Cygnus

Thank you. This is great advice and always the hardest part. It always seems like a big part of learning is making mistakes, but in this hobby that could cost a fortune! The waki/katana price distinction makes perfect sense and would still satisfy to get started. Per your suggestion, I have already joined some nihonto FB groups. Much appreciated. Thanks for the recommendation on finding books. I will definitely check it out. Yes, I fully expected something in the "fine" 14c category to be very expensive. I do not intend to spend 5 figures or more for at least a year or two. What I am looking for, at least I tell myself right now, is something more of an "artifact" quality; a nihonto that has less appeal outside of its historical category, though I do want a signature if possible, even if gimei. Thank you Giordy for that thorough and lengthy reply! I think your sentiments reflect mine closely. To be more clear on the price question, (please correct me here if I am far off), I am starting to form categories in my mind. Looking through auctions etc, I see an abundance of swords in the 400-1000 range[entry tier?], 3-10k range[beginning of the true collectible tier], and [10-20k mid-higher tier, yet common] and prices beyond this being for exceptional pieces. Obviously pricing can be anywhere in between. I want to be extremely cautious and learn as much as I can before spending thousands for obvious reasons. At the same time, it seems like with a little bit of earned confidence, it would be hard to lose much money on a sword in the 400-1000 range for two reasons: 1) that market appears to be very liquid, and 2) less money is at risk. It seems like a good price range to cut one's teeth and learn a few lessons while loosing a couple hundred bucks here or there before taking bigger risks. Also just so we are clear, I am under no illusions that I "understand how values can be determined" specifically with nihonto! though I am beginning to see which general factors are at play, I know nothing of them with intimacy, learning this is probably the most enjoyable part of the journey of collecting for me. The shows are a great suggestion. I am going to try for Chicago! Thank you for all of your suggestions. Boom. Sounds like a fantastic idea. It'll be my 40th birthday weekend and not too far to drive. Thanks for the recommend! You are soo right. As an appraiser for nearly 20 years the only way to truly develop a proper nose is getting your hands full and a good sniff. I am sure for you guys some pieces jump out from across the room, good and bad. Thanks for the good wishes! Thanks for the invite. The drive is a bit much, but who knows what the future might bring. Being a newb, I want to hold back risky money for at least a year- as others have said, Im probably better off investing in books and learning. Based on what little I have seen, there seems to be a lot in the sub 1k price range, but I would even say that I am looking for something lower in the "junk tier", rusty, chipped, cracked, warped, fatally flawed, amateur restoration, etc. I am curious what flaws "kill" an otherwise desirable sword. Please forgive me if this sounds like blasphemy, I expect that it does. In the coin business, improperly cleaned or "ex jewelry" specimens fall into this category and are often good temporary placeholders in a collection. I want my first piece to be an artifact of interest, and not necessarily pretty, or at least non-conforming to what is the mainstream sought after qualities. Do signed (even if gimei) 14th-15thc wakizashi or katana exist in the 4-800 range? and if so, how visually unappealing are we talking? I would much rather have an abused muromachi period piece for my first sword than a pretty edo or later piece, if that makes sense. Of course in my fantasies I have grand designs but I know enough to know that I haven't a clue even where I want to focus yet - periods, blade types, kashira, makers oh my! Eventually I'll have to settle into something. I just want to scratch the itch in a particular way (an artifact of age and mystery) before I knuckle down and commit to a niche. Thanks again everyone for your thoughtful replies! -Grant

Hi all, What a wonderful resource these forums are. I will make sure to continue browsing and learning, but in the mean time, I am hoping for some general advice. I have experience with collecting ancient coins, fossils, minerals, manuscripts, and ancient antiquities of many types, so I do understand generally how values can be determined and that there are categories for all things collectible. That said, ill cut to the chase: I am looking to start my collection with something simple and meaningful, but not particularly valuable. For me, this would be a something as old as possible with a signature, my hope would be 14th century or older, but I don't know if that is realistic or not. I would gladly sacrifice koshire, gimei, fatal flaws, rust, chips, warping, amateur cleaning etc etc. The idea being that this would be a starter piece to inspire the rest of the collection as it grows, filling out more handsome pieces as I determine what moves me. What are the price ranges for nihonto in this category? Do they come up for sale outside of an abused private collection from time to time? Hopefully that was clear. I would love to continue the conversation in the comments. Thanks in advance.

Whelp, looks like I found an amazing corner of the internet. I collect many things, but mostly consider myself an appreciator of history and art. I professionally appraise antiques, coins and exonumia and now am feeling the indescribable and familiar itch to join the community of nihonto appreciators. Thanks to everyone in advance for putting up with my questions and for all the sharing being done here. -Grant