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Prices getting silly for old hand tools

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Prices getting silly for old hand tools

Postby AJB Temple » 24 Mar 2022, 09:10

I just received (would have been late last night) an email from Rob Cosman advertising reconditioned Stanley braces and Millers Falls egg beater drills. All sold out within 24 hours: ie by the time I looked this morning.

Braces at £155 and MF drills at £178. This must be multiples of what they cost new. Tarted up of course. Who is buying this stuff at these prices I wonder.

I last bought a Millers Falls eggbeater (along with a small Stanley one identical to one I had as a child so I bought it to feed memory lane) for £14 the pair, 3 years ago from the bay.

I also see that Lie Nielson is having serious difficulty keeping up with demand and as a consequence has stopped making more esoteric tools to concentrate on production of core lines. Only noticed as I wanted to obtain a very narrow LN socket chisel for my son and could not find UK stock.
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Re: Prices getting silly for old hand tools

Postby Pete Maddex » 24 Mar 2022, 09:31

I have picked up all my braces and egg beaters from car boot sales mostly for peanuts.
Maybe I should buy all I see tart them up and sell them.

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Re: Prices getting silly for old hand tools

Postby Phil Pascoe » 24 Mar 2022, 11:54

Stanley 803s? I had a few ... :lol:
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Re: Prices getting silly for old hand tools

Postby 9fingers » 24 Mar 2022, 12:02

Whilst there are idiots prepared to pay silly money, there is a demand for others to satisfy them.
It is how things work.
Don't like the price, don't buy

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Re: Prices getting silly for old hand tools

Postby AJB Temple » 24 Mar 2022, 12:14

Yes, agreed Bob. I'm obviously not in the market, but I am intrigued by what is driving demand for these things. I know lockdown supposedly kicked off more people doing DIY, but I don't know anyone that this applies to. (Obviously Cosman is across the pond).
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Re: Prices getting silly for old hand tools

Postby 9fingers » 24 Mar 2022, 13:26

AJB Temple wrote:Yes, agreed Bob. I'm obviously not in the market, but I am intrigued by what is driving demand for these things. I know lockdown supposedly kicked off more people doing DIY, but I don't know anyone that this applies to. (Obviously Cosman is across the pond).


In some cases It can start with seeing what audacious prices are achieved by others on ebay etc and even reading threads like this.

Cosman et al are quite clever in exploiting the market segment where the price is is what customers remember rather than the value of the item.
He can sell x number of items at a high price, release them when convenient and create a demand by rarity.
Other might do design iterations to get to a low bill of materials, slave away producing 10x of their pet "tool" and sell at a sensible price but make very little money for all their hard work.

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Re: Prices getting silly for old hand tools

Postby Andy Kev. » 24 Mar 2022, 13:37

I think a threshold has recently been crossed with respect to old hand tools, most of all in the USA.

Almost every tool which I have bought second hand would now cost at least twice as much. The positive thing is that it appears that more people are discovering hand tool woodwork.
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Re: Prices getting silly for old hand tools

Postby AndyT » 24 Mar 2022, 14:06

There's a few of us on here who can quietly pat ourselves on the back. We may have thought we were old codgers picking up stuff on the cheap - but we were hipster trendsetters all along! ;)
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Re: Prices getting silly for old hand tools

Postby AJB Temple » 24 Mar 2022, 14:12

What is a "hipster"?

Is that something that was around in the 1960's". :lol:
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Re: Prices getting silly for old hand tools

Postby AndyT » 24 Mar 2022, 14:17

AJB Temple wrote:What is a "hipster"?

Is that something that was around in the 1960's". :lol:


https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hipster ... subculture)
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Re: Prices getting silly for old hand tools

Postby Phil Pascoe » 24 Mar 2022, 15:05

High prices? Bring 'em on! I sold a well used Marples No.7 for £148 a couple of weeks ago.
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Re: Prices getting silly for old hand tools

Postby AndyT » 24 Mar 2022, 15:34

Phil Pascoe wrote:High prices? Bring 'em on! I sold a well used Marples No.7 for £148 a couple of weeks ago.


Nice. Still good value but not as good value as my immaculate Stanley no 7, bought from a second hand shop in the early 90s, for £20.

Or my complete Stanley 71 router, in box with 4 cutters and fence, again from a physical shop, £13.50. They're ten times that or more now.
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Re: Prices getting silly for old hand tools

Postby Blackswanwood » 24 Mar 2022, 15:54

More people taking up woodworking has to be a good thing but I also do wonder if there is a lockdown effect that pushed prices up and will subsequently unwind as a proportion of people decide they don't now have time for new found hobbies.
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Re: Prices getting silly for old hand tools

Postby Cabinetman » 24 Mar 2022, 17:13

Well I find that very annoying! That was going to be a little past time of mine – going round secondhand and bric a brac shops picking up some old woodworking tools when I get to America, maybe I can take some with me and make some money ha ha
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Re: Prices getting silly for old hand tools

Postby Phil Pascoe » 24 Mar 2022, 17:55

AndyT wrote:Nice. Still good value but not as good value as my immaculate Stanley no 7, bought from a second hand shop in the early 90s, for £20.



ten quid less than I paid for my Stanley No.8. :lol:
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Re: Prices getting silly for old hand tools

Postby Woodbloke » 24 Mar 2022, 18:34

I wonder what my late Norris A1 panel plane is worth as well as my genuine, autographed Krenov smoother complete with box, packing and US postage label signed by JK himself? I paid a little over £100 for it just before he died so it may have been one of the last things he made - Rob
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Re: Prices getting silly for old hand tools

Postby AndyT » 24 Mar 2022, 20:00

I saw one of those recently priced at £2.00. I didn't bother buying it as I didn't need or want it!

Perhaps Mr Bode and his customers see the world differently.
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Re: Prices getting silly for old hand tools

Postby AndyT » 25 Mar 2022, 12:06

Ok folks. After a weekend thinking about it, let's see if I can get my career as an old tool tycoon launched. Look what I've got for you!

Remember that they are very rare. I'm interested in any offers of $89 or more. UK postage included and no import taxes or duties! ;)

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Re: Prices getting silly for old hand tools

Postby Pete Maddex » 25 Mar 2022, 12:35

400 quatloos

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Re: Prices getting silly for old hand tools

Postby AndyT » 25 Mar 2022, 12:45

Pete Maddex wrote:400 quatloos

Pete


I have a vague feeling that might not be a serious offer...you don't want to miss out on all the other rare bargains do you? It would be a shame to get blacklisted when the Emporium has barely opened its doors!
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Re: Prices getting silly for old hand tools

Postby Woodbloke » 25 Mar 2022, 12:46

I'll up Pete's bid 25 Altairian dollars :D

'The Altairian dollar is the principal medium of exchange throughout the Milky Way galaxy, partly due to the general incompatibility (and/or illusory nature) of most other forms of currency. According to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, a competent hitchhiker should be able to see the galaxy on less than thirty Altairian dollars a day, although costs around the Guide's headquarters make this, ironically, almost impossible.' - Rob
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Re: Prices getting silly for old hand tools

Postby Pete Maddex » 25 Mar 2022, 12:47

Ok 500 quatloos, man you hard to haggle with.

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Re: Prices getting silly for old hand tools

Postby AndyT » 25 Mar 2022, 12:49

Rob, I think I understand why you no longer work for Axminster! Were you in the accounts department?!
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Re: Prices getting silly for old hand tools

Postby Woodbloke » 25 Mar 2022, 13:04

AndyT wrote:Rob, I think I understand why you no longer work for Axminster! Were you in the accounts department?!

Some might say that if one were to substitute 'Ax' for 'the Guide's' in the above statement there might be a semblance of truth! :lol: :lol: - Rob
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