Plane value?

[Raineman]

Friend of mine is selling some planes at an archery rendezvous we’re at and asked what kind of number to put on them. I know diddly about planes. Can anyone suggest a price? He wants to put the “I don’t want to take it home” price on them. 2 Stanley and a Millers Falls. Thanks folks.

 

[RTM]

Left to right I think 10 20 and 25 in don't want to take them home pricing. Around here craigslist would try to go 20 40 50.

If the number on the Miller's falls in the middle is a low number like 9 it's worth more than if it's a high number like 90 or 900. The high numbers are their value engineering lines. The low number are their professional quality planes. It looks to have the split lever cap so I think it's a lower number which is good.

The 118 on the far left is a great user to carry to the job site. That's the one I take in the house when I'm fitting molding into place. The low angle is very nice to work with and because it's stamped steel you're not going to hurt it if you drop it.

As I have a plethora of planes I would only go 5, 10 and 10 if I was buying them at a garage sale

 

[Raineman]

Thanks. Great info and very much appreciated. Those are almost the exact numbers I had guessed at. I had told him 5, 20, 50.

 

[Joe Huld]

I agree that the stamped steel Stanley is a $5 item most places, the Stanley jack plane is almost certainly a #5 worth $20 or so but could be 5 1/4 worth twice that. The M-F smoother is either a 9 or 10 most likely a 9 worth $20 but could be a 10 worth easily $40-50.

 

[engineer2]

A co-worker wants to sell these. Any thoughts on fair asking prices?
I know they made millions of these. Prefer to sell them all at once.
Almost no rust. I'm guessing on the model Types:
Stanley Bailey no. 2 Type 18? Wood handles show wear
Stanley Bailey no. 3 Type 18?
Stanley Bailey no. 5 Type 16?
Stanley Bailey no. 7 Type 12? (3 patent dates) blade says "PAT APL 1992" so it's likely a replacement.

 

[crguy]

A co-worker wants to sell these. Any thoughts on fair asking prices?
I know they made millions of these. Prefer to sell them all at once.
Almost no rust. I'm guessing on the model Types:
Stanley Bailey no. 2 Type 18? Wood handles show wear
Stanley Bailey no. 3 Type 18?
Stanley Bailey no. 5 Type 16?
Stanley Bailey no. 7 Type 12? (3 patent dates) blade says "PAT APL 1992" so it's likely a replacement.

Check Ebay completed listings for comparables. The answers you get on a forum like this can be wildly wrong and you may not realize it.

 

[engineer2]

I checked eBay and prices are all over the place. For example the No. 7 was anywhere from $50 to $400.

 

[crguy]

I checked eBay and prices are all over the place. For example the No. 7 was anywhere from $50 to $400.

As I said, look for comparables - age and condition, that will narrow it down.

 

[pfaustus]

Stanley Bench Planes seem to have wildly variable values depending on location. Some of the prices paid on ebay are astronomical. West coast prices seem substantially higher than east coast. I personally changed my rule of thumb from a willingness to pay $5 for a 3, 4, or 5 to $10 because the cheapest Stanley #5 I had run into for a year or so was $7. And I sold off all my parts planes, so they have to be complete. I acknowledge that $20 is more than reasonable, and I might pay that much for a very clean example like those, but the damn things accumulate too easily if you are not careful. #2s are for collectors and are usually priced accordingly. #7s in the wild run from $40-$100 more or less and are probably usually about $70-75.

 

[RTM]

split off the #2, it will sell for more than the rest of the lot, almost regardless of condition. Around here they easily go $200 on CL, and higher

#3 are interesting, so go higher than a 4 or 5, seen them for $75 and up, and moving depending on condition.

The 4 and 5 are so common, hard to get much more than $20-25 around here.

#7 and #8 get respect on CL, (but not a garage sales, I grabbed my last one for under $5) see them for $75 - 150. #8 go higher still.


How far out in the Chicago burbs are you? I will be coming through in late October..... could fit that #2 in to a suitcase easily..... if the price was right.

 

[engineer2]

An hour north of Chicago. Likely they will be sold by then.
Thanks for the insight. I assumed the bigger ones had more value.

 

[RTM]

#1s are nuts, $850 and up. #2s go higher, dips down with the low around 4 and 5, then slowly climb back. I’d guess a #2 would go for more than a #8, condition being equal.

The specials are higher for 4-1/2 and 5-1/4 & 5-1/2 tho.