1. What is your Collection for? Profit Gain [investment] when sold after a period of time,Left as a Legacy after you pass a way to son or daughter or just the beauty of them all. Or maybe all of the above.Case 101 Chapter 1 follows.

 My take on Case XX knives the most inportant is PRICE.

A- Pick a pattern to collect - the Case Tiny TexasToothpick is by far the most popular,others include stockman,saddlehorn,congress,gunstock,tiny trapper,trapper,peanut and a host of others.

B - What do you want to collect?The following is a guide based upon availability and  price lowest  to highest.

1- Case Standard Product  -unlimited production Example Case jade bone series produced from 2003 - 2006

2 -Case First Production Run Usually Pertains to Case Standard Product Usually 1/250 but could be any Number,First Production Run Long Tailed C etch on Blade or on Right Bolister.

 3 - Case Limited Edition  1/2500 or 1/3000 with Limited Edition Blade Etch.Tru-Sharp Surgical Steel Blades

 4 - Case Special Factory Runs Usually 1/1000,1/750 or 1/500 or any Number in between most have standard Case Oval Millinenium Shield

5 - Case Special Factory Orders or SFO's [ ordered by dealers some are even designed by dealers] 1/100 ,1/250, 1/300 ,1/500 etc. [these are sought after due to low quanties produced and their uniqueness ] the most common Shield is the XX Bow Tie or the Round XX Shield but there are other variations.

6 - Case Special Factory Order Usually Produced 1/25, 1/50 ,1/100 1/200  these knives have Scrolled Bolisters,Special Shields or Blade Etch and  are Numbered ie: #20 of 100,120 of 200 etc. Always has 9 before Case item number.

7 - Case Signature Series  Comes in Fancy Felt Lined Case, Very Limited Production.

8 - Case Exotic Series - Special Handle Materials is what enhances these knives, here is three of them Obsidian [volcanic glass from Mexico] ,Black and Gold mineral particles from Arizona ,Black and White Jasper from California and there are many others.These knives are on the high price end of the Case line up usually no more than 500 produced.

Note: Be aware Some Sellers Will Claim that a Knife is An SFO to Drive up the Price,just do a little research before bidding..

 There are other Case products available I listed only the main ones.

C - Resale Value Standard may go up, Limited over time,sfo's,signature and exotic will for sure some will double,triple or quadriple in value over time.

Check out my Second Guide it Deals with Tang Stamps and Pattern Numbers

CASE XX  IS AND WILL REMAIN THE # 1 COLLECTABLE KNIFE 

 I Hope I have helped you become a better Case knife collector.I collect tiny toothpicks and doctors knives,unlike most guide writers I am only giving you my take on Case knives I'm not trying to sell you anything.

I Appreciate your vote for my guides if you find them helpful.

 HAPPY CASE XX KNIFE COLLECTING!

Additional Info  Like Nascar Diecast a Case Knife is worth More in it's Original Box, as a Collector myself you need to be careful purchasing knives on E-bay.Sellers with a long track record are for the most part very reliable.It's the beginers that don't  realize Case knives are collectables and should be FULLY described in their auction description.   Example: A seller was selling a Case canoe knife with rattlesnake bone handle etch,their photo showed a vintage Case box with the knife that was made in 2005,seller neglected to mention or was unaware that the box was not the original for the knife.

Some highly Collectable Case knives came in knife paks,or in mint sets with No Boxes from the factory.Some Sellers to include myself provide a plain box for the knifes safe keeping.Another thing to consider some sellers show a photo shop respresentation of their knives,I prefer a photo of the actual knife being sold as we know most knives are different from each other in color and jigging.                           This info added 24 Sept 07