Lie Nielsen No. 60 1/2 Block Plane

[Trevanion]

I've always fancied a Lie Nielsen No. 60 1/2 Block Plane but I've never brought myself to actually buy one, they're around £200 now, I should've bought one when Axminster were selling them for £100 a few years ago! I occasionally look on eBay in the hopes of finding an excellent deal, but as yet I have not. I did find this absolute gem for sale today, which made me smile.

It's not every day you see such a premium tool that's clearly lived a very hard life. What was most interesting to me was how much of the blade was still left after grinding it down to the maximum adjustment range of the plane, it even looks like the previous user has taken an angle grinder to the underside to grind a new slot for more range and also has used the rear end of the blade. I'm surprised with such a premium tool that you cannot use the full length of the blade until you've ground it to the slot, as you can with lower-end planes.

 

[Doug]

That has had a hard life My own will be 20 years old in February, the only Lie Nielsen plane I ever owned, they’re a good plane but you do have to keep the blade edge fairly square as there’s very little lateral adjustment.
I’m sure it will be a good user once you’ve fettled it Dan.

 

[Trevanion]

I’m sure it will be a good user once you’ve fettled it Dan.

For £100, I ain't buying it!

I did try to offer £15 purely for the novelty of it, but it was automatically declined, no surprise to me really if they're asking for £100.

 

[Doug]

For £100, I ain't buying it!

I did try to offer £15 purely for the novelty of it, but it was automatically declined, no surprise to me really if they're asking for £100.

Sorry I thought you’d bought it

 

[Woodbloke]

A ton for that is well OTT. Nice block plane though and I've had one for decades; a very useful upgrade is to fit the larger adjustment wheel available from Woodworker's Workshop - Rob

 

[Cabinetman]

Certainly had a lot of use, no I don’t think I’d bother with it at any price really. Happy with my Stanley anyway.

 

[Mike]

For £100, I ain't buying it!

I did try to offer £15 purely for the novelty of it, but it was automatically declined, no surprise to me really if they're asking for £100.

There must be some wild provenance attached to that battered plane to justify £100. They list for $190 on the LN website, but I think I paid $180 for mine years ago.

 

[Pete Maddex]

I have had one for years it’s nearly my most used plane.

That one is to battered to buy IMHO.

Pete

 

[Tellurian]

Blimey, that is one abused plane. It certainly needs rescuing! I managed to find it on eBay. He's dropped the price to £89.10 now. I'm not sure why the 10p though.
A £20 offer got rejected as well. It will be interesting to see what it goes for in the end.

 

[Trevanion]

He's dropped the price to £89.10 now. I'm not sure why the 10p though.

It's probably eBay's buyer's fees, he's likely listed it at £85, and the rest is eBay's fees.

 

[Tellurian]

It's probably eBay's buyer's fees, he's likely listed it at £85, and the rest is eBay's fees.

Ah of course. Their protection fee, whatever that actually is.

 

[AJB Temple]

Ah of course. Their protection fee, whatever that actually is.

I was cynical at first. But it is actually worthwhile insurance from supplier scams.

The plane is knackered.

 

[Steve Maskery]

From what I can gather, the biggest scam risk on ebay is from buyers, not sellers. People who order something and then claim it is damaged, or didn't arrive, or not as described, etc. I think EtV has such a tale to tell.
Not with eBay, but with PayPal, I have had the occasional blip. The last one, a few years ago now, went as follows:
Guy buys my Bandsaw Essentials DVD. Then asks for his money back because he already has two books about bandsaws and this DVD covers the same ground.
He complains to PayPal and we end up in dispute. "Arbitration", they call it. It is nothing of the sort. He tells PayPal that it is not as described. PayPal sanctioned me and refunded him. I was not happy.
I rang PayPal and actually got to talk to a real Human Being. I pointed out that this was not arbitration, because no-one had come to me for my side of the story. I also pointed out that what he had told PP was different to what he had told me. People who commit fraud don't do it jusdt once, they do it, and if they get away with it, they do it again. And again. And they think, "This is great, I can get everything I want and I don't have to pay for it". I pointed out that I had taken this to "arbitration" so that there is a record of the dispute. Maybe it's the first time time he has tried it on, in which case there is a record of it for the next time. Or maybe he has a track record.
"Please stay on the line for a few minutes". I waited.
Call handler came back and told me I had been credited with the sale.
I did ask what would happen to the buyer and I was told, effectively, that that was none of my business.
S

 

[Richard]

I don't fully understand how some secondhand items sell for a premium over a new item. For example, secondhand versions of my drivellings in my book on timber technology I've seen offered for sale at a higher price at, for example, here than they can buy the darned thing new directly from the publisher. Slainte.

 

[AJB Temple]

I don't fully understand how some secondhand items sell for a premium over a new item. For example, secondhand versions of my drivellings in my book on timber technology I've seen offered for sale at a higher price at, for example, here than they can buy the darned thing new directly from the publisher. Slainte.

Twas ever thus. Some people are dim.

 

[thetyreman]

I've been scammed unfortunately on ebay, it's happened to me a couple of times now, once with a faulty power amp that blew several speaker cones and another as a seller where they possibly destroyed it on arrival to claim the money back, although I can't prove it but it was so well packed that it's a bit suspicious. I also don't understand how anyone expects to get almost new prices for a second hand item, this seems to have become more normal since covid times.

 

[Mike G]

I don't fully understand how some secondhand items sell for a premium over a new item. For example, secondhand versions of my drivellings in my book on timber technology I've seen offered for sale at a higher price at, for example, here than they can buy the darned thing new directly from the publisher. Slainte.

That happens when a seller runs out of stock. They don't want to withdraw the ad, and then have to re-submit it later, so they just change the price to one which no-one will pay.

 

[AndyT]

Despite being owned by Amazon, Abe Books is still primarily an online shop window for real world used booksellers. Many will price their stock appropriately for the customers they get in their shops, and list online as well at the same price.

If they are in a prosperous area, they may be able to sell a book at a high price to a customer who has it in their hand, even if their prices may be higher than others online.

So their online prices won't be influenced by other sellers very much.

Some used book dealers use automatic pricing software which looks at other people's asking prices and adjusts accordingly. Others will leave listings unchecked for years on end.

It's a fascinating market.

 

[AJB Temple]

Well I never. I was unaware that Amazon owns Abe books.

 

[duke]

That happens when a seller runs out of stock. They don't want to withdraw the ad, and then have to re-submit it later, so they just change the price to one which no-one will pay.

Pretty sure Lost Art Press won't play that game.

 

[CStanford]

I'm not sure whether to applaud or be appalled. Somebody wasn't worried about it being an L-N tool. Sort of have to admire it. It wasn't anointed with Camellia oil every night and put on a display shelf, that's for sure.

 

[Pete Maddex]

It’s alright not to be worried about a tool but that sort of damage shows no respect at all.

Pete