You try telling my auntie that her beanie babbies are dumb. Just lemme watch
Collecting tools?
- Thread starter joshua_trees
- Start date
GrayFlattop
Well-known member
“ONLY” 17?
Whew !
I only have 16 !
For a minute I thought I had a Problem !
Question -
Does 22 different 1/4“ ratchets Have a collector Vib ?
asking for a Friend
RTM
Well-known member
Wasn’t Ralph was it?
johnre
Well-known member
Collect them? What a lowly endeavor it would be indeed, if we were to call it by that name. Sir, we are curators, merely holding them temporarily for future generations!
milkovich
Well-known member
If they didn't want us to collect them, they wouldn't give them neat brands and part numbers.
Old Man Roger
Well-known member
If your wife ever gives you **** for buying tools, just ask her how many different types of spoons she has.
I would never get **** for that - how else am I supposed to keep everything from falling apart??
Old Man Roger
Well-known member
Ya, mine doesn’t say a word, but when I started to question the cost of her kitchen aid mixer and assorted attachments she asked me how much my welder cost. Shes smart.lolI would never get **** for that - how else am I supposed to keep everything from falling apart??
mike93lx
ALLIANCE MEMBER
"but at least I got good at welding"
Steel_Rain
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 23, 2024
- Messages
- 1,462
Instead of “Famous last words”, those would be my actual last words.
INSP380
Well-known member
I buy what makes me happy…Smiles are cheap. If it turns into a collection, so be it. I can honestly say my dollars are well spent and I can account for most of them. I hate pissin money away with nothing to show for it. When I croak, the dollar sale will be epic. One I’d love to be at…..
BlakeTheCarGuy
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I collect and I use I’m on both sides. I use and abuse my modern tools and my vintage tools unless I absolutely need too use them they stay in their case or tote or box or whatever they are in and I just add more too it. Like for me I collect a variety of brands P&C, Thorsen, Bonney, Herbrand, Duro-Indestro, Popular Mechanics, vintage Snap-on or whatever it may be. And then I use my modern stuff whatever brand it might be. Theres also brands I do 50/50 on if I have duplicates like I have a thing for Craftsman USA tools so I use a lot of them and then some just get to be cherished and never used. I will say I try to alternate through all my home tools at some point or another to assure they all get used. Because having over 2,000 sockets it’s almost impossible for me to use all of them that’s why I grab a different one from a different set each time when I need to use one. I have probably close to 500 combination wrenches and same deal with them. I’m a sucker for a good deal so even if I already have it if I find it for a good price I’m taking it home. I miss my local pawn shop that would let me fill up a box with any hand tools that would fit in the box for $20 each fill up.
I was poor and needed tools. So I bought street market tools that turned into a mix and match of everything 1920 to the 80's. I found a lot of useful tools in those old DOE.
I found real quality steel in some of them and it was good enough to start me stripping parts in a junkyard, I added a socket set. And slowly upgraded the most used stuff to better if need be.
I kept everything at home as spare. Ancient Billings and Spencer to Fukung Chinese made tools were good enough to get paid.
I kept it up 4 years buying odd DOE in four street markets and had a five gallon bucket full from old cast iron farm wrenches to mid level combo wrenches. Soon enough I was selling sets to co-workers of the boring stuff.
It became a collection when I started building sets of stuff and displaying them. Ford tools, car kit tools, brand and type sorts, and the forums.
Then I kept out the ones I never identified and gave the lot of the rest to my son. He also has modern combos and a good starter socket set.
I don't buy any now. Don't want to sell more either. My working kit carrys the weight when need be. It's boring stuff, some well used, and it's not a lot. I can't quote model or part numbers to save my life, can't remember what brand some of them are even. I just know it's good enough for my needs.
I found real quality steel in some of them and it was good enough to start me stripping parts in a junkyard, I added a socket set. And slowly upgraded the most used stuff to better if need be.
I kept everything at home as spare. Ancient Billings and Spencer to Fukung Chinese made tools were good enough to get paid.
I kept it up 4 years buying odd DOE in four street markets and had a five gallon bucket full from old cast iron farm wrenches to mid level combo wrenches. Soon enough I was selling sets to co-workers of the boring stuff.
It became a collection when I started building sets of stuff and displaying them. Ford tools, car kit tools, brand and type sorts, and the forums.
Then I kept out the ones I never identified and gave the lot of the rest to my son. He also has modern combos and a good starter socket set.
I don't buy any now. Don't want to sell more either. My working kit carrys the weight when need be. It's boring stuff, some well used, and it's not a lot. I can't quote model or part numbers to save my life, can't remember what brand some of them are even. I just know it's good enough for my needs.
I turned wrenches as a career for about 15 years. Over the years I managed to collect quite a number of 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" ratchets.
Here are some pics. SK, Snap-On, Mac, New Britain, Craftsman and a few others. Some were used a lot, some have never been used. I don't have a pic of the 1/4" ones.
Here are some pics. SK, Snap-On, Mac, New Britain, Craftsman and a few others. Some were used a lot, some have never been used. I don't have a pic of the 1/4" ones.
YesIHaveAHammer
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 1, 2025
- Messages
- 936
I have a bunch of things I "collected" soon after either borrowing it from someone, or after doing a task which really would have benefited from a certain tool I didn't have at the time. These are good signals that those will come in useful in the future.
I don't have any tools that are not for use, but there are a couple where appreciation was a bigger factor than use in my purchase. New old stock wrenches from some once-great companies that are now gone, or produced in some historically significant factories that have long since been shut down.
WisJim
Well-known member
I collect a number of types of tools. I started when I needed tools to build a house, then discovered the tremendous variety of almost any and every kind of tool, then I got interested in patents, histories of companies, etc. These are useful, mostly usable and fascinating tools. Why collect baseball cards that have no use other than as a collectible when there are artifacts with a use and a history? And I would also include cars, motorcycles, and books as desirable possible collectibles.
I don’t collect them to collect them. But I like having multiples. And variations. You just never know what little change will be the perfect one to reach some oddball bolt in an engine bay.
Something I’ve pondered for a bit….my garage where I do basic repair/maintenance (up to head removals, clutch replacements, that kind of basic), I am better outfitted with tools than my grandpa was and he row crop and dairy farmed his entire life as his only income.
Something I’ve pondered for a bit….my garage where I do basic repair/maintenance (up to head removals, clutch replacements, that kind of basic), I am better outfitted with tools than my grandpa was and he row crop and dairy farmed his entire life as his only income.
Beerhippie
Well-known member
Mostly spent money. Company money first. I changed out four more tavern heads this AM--pretty much the most I can do on a day when we're open at 11 AM--and found a non-compliant tavern head--not the make and brand I've stocked parts for, and no make/brand markings on it, so hard to source parts for. I'm trying to keep all of them the same for stocking parts, so went back and counted how many new ones I'll need: 3, plus one for a swap-out spare. Done. It ain't my money.
Then, after some more work ****, time to spend the money that I make by working. I ordered a new, steel front bumper for the Brick
vancafe.com
and recovery points for it
My disposable income for the month is disposed of. And then some.
I figure, with most of my territory currently on fire, I won't need travel expenses for a while.
Then, after some more work ****, time to spend the money that I make by working. I ordered a new, steel front bumper for the Brick
Twin Peaks Front Bumper
The Rocky Mountain Westy Twin Peaks Front Bumper is the ultimate bumper for your VW T3 Vanagon! Serious protection!
vancafe.com
and recovery points for it
My disposable income for the month is disposed of. And then some.
I figure, with most of my territory currently on fire, I won't need travel expenses for a while.
