Date of Birth

[Chipmunk]

Does anyone know where, and if, there is a date of manufacture on this Craftsman Chest. I'm guessing late 40's or early 50's but I don't know diddly about Craftsman. I've looked under the bottom drawer and the box bottom itself, and on the inside back wall and found nothing. (except sandpaper disks, nearly every old box I've bought has sandpaper jammed under the bottom drawer. This one also had a 1978 Minnesota Fishing Regulation Booklet.)

 

[Steevo]

I don't know, but I am dying to know what it says on the chalkboard in your avatar

By the way, that is a very cool tool box.

 

[Chipmunk]

I don't know, but I am dying to know what it says on the chalkboard in your avatar

By the way, that is a very cool tool box.

It says...."I will not sleep with my professor" (silly girl!)

 

[Steevo]

There are a few examples of that same vintage Craftsman box over in the "Vintage tool boxes" thread here:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=49743&highlight=vintage+tool+boxes

I think they were made by Remline

 

[bobcatdan]

Those were made in the 50's up to '58 or '59. Outlaw posted pictures of a 10 drawer chest he pick up recently that from memory is the same vintage. If you don't get any better feedback, cruise the the vintage toolbox threads. There are several in there. Rose antique tools.com has a pretty good assortment of craftsman catalogs online if that helps.

 

[Outlawmws]

Those were made in the 50's up to '58 or '59. Outlaw posted pictures of a 10 drawer chest he pick up recently that from memory is the same vintage. If you don't get any better feedback, cruise the the vintage toolbox threads. There are several in there. Rose antique tools.com has a pretty good assortment of craftsman catalogs online if that helps.

Good memory! I do have the 10 drawer version, which showed up in the 57 catalog, but is gone in the 60 catalog, replaced with full width drawer pulls integrated into the drawer front. Definitely the same maker (Identical drawer pulls), but I personally suspect Huot not Remline, as the drawer config is an exact match. However Huot used a folding front cover on theirs.

The 6 drawer you have also shows up in the 54 catalog (no 10 drawer though), but not in the 49. (The rest of the years there are gaps in the catalog collection...)

So Definitely mid to late 50's beyond that

 

[Outlawmws]

SNIP I've looked under the bottom drawer and the box bottom itself, and on the inside back wall and found nothing. (except sandpaper disks, nearly every old box I've bought has sandpaper jammed under the bottom drawer. This one also had a 1978 Minnesota Fishing Regulation Booklet.)
[/IMG]

I call that the "secret compartment" I've found all sorts of stuff down there in different boxes. Once in a while something nice pops out...

 

[Chipmunk]

The guy I bought it from swears he bought the box in 1952, the same year he got married. He said he thinks (but not sure) he paid $12 - $15 dollars for the box with a set of Craftsman screwdrivers.

 

[Outlawmws]

Not calling him a liar, but here is what is was listed for 2 years later:

 

[Chipmunk]

Maybe it was his wife for $12 - $15. Who knows, I didn't want to argue when I'm trying to buy a box.

 

[Outlawmws]

So the real question is, what did you have to give for it?

 

[Chipmunk]

About a month ago the same seller had a garage sale and I purchased a few tools. At the time I asked him if that Craftsman Tool Chest was for sale. He said not at this time, but if I can sell this house and when we move I’ll have another sale. I said “Yeah, you should be able to get $50.00 dollars for it, if it was a new one you couldn’t give it away”.

Well this morning I heard an ad on the radio for some tools and three tool boxes. I called they guy, when I went to the address he gave me I realized it was the same place.

Sure enough he remembered me….so it was kind of foolish to offer him less than his asking price of $50.00, since I was the one to suggest the price in the first place.

 

[2oolhound]

Not calling him a liar, but here is what is was listed for 2 years later:

He musta got it on one of the sales days, you know sears.

 

[Chipmunk]

I thought it sounded pretty cheap, but what do I know, I was seven in 1952. I remember my grandma would always make me leave the room when Harry Truman came on the Television or radio, because she was afraid he was going to swear.

 

[rusty65]

Wow you made me think you were young with a avaitar like that. Are you a sugardaddy

 

[upndown]

Nope, he's the professor

 

[Chipmunk]

I'm 67, and it's a rough job but someone has to do it.