On tools and hoarding - sorted my Craftsman Out

[Gmonkee]

Any common stuff we all have dozens of in other brands hurts th sales of premium brands.
Why pay big for used SO screwdrivers when new Williams is lessor cost and there is a pile in the garage that work just fine?

Wait for a fire sale on them, they are really not all that hard to find in the market.
Luxury items sell low in depressed markets.

Functional value overrides bling factor. But if your sale item is truly not easily found nor easily replaced by other items it holds higher value to a smaller market.

Pretty much no CM hand tool will fit that category. Too much out there and too many resellers banking on the brand to bring a profit.


There are always exceptions be the buyer uninformed or hot to get a set completed or a job done.
There are dozens of resellers looking for them,

The vintage military tool collector or the guy that needs that one nondescript rusty DOE might pay big bucks just to complete his toolkit, but he isn't here.
He is on the vintage military vehicle sites scouring for gold. So are the savvy sellers.

CM in the secondary market has its place on Ebay or the like.
Too many here waiting for gold plated sealed in the package Snappy stuff at thrift shop pricing.
What we need is more tool users making waste of the tools to make or at least save money. Less speculators trying to get tax free income flipping "rare" or valuable plastic handled screwdrivers of any color or brand.

 

[thesilverone]

please donate rather than throwing out

 

[four.cycle]

Well, ebay sure showcases the differences between the general masses that buy stuff and the posters on GJ. The craftsman sockets have been good steady sellers. I've sold some of the Proto, they're slow but okay sellers. Mac sold. Of course, Snap-on sell. The absolute losers are the classic brands. Can't sell unless you just give away price New Britain, old Craftsman (BE, Circle H), Bonney, old knurled SK, Duro, P&C.

^ There certainly seems to be a dichotomy there. What's bizarre is that I've noticed what seems to be an upward trend on selling prices on later Craftsman (G, EE), which I find baffling.
I think brand recognition among the masses is the hurdle on stuff like New Britain, Bonney, and Duro Chrome.
As far as the "can't give it away" category, my first nomination would be "Action" (same tool as Thorsen), followed closely by Easco (once an OE for Craftsman.) Go figure!

 

[Greg85mcss]

Re: 1000's of Craftsman Sockets: On tools and hoarding - sorted my Craftsman Out

I bet regardless of which series they are you could sell a bunch of 1/4" drive 8 & 10mm sockets to people who lose them & don't want to replace them with Chinese. After you've made as many sets as possible of course.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[1cargarage]

Not too interesting of pictures; two boxes full of bags of sets, and a couple boxes and a few piles of leftover miscellaneous sockets.

For GJ, that's pretty moderate. Some guys' excess on here is mind blowing.

 

[Infinia]

you should sell the whole lot by the pound = no sorting
matching sets = 1-2 bucks per piece.
single sockets = 3-6 bucks per

handling and shipping charges seperate

 

[Infinia]

Plus, the large lot experiment can continue. There will just be fewer sets in the final quantity if a few sell on ebay and then someone wants the rest. I'm not cherry picking the lots for ebay, selling the cheaper ones first, and saving the better ones for last. Easy to motivate myself in the long run that way, if I leave the best money for last, it's easier to make myself sell the last pieces.

IMO This is just more symptoms or the fear of letting go = the hoarder syndrome

Let someone else take control or leave it to the executor of your last will and testament.
IDK isn't that what they do for helping those in those TV reality programs? Dude you need an intervention

 

[Infinia]

Actually, hoarders have the most problem getting rid of trash

nope they have a problem with letting things go. One mans trash is another's treasure. In their world they simply have a lot of treasures!

Not too many ppl know the true value of your "collection" , it's the age ole question time or money, pick one. *How much time do you want to spend gazing at yer treasures?

Really I'm more interested in the experiment

* your answer above

 

[M_George]

I've teaching my young grandson how to use tools for a couple years now. Lately I've putting together my extras to arrange a nice set for him when hes old enough.
So far I have a nice Craftsman tool chest, socket set and most of the wrenches and screw drivers he will need. I keep upgrading them as I find them.

 

[EOC_Jason]

I wonder how much it would weigh if you fill a USPS Large Flat Rate Box... lol... I think you can go up to 70lbs?

I only like 6pt sockets... If a time machine is ever invented I will go back in time and shoot the SOB that thought up the idea to sell 12pt sockets to the masses when they don't use 12pt nuts/bolts...

Unless you can get them free, or near free then it's not really worth the work trying to re-sell them, there are just so many and they are so common they have little resale value on eBay. Individual ones I've bought after shipping they have to only be making pennies on the deal, but otherwise I guess they would never get rid of them.

I agree matched sets would bring the most money, especially metric over SAE (or a combo of both would be best). Individual sockets and wrenches are still needed because there is ALWAYS that one estate sale or pawn shop find that is missing ONE freaking piece from the set!

I typically buy big lots of CMan stuff (like a whole toolbox of vintage), if sockets are in there, then great. But I usually don't buy just sets of CMan sockets because I know selling them I won't make anything. I *do* buy sets of sockets of other brands like SK, Proto, and higher end stuff.

Another thing is if I'm at a pawn shop and I want something but they don't want to come down on the price much, I'll get them to throw in a bundle of CMan sockets (or if I've found some better sockets in the bins I'll negotiate with those)... When you get them for free you can't go wrong.

My problem is I can't simply re-sell them as-is... I have to de-rust / clean / oil them. Inspect each and every one... Group together, etc, etc...

I would *love* a complete USA 6-Point set of 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 drive, Metric & SAE, Regular & Deep Well of CMan sockets... I don't even care which generation, or even if they are mixed. One day it might happen, but till then I get by with what I have in all sorts of brands and ages...

 

[SnapOnToolsGreen]

I got that much at least and probably have a penny a piece into just wasting space got way to many sockets just as many pro brands as well. Not sure what I want to do with all my Cman sockets what they bring on eBay isn't worth my trouble even just having to make trips to the post office don't seem worth it

 

[Infinia]

My experiment failed in selling the large lot, because I don't think there's a market for a large lot of mundane, common merchandise. .

No it failed because you simply priced it too high ...way high. As you know there is loads of time n effort involved in selling small match sets on ebay. I reckon 1 buck a piece is almost retail for new sets on sale so you are leaving a potential ebay dealer zero margin for a meager profit esp considering left overs as you already picked on the carcass. We know you probably gathered the bulk of yer CM hauls at U-**** prices.

 

[Infinia]

The $1 on sale for Craftsman is for newer chinese COO, the USa brings a bit better than that used on ebay. I've averaged about $2.25 a socket so far for the stuff I've sold, and I'm just now getting to the better value stuff; I sold the lesser value first.

>subscribed<
Well your experiment continues, please share the data*, I wish you more success, your time and effort is worth something I guess.
*ebay links to your ongoing shop auctions / sales>

This is interesting. I also used to pay ~ buck a piece on sets I bought on retail sales** ( not catalog orders ) over the years early 80s to mid nineties. ( USA G-series all).

**small 1/4" sets had zero fluff and a couple of drive tools.
I reckon my larger set, the included sockets had 3 drive tools so cancels out any "fluff". Note back then they also had less fluff, E.g. no small driver bits.

 

[EOC_Jason]

No it failed because you simply priced it too high ...way high. As you know there is loads of time n effort involved in selling small match sets on ebay. I reckon 1 buck a piece is almost retail for new sets on sale...

Sears pricing is so F-ed up... Like back around Christmas I bought a couple 16pc sets... Included the 3/8" 75T Ratchet, 2 Extensions, and 13 Sockets (1/4" - 1" 6pt) in a blow-mold case for $9.99+Tax (Reg $40)...

But sears sells the same 75T ratchet by itself for $15-$20 by itself when on sale?

So let's be generous and price the ratchet at $5... Then the other $5 would value against the sockets & extensions and that equates to about .33 cents each... But that's for new Chinese sockets (which I can't complain about for general around the house stuff).

$1 a socket for a large quantity evens out okay I suppose for USA, but yeah there is no way a person can re-sell them and make anything. But if they wanted them for their own collection then it's a fair price.

 

[Infinia]

Sears pricing is so F-ed up... Like back around Christmas I bought a couple 16pc sets... Included the 3/8" 75T Ratchet, 2 Extensions, and 13 Sockets (1/4" - 1" 6pt) in a blow-mold case for $9.99+Tax (Reg $40)...
.

My data shows 50% off list is normally a really good sale. or 16pcs ~ 20 bucks... But your pricing is very rare, reserved for "blow out, discontinued fire sales" but then again there's just not a whole lot of Chinese metal in those 1/4" kits. No one buys single ratchets at list, unless they are dumb or desperate. I don't know how to price CM ratchets , China new or USA used>>>

 

[LostBoy(IRL)]

Your original quantity of sockets just does not compute for me. My head refuses to grasp how large your collection was! Liking this thread, looking forward to seeing how you get on.