Value Of A Cobra Ak20

[Mike516]

I posted this in the wrong section I think. I have an opportunity to purchase a Cobra AK20 leather strap cutter. They want $1000 for it with no accessories, blades or anything else. Just the machine and table looks like. They don't seem to know anything about it but they know it was barely used somehow. Is this worth the gamble or should I pass on it? 

Thanks 

[Northmount]

I'd check out the cost of blades and spacers first (and any other accessories you may need) first.  Buying them separately may cost you as much or more than a new machine with a warranty.

Tom

[Mike516]

Good point. Thank you. I know they go for 1900 and up new. But thats with spacers and extra set of blades. The fact that they don't have all that stuff makes me wonder. She sent me a link to the site they bought it new, and it says it comes with extra blades, all the spacers and accessories. But she doesn't know anything about that? It's supposed to be 'practically new'. So what happened to all that stuff? I offered $800. So far she stopped talking to me. 

[Mike516]

Going back and forth, we ended up negotiating for 2 machines, the strap cutter and a Cobra leather burnishing machine. Both are used, but they know nothing about them except that nothing comes with either of them and they were barely used. I don't know how they know they were barely used or what happened to the spacers and all the accessories, but that's what they told me. So when I asked what they would do for me if I bought both machines, the price actually went up.

I suspect they were left in the building when they got there due to their weight because this isn't any kind of company that would use machines like these and the pictures were taken in a place that was being painted and stuff. They had no idea of the value but they needed to get them out of the area soon to finish renovations. Plus the person I was emailing with back and forth knew absolutely nothing about these machines and there was no one there she could ask.

They were going by the list price from a website they found that they said they got them from, but I don't think they were being honest about it.

So I called Steve at Cobra last week and he was really helpful. I wound up calling him back yesterday, after a weekend of back and forth with the people with the used one, and ordered a new AK20. It wasn't worth the hassle dealing with the other people for the used one. They were playing games and I was getting frustrated.

I'll update when the new machine arrives and probably after my hernia surgery from getting it in my basement shop