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Craftsman wrench set on ebay for $2500?

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Hobby_Man22

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What's so special about the VA series wrenches? I ran across a 43 peice craftsman wrench set and they're asking $2500.

I have two sets of these types of wrenches both SAE and metric and they're like a 200 peice set each. Am I rich now?
 
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WWheeler

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Nothing is all that special about it except it's purported to be a 'new' set, which isn't all that common any more, especially for a full 43 pc set. People often do pay a LOT more for hard-to-get USA Craftsman finds than makes any sort of sense but I doubt that set sells for even 1/3 that much, and even if it did for that it would be waaaay too much.

Someone's just testing the waters for nothing but a prize winning 'fool-with-his-money' catch.
 
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kjbenner

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If you do an ebay search and click "advanced" you can filter by sold listings. This way you can see what people have actually paid for things. I can take a **** in a coffee can and list if for $1000 but that doesn't mean anything unless somebody buys it.
 
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WWheeler

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kjbenner said:
If you do an ebay search and click "advanced" you can filter by sold listings. This way you can see what people have actually paid for things. I can take a **** in a coffee can and list if for $1000 but that doesn't mean anything unless somebody buys it.
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Exactly. Here's a seller that had a similar set that listed it more realistically and sold it for somewhere south of $550 (which is still a LOT more than those old raised panels are worth).

Craftsman Combination Wrench Set, SAE Metric, 43 Piece Set, Made In USA.jpg
 
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jsmeece

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MY God, I was setting on a Gold Mine, lol. When I upgraded my Craftsman stuff to Armstrong, I gave dad most of my Craftsman wrenches, keep a few of the newer Chinese Craftsman to put in the cars, but had several complete USA made SAE and Metric combination wrench sets. Don't really miss them much, but he was happy.
 
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ctandc72

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WWheeler said:
Exactly. Here's a seller that had a similar set that listed it more realistically and sold it for somewhere south of $550 (which is still a LOT more than those old raised panels are worth).

Craftsman Combination Wrench Set, SAE Metric, 43 Piece Set, Made In USA.jpg
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Someone is really willing to pay hundreds of dollars for those? Jeez.
 
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Toold_up

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jsmeece said:
MY God, I was setting on a Gold Mine, lol. When I upgraded my Craftsman stuff to Armstrong, I gave dad most of my Craftsman wrenches, keep a few of the newer Chinese Craftsman to put in the cars, but had several complete USA made SAE and Metric combination wrench sets. Don't really miss them much, but he was happy.
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The -v^- and -v- series were made by Armstrong!

VolvoRyan said:
Do people then *use* these wrenches? They're kinda fragile, IMHO.

-Ryan
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I do. Not professionally anymore but I do use them.
 
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WWheeler

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VolvoRyan said:
Do people then *use* these wrenches? They're kinda fragile, IMHO.

-Ryan
Click to expand...

I've been using the same raised panel sets at home that my grandfather gave me for more than 30 years and I've never had one fail me. I've never considered them 'fragile' in any way. And as Torque test Channel showed they still kick many other brands ***. He used them for a couple decades before that. Having grown up in an era where Craftsman was the only game in town I still like the way a raised panel fits/feels in my hands.

So i get the nostalgia others have for them, but I wouldn't pay a fortune for a new set though.
 
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VolvoRyan

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m6z said:
Still less money than Snap-on..
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Not necessarily. I bought a few loose Snap-On combos to complete a set that a mentor gave me. His were date-coded to the mid-1980's, so I hit the 'bay looking for a couple to complete the set. They were in excellent shape, and priced the same (or less) as a comparable Craftsman.

-Ryan
 
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VolvoRyan

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WWheeler said:
I've been using the same raised panel sets at home that my grandfather gave me for more than 30 years and I've never had one fail me. He used them for a couple decades before that. Having grown up in an era where Craftsman was the only game in town I still like the way a raised panel fits/feels in my hands.

So i get the nostalgia others have for them, but I wouldn't pay a fortune for a new set though.
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HF has Pittsburgh wrenches in both "Snap-On" and "Craftsman" rip-off styles. The raised panel version sure felt nicer. I needed a cheap set in SAE in a pinch.

I, too, grew up with Craftsman being the only game in town. The first time I put a Craftsman wrench on an engine, I was hooked on wrenching. I, too, get the nostalgia.... it's just hard to justify the cost.

I had a few Craftsman wrenches become a little "up-sized" in the open end over the years.

-Ryan
 
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lund

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ctandc72 said:
Someone is really willing to pay hundreds of dollars for those? Jeez.
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I am stunned also.

I have Craftsman raised panel sets from the 90s and some older ones I inherited from my father that probably date from the 70s (SAE) and 80s (Metric). It is interesting comparing them. The older ones were better forged and finished with much less imperfections and also a little more compact. Better quality wrenches. However, in all cases, I do not think the USA-produced Craftsman raised panel wrenches from any recent decade compare to the Armstrong produced pro grade Craftsmen line in the late 90s onward (have their ratchet combo wrench set and it is quite good) or relative to usa-matco sets that I have (stubby ratchet, box, and combo) ... which may have also been Armstrong usa products. No way, in any era, are the raised panel wrenches at the level of the Armstrong produced pro-grade lines rebranded as matco or Craftsman pro. Frankly, all the wrenches are plenty strong and serviceable insofar as you do not abuse them with long pipes, hammer on them, etc. There is no need for that anyway these days with cheap impact. Use the right tool for the job. I am less confident that the recent Chinese lobster claw Craftsman are any good. The heads are just too bulky and they do not look to be high tolerance.

It is odd what people collect. These are tools, not jewelry, and the value is in the usefulness. To each their own, but I just do not get it.
 
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jsmeece

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lund said:
However, in all cases, I do not think the USA-produced Craftsman raised panel wrenches from any recent decade compare to the Armstrong produced pro grade Craftsmen line in the late 90s onward (have their ratchet combo wrench set and it is quite good) or relative to usa-matco sets that I have (stubby ratchet, box, and combo) ... which may have also been Armstrong usa products. No way, in any era, are the raised panel wrenches at the level of the Armstrong produced pro-grade lines rebranded as matco or Craftsman pro.
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I agree 100%. Love all my Armstrong wrenches (combo, stubby/short, regular, long, extra long, Maxx beam, reversible ratcheting, box ratcheting, stubby ratcheting, open end, box end, off set box, short box, short off set box, 6 and 12 points. Probably missed some wrenches, lol.
 
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Wyoming09

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WWheeler said:
I've been using the same raised panel sets at home that my grandfather gave me for more than 30 years and I've never had one fail me. I've never considered them 'fragile' in any way. And as Torque test Channel showed they still kick many other brands ***. He used them for a couple decades before that. Having grown up in an era where Craftsman was the only game in town I still like the way a raised panel fits/feels in my hands.

So i get the nostalgia others have for them, but I wouldn't pay a fortune for a new set though.
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I'm soon to be 68. I have used Craftsman raised panel wrenches since my folks bought me my first set when I was 15. I still have and use those same wrenches. They are in my roller box at work. I simply do not understand the hatred for these wrenches.
 
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dchawk81

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Hobby_Man22 said:
What's so special about the VA series wrenches? I ran across a 43 peice craftsman wrench set and they're asking $2500.

I have two sets of these types of wrenches both SAE and metric and they're like a 200 peice set each. Am I rich now?
Click to expand...
They're just fishing.
 
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Bubba Fett

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Hobby_Man22 said:
What's so special about the VA series wrenches? I ran across a 43 peice craftsman wrench set and they're asking $2500.

I have two sets of these types of wrenches both SAE and metric and they're like a 200 peice set each. Am I rich now?
Click to expand...
The V^ wrenches were made by Armstrong, and are good quality, but it makes zero sense to pay that much for a wrench set that effectively has no warranty.
 
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Digster

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Wyoming09 said:
I'm soon to be 68. I have used Craftsman raised panel wrenches since my folks bought me my first set when I was 15. I still have and use those same wrenches. They are in my roller box at work. I simply do not understand the hatred for these wrenches.
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I'm 63 and still use the set dad bought me when I was 14........they have served me well, no complaints here.
 
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gearhead1

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I have a ton of Craftsman - that was the best value for the price back in the day. Overseas stuff was literally junk back then. Snap-on was too expensive for the DIY guy. Craftsman was easy for the DIY to obtain too. Times have changed. Nothing wrong with Craftsman wrenches, many a mortgage paid from producing them and many a vehicle fixed. But now the overseas stuff is not all junk. It comes down to what someone is willing to pay for nostalgia. For most of us, not much. Or at least not that much. I’m not nostalgic, but I’m not throwing away what I have, I think that would be silly. I’m not a ‘pro’ mechanic, but I’ve rebuilt engines, fixed vehicles & equipment, raced cars, and maintained a home with mostly Craftsman tools. They work just fine.

I think nostalgia is very real and if it wasn’t, SBD wouldn’t have paid for the name and Lowe’s wouldn’t have downsized the Kobalt display to sell ‘Craftsman’. The person trying to sell for $2500 is just hoping to cash in on nostalgia but it’s so outrageous, I bet it doesn’t happen.

Life goes on and I’m working on my demolition derby car tomorrow……with old Craftsman tools…..
 
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