People attempting to buy up all the Katos right now in hopes that they’ll make 1k profit in 5 years are sorely mistaken. Collectors are looking for the next big thing that’s going to be scarce and causing a buzz not the thing people cared about 5 years ago.
You’re totally right.
Given how knife trends come and go, it seems like a poor idea to buy knives based on whether you think they’ll appreciate in value.
For example, KS-style profiles were all the rage 5 years ago, but extra tall heel heights are now what KKFers want. If you look at BST, truly exceptional 48-50mm tall knives (Mizuno Tanrenjo DX, Tanaka x Kyuzo AS, Takada No Hamono ginsan, Tansu honyaki, etc) have been taking a (disappointingly) long time to find buyers at a significant loss even as taller knives of equivalent quality have been getting insta-snatched.