Craftsman tool prices on Ebay
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DD T/A
Well-known member
Post links to some examples.
I'm assuming you're talking about used, vintage CMan, which is why it's posted in the vintage section.
Answer: Not if folks are paying it. An item is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. Period. The alpha and omega of it. In the used/vintage/collectible market, it has always been that way. And always will be.
Guys that troll flea markets and yard sales think the CMan eBay prices are crazy. But not everyone trolls flea markets and yard sales. If they did, guess what? You'd no longer find those CMan tools because everyone and their brother would be constantly buying them out before you ever get to even eyeball any.
What about the guy that's looking for a very specific item? Like recently, Not too long ago, I needed a specific wrench in a specific size and series code in exceptional condition to complete a set. Had to buy it retail. I may have trolled sales for ten years and never found one. I've run into the same thing with a proto and an SK combo sets. I was grateful someone had already picked it for me and offered it for sale.
And with CMan, there's the added factor that lots of folks want the old standard USA stuff. There's only so much of it out there, and less and less in the wild with each passing day as it gets scooped up.
So if you think vintage CMan is selling for more than what you think it's worth, then you probably need to re-assess what their actual market value is, since the market is apparently not responding to your personal appraisal of it. Hey, you don't have to buy anything if you think it's too high. But that doesn't mean the item isn't worth that kind of money. Only that it's not worth that to you.
Answer: Not if folks are paying it. An item is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. Period. The alpha and omega of it. In the used/vintage/collectible market, it has always been that way. And always will be.
Guys that troll flea markets and yard sales think the CMan eBay prices are crazy. But not everyone trolls flea markets and yard sales. If they did, guess what? You'd no longer find those CMan tools because everyone and their brother would be constantly buying them out before you ever get to even eyeball any.
What about the guy that's looking for a very specific item? Like recently, Not too long ago, I needed a specific wrench in a specific size and series code in exceptional condition to complete a set. Had to buy it retail. I may have trolled sales for ten years and never found one. I've run into the same thing with a proto and an SK combo sets. I was grateful someone had already picked it for me and offered it for sale.
And with CMan, there's the added factor that lots of folks want the old standard USA stuff. There's only so much of it out there, and less and less in the wild with each passing day as it gets scooped up.
So if you think vintage CMan is selling for more than what you think it's worth, then you probably need to re-assess what their actual market value is, since the market is apparently not responding to your personal appraisal of it. Hey, you don't have to buy anything if you think it's too high. But that doesn't mean the item isn't worth that kind of money. Only that it's not worth that to you.
davethorik
Well-known member
EBay prices routinely on the high side period. But yeah. And then all the schmucks that see those prices and think their old rusty tools are their retirement plan.
Right on, ssdave. Prices are about right unless you have something very unusual or high demand.
And yes re: GJ price expectations. I stopped responding to wanted ads on GJ. I think there's an expectation here that fellow brothers-in-tools are supposed to sell to them at next to nothing or close to it. It's that part of the want ad that's not included:
Written: "I'm looking for a such-and-such tool by so-and-so...."
Concealed: "....but I'll only buy it if you will give me a yard sale price."
GJers are looking at eBay all the time. But eBayers aren't all looking at the GJ boards. So why not just list it on eBay and cover them all?
What I typically find about price complaints from all kinds collector fields, not just tools, is that the folks who are complaining are looking for two items: the first is the tool itself, the second is getting it for a bargain. So, owning the tool is only part of the satisfaction they are seeking--getting it dirt cheap is the other satisfaction they're looking for, and are annoyed when they can't get both at once. If you're selling at market value, you were never going to sell these kinds of buyers anyway, so there's no loss. Guys who are primarily concerned with just getting the tool itself don't often complain about the price.
DD T/A
Well-known member
I only buy tools(vintage) because I like going to the swap meet and finding and haggling them myself--in person. I can/do get stuff CHEAP. Without those conditions it's just not fun. And the tools I buy are generally useful to me, rather than "filling out a set".
Maybe more people on GJ are like that than we think, and they just don't see the "fun" (or opportunity) of buying stuff online on any website.
Maybe more people on GJ are like that than we think, and they just don't see the "fun" (or opportunity) of buying stuff online on any website.
Rileysan
Well-known member
You inadvertently brought up an important point - the law of diminishing returns. In short: the more items you include in a sale lot, the less $$ per item you're going to get. But I'm certain you already know that.
The point is, there are only a handful of people willing or able to drop a grand on a tool lot found online. That's a lot of cash for something you can't touch and feel before deciding to pull the trigger. And, lots that size are better suited for resellers, not collectors.
Regarding the OP's post. Yes, prices on eBay seem high to me.
But as Dadstools eluded to, eBay IS the market. And if prices seem high to me it's because I've been jaded by my luck at garage/yard/estate sales, flea markets, and swap meets.
I put a lot of legwork into finding treasures so am rewarded for my efforts.
Brian
bmwrd0
Well-known member
Dadstools gets it. The value of any single item is what it is exchanged for at a certain time. No more no less. Most dealers and resellers on eBay watch other auctions to see what is selling and for how much and work the buyitnows and starting bids accordingly. It is a business, and that is what often gets forgotten. Sometimes you get lucky and sometimes you don't.
And to Rileysans point, about 25 years ago, I was trying to unload all the D&D books I collected as a kid. The shop was very clear to me: bring them in bit by bit to get the best prices, as a lot deal I will give a smaller price. Something I also learned in my time as a used book dealer.
And to Rileysans point, about 25 years ago, I was trying to unload all the D&D books I collected as a kid. The shop was very clear to me: bring them in bit by bit to get the best prices, as a lot deal I will give a smaller price. Something I also learned in my time as a used book dealer.
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
All these comments are neglecting the temporal element. eBay does not fluctuate daily like Wall Street. Sure, there are weird spikes and inexplicable figures and always a sale or two that seem to bust the "going rate," but those are anomalies. There have always been going rates for certain brands and tools sellers and buyers are well aware of them. A few buyers who are willing to pay much more than going rate don't change the going rate. When it starts happening again and again in volume, though, it does change the going rate. When some of us (d42jeep, twertsy, thehorse13, myself, and others) remarked here last year on the very noticeable uptick in eBay prices for Craftsman =V= tools last year, it had nothing to do with flea market prices and everything to do with what Craftsman =V= era tools were selling for the year before, the year before that, and the year before that. Prices for Craftsman =V= era tools on eBay are higher than they ever have been.
Musicinabottle
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Default Re: Craftsman tool prices on Ebay
I'm just glad that most of my tools were bought by me, before ebay or the internet, and before greed and retirement became the buzz words of the day. In the late 1980s, I bought a Marantz model 7 and model 15 with all the paperwork and wood cabinets in pristine working condition. Today, on ebay, that audio package would be $1,500 to $2,000 or more. They are easier to find now than then in 1986, but they are more expensive. Why? Ebay and peoples attitudes about wealth. Madness!
__________________
I'm just glad that most of my tools were bought by me, before ebay or the internet, and before greed and retirement became the buzz words of the day. In the late 1980s, I bought a Marantz model 7 and model 15 with all the paperwork and wood cabinets in pristine working condition. Today, on ebay, that audio package would be $1,500 to $2,000 or more. They are easier to find now than then in 1986, but they are more expensive. Why? Ebay and peoples attitudes about wealth. Madness!
__________________
rickhigginshtbr
Well-known member
Yup, when I see them cheap I snag them up. DBE’s and Combos go quick, open end not as quick. The extra money made on eBay is what I roll back into buying another box for the one or two things I actually wanted out of it.
But prices are higher now than they were 5 years ago or so when I started selling tools. Fees have nearly doubled and shipping a 13oz first class package has too.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Rileysan
Well-known member
Not madness or greed but rather knowledge provided by two decades of online sales, and supply/demand.
You got lucky because the seller didn't have access to sales data and were therefore uninformed. There's no excuse for that kind of ignorance now.
A seller has a choice. Inform themselves before selling their wares or not care about current market values. Their reasons for selling are their own: make $$, get rid of junk, w/e. I don't really care. But I don't think it fair to classify one as "greedy" for researching market values before selling.
Brian
bmwrd0
Well-known member
One thing to remember is that before eBay, if you wanted something special that was older, such as a Marantz you either got lucky or went to a specialist. I deal with marketing for antique stores as a business and those prices were the norm, if they had what you wanted. A big if. Now, with the 'bay, you can find exactly what you want, when you want it.
d42jeep
Well-known member
Like Rick only on a smaller scale, I occasionally sell Craftsman tools on eBay. The prices have increased slightly but are still much lower than Snap-on and Plomb.
I find some Craftsman at most sales and try to only pick up the popular items that will hopefully sell quickly. The small profits from sales are immediately put back into supporting my tool collecting hobby. Here are some tools that sold over the year.
-Don
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You got it, Brian.
And I'm with you about the "greedy" label. makes me absolutely nuts when buyers call sellers greedy for selling at a given price. These are the same guys that will, with their best poker face, hand the widow at the yard sale the $5 she's cluelessly asking for something owned by her late husband they well know is worth $100. And they won't give the poor woman a break by handing her a $50, will they? But that's not greed too, is it??
But wait! You say it's not greed because you paid the agreed-to price? What about the buyer who agrees to pay the eBay seller's price? They're both the same thing...unless you want to continue to live the self-delusion.
This is the same guy that if he's earning $20/hr, and then finds a job doing the same thing for $30, he'll take it. How immoral. How greedy.
The ones who cry greedy are naive at best, hypocrites at worst. What's really behind it is they're pissed that others are buying the item for $100 but they only want to pay $50 and keep the other $50 in their own pocket. But that's not greed too, is it?
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theoldwizard1
Well-known member
That is NOT a fair comparison !
A few years back (5-10?) I put together a "road" tool set, all Craftsman, buying almost everything on eBay. Prices for "Made in USA" are definitely higher these days.
I occasionally scan eBay for long pattern metric DBE. I don't find many and usually they are expensive.
theoldwizard1
Well-known member
Crazy price !
3 Craftsman double box end 15/16 x 1, 1-1/16 x 1-1/4, 1-1/8 x 1-5/16 - $88.50
No USA stamp, so are they ?
3 Craftsman double box end 15/16 x 1, 1-1/16 x 1-1/4, 1-1/8 x 1-5/16 - $88.50
No USA stamp, so are they ?
d42jeep
Well-known member
I don’t understand why comparing Craftsman prices to Plomb and Snap-on is unfair. If I were to list these three 1/4” drive sets on eBay as auctions (which I wouldn’t), I would expect the Plomb and Snap-on to sell for at least twice as much as the Craftsman, although the Craftsman has recently increased in value somewhat. It’s just supply and demand.
-Don
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GT4WRC
Member
Old Craftsman might be rising in value because the newer stuff is made in China and Sears going under/losing Craftsman might have gained some interest too.
txlonghorn1989
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Well said Brian. It's no coincidence that the people who put the work into it are often rewarded.
txlonghorn1989
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Does the Marantz turntable and 35 watt Marantz receiver with JBL 100 speakers I bought new in 1974 may actually be worth some money on ebay? :0)
GT4WRC
Member
Yeah but not worth more than what you paid once you factor in that 400% inflation that the 70’s dollar is worth now. I’ve picked up lots of Marantz SS equipment and it’s okay if you pick it up cheap but not worth the eBay prices to my ears. I’d rather have that eBay money and buy new gear.
LNKMK8
Well-known member
I sell quite a bit of on eBay, and am surprised myself at the prices that some tools bring. Interestingly, S-K Tools don't seem to have the same following as the USA Craftsman stuff. I guess it makes sense as the common guy is going to be familiar with Craftsman but may not have heard of S-K. I can still get a good price out of them, but they don't sell nearly as quick as my Craftsman stuff.
As for V-Series Craftsman, double box ends are most valuable, followed by combination, then double open end. The 1960's to 1990's or so Craftsman is most desirable, followed by the 90's to early 2000's USA.
The early stuff, Circle H and BE, doesn't sell well for me at all. The very early Craftsman, 1930's C-Series can be very valuable, but I haven't sold any (its in my own collection).
For sockets, 1/4" drive sell the quickest, followed by 1/2", then 3/8". The 3/8" pieces are just too common. I haven't sold enough 3/4" to have a great feel for it, other than it seems to be a slow seller.
As for V-Series Craftsman, double box ends are most valuable, followed by combination, then double open end. The 1960's to 1990's or so Craftsman is most desirable, followed by the 90's to early 2000's USA.
The early stuff, Circle H and BE, doesn't sell well for me at all. The very early Craftsman, 1930's C-Series can be very valuable, but I haven't sold any (its in my own collection).
For sockets, 1/4" drive sell the quickest, followed by 1/2", then 3/8". The 3/8" pieces are just too common. I haven't sold enough 3/4" to have a great feel for it, other than it seems to be a slow seller.
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Yes, certain Craftsman tools are going for an appreciable amount of money these days. Why? There are plenty of reasons: collecting, nostalgia, era correct props, research/documentary (my instance), database, personal preference, etc.
Much like in coin, car, comic book, sports card, etc. collecting, "value" is based on scarcity, condition, and demand. As time moves forward, I think vintage USA made Craftsman tools will continue to gain traction in price and demand. Collections and information about many tool brands (Snap On, Plomb, Blackhawk, etc.) are already well established. Despite the ubiquity of the Craftsman brand, there is actually a wealth of history that I believe people are becoming interested in. Given this, the aforementioned will continue.
Using myself as an example, I created an ad hoc program sharing information and showing physical examples of various Craftsman ratchets throughout the brand's history of USA manufacturing (1932-2012). I can recall paying serious money for specific "very good" or "mint" examples, so I could use them for discussion props in my little program, assuming I could even find them. However, I have had many examples donated free and clear and/or instances were I paid little for pieces. Would those instances be luck or malice? I would argue that we need to place a degree of agency on the seller, if money was exchanged.
Currently, as I was never intending on having a "collection", I've been liquidating various Craftsman ratchets as I complete my "reboot" videos. Most of the time, the "good stuff" never makes it on sites like this or eBay. I've had 1 guy buy 5 ratchets from me for $1,500. I've had several others spend a couple or several hundred dollars just for 1, 2, or 3. Also, I've sold many pieces for very approachable prices. This isn't even tapping into the apex pieces yet.
I would be cautious before assigning a predatory status to people who sell pieces for a high dollar point. In my instance, I have thousands of dollars input into the "reboot" to pay for the camera, editing, intro/outro, software, Sears Catalogs, props, various excellent condition pieces, and plasma spectrometer time for analysis. While I am doing this for fun, it would be nice to recoup a degree of what I have into the project, even if this was something that I started doing to satisfy my own curiosity.
At the end of the day, I think this an instance where laissez faire would apply. Everyone that has purchased a common, rare, or scarce Craftsman ratchet from me has thanked me for the information I've provided, the fact the tool was cleaned and lubricated, and that I saved them the time of having to find their entry level or master grade collectible.
Much like in coin, car, comic book, sports card, etc. collecting, "value" is based on scarcity, condition, and demand. As time moves forward, I think vintage USA made Craftsman tools will continue to gain traction in price and demand. Collections and information about many tool brands (Snap On, Plomb, Blackhawk, etc.) are already well established. Despite the ubiquity of the Craftsman brand, there is actually a wealth of history that I believe people are becoming interested in. Given this, the aforementioned will continue.
Using myself as an example, I created an ad hoc program sharing information and showing physical examples of various Craftsman ratchets throughout the brand's history of USA manufacturing (1932-2012). I can recall paying serious money for specific "very good" or "mint" examples, so I could use them for discussion props in my little program, assuming I could even find them. However, I have had many examples donated free and clear and/or instances were I paid little for pieces. Would those instances be luck or malice? I would argue that we need to place a degree of agency on the seller, if money was exchanged.
Currently, as I was never intending on having a "collection", I've been liquidating various Craftsman ratchets as I complete my "reboot" videos. Most of the time, the "good stuff" never makes it on sites like this or eBay. I've had 1 guy buy 5 ratchets from me for $1,500. I've had several others spend a couple or several hundred dollars just for 1, 2, or 3. Also, I've sold many pieces for very approachable prices. This isn't even tapping into the apex pieces yet.
I would be cautious before assigning a predatory status to people who sell pieces for a high dollar point. In my instance, I have thousands of dollars input into the "reboot" to pay for the camera, editing, intro/outro, software, Sears Catalogs, props, various excellent condition pieces, and plasma spectrometer time for analysis. While I am doing this for fun, it would be nice to recoup a degree of what I have into the project, even if this was something that I started doing to satisfy my own curiosity.
At the end of the day, I think this an instance where laissez faire would apply. Everyone that has purchased a common, rare, or scarce Craftsman ratchet from me has thanked me for the information I've provided, the fact the tool was cleaned and lubricated, and that I saved them the time of having to find their entry level or master grade collectible.
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