Question about prices.

[thisistheshow]

I am new here, and I hope this post is not frowned upon. If so, please let me know or remove.

I am relatively new to the world of vintage tools. Most of my collecting experience is with coins/numismatics. I am not in a position to spend a lot, and am the type to try to do a lot of learning before I buy.

So far, I have only been hitting up pawn shops. Mostly looking at wrenches. I've been paying anywhere from 25¢ to $1.50. I am assuming this is pretty good.

In the world of coins, we often refer people to the sold listings on eBay to gauge resale value. Does this hold true with vintage tools? Is there a better site to look at?

Any advice is great!

Thanks in advance.

 

[woody 73]

Yes indeed finding out what the vintage tool sold for is a very good indicator of their true value. Will you get rich well lets say don't plan on giving up your day job!

 

[JoCoSawdust]

Welcome to the madness. I've only been collecting a couple of years but I'll throw my 2 cents in. I'm sure other collectors with vast more experience than I do will chime in too.

eBay sold listings are a decent yardstick to what the market is willing to pay but there's outliers now and then that defy historical prices (and common sense and logic). I just saw a particular tool that routinely brings around 150 bucks depending on condition sell for over 200 for no rhyme or reason. I guess somebody just HAD to have it.

I've had good luck with some pawn shops, bad luck at others. A lot of pawn operators pull out the more recognizable brands and try to get near-new prices for them. I avoid those. I frequent a couple of pawns on a regular basis that give me great prices. I've established that I'll actually buy stuff as opposed to letting it continue to gather dust in their shop. A quarter to a buck per piece is good in my book.

Estate sales are the golden goose to me. It's fun getting the alerts, scouring pics, getting there early and finding treasures, generally at decent prices. Most estate sales go to half price on the last day. Flea markets can be great, or they can be horrible. Honest to goodness flea markets are pretty scarce in my area. It's mostly **** around me these days. Yard sales can be good too (and they're fun).

Happy hunting!

 

[thisistheshow]

Yes indeed finding out what the vintage tool sold for is a very good indicator of their true value. Will you get rich well lets say don't plan on giving up your day job!

Believe me, I know I won't get rich.

Truthfully, I'm not asking because I'm looking to sell things. I just don't want to overpay. Like I said, I've been into coins for awhile now. I've gotten very good at knowing prices or how to find them. I know that the junk bins of tools at a pawn shop should offer good prices if you cherry pick something. But I want to get my wits about me before I hit the flea market, etc.

The threads here at GJ are a treasure trove of info.

 

[JoCoSawdust]

Yes indeed finding out what the vintage tool sold for is a very good indicator of their true value. Will you get rich well lets say don't plan on giving up your day job!

+1!!

 

[r_olson_06]

Yes eBay sold listings are good indicator but not always correct. Just like coins condition plays a big role in value. Other factors can play into it as well. Such as what is being talked about on this forum . I have sold a couple items on eBay the same day or the next day after a discussion was talked about on here. The item otherwise has sat for months with no interest.

Looking for the following Plomb Pebbles Wrench 3061

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Vintage tools are tricky. The rarest most sought after items are collected by people like mechanics, who don't typically have alot of money, so the prices are not that high. Ebay is a good indicator just because you can see the the price things sold for. Just bear in mind, just because it is rare, it does not mean it is worth alot of money.

 

[thisistheshow]

I've had good luck with some pawn shops, bad luck at others. A lot of pawn operators pull out the more recognizable brands and try to get near-new prices for them. I avoid those. I frequent a couple of pawns on a regular basis that give me great prices. I've established that I'll actually buy stuff as opposed to letting it continue to gather dust in their shop. A quarter to a buck per piece is good in my book.

I was definitely happy with this for a buck at a pawn shop. Had to dig for maybe 45 minutes to find it, but it was a lot of fun.

Edit to add: Since I am just getting started, I am sure some of my discoveries would not elicit the same excitement in longtime collectors. I was very happy with the Superrench, in that in my limited research I have come across them pretty often and was surprised to find it in only my third time searching a shop.

 

[outofbounds]

There are a lot of ways to acquire tools, and it sounds like your dialed in on the lower end, garage sales and pawn shops. I do much the same. The catch to this approach is you are drawn to every "Cheap" tool out there, thinking you can flip it online for a few bucks, and you can, but the ROI including time is poor, and you end up with an accumulation that doubles as weapons that your spouse can hurl fairly accurately and with grave consequences!

At some point like most everyone else, you'll succumb to Ebay to pick off items of interest and essentially be paying retail to fit out sets.

Then, the 'spensive parts starts, as you'll need a good storage receptacle like a rolling tool box, and you'll buy a neat one prematurely, and a week later find one you like better, and you'll buy that one too, telling yourself you'll sell the first one, once you get the chance....

Because most of the things you'll find come across as rather affordable, discipline is a difficult virtue to master. I never thought I'd have to have 16 socket sets (you'll see guys here with literally hundreds of them!

Did I mention the advertising, and other peripheral items that become harder to resist once your collection grows and you possess the tools to connect you to them.

Need I say more?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I am new here, and I hope this post is not frowned upon. If so, please let me know or remove.

No worries. We have this conversation a few times a year, usually prompted by a newbie.

In the world of coins, we often refer people to the sold listings on eBay to gauge resale value. Does this hold true with vintage tools? Is there a better site to look at?

Not better, per se, but WorthPoint is more comprehensive. It includes eBay Sold listings but also any publicly reported auction. Unfortunately, it's a fee site ($25/month).

Tools is not a market like coins, knives, or antique furniture, which all have popular and famous "price guides" or books published every couple years. But the next best thing to that for a true value in an informed market (informed buyer, informed seller) is right here on the Vintage Discussion forum. Seriously. Guys are constantly reporting what they paid for something on eBay or CL or at an estate sale, etc, or, just as telling, what they traded, all of which accumulates, if you have the time and energy to follow it, into a sort of value guide.

Uninformed markets (informed buyer, uninformed seller) have no bearing on value.

Lastly, my soapbox on eBay sales: one sale does not equal value, either. It takes multiple sales to establish value. There are always spikes caused by someone willing to overpay.

 

[harley jim]

Check out the plomb thread here if you want to see some crazy serious collecting.
Those guys have some nice collections

Sent from my SM-A102U using Tapatalk

 

[thisistheshow]

There are a lot of ways to acquire tools, and it sounds like your dialed in on the lower end, garage sales and pawn shops. I do much the same. The catch to this approach is you are drawn to every "Cheap" tool out there, thinking you can flip it online for a few bucks, and you can, but the ROI including time is poor, and you end up with an accumulation that doubles as weapons that your spouse can hurl fairly accurately and with grave consequences!

At some point like most everyone else, you'll succumb to Ebay to pick off items of interest and essentially be paying retail to fit out sets.

Then, the 'spensive parts starts, as you'll need a good storage receptacle like a rolling tool box, and you'll buy a neat one prematurely, and a week later find one you like better, and you'll buy that one too, telling yourself you'll sell the first one, once you get the chance....

Because most of the things you'll find come across as rather affordable, discipline is a difficult virtue to master. I never thought I'd have to have 16 socket sets (you'll see guys here with literally hundreds of them!

Did I mention the advertising, and other peripheral items that become harder to resist once your collection grows and you possess the tools to connect you to them.

Need I say more?

A lot of great points here.

Yes, I love a bargain

Really, I love to cherry pick. And I know to be a good cherry picker you need knowledge, and the self-discipline to not buy everything you see.

It's funny, you mention needing more space, tool boxes, etc. I was just in my garage thinking how I can organize, etc to make room for more.

 

[thisistheshow]

Lastly, my soapbox on eBay sales: one sale does not equal value, either. It takes multiple sales to establish value. There are always spikes caused by someone willing to overpay.

I agree completely on eBay. I spent some time looking at vintage tool sales. It seems obvious there are a lot of people over paying to complete a set. There are also huge variations in sold listings for the same item.

 

[lardy1]

I've been into antique pottery and depression glass for several years before "inheriting" a 30 X 40 pole barn full of man junk. Included were a lot of old tools of which I knew little and undersold some things (including a Parker vise).

My thoughts on eBay are a bit different. I live in a depressed area in the rust belt. My local area will not support the sold prices I see on eBay because the online venue is reaching a much larger market. If I were to use eBay sold listings as my pricing guide, I'm wasting my time. I can't get anywhere near those prices.

Conversely, I am currently in Palmetto, FL. I visited two shops yesterday and both had decent traffic for a Tuesday morning. The pricing in those two shops was much higher than my local shops. Location, location, location.

I'm beginning to grasp more of the tendencies of the vintage tool market as I go. It differs in a lot of ways. 20 years ago I had to learn to stop buying glass simply because of the condition and makers mark. While one piece of McKee may sell quite high, other pieces of McKee don't bring squat. That's the part I'm learning about tools. To stop buying individual sockets/wrenches/etc. just because of the brand name. Unless they are needed for a set or I'm certain of the market, I'm learning to let things lie.

I'm compulsive and obsessive. Not good traits to have for a picker or a marketeer. If it's over 20 years old, I want it no matter what it is.

 

[r_olson_06]

I've been into antique pottery and depression glass for several years before "inheriting" a 30 X 40 pole barn full of man junk. Included were a lot of old tools of which I knew little and undersold some things (including a Parker vise).

My thoughts on eBay are a bit different. I live in a depressed area in the rust belt. My local area will not support the sold prices I see on eBay because the online venue is reaching a much larger market. If I were to use eBay sold listings as my pricing guide, I'm wasting my time. I can't get anywhere near those prices.

Conversely, I am currently in Palmetto, FL. I visited two shops yesterday and both had decent traffic for a Tuesday morning. The pricing in those two shops was much higher than my local shops. Location, location, location.

I'm beginning to grasp more of the tendencies of the vintage tool market as I go. It differs in a lot of ways. 20 years ago I had to learn to stop buying glass simply because of the condition and makers mark. While one piece of McKee may sell quite high, other pieces of McKee don't bring squat. That's the part I'm learning about tools. To stop buying individual sockets/wrenches/etc. just because of the brand name. Unless they are needed for a set or I'm certain of the market, I'm learning to let things lie.

I'm compulsive and obsessive. Not good traits to have for a picker or a marketeer. If it's over 20 years old, I want it no matter what it is.

You are in a good spot to buy low and sell high. I am in a similar place of the country with lower incomes that wouldn't support Nationwide prices.
I have that same OCD but a little more focused with Plombs and ratchets and old Blackhawks and some Snap On well maybe not that focused[emoji1].



Looking for the following Plomb Pebbles Wrench 3061

 

[lardy1]

Don't gloss it over, Roy. It's a disease and denial isn't the cure.



Happy hunting to all my fellow sufferers.

 

[bmwrd0]

Welcome. There are many here who collect other things than tools, as I collect books and I know one other member who collects stamps. I also work tangentially to the antique market and often talk to my clients about this.

Pawnshops, flea markets, eBay, and so on are all good places to find used merchandise. One thing to remember about eBay is that it sells to an international audience, which changes the parameters of any sale that comes up. People who live in areas that do not have a great selection of what they are looking for, and people who have good sources for tools and whatnot. But, one thing to keep in mind as you look at sold objects there; a sale is between two people who have agreed on a price. And with used items, each sale is different and one of a kind. The perceived scarceness of an object, combined with its condition and desirability is what sets the prices. Price guides, which were often printed yearly, are now worth as much as yesterday's newspaper.

A much better place is to look at the garage sale thread over on the main tool forum. There, along with new tools, you will see all manner of vintage and antique tools along with getting a good feel for what people are paying. Watching eBay For What Gets Bid On is also a great way to learn what others find desireable and are willing to spend money on.

But overall, what you feel is worth it, what you are happiest with, those are the real indicators of whether or not you got a good deal.

Happy Hunting.

 

[outofbounds]

On the general topic about pricing, today's lunchtime pawn bucket dragging revealed all this for $3 total, which on my scale is fair to slightly good value, based on what I perceive that I can get out of it all. Actually, I offered $3.50 for all, but the store owner made it $3, as we are working on a rapport, and I'm sure he wants to see me again.

2 - Excelite Nut Drivers (1 Orchard Park)
1 - Old Craftsman (Circle H era?) Nut Driver
1 - Spanner Special driver
1 - Vaco Nut Driver

3 - Williams Sockets
1 - 70s Blackhawk socket
1 - Wards Master 1/2" x 1/2" socket

For the record I need NONE of this stuff for present sets of mine, but couldn't pass it up as selling or trading stock.

 

[thisistheshow]

Thank you to everyone for giving me SO MUCH great information. I have plenty of great reading ahead!

 

[thehorse13]

You received a lot of good info and I'd like to add some small fine details.

1) Whenever I see vintage name brand tools, even if it's a single socket, I buy it. Why you ask? The very healthy barter network here on GJ. If you hang around long enough, you'll become familiar with the names that everyone wants. You can complete sets very quickly and on a shoe string budget with enough trading material.

2) There are other online venues aside from Ebay. Facebook market, LetGo, OfferUp, Craigslist and any local online flea market groups on Facebook. I've had great success in all of these places.

3) Be sure to become an active member here. Sometimes tips roll in when you least expect it. Whenever I see something fantastic that is out of my reach and/or interest, I drop the tip here on GJ.

Most of all, welcome. You've come to the right place. May your addiction grow just as quickly as the rest of us.

 

[drivesitfar]

THISISTHESHOW: how about I teach you a little or a lot about buying vintage tools and you tell me if my coin collection I've got sitting around for the last almost 60 years is worth anything?

more than not old vintage tools are not worth a lot, so find the ones you like the way they look and feel especially if you are going to use them and then if you don't resell them for a profit you have some nice tools. old made in USA and some European tools is a good start.

just curious if you or anybody can remind me how to check sold prices on EBAY sales? is that worthpoint or does Ebay finally show old sales?

 

[thisistheshow]

THISISTHESHOW: how about I teach you a little or a lot about buying vintage tools and you tell me if my coin collection I've got sitting around for the last almost 60 years is worth anything?

more than not old vintage tools are not worth a lot, so find the ones you like the way they look and feel especially if you are going to use them and then if you don't resell them for a profit you have some nice tools. old made in USA and some European tools is a good start.

just curious if you or anybody can remind me how to check sold prices on EBAY sales? is that worthpoint or does Ebay finally show old sales?

I'd be happy to talk coins with you sometime.

And on eBay you can definitely check the sold listings. If you are on a PC you click on advanced search. Then you check the box next to sold. If you are on a mobile device you need to click filter. Then you can choose sold.

 

[theoldwizard1]

There are a lot of people selling used Craftsman Made in the USA tools on eBay at ridiculous prices. I have been looking for long pattern shallow offset metric double box end wrench for awhile. These folks must think they are made of gold !