Pecunia non olet. Well, sometimes it does. However, In this article, I shall not discuss taxes. Instead, I will focus on some successful marketing tactics employed in on-line communities specialising in straight shaving in the hope that you will find this extra knowledge useful.

Marketing is the process by which companies create customer interest in products or services. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business development. In the area of straight razors, things used to be quite simple. While there was limited interest in straight razors, and the market for them less than saturated accordingly, all one had to do was to provide superior quality at competitive prices. But things have changed over the past three years. Here are some recent trends:

1. The number of manufacturers is growing. While previously, there was only Dovo (and a few small outfits like Thiers Issard, and Wacker), several old brands have been brought back to life, including Puma, Böker, and Revisor. Quality varies greatly. I am a great fan of Revisor razors. I am far less convinced by the other resurrected brands. Puma has been a disappointment in particular, because the new production razors are nothing like the vintage ones.
2. The number of on-line shops has risen sharply. While only a select few specialise in straight razors, more and more offer straight razors (typically as two or three piece kits with strops and brushes). Comparing prices can be difficult. There simply are too few expert reviews in the market. Many reviews were written by people with limited knowledge of the subject matter, or sample sizes that render these reviews entirely useless. In a nutshell: While you do not need to have honed thousands of razors to assess the quality of an edge, you should have shaved with more than ten different types of razors before passing judgement on one.
3. Artisans (or, rather, entrepreneurs) have entered the market. I refuse to use the term 'artisan', because a lot of the goods and services offered have nothing artistic but are simple copies of successful goods and services. There are two main areas here: First, copies of popular equipment items, such as certain strops or brushes; second, counterfeit designs, especially in the custom scale arena. The former are typically similar in price, but inferior in quality. The second are particularly annoying, because they lead to a fad becoming mainstream. In the case of scales, this has led to an inflationary use of scale materials like acrylics and Micarta. While there is nothing inherently wrong with either per se, their ready availability and relatively simple handling have led to many amateurish and a-historic customisations. To make matters worse, some people are now ditching perfectly serviceable scales on historic razors in exchange for this plastic trash. De gustibus and all that, but my personal opinion is that this is wrong in many ways (cf Historical amnesia, or why LSD and scale making do not mix well).

So these are the industry trends. On to the marketing now. Here are some techniques and tactics of which you should be aware, especially if you are a beginner:

1. Solution selling. Simple, yet effective. "You think your scales are not good enough? Well, have some of mine." Bang! Another USD 100 made. If you are an artisan, this is perfect, as long as enough people support your sales effort. Best thing to do is create a loyal following, and have them do the actual advertising for you. "I thought the scales on vintage razor F were horrible, but vendor G's scales changed it to something beautiful. It even glows in the dark !!!!!" A strong element of competitive selling will also help in this context. And maybe the odd ad, strategically placed in your forum signature. Cheap, but effective. As a buyer, the simple cure to this cancer is a straightforward value analysis: "Will a USD 100 investment in a USD 35 razor enhance its performance beyond that of a USD 135 razor" would be a good start, especially if you are new to buying equipment. And the answer really is, not at all. Rescaled razors usually sell for less than similar razors in their original state. Besides, fashions fade, and today's sparkling recycled bowling ball is tomorrow's eye cancer - with all the value deterioration that entails.
2. Consultative selling is probably the single best method to push your goods and services into the shaving market. Its perceived drawback, namely that you have to have built a high trust and high credibility relationship with the prospective buyer, is alleviated by modern technology. Through a forum, you can reach many more potential buyers than face-to-face. Personal dialogue is relatively easy to do, too. And too many people confuse post count with competence. The question for the buyer being, "Does razor F actually have a problem that needs solving, or is vendor G particularly competent at creating problems that match his problem solving skills, eg making scales?"
3. Affiliate marketing. Forget search engine optimisation, email marketing or display sales. If you want to make real money in the straight shaving world, open a forum, and attach a business to it. Replace forum with blog, mix, match, repeat. Since the market for straight razors and their equipment is small, chances are that even a small forum can outperform a big one in terms of customer reach. Very tempting. The "buyer beware" here is that you should scrutinise recommendations for specific products and vendors. More often than not, you will find that you can get products of similar quality - and sometimes identical products - for less money. A particularly unsavoury tactics is for vendors to team up, and start a new forum that looks as though it was neutral, but in fact only has the goal of promoting the vendors' agendas.
4. Viral marketing. The latest and greatest weapon in the war for the straight shaving market. An example: Vendor A has been analysing the shaving market for quite some time. The razor supply niche is fully booked. Strops require a lot of equipment, and considerable skills. Brushes do not deliver a good profit margin. But creams, and soaps... Convenience products, certainly, but there is a market for high priced products. However, this niche is taken by Castle Forbes, and Domenico Caraceni, both well established players with a global footprint. Now what? Enter viral marketing. No website. Not on-line shop. No blog. Nothing. Just some elements of solution and consultative selling, ideally blended with a senior position in one or more opinion forming forums. Give some stuff to good on-line friends, and encourage them to review your product. Everybody loves artisans, we're all anti establishment, and anti industry - and while we're at it, let's buy American, too! Voilà - your first viral wave is on its way. The next, and most important step, is to keep up the mystery. Remember, no website! Just tell your friends to send everyone else to you personally. This is important for the consultative selling, and to further understand the exact needs to new customer segments. Repeat ad nauseam, but do not forget to open some sort of on-line presence once you have established a firm footprint. Because, you know, too much consultation means too little sales, and no matter how hefty the price tag is you stick on your stuff, it is still a convenience product.

So there. "Now wait a minute", you might say, "I thought this was a hobby? Gentlemen helping gentlemen. Love of the art. All that other propaganda talk. Is it all just a big hoax?" Well, mostly it is not. Not generally, at least. But as I hope to have made clear above, there is a strong and clear case for a proper due diligence before a purchase. Things are not always what they seem, and there is a growing network of marketing affiliates using modern(ish) techniques to bring their products and services to you. Which is all nice and dandy as long as these products and services solve your problem. But they do not always do that. Unless you want to start a shaving equipment business, 10 hones, 5 strops, 25 rescaled razors, and 10 tubs of a theworldsbestcreameveronly15USDwhilesupplieslast are not required. Honest.