Jeepster04
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- Jun 25, 2013
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- 3,100
What's the difference between these two Craftsman wrenches that one is listed for nearly ten times as much as the other?
- Thread starter atikovi
- Start date
KnurledNut
Well-known member
It’s not unusual for those flex head RHFT’s to bring good money, especially the 3/8. Just have to make sure they are not the camarotoolman special.Found this one for $280 today. WTH?
The switch style reverse lever in the first wrench is much better than the style in this one.
alinc100
Well-known member
I can send you a name of a contact on FB that is heavily into buying and selling such items if you are thinking of selling. ( Note it isn't me, nor the A$$ mentioned above)I dont have that many wrenches, but I wonder how much all of this is worth?
No, but old people seem to.
Young people will probably collect the mass produced things of their youth when they get older.
I don’t believe that there will be any real nostalgia for Craftsman after the Baby Boomers and Gen X stop buying tools. The generations after those, for the most part, did not buy tools from Sears.
finn
Well-known member
I find the whole concept of “collecting” tools, or most anything else, a little bit ludicrous.
Buy them to use as intended, if you must, but to pay the same or even more than a modern “equivalent”, like a Gearwrench or whatever seems silly.
Of course I feel the same about most collectibles, like old porcelain metal signs, etc. it’s ok to look at and hang in the shop, but I’m not paying the exorbitant prices the stuff goes for, or spending time tracking “rare” pieces down.
Guess I won’t be getting that HemiCuda or Boss 429 Mustang any time soon.
rust in the eye
Well-known member
Its going to take a lot of $260 ratchet sales to launder some cartel drug money.rust in the eye
Well-known member
Do young people collect tools? Wouldn't they prefer to pick up a turd? I figure its just us geezers.
I can't resist this story about a friend's wife.
She had been collecting these(when it was a thing)and amassed quite a collection that, if you believed the value guide(published by the same folks that peddled the **** to begin with)the collection was easy five figures worth.
They were in the process of having a new home built and she wanted some extras that were out of budget. She managed to convince my friend she could sell the BeanyBabies for enough to cover those extras so he commited. SURPRISE.
Its hard to compare vintage tool collections as the items weren't intended as collectibles and they aren't making anymore. Collecting current tools, say in various shades, might prove a similar financial scenario as the BeanyBabies.
My 3-something nephew is looking to buy tools, so asked me what I thought. He now wants old S-K and Craftsman, and Bonney. I'd have to agree that not alot of younger customers are looking at tools but some are. So I encourage them whenever I can.
KnurledNut
Well-known member
I know a few young people that enjoy the hunt for used Snap-on tools of any vintage. One of them is fascinated by Par-X. They are building and using these tool collections.
I’ve been able to share quite a bit of knowledge and suggestions about tools they have picked up and give advice on other ones that I find useful. They just glow listening to you talk about it. These guys come from middle class blue collar families.
finn
Well-known member
I won’t be around in 1000 years, and neither will my great, great grandchildren.
Nostalgia holds a fleeting interest to me. Yes, I have a few of my grandfather’s tools, but I know my kids have little interest in them, let alone my grandchildren.
In fact, I still use my grandfather’s Plomb carpenter’s hammer occasionally, and I noticed his (Plomb?) breaker bar in the tool cart yesterday. I wouldn’t pay money for them because they’re collectible, but keep them solely because they were my grandfather’s.
kmacht
Well-known member
Not all laundering is tied to cartels. This isn’t television.
rust in the eye
Well-known member
again, $260
Beerhippie
Well-known member
Times a hundred transactions?
KnurledNut
Well-known member
The only thing a Craftsman ratchet needs to make it great is a Matco head.
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OMGdidhedied
Member
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- May 6, 2026
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- 5
Basically, it’s because the handle is stamped “Craftsman Industrial” and it is much less common than the other one. They have the exact same internals, and based on date codes I’ve seen, for a while they were coming out of the exact same “K” factory at the same time. You had to order the Industrial one from a special catalog or get lucky and find one on clearance at a Sears outlet when the line was winding down. So, if you’re a Type collector, you have to have that handle and you’re going to pay a huge premium for it.
3baygarage
Well-known member
Sears was the most ridiculous with the Industrial stamp **** as I mentioned in an older thread. The 3/4 drive set was suddenly like twice the price because they put that word on it. It appeared to be a last ditch attempt at making money off the USA made line of tools while switching to imports.
I have the same screwdrivers marked industrial and professional. Are you saying the industrial ones I can sell and retire?
In reality I used them and lost most of them so the ones I have left more or less have the names and logos barely readable.
When sears sold the standard acetate handled screwdrivers the black professional or industrial handled screwdrivers were a substantial upgrade.