Rick,
Long time....Glad you're still around. I cannot address all of your post's questions, but I can address a couple. "Current value Randall knives in the last 25 years". That is your topic title. OK: Let's go back, not even nearly that far.
This point was brought up, quite well and accurately, by Gary Clinton at this past year's Blade show seminar (which ya'll should attend: They're great!) Here's a good example:
Everyone remembers Sept.11th, 2001. I think nobody can debate that. On that day, a standard, bone stock, Randall Model #1-7" catalog priced for $250.00. Take that knife, put it in a show box under your bed. Take another show box and put $250.00 in it & put it under your bed. Take them both out today...and what do you have? $250.00 in one box and a $390.00 valued knife in the other...and they "sell", rapidly for $390.00! Carry this scenario on to stocks-n-bonds and, in many cases, $250.00 worth of stock from 2001 is fractions less, if not almost worthless!
Point is: It depends on what you are talking about and comparing it to. The NASA project knives that I have re-sold go for $1250.00. A 20% (roughly) increase over 5-7 years. The prices were not inflated at introduction. You had a $600.00 stainless Bowie, A custom cut piece of NASA G-3 or G-10, shop charges of $75.00 to put it on...$35.00 worth of laser-etching...a $135.00 custom sheath, nickel silver hilts, metal spacers, duralumin of NS butt caps (That's another $70)...and 2 years to get 86 knives built! If someone was: A) Stupid enough to sell...or B) Lucky enough to buy one of those 86 for seven bills...Great! But it is, by no means, a credible example of where the market is "going".
Buyer's market? Sure: Absolutely. Goof time to sell? Depends. Good time to buy? Depends....Just the way this financial circle of life goes. Could be worse: You could have owned Volkswagon stock at market price a few months ago!
Glad to see you posting Rick. Take care.
Best, Capt. Chris
PS: RCKK Club knives were offered to RKCC members for 10% "under" catalog price. RKS knives were "always" over-inflated by 20% or better....just sayin'
Capt. Chris