Author of $10,000 eBay auction for Wolfman Razor admits his motive

Marko  hit the nail on the head. Since I've been involved with this community, I've dealt with wet-shaving enthusiasts from Italy, France, Denmark, and all over the good old USA.

I thought the original ebay post was hilarious and I think the person who posted it made his point in a humorous yet gentle way.  Going back in to spew his vitriol is an example of drilling too deep so that you come out the other side and ruin the original intent.  I guess the reason he delivered his message on ebay was that no shaving forum would have permitted him to post what he did - the guy has obviously spent considerable time on forums as he seems well informed on what goes on in forum land.  Its kind of pathetic really, I mean whatever you may think about people generally and their attitudes towards shaving, nobody is being hurt and as a matter of fact, I see bridges being built between people all over the world which is a good thing.  Where is all this anger coming from? The ego that allows him to sit in judgment of us all is sadly a common feature of the human condition.

As for me, I'm going up to have me one damn fine shave
Marko

And grim ,  I wasn't upset about any of this. Of course I realize there are differing opinions, and I wanted to express my point of view-respectfully disagreeing with that fellow, and expressing my gratitude and appreciation for this great hobby. BTW, I used to shop at the Caswell Massey store on Lexington Ave. in Manhattan, and would buy the Number 6 cologne, AS, and balm, because it was reportedly the cologne George Washington wore (and I liked it). They've been in business since the mid 1700s, and I wouldn't be surprised if between drinks and discussing the memorialization of our inalienable rights, the founding fathers discussed whether a balm was necessary or even beneficial in warm weather.

Please permit me to give a shout out to Hector, hrfdez , as he's an example of the kind of spirit I've discovered on this forum: He sold me a Paladin brush, which quickly became one of my absolute favorites, in a BST transaction. He charged me exactly what he paid for it previously on BST, while I'm sure he knew he could have turned a profit for such a scarce brand of brush. Hector, if you decide to take a break, I will miss your posts!

Same here.

Hector had saved me numerous times from being taken advantage from bad deals. I admit I do have a trusting nature and sadly a few have taken advantage of that. Hector did not only offered me advice when I was starting out but he had also patiently answered all my silly newbie questions.

Like Todd, he had also sold me unobtaniums at no extra cost. Unobtaniums that a poor schmuck like me saved up for but had little chance to acquire through normal means. I was so proud of him, I even told my wife about our deal and showed her how much some folks are offering for them on their WTB's but he still decided to sell it to me at no mark up. That's the kind of stand up guy he is. In order to reciprocate that kindness and out of respect, I'll never sell them. To me they are a gift from a friend, even if someone offered me 2 thousand bucks for the stuff.

He is just very frank and honest with his views and opinions, a trait I have admired and never saw as a negative. I don't always agree with him, and I don't think he always agrees with me, but never did I feel he made a comment out of malice. He is honest, and he has strong opinions and a strong personality, something I too would want to learn as I go through with my life.

I agree with BadDad, he is maybe one of the most misunderstood member in our community, but he is one of the most decent, generous and honest gents you can come across in this hobby.

Proud of you hrfdez, and get well soon. Stick around! Come on!


As for the topic, all I know is there is a lot of hype in this hobby. I went into this hobby because I find that it relaxes me. I get to talk to various gents, share insights with them, exchange notes and learn new things.

However this hobby also has an ugly side. There is some sort elitism in some circles, new razors or even vintages, or brushes or soaps it's there. I'm just glad the whole community isn't like that, and I still feel a sense of brotherhood and gentlemanly spirit in our community.

I don't like it when some guys try to take advantage of this hobby and offer scalper prices to those who are desparate. Hyping something up so that your stocks of unobtaniums becomes an investment. Guy's who are in this hobby for those reasons are not the reason why I went into this hobby.

Offering unobtaniums for a huge profit is legal, but what can I do? They are free to do that, but I am also free to form my own opinions about it.

It's beneficial to the rich who does not wish to wait, it's detrimental to the noobs who can only admire from afar. It's the way of the world, and it is sad that even in this hobby which I find so relaxing and refreshing, the reality of this world still permeates.

To be fair to James, I don't think he had ever wanted this. I never saw him try to hype up his products. He made a mistake last time with the lottery, I wish some folks didn't also try to showcase what they have at the time because it's James who gets the heat and only serves to make the situation worst.

And yes I also signed up, was in the 30's and lost out on the lottery. That's water under the bridge now. It doesn't matter. James did not target me specifically to bump me off. I was upset but I am a man, what's done is done and it's time to move on. Tomorrow is a new day as the saying goes.

I feel the negativity that this had caused in some parts of our community, and I can only hope it passes and everyone goes back to "normalcy" where we just talk, have fun, make our reviews, share our honest insights and just be a brotherhood again.

hrfdez, I really hope you will not leave the forum. You're a good guy.

Moving on to the topic of the thread, which is the eBay posting. I try to build people up rather than tear them down. Wet Shaving is a fun hobby. I see no problem whatever with folks that can afford it having 20 $200 brushes, or the Wolfman razor or anything else. There are all manner of hobbies and there certainly is nothing wrong with this one.

Specific to the Wolfman razors, there are plenty of things in this world that folks have to wait for. I'm pretty sure that the eBay poster wishes he hadn't posted that. I bet he has received some rather interesting emails.

Well said grim

I wonder if there are Toothbrush forums that have a bunch of whackadoodles like us?

You could discuss different bristles, handle materials, tongue scrubbers, toothpaste, mouth wash and the highly sensitive topic of Dental Floss. Up and down motion, circular motion, how long does it take you to brush, why do my gums bleed, canker sores, bumps on my tongue, plague build up and how to avoid it, how do you store your toothbrush, how much floss do you use each session, can I get my brush re-bristled, clear handle or solid color, do you rotate your pastes, my brush is loosing fibers, teeth whitening is it here to stay or a fad. The possibilities are endless and the forum could be HUGE.  

The funny thing is, it sounds absurd....but that is basically what all of us are doing here with shaving.

Don't even get me started on those guys that use Electric Toothbrushes. That's not how you brush your teeth. Tooth powder and a free toothbrush from the dentist is how real men brush their teeth.

Bruce, I have to admit my day didn't start off too good.  As it progressed, though, I was beginning to feel better.  However, your post here put me over the top into definite happy territory.  I found myself laughing out loud.  

(And, just to give you an idea of what an old fogey I am, I can remember when Colgate tooth powder was for sale on drugstore shelves.  Now, I occasionally see the empty tins for sale in antique stores for ten to twenty times more than what the whole product cost new back in the day. )

Well said grim

I wonder if there are Toothbrush forums that have a bunch of whackadoodles like us?

You could discuss different bristles, handle materials, tongue scrubbers, toothpaste, mouth wash and the highly sensitive topic of Dental Floss. Up and down motion, circular motion, how long does it take you to brush, why do my gums bleed, canker sores, bumps on my tongue, plague build up and how to avoid it, how do you store your toothbrush, how much floss do you use each session, can I get my brush re-bristled, clear handle or solid color, do you rotate your pastes, my brush is loosing fibers, teeth whitening is it here to stay or a fad. The possibilities are endless and the forum could be HUGE.  

The funny thing is, it sounds absurd....but that is basically what all of us are doing here with shaving.

Don't even get me started on those guys that use Electric Toothbrushes. That's not how you brush your teeth. Tooth powder and a free toothbrush from the dentist is how real men brush their teeth.

This is hilarious, but it is SOOO true!

I belong to a "beard forum", where us bearded fellows offer advice, support and encouragement to gentlemen trying to grow their first full beard, or trying to learn how shape, style, and care for their first beard. Imagine the beard and mustache section, but expanded to nothing BUT the beard and mustache section, divided among su bforums based on age, length, and goals...yea...we are pretty serious about not shaving...

One of the oddest things that struck me was how much enjoyment we each took out of the simple concept of a bunch of grown men sitting around telling each other how nice our hair looked today.

It's funny to those that don't care or know what a "newb" is going through, but you would be surprised how comforting it can be to have a complete stranger say quite simply, "You're doing fine. Keep letting it grow and it will work itself out. It looks great!"

The same is true of a shaving forum like this, especially for newbs that don't really know what to do, or how to do it. Getting a little encouragement goes a long way, and forums are a great place for that.

And yes, I fully grasp and appreciate the irony of a grown-ass man getting simple pleasure from participating on 2 hobby forums at opposite ends of the spectrum...one for shaving and one for NOT shaving...I see and embrace the irony...

BTW, somewhere either in this thread or its sister thread that was closed, someone asked why aren't links to eBay auctions permitted in certain forums. Per a podcast from BrushnSoapnBlade the reason is that ANY link to ANY other website permits the member to LEAVE the website. This means lost revenue for the owner. After all, you can't be buying something from the vendors that pay if you are buying on eBay or some other website.

Of course, this creates a closed society whereas the very strength of the Internet is derived from its openness and crowdsourcing. Think a history lesson from AOL. It was, fundamentally, a closed society whereas they really didn't want you to leave it and use the "real" internet. Lost revenue. Look what happened to them.

The inability to link and reference authoritative outside resources results in an atmosphere of "Its true because I say its true", which since the dawn of the Internet, is so 1955.

I gotta say this has been one if the most interesting threads going. A lot of great posts gents! Thanks for a great read.

And hrfdez, I wholeheartedly agree with what BadDad and Aurelian28 said. Don't leave, we like you here.

(And, just to give you an idea of what an old fogey I am, I can remember when Colgate tooth powder was for sale on drugstore shelves.  Now, I occasionally see the empty tins for sale in antique stores for ten to twenty times more than what the whole product cost new back in the day. )

 
Here you go Freddy https://goo.gl/4WUvz0   Still available new for purchase.

(And, just to give you an idea of what an old fogey I am, I can remember when Colgate tooth powder was for sale on drugstore shelves.  Now, I occasionally see the empty tins for sale in antique stores for ten to twenty times more than what the whole product cost new back in the day. )

Here you go Freddy https://goo.gl/4WUvz0   Still available new for purchase.

I'm almost tempted, Doug.

(And, just to give you an idea of what an old fogey I am, I can remember when Colgate tooth powder was for sale on drugstore shelves.  Now, I occasionally see the empty tins for sale in antique stores for ten to twenty times more than what the whole product cost new back in the day. )

Here you go Freddy https://goo.gl/4WUvz0   Still available new for purchase.

I'm almost tempted, Doug.

I'm surprised you didn't pick up a bottle at Merz.

wingdo, it seems to be made in India, of all places. How unusual. However, Amazon has a good price on it. I am sooooo tempted.