Gillette Fat Boy so over priced. WHY?
- Thread starter Sheffield Steel
- Start date
Agree with all that has been said but will add that the Fat Boy is visual harmony to my eye. It looks just exactly right from any angle, beefy too.
Agree with OP. Price is determined by supply and demand!
+1, It's iconic. That's why people pay for it. I think it's a great razor. At least 3 times what my EJ DE89 is. By that logic, it should cost ~$60. Also, it carries a lot of buzz online. Everyone wants one, not everyone will wait to find it (or can, some guys live in markets saturated by guys going out and buying every fatboy they see. If that happens, you can't find them affordably and have to compete for them online)
I feel a group buy coming on...
The market drives everything. When I moved from Boston to sw Ohio I could not believe that I could walk up to the box office on a Sunday afternoon & buy Reds' tix in the upper deck directly behind home plate for $15 the first ticket, $7.50 each for the rest of the group. At Fenway that ticket would have been $150-$200. If the Reds sold out by Christmas each year as the Sox used to do then the price of those seats wouldn't have been $7.50. That's why, perversely, I am thrilled they have been picked to finish last this year.
With regard to the fatboy, I have never used one. I've had a slim since 1989, and would love to have a fatboy, but I wouldn't spend over $25 for one. Sooner or later I'll find one in exceptional condition for $25 or less. I'm patient.
With regard to the fatboy, I have never used one. I've had a slim since 1989, and would love to have a fatboy, but I wouldn't spend over $25 for one. Sooner or later I'll find one in exceptional condition for $25 or less. I'm patient.
Ha, the Ever Ready Streamline sets used to be had for 25 bucks on eBay regularly. Then a thread was started here and it went quickly to 50, 80, 100, 120.
Once it got there I stopped looking.
Once it got there I stopped looking.
I traded a Futur for one, best swap I've ever made.
Not really over-priced, just expensive. Scarcity, fan appreciation, etc. I used my first one for twenty years, and when I finally went back to DE shaving a couple of years ago, I gulped, and I paid the man. It is the best I've used. And it does mark a high point in American engineering.
There is nothing "Middle of the Road" about the Fatboy to me. It is hands down, the best vintage Gillette razor I own, and there aren't too many out there that I haven't tried. And shave-wise, it is my second favorite razor of all. It is far and away better than the Slim and Super Adjustable, despite me wanting to like the Super (since it's my birth year razor).
As others have said, Supply & Demand arte a big part of it. And it has so many fans, that it gets hyped up a lot on the forums, which increases demand. Compared to most other razors out there, it has a reduced supply also, due to the 4 year production window.
When I first joined B&B, these were selling for $20-$25 all day every day. And they were a steal at that price. Now $50-$75 is more common, and in my opinion, they are worth every penny. And if you don't love it, you'll be able to turn it around and get your money back.
If you are patient, and a bit of a treasure hunter, you can get lucky and find one in the wild, at antique stores. All of mine have come from antique store for $3 - $15.
If it's in good condition, I don't think a Fatboy (Gillette 195) is overpriced. They're really well made, they look great. It's hard to deny the appeal.
That said, I find the head is much too bulky - if the razor is dialed up to its more aggressive settings it's even worse. My opinion is that both the Slim and the Super-Adjustable give a better shave. People are catching on, or maybe it's inflation, but a Gillette Slim could be had from eBay for $15 or so, now they're commanding the prices that Fatboys used to go for.
That said, I find the head is much too bulky - if the razor is dialed up to its more aggressive settings it's even worse. My opinion is that both the Slim and the Super-Adjustable give a better shave. People are catching on, or maybe it's inflation, but a Gillette Slim could be had from eBay for $15 or so, now they're commanding the prices that Fatboys used to go for.
Have you priced any mass produced, middle of the road cars from the 50's that are in great shape recently?
Bingo! My first car was a 1964 Karmann Ghia that I purchased for $100 in 1973 when I was 16. I went to Ireland for a few years and it sat in my father's garage. When I returned I drove it for a couple years and then gave it to my youngest sister in 1982. She drove it for a couple more years, sold it, and with the funds paid for a year of college!
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Some people prefer Coke to Pepsi. We shouldn't forget to factor in personal preference. You think the Fatboy is middle of the road and not worth the money. There are some out there who think it is the best razor they have ever used and worth paying $50 for.
I am not sure why the 7-piece ATT set is $400. What makes it worth more than the Rockwell 6S that is $100, or the Merkur 34c for which I paid around $38 for that matter? I get awesome shaves from my 34c so why should I pay several hundred dollars more for the ATT? If the Zamak parts of my 34c wear out I can buy several replacements before getting close to spending $400. For me the ATT is not worth the money. For others it is worth the money. They are willing to pay for the very high quality materials, better workmanship, and/or other factors that lead to it being set at that price point. We are both absolutely correct. The ATT is not the razor for me, but it is the razor for someone else. That person is not wrong for spending $400 on the ATT. I am not wrong for refusing to spend $400 on the ATT.
YMMV. Live and let live. Go with the razor that works best for you.
I am not sure why the 7-piece ATT set is $400. What makes it worth more than the Rockwell 6S that is $100, or the Merkur 34c for which I paid around $38 for that matter? I get awesome shaves from my 34c so why should I pay several hundred dollars more for the ATT? If the Zamak parts of my 34c wear out I can buy several replacements before getting close to spending $400. For me the ATT is not worth the money. For others it is worth the money. They are willing to pay for the very high quality materials, better workmanship, and/or other factors that lead to it being set at that price point. We are both absolutely correct. The ATT is not the razor for me, but it is the razor for someone else. That person is not wrong for spending $400 on the ATT. I am not wrong for refusing to spend $400 on the ATT.
YMMV. Live and let live. Go with the razor that works best for you.
I don't think they are overpriced at all. You wouldn't be able to build them with the same quality for the going rate. Its just most other vintage Gillettes are underpriced, making them seem overpriced in comparison.
Absolutely not overpriced.
Yes. Good razors, though. It's worth what you're willing to pay.
Similar threads
