renaissance guy

boy, things can sure turn on a guy when he is trying to ask a few questions and find out just what to do. i do appreciate all the help and input and advice. i am a lil lost on some ideas of the value. so far i have heard 500.00 to over 20,000. and to try and get papers on it and don't worry about it it wont make much difference and might not even cover the cost of having it done. and not to bother with having it done here in the states the only guys that might know are in Japan. and if you don't get the papers you want keep trying and someone some where will paper it. so i have been a lil confused by all this somewhat. i am not going to just be a fly by night guy...i do feel that sending it to have it papered is the best thing to do. sending it to Chris Bowen... nice guy. still a lil unsure about sending something worth so much to someone i don't know...i know it is just me i should be able to tell you something as soon as i know thanks guys, keep the input coming. more than likely i will put it up here for sale when i get it back. not sure about if it does not paper this time. do i just keep sending it out till someone will? still not sure how it all works if they all agree it is real it gets papered. what if one does not feel it is right then no papers? there has been alot of different thoughts just on this website, so you can see my confusion time will tell

hmmmm , interesting. but some on here are saying that guys from here might not know what it is and it might be a waist of time and $$$. would i be shooting myself in the foot by having some guys look at it and not know for sure what it is , so they decide to not paper it and that ends up hurting the value ALOT!!?

still hear, and enjoying all the comments so far. i am not likely to send it to Japan and wait for up to a year or more. would be kinda fun tho. i have had several guys over the years look at it guys traveling thru that put adds in the paper. and had a guy in Portland look at it and write down the info from the blade, Steve Strauch. told him i did not want to sell it but wanted to know what it was said and how old it was. He did say "Now this is a very nice little blade" when he was looking at it. maybe i should give him a call again...nice guy.

ok, it looks to be dead on 25" does that help? so what do the papers do or tell you about the sword? kinda like having a Rembrandt authenticated? they look at the brush strokes and paper and signature and tell it all matches to what he would have done??

thanks for looking guys, so what would my next step be? tell me more about getting these papers? how much will it cost and would it be worth it? will it bring the value up? what do the papers do or mean? any one have any ideas what it might be worth just from looking at the pics as it sits now? boy i ask alot of questions....thanks

Thanks guys Just updated some more info on my profile. Taking some pics of the sword to post now, $10,000 sounds a little low but I guess i am not really in the know and that's why i am here...

I have a Koto sword i was told, and need some help in selling it. let me start by saying I know little about all the terms used in this description process. I am very hesitant to sell it on eBay or to send it off for an offer. I have heard all the horror stories of never getting your sword back. So after much looking on line i thought a group of knowledgeable sword buyers might be the best place to go. Please forgive me if this is in poor form and moderators please move this post to the right location if this is not it. I bought this sword years ago from a gentleman i became friends with and after many various long conversations found out he had this sword. he and his brother had each gotten one of there grandfathers swords from there father. his brother lived closer so he got to pick the one he wanted first leaving this one to him. his brother picked the fancy sword with sheath and still has it hanging on his wall he says. leaving this sword, in just a plain wood sheath, lemon wood he was told, and wrapped in what looks like butcher paper. not to impressive he thought so he has had it in his closet for years. I though i would get it and have it put in a shadow box and mount it on the wall but just never got around to it, so here i am He told me his grandfather received the swords as a gift when he retired in the early teens. He was an (or the) assistant to the Minister of the interior of Japan. I have had several buyers look at it over the years and they have told me the maker and inscriptions one side says Bi Shu Osa Fune Nori Mitsu and the other O ei San Nen Hadi Getsu Nichi my wife will be taking some pictures and will post them up. and i will get some measurements as well is there anything i should do or not do in taking the pictures and what should they be of? i was told this was a 20,000.00 sword but i have no idea if the market has gone up or down? so i appreciate any and all advice or help with this again very sorry if this is not the right way to handle this thanks and God bless