Hey Bohica,
I can understand your frustration at not being able to purchase a Randall at the published prices in short time. I have felt that way myself. But what I have to ask is what is a reasonable price? To most people, is spending $350 on a knife to begin with reasonable? If you by a Randall at $xxx dollars, then decide to sell it and get $xxx, or even $xxx+x for it was it reasonable? When I bought precious metals years ago, it was always spot +10% to buy, when I sold it was spot -10%. Was it reasonable? It was the going rate, so yeah I thought so. That's what the dealers were doing.
One good thing I have found about dealing with different dealers(backyard?) is that the good ones will trade you back 100%(what you paid them for it) your equity in one knife for trade into another(ivory upgrade, different model?)
As far as you getting your Randall, there may be another option. You could always set up a table at a gun/knife show and wait for one to come by, maybe. When I travel and set up at a show it only costs $300-$500. You might get someone who has passed the vultures at the front of the show(you know the ones, just sitting there waiting for the little old lady who brings in her dead husband's grafather's old Colt revolver, which they will gladly pay her $100 for). They may even make it to your table and will take a factory price for it. I have found that most people who have Randall knives, know what they are, and what they can get for it on ebay.
I expect dealer prices to stay about the same or slightly increase
I have tried to look into the future for what may cause prices to go down. All indications from the supply side is that things will stay the same. Yes, that could change but not very likely. If I remember correclty from research, the shop makes 5.5-6k knives a year?Divided by an ever increasing collector base? As for the demand side of it, unless Randall collectors start to die off in droves, maybe in 20 years..............
Just an opinion,
James