Monetizing new US-made Craftsman tools

[alpinewhite]

I have sets of US-made Craftsman tools from my ebay-selling days from 5-10 years ago. All these tools are new and made in the good ol' US of A. Even if I could, I wouldn't want to return them as the ones in the store are all imports.

The tools are needle-nose pliers, arc-joint pliers, slip-joint pliers, ratchets, sockets, extension bars, nutdrivers, etc.

Is selling them on ebay the best way to monetize them?

 

[Aquaticbob]

I have sets of US-made Craftsman tools from my ebay-selling days from 5-10 years ago. All these tools are new and made in the good ol' US of A. Even if I could, I wouldn't want to return them as the ones in the store are all imports.

The tools are needle-nose pliers, arc-joint pliers, slip-joint pliers, ratchets, sockets, extension bars, nutdrivers, etc.

Is selling them on ebay the best way to monetize them?

Ebay, craigslist, and here are all pretty good places to sell some tools. The average craigslist joe might not be too interested if the prices are higher than brand new in store stuff (even if it's china). Otherwise there is no harm in listing them in as many locations as possible

 

[NC-Shaun]

I am in a similar situation currently. I chose to list mine here on the Garage Journal because I want these tools to go to good homes, and have already had so much help from the guys here.

 

[zkling]

Allow me to translate

"What is the best way to get the most out of my rare, collectable craftsman tools. I feel they are worth so much more than retail price, cause ya know everyting is made in china these days and there are worth a mint"

Ebay is for you. It almost sounds like you are trying to stir up bids on here without actually saying so.

 

[Spudland_Dave]

Good Luck....Monetizing and Craftsman are 2 words that don't belong together.

People can talk and post all they want about buying USA and how the old Craftsman's were so great, things were better back then, quality was great, Sears was an awesome place, yadda yadda....
BUT when it comes time to whip out the wallet, nobody will, and/or you will find out that shipping the items will cost more then the contents of the box is worth.

 

[dale500]

With the billions of Craftsman tools already in circulation I don't think even the ones that are 10-20 years old have reached any kind of collector status. Prices will still be compared to all the other sets available on eBay or any other place you choose to sell.

 

[alpinewhite]

With the billions of Craftsman tools already in circulation I don't think even the ones that are 10-20 years old have reached any kind of collector status. Prices will still be compared to all the other sets available on eBay or any other place you choose to sell.

Understood. But does the fact that they are US-made make them more desirable, thus, commanding a better price than the imports?

People can talk and post all they want about buying USA and how the old Craftsman's were so great, things were better back then, quality was great, Sears was an awesome place, yadda yadda....
BUT when it comes time to whip out the wallet, nobody will, and/or you will find out that shipping the items will cost more then the contents of the box is worth.

That's what I was afraid of.

It almost sounds like you are trying to stir up bids on here without actually saying so.

Not at all. We're all family here. I just wanted people's opinions.

 

[d.mcfarland]

I'll be blunt. You can set the price on eBay and in the classifieds here. Nobody here wants to pay full price so that's the downfall. On eBay they get a cut, that's the downfall of it. Shipping is always the killer. However, you reach millions more potential buyers on eBay. Best advice: list on both and take your chances! Can't sell if nobody sees them!

 

[John316]

I think USA is a selling point for CM tools. There are some I have searched out to replace a few well worn tools Ijust liked for whatever reason. Ultimately, as with most things, you can just check sold items on ebay for a ballpark value and decide if it's worth the trouble.

 

[Farmall450]

I'm interested in what you've got.

 

[Kurt4440]

Understood. But does the fact that they are US-made make them more desirable, thus, commanding a better price than the imports?


That's what I was afraid of.


Not at all. We're all family here. I just wanted people's opinions.

If we are all family, I know what me and the boys want for Christmas.

 

[jmm]

Understood. But does the fact that they are US-made make them more desirable, thus, commanding a better price than the imports?

In lots of cases they're more desirable. In a few of those cases your tools will command a little bit more.

But on the whole, I'll say no. The last runs of American-made Craftsman tools weren't very good. The import thing didn't happen overnight -- it's part of a continuum that started with manufacturing cost cuts at Craftsman production facilities here in the US. Those tools don't have much going for them, besides the fact that some owners will derive satisfaction from the USA stamp.

I'd be prepared to sell them for less than current retail.

 

[CWP1616L]

Wait a couple of years until the store stock is completely Chinese and then sell them.

 

[MN4x4]

Wait a couple of years until the store stock is completely Chinese and then sell them.

If you want premium price for them, this is good advice. Of course, it could also be that Sears is out of business in a couple of years so no warranty and then the value will be ****. Until another decade or two pass and they actually become scarce and collectible.

 

[CNGsaves]

I have sets of US-made Craftsman tools from my ebay-selling days from 5-10 years ago. All these tools are new and made in the good ol' US of A. Even if I could, I wouldn't want to return them as the ones in the store are all imports.

The tools are needle-nose pliers, arc-joint pliers, slip-joint pliers, ratchets, sockets, extension bars, nutdrivers, etc.

Is selling them on ebay the best way to monetize them?

Post/thread does not make sense. OP says these tools relate to Ebay SELLING activities he had 5 to 10 yrs ago ?? So he's already a guru at selling on Ebay . . . and begs the question, WHERE did OP get these new CM tools??

GJ classifed is best bet at this point as appears OP only has handful of Craftsman USA items. So this thread is a "quasi-classified" so might as well have PICs !!!

 

[Fordman7795]

As far as i know the pliers and nutdrivers are still usa. I am interested to know what ratchets you have

 

[Peoria Man]

Wait a couple of years until the store stock is completely Chinese and then sell them.

I agree; there's no point in selling them right now. The vast majority of what I see on the racks (and in the boxed sets) at Sears are still US-made stuff. With certain exceptions, of course.

 

[Steinmetz]

"Monetize". The new euphemism for a rip-off.

 

[NHBandit]

"Monetize". The new euphemism for a rip-off.

LoL.. That's CA talk for selling them. Here in TN they say they want to "sale" them..

 

[CNGsaves]

^ ^ ^ EXACTLY !!! Now all the OP needs is below-the-table deal with Google and Ebay to TARGET CUSTOMERS who are buying USA made tools and market them directly (more specifically the HIGH INCOME collectors) that only lists sales of comparable obscene OVER pricing !!

Method will be buried "cookies" and other operating system/browser tricks to hammer away at "Target" customers who will gladly OVERpay for the items !!

 

[SignalZero]

I agree; there's no point in selling them right now. The vast majority of what I see on the racks (and in the boxed sets) at Sears are still US-made stuff. With certain exceptions, of course.

Our Sears at the mall has almost all Chinese stuff, with the exception of the stuff still manufactured here.

But recently I went into the Sears Home Services location and found they stock a lot of the tools (almost all of the handtools) and boxes. Almost all of their stock was USA made still, except for the Black Friday wrench sets.

The guy at the Home Services store said he thought he remembered receiving an e-mail saying they were supposedly switching back to USA made because people didn't like the China stuff. When I told him the main store at the mall had mostly Chinese stuff still he said, "Oh. I haven't been in there in years."

 

[monomach]

In lots of cases they're more desirable. In a few of those cases your tools will command a little bit more.

But on the whole, I'll say no. The last runs of American-made Craftsman tools weren't very good. The import thing didn't happen overnight -- it's part of a continuum that started with manufacturing cost cuts at Craftsman production facilities here in the US. Those tools don't have much going for them, besides the fact that some owners will derive satisfaction from the USA stamp.

I'd be prepared to sell them for less than current retail.

Yeah, this. I can say for sure that Danaher-made US Craftsman doesn't exactly inspire me to shell out the cash.

 

[BDT/NWMN]

I have sets of US-made Craftsman tools from my ebay-selling days from 5-10 years ago. All these tools are new and made in the good ol' US of A. Even if I could, I wouldn't want to return them as the ones in the store are all imports.

The tools are needle-nose pliers, arc-joint pliers, slip-joint pliers, ratchets, sockets, extension bars, nutdrivers, etc.

Is selling them on ebay the best way to monetize them?

On eBay, someone will pay what the tools are worth to them.. With shipping factored into their mindset, and your eBay fees; you may need a beer to cry in as you will most likely be weeping over the winning bids...

If you just wanted to get the tools out of the closet, yep, eBay or Craig's list or the classifieds on this site...

 

[alpinewhite]

Post/thread does not make sense. OP says these tools relate to Ebay SELLING activities he had 5 to 10 yrs ago ?? So he's already a guru at selling on Ebay . . . and begs the question, WHERE did OP get these new CM tools??

GJ classifed is best bet at this point as appears OP only has handful of Craftsman USA items. So this thread is a "quasi-classified" so might as well have PICs !!!

I'll snap some pics this weekend. All the ratchets I have are raised-panel ones. I probably have 40 to 60 of them in 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2". The pliers are all non-professional typical CM with the black foam-like handle covers.

To answer the question "WHERE did OP get these new CM tools??", I used to buy tool sets when they were deeply discounted such as after Thanksgiving and Christmas. I used to be able to sell them piecemeal on ebay for more than the cost of the set. Be reminded that this was in the early 2000's when e-businesses were not as common as they are now. Sears, Lowes, HomeDepot, and even WalMart didn't have online stores then. Amazon only sold books. Basically, for anyone to buy these tools individually, Sears stores and ebay were the only options. It was a good business for me and I did about $250k in sales in one year.

Now that EVERY store has an internet presence, my business model is no longer viable. The tools I have in-hand are leftovers of the items I used to sell. That's how I ended up with these extra tools.

 

[monomach]

I'll snap some pics this weekend. All the ratchets I have are raised-panel ones. I probably have 40 to 60 of them in 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2".

You're going to be pretty disappointed with what you'll get for late raised panel ratchets like that. Sears has been selling them new in a blow-molded case with 10-11 sockets for ten bucks each lately. People probably price them new as a guideline before looking to ebay...and honestly, the Danaher US raised panels are just as terrible as the Chinese. I don't think the quality got worse on those at all when they went overseas. It's just a horrible design and is the most-reviled Craftsman tool since the dogbone.

Basically, it's going to be impossible to compete with a ten dollar price point when someone has to pay shipping.

Maybe set up a stall in a flea market with a big American flag and charge 5 bucks each?

 

[Aquaticbob]

Maybe set up a stall in a flea market with a big American flag and charge 5 bucks each?

Could always donate them to goodwill as well. Make some person's day being able to pick up some tools for most likely cheaper than sears

Not to mention that money will then get put to good use

 

[monomach]

Could always donate them to goodwill as well. Make some person's day being able to pick up some tools for most likely cheaper than sears

Not to mention that money will then get put to good use

Or he could donate them to a local high school shop program. Mine had Taiwan-made stuff when Taiwan was still bad.

...but when he's using words like "monetize," I think he's got $$$ in his eyes.

 

[Aquaticbob]

Or he could donate them to a local high school shop program. Mine had Taiwan-made stuff when Taiwan was still bad.

...but when he's using words like "monetize," I think he's got $$$ in his eyes.

Both true points. I personally think it'd be easier to just donate them, then to try and "monetize" them. And that's pretty much because it's "only" craftsman, not to knock the brand too much or anything (I personally like most of the USA stuff), it's just not worth as much as off the truck stuff like most have said. Though like I said earlier, if he wants to sell them, C-list, ebay, and classifieds are all good bets. Get the items in front of people

 

[BDT/NWMN]

Another thought is to sell the whole works in one or two lots with predetermined shipping posted on the ad... Start the bidding at 1 cent and let the flea market resellers go nuts..

 

[Aberdale]

... "WHERE did OP get these new CM tools??", I used to buy tool sets when they were deeply discounted such as after Thanksgiving and Christmas. I used to be able to sell them piecemeal on ebay for more than the cost of the set. . . . It was a good business for me and I did about $250k in sales in one year.

Based on your description (with no pics yet), it sounds like you have a lot of leftovers after the "good" stuff has already been sold out of the sets. Craftsman RP ratchets, clear handle screwdrivers, and non-professional pliers are not in any greater demand today than they were 10 years ago regardless of where they are made.

By your post, you've already made good money (250k) selling the good stuff. At that rate, you could just give away the rest and should be happy. I would list it all on CL at $1.00 per tool buyers choice just to get rid of it.

'dale

 

[jjjrmx5]

Good Luck....Monetizing and Craftsman are 2 words that don't belong together.

LOL.

Obviously you don't attend summer flea markets near me then. Hahahaha.

I see vendors jack up the price of Craftsman sockets all day long.
Meanwhile, S-K, Wright, Bonney, Mac , matco and other sell for pennies.

I have socket rails full of them "cheap" sockets like S-K from fleas this summer.

Only Snap-On garnishes more $$$ than C'man here in town.
Sellers think they are made of gold.

Ebay or GJ is your best bet unless you like to deal with creepy craigslist.

Good luck.

 

[RatchetMan]

I’m with the folks on here who claim that the modern, USA-made Craftsman stuff isn’t worth all that much. Maybe in 30 years they will be but right now I can’t go to a single garage sale without tripping over Craftsman tools and I usually leave them there unless they are just practically giving them away. I actually have a box of raised-panel Craftsman ratchets which I took to my Snap-on man to see if he’d give me a little trade-in discount. He said nobody wants them and they didn’t have much value so I kept them and will probably explore the idea of taking them to goodwill. They still work but since I’ve graduated to Snap-on stuff the Craftsman ratchets don’t measure up.

 

[CNGsaves]

Holy **** . . . . OP you're bona fide Craftsman guru !!

Sounds like you made some money back in day on Ebay, which now has many competitors.

GJ classified still sounds like your best bet, as long you realize a reasonable price is what you'll get. Good luck.

 

[byoungblood]

I can still walk into pawn shops and yard sales and buy Craftsman tools for pennies on the dollar. Most stores still have plenty of US made open stock, and some items like screwdrivers are still made in the US. US made Craftsman tools are far from being a rare commodity unless you just have to have shiny brand new stuff.

So I guess if you want to sell to someone who wants to hoard US made Craftsman tools, then yes, eBay is probably your best bet.

 

[kc-steve]

"Monetize". The new euphemism for a rip-off.

LOL, for having a photo (and nick) of an old electrical engineer as an avatar you're pretty smart.

I was wondering why he didn't just say "sell" or "sale" for dollars? To monetize, has to do with currency conversion at the global level, usually. But I suppose if someone is trying to hide something then they use words to sound smart or confuse people.

Steve

 

[byoungblood]

LOL.

Obviously you don't attend summer flea markets near me then. Hahahaha.

I see vendors jack up the price of Craftsman sockets all day long.
Meanwhile, S-K, Wright, Bonney, Mac , matco and other sell for pennies.

I have socket rails full of them "cheap" sockets like S-K from fleas this summer.

Only Snap-On garnishes more $$$ than C'man here in town.
Sellers think they are made of gold.

Ebay or GJ is your best bet unless you like to deal with creepy craigslist.

Good luck.

It is all name recognition and gullibility of the buyers. Most folks don't recognize the industrial brands (I had several Wright and Plomb pieces from my grandfather's old tools, I didn't realize that it was some really good stuff until I started reading about it here) and I guess many don't set foot into a Sears often enough to know what it goes for new.

But I don't frequent the tool booths at flea markets very often for that reason. They're too high on everything, and usually won't negotiate much, if at all, on their prices.

 

[richfinn]

Monetize, sounds like your going to liquidize a load of cash and turn it into a sparkling drink like Appletize

 

[Farmall450]

Or he could donate them to a local high school shop program. Mine had Taiwan-made stuff when Taiwan was still bad.

...but when he's using words like "monetize," I think he's got $$$ in his eyes.

I agree here. We have evercraft napa stuff.

 

[Spudland_Dave]

Hmm...IMHO to best/easiest way to "Monetize" RP Rats would be to put em all into a pail and bring em down to your local scrap yard.
I mean seriously, as mentioned above, price point on them will be so low because of what you can get a new one for today, combined with the fact that that design rat was never known to be a desirable nor great design. AND I bet most people here and everywhere across the USA has at least 3 of em in each size due to the fact they've been included them with socket kits since the beginning of time. Many times it was cheaper to buy the kit w/Rat vs buying 2-3 sockets individually.
I've got at least 10 of those rats collecting dust which I cant get rid of either...I plan on passing them down to my 3 year old in a couple weeks when my Parents come down to see the kids for Christmas (He's getting a workbench my dad built for me back when I was his age... The smile on his face will be more then payment enough for them.

 

[GreenNV]

Before “monetizing” a product, you have to determine the market.

First, let’s look at the tools you are trying to sell. Apparently, you have a mishmash of old new stock Craftsman tools, i.e., individual items but no complete sets.

What’s the competition for these tools? Taiwan and China would be the manufacturer of origin under the various brand names like Husky, Kobalt, Harbor Freight, etc., for these tools. Because they are USA manufactured does not necessarily make them better than those produced in other countries today.

Who do you think will buy them? Eliminate pros. Eliminate most DIYers; they can buy what they need on sale at many competing outlets. Patriotic Americans? No, the tools are 5 -10 years old so job grow is not affected. Serious hobbyists? The tool would have to have quality that exceeds what they are using and must also be price worthy. You are trying to sell low demand individual pieces that would be fill-ins for most consumers.

My suggestion would be to sell what you can in bulk that would fit into a flat rate shipping box using Ebay.