Whether you own a business looking to unload extra stock or just an individual who has a knife or two to sell, it can be difficult to know the best place to sell. This article will give you all the info you require and help you find the best fit for your knife-selling needs.
One of the best places to sell knives is local knife shops, which typically come with customers looking to purchase new knives. Selling at local markets and pawn shops exposes you to the closest customers. Selling online is also viable, but be sure to follow the rules and laws applicable to each particular market.
The rest of this article will analyze the techniques mentioned previously. Keep reading to find the best places to sell knives.
1. Knife Stores
Selling knives in person is an excellent strategy for anyone with rare, custom, handmade, or just a large variety of knives.
Typically the best gift for any business is exposure to new eager customers, especially for ones just starting. Selling your knives at a local knife shop lets you get the benefits of trading in person and access to ideal consumers.
Each shop will have different styles they prefer, so your collection must match the clients’ tastes to receive the full advantage. It’s heavily encouraged to research each shop beforehand to understand which fits your inventory the best.
You also can sell your knives to the store directly but be prepared to negotiate. Owners typically offer wholesale prices, but understanding your local market will give you an advantage.
2. Local Markets
Local markets can provide many opportunities if you live in an area with a great local scene.
Selling at local marketplaces is an excellent way to acquire a large amount of exposure, and creating an eye-catching display highlighting your products is essential, as it takes time to attract customers.
However, with proper online and local marketing, you can alert potential customers about who you are, what you’re selling, and when/where you will be selling.
Depending on what state you operate, selling your merchandise at these markets can come free of specific rules and regulations. You’ll want to check your local and national business administrations for any permit or license requirements proper for selling.
Local markets are often full of other vendors from various markets, allowing you to get an idea of what’s currently selling and even a chance to boost your network.
Getting to know your fellow sellers and customers will fast-track your success rate.
Related 3 Best Places to Sell Guns and Ammo Online.
3. Pawn Shops
If you want the benefits of selling locally but want someone else to sell your items, pawn shops can work as valuable middlemen. Pawnshop owners are always looking to collect more inventory.
Pawn shop customers tend to be diverse, allowing you to sell different types, styles, and sizes of knives.
When working with these kinds of shops, your payout takes longer. Pawn shops typically will only pay you once your knives have sold. They also charge an operating fee, which comes out of your sale price. These practices can be a deal breaker if you want to maximize profit.
4. Blade Shows
Blade shows typically come with many advantages mentioned in previous strategies. They allow you to get your inventory in front of a large group of people who are open to buying and provide access to some of the best vendors in the industry.
Although it comes with many benefits gaining entry to and selling at one of these shows can be very expensive.
It’s crucial to have proper branding tools like business cards or other merchandise and contact information to maximize your investment. Even if you don’t sell all your knives, your goal is to show your brand to as many interested customers as possible.
Visit a show’s website to learn what it takes to get a booth.
5. Your Brand’s Website
Selling knives locally allows you to use the power of word of mouth, make quick sales and understand your closest consumers.
However, you should still pay attention to the benefits selling online can have for your brand. So much so that even if your focus is face-to-face conversions, you should still consider getting your own website.
Building a website lets you control how you want to show off and describe your products, like setting up your own booth. Take time to create unique and compelling descriptions for your products.
You will also need high-quality images showing your knives for consistent online conversions.
If you feel uncomfortable building your site, writing the necessary copy, or taking product photos, plenty of professionals are eager to assist if you’re willing to pay. However, if you’re up to the challenge, there are plenty of template-based website builders that simplify the process.
Each website builder will have its own integrations, pricing, and regulations for what is allowed on its platform. Don’t get caught up trying to find a perfect platform, as you can always switch to a more powerful builder.
Getting your website up and running so you can start making sales and building proper SEO should be the focus.
Besides gaining revenue and marketing your brand, having a website also allows you to build a personal client/subscriber list. When you sell at local stores, you are limited by what clients they receive and lack any natural way to contact them again.
With a website, you can retarget visitors and past buyers with new products, coupons, and newsletters through email or text.
Having loyal and reachable clientele is crucial for seeing consistent sales. If you need help attracting customers to your site, try turning to online advertising tools like google ads or hiring a digital marketing company.
6. Knife Forums
The next best place to sell knives online is on knife forums, as they allow you to sell and connect with fellow knife enthusiasts, like at knife shops and shows. Forums are typically rich with diverse users enabling you to make meaningful connections with potential customers and other vendors.
These websites typically let you buy and sell directly, making one the easiest and quickest way to make a profit. Most of these platforms require a membership before you can use these features.
Becoming a member can come with various requirements and fees.
Make sure to read all guidelines and contact any moderators to understand the rules before making any sales. The last thing you want is to be kicked out are barred from selling on these valuable platforms.
7. Online Marketplace
In today’s digital-based age, many of us are accustomed to purchasing goods from online marketplaces like Amazon, Etsy, and eBay. These locations also allow you, as a vendor, to sell your products or, in some cases, sell them for you.
Selling knives typically comes with heavier restrictions, primarily online. Researching potential websites’ terms and services is necessary before making any sales.
Sell Your Knives On Etsy
Etsy is an online marketplace for handcrafted and creative goods and allows you to sell knives intended as tools, including hunting knives, utility knives, and cutlery. The platform and its users gravitate towards one-of-a-kind items making it the perfect place to sell handmade or custom knives.
Etsy also requires all knives meet a certain quality standard and that you follow the appropriate state and shipping laws.
Use eBay With Caution To Sell Knives
eBay is a website designed to bring buyers and sellers together and has a wide range of brands, models, and manufacturers on its marketplace and plenty of customers looking to buy. Although they allow users to sell knives on the platform, they can’t be from their banned list.
However, if you follow their international trading policies, you can sell kitchen, throwing, and spring-assisted knives without issue.
Try the Amazon Vendor Program
Amazon is a massive online marketplace that gives access to millions of items, including knives, and it’s highly seller friendly. With their Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) program, they will pick up, pack and ship your products. It also comes with useful features like free shipping and returns, allowing you to focus on making knives.
Although extremely convenient, Amazon has specific restrictions on the type of knives sold on their site which should be researched beforehand.
Plenty of online knife stores like SMKW or BladeHq will buy your knives directly from you. These stores are typically only interested in rare, vintage, custom knives and collections from top high-end brands.
Can You Sell Knives on Facebook Marketplace?
You can sell knives on Facebook marketplace, but they won’t allow you to run ads. It can be a great way to buy and sell items, especially with those nearby. Facebook has many users, and its group feature allows you to speak directly to other enthusiasts and possible customers.
Although it is possible to sell knives on the marketplace, Facebook bans certain products, such as tobacco, weapons, and alcohol from using its advertising program. Even though the platform has an abundance of users, you need advertisements to gain the ability to angle traffic to your postings.
This means it is up to you and your brand’s power and reach to obtain eyes and make sales.
8. Youtube
One of the most complex parts of selling goods online is convincing potential customers that your products work as intended and are high in quality. Most of your early work centers around building social trust as a new brand.
If you can prove the worth of your knives to enough people, gaining consistent sales and attracting new consumers becomes much easier.
Building a solid and active Youtube page is one of the best ways to accomplish this. Youtube is an online video, music, and tv service with over a billion active users making it a great place for meeting new customers.
You can make videos showing your knives in action, highlighting their quality and ability. If you’re handcrafting your knives, consider sharing a bit of your process or giving tips on how to market and sell knives properly.
Spend some time on the website looking at other knife sellers’ content to see how you can fit within the market.
Once your channel is up and running, you want to ensure you have proper backlinks in your videos and “About” page, including links to your brand’s website, social media, and other suitable locations. This way, viewers can see your brand and buy some products.
Is It Legal To Sell Knives Online?
It’s legal to sell knives online. There are various options for legally selling your knives online, whether on a marketplace or a personal site. However, each platform has its own set of rules and regulations for what can be sold and should be researched accordingly.
Your location also plays a significant role in legality, as requirements can change from state to state and in different countries. As a seller, you should stay up to date with any necessary licensing or age requirements for both local and online markets.
Related Cheap vs. Expensive Pocket Knives: Is There a Difference?
Jim James is a published author and expert on the outdoors and survivalism. Through avid research and hands-on experience, he has gained expertise on a wide variety of topics. His time spent at college taught him to become really good at figuring out answers to common problems. Often through extensive trial and error, Jim has continued to learn and increase his knowledge of a vast array of topics related to firearms, hunting, fishing, medical topics, cooking, games/gaming, and other subjects too numerous to name.
Jim has been teaching people a wide variety of survivalism topics for over five years and has a lifetime of experience fishing, camping, general survivalism, and anything in nature. In fact, while growing up, he often spent more time on the water than on land! He has degrees in History, Anthropology, and Music from the University of Southern Mississippi. He extensively studied Southern History, nutrition, geopolitics, the Cold War, and nuclear policy strategies and safety as well as numerous other topics related to the content on survivalfreedom.com.