Why are old Craftsman Professional screwdrivers so expensive?

[dclark2171]

I know the things are decent screwdrivers, however, some prices (especially NOS) are pretty high. Who made these for Craftsman? One set has an asking bid of $699 on ebay.

 

[four.cycle]

it's wishful thinking on the seller's part, because the highest price paid recently for a set of Craftsman "Professional" screwdrivers was an accepted best offer on an asking price of $349. The next highest sale was $339, so your seller is about $300 out of the ballpark.

Other than that, I cannot imagine what could possibly compel someone to pay that kind of money for ****** Craftsman screwdrivers when for way less than that one could own a nice set of these awesome Vessel "Megadora" drivers or a set of these fancy green hard-handle Heyco drivers.

 

[dclark2171]

it's wishful thinking on the seller's part, because the highest price paid recently for a set of Craftsman "Professional" screwdrivers was an accepted best offer on an asking price of $349. The next highest sale was $339, so your seller is about $300 out of the ballpark.

Other than that, I cannot imagine what could possibly compel someone to pay that kind of money for ****** Craftsman screwdrivers when for way less than that one could own a nice set of these awesome Vessel "Megadora" drivers or a set of these fancy green hard-handle Heyco drivers.

I agree, I got the Vessel wood/cork handle set for $67 on Amazon Japan. The prices might be more of a collector thing vs tool user buying them https://www.ebay.com/itm/2963790162...-8875-365d71711a5d|iid:1|vlpname:vlp_homepage

 

[908Jim]

NOS USA made SK cushion Grip screwdrivers are available on Amazon, ebay, and around the internet for much less and they're identical to the craftsman Pro aside from the color change from red to green.

I believe they were made by Pratt & Reed

 

[NUTTSGT]

Because people are willing to pay for them.

As cheap as sets used to be, I could probably sell half of mine and still have plenty of them left.

 

[Gila Monster]

I had no idea they were "worth" this kind of money, I might just sell mine. They're good screwdrivers, but nothing to command those sorts of prices. I'd rather have a set of Snap-On.

 

[Andres26tnt]

people put old craftsman tools on a pedestal regardless of quality. You can have those screwdrivers under the SK name and they are cheaper. Heck for that price I'm going with a real quality screwdriver, vessel or PB swiss.

 

[FigN⋅m]

I had no idea they were "worth" this kind of money, I might just sell mine. They're good screwdrivers, but nothing to command those sorts of prices. I'd rather have a set of Snap-On.

I wouldn't mind possibly switching to a Williams set.

I honestly am holding onto my CM Pros (soft handle) for sentimental reasons, as they were among the first new sets
of tools I bought for myself when I moved out and knew I couldn't keep borrowing/stealing family tools...

 

[KnurledNut]

Who made these for Craftsman?

Western Forge indicated by the WF abbreviation on them.

I liked the black and red handles on their prybars but didnt care for them as screwdriver handles.
Much preferred the previous generation older round fluted black hard handle professional screwdrivers.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I had no idea they were "worth" this kind of money, I might just sell mine. They're good screwdrivers, but nothing to command those sorts of prices. I'd rather have a set of Snap-On.

I'd rather have Snap-on or Matco. Rarely do I grab a Cman screwdriver when there's others in the drawer.

 

[darkzero]

They're not expensive. It's because now that Sears Craftsman is out of business, people decided to jack up the market & try to rip people off because they are no longer available (like with most anything). And from what I remember Craftsman Professional stuff wasn't really around for that long compared to their other lines so slightly more harder to find? And the name makes them sound better & more desirable. Sad thing is people pay some of these outrageous prices. Kind of like people banking on people's childhood nostalgia for things like toys & video games.

In my book, sort of the same as people calling items "antique" or "vintage" that aren't so they can try to get more money. This has sadly become the case at most of the flea markets around here in the past years. When I see an ad that says "antique or vintage" I won't even bother to look. "NOS" is now added to that list. I'll only look at them if it's something specific that I'm looking for.

 

[woody 73]

I own that set, but I bought it new when it first came out, nowhere near that kind of asking price. it has served me well over these many years, but like others have said there are better sets out there to be had. Vintage in my book is 50 years or older, so anything made before 1974. I guess having some rotten apple sellers trying to make a killing off some people is always going to happen, I sure hope they have some kind of karma in this lifetime.

 

[ike]

I had a fairly big set of the red/black Craftsman Professional screwdrivers. When the prices shot up, I sold them on Ebay, since I had quite a few that were new/like new. I thought they were great screwdrivers, but I replaced them with a set of Vessel Megadoras. The Vessels are so much better in quality and use. I felt completely stupid to have believed the Craftsman Professional screwdrivers were something special for as long as I did. Anyone paying top dollar for those is either a sucker or a Craftsman collector. I didn't pay top dollar for mine, but I was still a sucker for being a Craftsman loyalist.

 

[Wamsutta]

Do you guys remember the Craftsman Professional screwdrivers from the early 1990's ?

They started out with hard black handles, and then they made them in a soft grip. But here's the kicker: The soft grip looked very similar to the hard handle when you stand back about 6 ft. I didn't discover that until it was too late and they were being closed out at Orchards Supply Hardware. Even though the soft grips were the same exact shape as the hard handles, they had an entirely different feel to them.

They were wonderful. They were sticky in your hands for fast spinning and they gave you tons of twisting power. I managed to buy two of them before they were completely gone. I wish I would've known about them sooner. I wasn't crazy about the hard handles, but the soft grip handles were super sweet. Now they're being sold on eBay for crazy money.

 

[turner66]

Those hard black handled Craftsman "Professional" screwdrivers (and torx drivers) from the 90's were some of the biggest pieces of garbage ever made. I broke more of those handles than any other tools i ever owned... It was a happy day when i gave them all to my teenage kids many years ago and replaced them with good quality other brands.

 

[Pasha]

Generally speaking, the "Professional" line are among the best tools produced under the Craftsman brand. It makes them highly sought after by collectors.

 

[KnurledNut]

I broke more of those handles than any other tools i ever owned

Beating them?

 

[rust in the eye]

They are good enough screwdrivers.
A few orange handle Western Forge ones remain in my box (because they're seldom used) that I'd love to unload on somebody that thinks they are special enough to pay the absurd prices mentioned here.
Anyone that pays hundreds of dollars for these ain't usin' 'em. If they do they'll quickly be disappointed.

 

[Wamsutta]

Those hard black handled Craftsman "Professional" screwdrivers (and torx drivers) from the 90's were some of the biggest pieces of garbage ever made. I broke more of those handles than any other tools i ever owned... It was a happy day when i gave them all to my teenage kids many years ago and replaced them with good quality other brands.

Yeah but i"m talking about the soft handles.

 

[turner66]

Understood, i don't really have a problem with that...

 

[turner66]

Beating them?

never. nor did i ever put other tools like channelocks or vise grips on them. hand twist only. The hard handles would just snap about halfway up, especially in cold weather

 

[KnurledNut]

never. nor did i ever put other tools like channelocks or vise grips on them. hand twist only. The hard handles would just snap about halfway up, especially in cold weather

I believe you. Thats the first I have heard or seen that issue though. And I own several and have seen many put through their paces without the handles failing.

 

[PugetDude]

I have a bunch of the Red and Black Craftsman Professional screwdrivers. (probably 30-40, many never used-bought most of them at a Sears Hometown store on close-out) They're just OK, IMO.
If someone with deep pockets had a burning desire to own them I would sell them off and replace them with SK or one of the European brands.

 

[dclark2171]

I have a ton of these laying around, many from my dads old tools, and you can pick them up at garage sales cheap (50 cents each, etc). I have beat the piss out of some of them and have used as pry bars. Look at what this dude is asking

https://www.ebay.com/itm/296365969936?itmmeta=01HX47SK5X2EZW1H4G5TDDV1A0&hash=item4500c9d210:g:xgIAAOSwY8VmHGxT&itmprp=enc:AQAJAAAA0BGW3K/XveceQA3khK3S60i/FhTRka5QQiVy/3u0739AzjhfFWr9pdKPbR0rOrYnt7wsKmJEsxI8+1ey3GfJ3keNShQweJILz6bIh9x5+1ICJ0LWZu7IiBwtG0B7zdrC/3b5v/9RgOH2pqKGEjKEuRgj8DAAowHVYXiLx9G2cSImIGv5UYjrIIwYhQeo6d/GR0vlWmorI/CNT1C59qz2UTQWZIH1frpqvtv1XA+CLyzkVDx39kigXHtM6CXGlTEnAm/3E/bODcFkP9SDlLSkk7o=|tkp:Bk9SR5Kz5ofpYw

 

[KnurledNut]

Do you guys remember the Craftsman Professional screwdrivers from the early 1990's ?

They started out with hard black handles, and then they made them in a soft grip. But here's the kicker: The soft grip looked very similar to the hard handle when you stand back about 6 ft. I didn't discover that until it was too late and they were being closed out at Orchards Supply Hardware. Even though the soft grips were the same exact shape as the hard handles, they had an entirely different feel to them.

They were wonderful. They were sticky in your hands for fast spinning and they gave you tons of twisting power. I managed to buy two of them before they were completely gone. I wish I would've known about them sooner. I wasn't crazy about the hard handles, but the soft grip handles were super sweet. Now they're being sold on eBay for crazy money.

Some eBay sellers get pretty tore up about people reposting their photos. May want to at least give credit to the source of your pics.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2047570633...&brand=Craftsman&_trksid=p2332490.c101224.m-1

 

[Wamsutta]

Some eBay sellers get pretty tore up about people reposting their photos. May want to at least give credit to the source of your pics.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/204757063389?_trkparms=amclksrc=ITM&aid=1110006&algo=HOMESPLICE.SIM&ao=1&asc=20200818143230&meid=d38ffd066f284d96aeb6727951f5b414&pid=101224&rk=5&rkt=5&sd=296365969936&itm=204757063389&pmt=0&noa=1&pg=2332490&algv=DefaultOrganicWebV9BertRefreshRankerWithCassiniEmbRecall&brand=Craftsman&_trksid=p2332490.c101224.m-1

eBay is the best place to get good pictures. Most of the stock photos the manufacturers take are junk.

Some eBay sellers put their name below their photo so that they get still get credit in case somebody steals the picture like this guy does:

ln47acfg-jpeg.2103266

 

[KnurledNut]

eBay is the best place to get good pictures. Most of the stock photos the manufacturers take are junk.

Some eBay sellers put their name below their photo so that they get still get credit in case somebody steals the picture like this guy does:

ln47acfg-jpeg.2103266

Absolutely agree. Actual product photos are a great reference. I've linked some eBay pics myself, but try to always state the source. Otherwise it comes off like its your picture. At least linking the eBay posting gives the seller some traffic. That way some sucker can pay $150 for those.

 

[Wamsutta]

Absolutely agree. Actual product photos are a great reference. I've linked some eBay pics myself, but try to always state the source. Otherwise it comes off like its your picture. At least linking the eBay posting gives the seller some traffic. That way some sucker can pay $150 for those.

What I'll do is post the auction number next time. I can't go back and edit that post right now because I've already used up my 10 edits in a 24 hour period.

 

[KnurledNut]

What I'll do is post the auction number next time. I can't go back and edit that post right now because I've already used up my 10 edits in a 24 hour period.

No hard feelings.

Since you seem to be enamored by the soft grips, how about we get back to the Craftsman Professional ****, shall we?
Here's a pic of my P0, P1, P2, P3, P4 soft handles.

 

[CJM8515]

I have a ton of these laying around, many from my dads old tools, and you can pick them up at garage sales cheap (50 cents each, etc). I have beat the piss out of some of them and have used as pry bars. Look at what this dude is asking

https://www.ebay.com/itm/296365969936?itmmeta=01HX47SK5X2EZW1H4G5TDDV1A0&hash=item4500c9d210:g:xgIAAOSwY8VmHGxT&itmprp=enc:AQAJAAAA0BGW3K/XveceQA3khK3S60i/FhTRka5QQiVy/3u0739AzjhfFWr9pdKPbR0rOrYnt7wsKmJEsxI8+1ey3GfJ3keNShQweJILz6bIh9x5+1ICJ0LWZu7IiBwtG0B7zdrC/3b5v/9RgOH2pqKGEjKEuRgj8DAAowHVYXiLx9G2cSImIGv5UYjrIIwYhQeo6d/GR0vlWmorI/CNT1C59qz2UTQWZIH1frpqvtv1XA+CLyzkVDx39kigXHtM6CXGlTEnAm/3E/bODcFkP9SDlLSkk7o=|tkp:Bk9SR5Kz5ofpYw

HA!

I have the same set and plenty of individuals, western forge so so quality. maybe i should sell them..but i dont have the package which im sure adds like a zillion more dollars value

 

[PhantomEB]

I still go for my trusty Craftsman screwdrivers, they still have a solid edge more so than my Snap Ons.

sure can see me grabbing a newer set when I see one on sale at Rona. Truck bag just gets a multi bit screwdriver.

 

[dnschmidt]

To answer the original question: NOSTALGIA. They were never on par with Wiha, Wera, P. B. Swiss, TOPTUL, Snap-On, Klein are anybody else's stuff. It's a case of: "My daddy had Craftsman tools so they must have been the best syndrome."

 

[turnthewrench 2.0]

Nostalgia and nothing more. The Armstrong made wrenches are good, but shouldn't be as expensive as some people pay on ebay.

 

[Fedwrench]

I don't think there's a rhyme or reason for some Craftsman tools fetching what I consider crazy money on ebay.
I think much of it is wishful thinking and that many of the auctions end up as unsold. I cashed in selling a few Craftsman items over the years for an easy 3-4 times what I paid for them.

 

[four.cycle]

^ Exactly.
Absolutely NO rhyme or reason to it. In the 8+ years I've been on this site, we've had a good number of "why does Craftsman sell for so much on ebay?" threads, and not one of the cited sales makes sense.
The only part of it that makes sense is that there seems to be a good deal of truth in "A fool and his money are soon parted."
There is a reason why my Craftsman ebay listings are higher than hell: some fool will gladly pay that much.

(FTR: I just sold a "Circle H" 1/4" drive set for $90. Pretty much the same set as the one in the third image below.)

 

[Debcrow]

Part of the problem at looking at eBay for value is NOT KNOWING how to determine value on eBay.

A lot of it is just false. Only look at SOLD sales to get value, anyone can ask a stupid price. Even though it says SOLD does not mean that it did.

When I was selling vintage used car parts on there, I would see a item that I also had sell for stupid money. Then the same seller sold the very same used item with the same photo two months later. I have seen this happen a lot, sometimes the same item 4 or 5 times. Each time SOLD, but not actually. The seller is just trying to get people judging the value from previous sales to think it is worth several multiples of what it is actually worth so they will buy it at a inflated price.

To determine value, NEVER look at something that was bought at the 'Buy it Now' price. Yes, most of those are good sales, but there is no way to check if they are.

Only look at 'Auctions'. And then only look at auctions with more than two bids with multiple different bidders. Then look back at the sellers other auctions and see if the same bidders bid on them. Then look back and see if the seller has sold the same used item before.
One seller I saw many times sold many things using 'Auction'. Looking back at the sellers previous sales it was the same two shill bidders running all of his auctions up trying to get someone to jump in and buy it at a inflated price.

The bottom line is: Just do not judge value from what is on the surface of a eBay sale. It is a common mistake.
I also see it in second hand stores and garage sales where someone has printed off a page from eBay and put it under the item to show "Value". I saw this just yesterday at a garage sale. They had old wood auger bits priced at $10 each with a eBay page next to them.
In real life they are worth a dollar or two at most and are usually still there at the end of the sale because nobody wants them.

 

[joel63]

I had no idea they were "worth" this kind of money, I might just sell mine. They're good screwdrivers, but nothing to command those sorts of prices. I'd rather have a set of Snap-On.

That was my first thought.

 

[Wamsutta]

No hard feelings.

Since you seem to be enamored by the soft grips, how about we get back to the Craftsman Professional ****, shall we?
Here's a pic of my P0, P1, P2, P3, P4 soft handles.

Those are very nice. Hang onto them and try to find more if you can.

 

[stonesfan68]

People really are nuts about the old Craftsman stuff. Several years I found a really old Craftsman "butterfly" ratchet at an estate sale for about $15. I put it up on eBay and it sold for ~ $100+. I received a message from the buyer asking me how I was going to pack it. He wanted me to pack the thing like it was porcelain. I replied that it was a chunk of old iron and scratched and dented as shown in the pics. I did wrap it bubble wrap to make sure that it didn't break out of the box.

 

[dclark2171]

NOS in general has higher asking prices. If you know who made what, you can find some pretty good deals.