Just MO

[Ron Weinand]

Parting out

My wife sells daggers and parts on a commission basis as her business (eBay and ePier). All too often, the seller wants $400 to $450 for an Army or SA that is, shall we say, a little below average. They just won't sell and, when parted out on eBay, will bring the $400 or more. Grip $100.00, Crossguard $125, Scabbard $125, Blade $100, Pommel $25, and this is for average or a little below average. Here it is, the desired price! Sometimes, if a part is damaged, it will still sell, but at a little less. So, the case is clear.
The Collector always wants better conditioned pieces on the common dagger and the parts sell. I always wonder if a repaired dagger goes in a locate estate auction? Local auctions are sometimes noted for getting more money from non-collectors on common TR items.
JMO,
Ron Weinand

[james m]

Unfortunately this practice is becomming common in areas other than edged weapons. Part of it has to do with the Ebay ban on firearms sales but I really hate it when I see Winchester Model 73s and 92s being parted out for the reason that the individual parts will often bring more than the complete gun. If someone has some spare parts or a dagger in the junker category or one that is obviously comprised of a post war assembly of parts I don't have a problem with parting it out. However; I agree that parting out an otherwise original dagger just to make a few extra bucks is wrong.
Jim

[Dutchknive]

Nothing new to the world of daggers. Even in the war-time, the manufacturor listed a list of Ersatzteile. Grips ferrules scabbrds etc, could be obtained. repair and replacements were listed as reparaturen.

I wonder what the percentage is for reparted daggers? i guess it's a given practise till short, and with the good new references we as collectors can
check the configuration of the dagger/sword. changing out parts within the manufactor can enver be checked, since all parts are as they should be.

I wonder how many collectors did upgrade there dagger in the earlier days, before it's starting to be a sin, not for profit, but to have a nicer or completer dagger. And i wonder how a collector or dealer can be sure a dagger, that sited in 4 or more collections wasn't ever altered to upgrade.

[Mikey]

Ron,
I can understand parting out daggers that are in poor shape and beyond repair, but, what I've seen and know ( Not about you Ron) are individuals that are purchasing perfectly good daggers at military shows and then parting them out for the extra profits and not caring about any historical or future value of these Items, these daggers tend to be in the good to very good range, SAs, second model lufts and armys, It's pure greed and you said It yourself Ron "money talks"
Michael

[Ron Weinand]

I have always wondered where the part demand is coming from to make this profitable?? I have had several daggers that needed a part over the years since I started doing the Motel Buys, but when I was just collecting and going to shows, I hardly ever found a dagger that needed something (other than a de-nazified piece), so where is this need developing from???
I cannot believe that the demand is so strong that good dagger are being dis-assembled to satisfy the need!!!
Ron Weinand

[lakesidetrader]

Well someone is buying these, novice collectors I suspect. Most advanced guys know that parts are not easily interchangeable. Experienced guys can usually tell a parts dagger. Fortunately most are botched jobs, the fits just are not there and the components are not from the same maker. This is where references pay for themselves....

[mott5ranch]

Unfortunately this practice is becomming common in areas other than edged weapons. Part of it has to do with the Ebay ban on firearms sales but I really hate it when I see Winchester Model 73s and 92s being parted out for the reason that the individual parts will often bring more than the complete gun. ......
Jim

You didn't hear this from me . . . but . . . I've been told by some gun collectors that one could purchase a critical rifle or pistol part on ebay often over priced. Of course some communications went down before the purchase. The bidder wins the part and it arrives . . in a second box is the rest of the gun. It's a way to avoid the hassle of dealing with a dealer in your area that is charging too much to handle the exchange of a complete firearm. No law is broken because a working rifle or hand gun was not sold . . only parts. . .and it was done on ebay.

[Larry Lipps]

Just to try and clear any misunderstanding, any time a serial numbered firearm part (usually the receiver) is shipped across state lines it must go through a licensed dealer to be legal. An example is AR-15 parts. You can purchase all the complete uppers you want but the minute you purchase a lower (serial numbered component) and have it shipped across state lines without an FFL, you go to jail.