I have a problem I have a bunch of low end hand tools I don't need. I would like to sell them. I don't have any idea of how to price them. Would they sell better as a set in tool box or just break down to sets. I have never sold a tool in my life I have bought tons. I inherited my dads stuff couple years ago and just ended up with my brothers stuff also. Dad stuff was mostly cheep sets that if he broke or lost something he just bought another set. I sat down and made sets out of them some I gave to other family members but still have lots left. Bothers stuff like dad maybe little better grade. I will go thru it and see what I want and my boys want then need to get rid of some. He had bought a new 26' harbor freight box 6 months ago and told my son if something happened to him it was his. I bought son a craftsman box few years ago and it isn't much so I thought maybe I could take it and build a set out of dad and brothers and sell box with tools. I thought maybe would make starter box for some kid. or would it be better just to sell box and tool sets?
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selling used tools
- Thread starter shoe1
- Start date
If you need the money, I'd make sets in SAE and metric (sockets, wrenches). Try to keep the brands together but at the low end brands don't really matter.
If there's a flea market, they'll disappear quickly. Lay the completed sets out on a tarp (taped together or in separate cheap toolboxes). They can be put to good use by people who need them.
If you don't need the money, maybe find a local high school shop program that needs them (or a local vo-tech school).
If there's a flea market, they'll disappear quickly. Lay the completed sets out on a tarp (taped together or in separate cheap toolboxes). They can be put to good use by people who need them.
If you don't need the money, maybe find a local high school shop program that needs them (or a local vo-tech school).
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evercl92
Well-known member
Bundle like-items together and price them what you think is fair.
If youre selling on craigslist, put everything in the same posting. That way if someone wants more than one bundle, you can negotiate a bulk price.
If youre selling on craigslist, put everything in the same posting. That way if someone wants more than one bundle, you can negotiate a bulk price.
engineer2
Well-known member
You'll have to price it well below Harbor Freight prices.
If you don't need the money, maybe find a local high school shop program that needs them (or a local vo-tech school).
I've seen this idea get mentioned from time to time.
Does anyone have experience donating to a school.
Do they really want a pile of old hand me down tools? Just curious.
I have thought about donating some to local high school. I may check into that. I have been pushing last 3 years to get auto shop back into our school. I was told at Christmas that they would start up this next school year. I checked again last week and told it was a no go again. Yea around here all you find on craigslist are snap-on at new price. I thought if I could put full socket sets for $5/6 dollars maybe they would sell. O
ssdave
Banned
I've seen this idea get mentioned from time to time.
Does anyone have experience donating to a school.
Do they really want a pile of old hand me down tools? Just curious.
I've been told they do not. If you have modern, metric tools in decent quality, yes. Old, cheap, SAE? No.
Depends on the interest of the teacher; he may take them, put the bucket out in the shop and let students dig through them and take them home.
No teacher wants to stock his shop and teach using old, poor quality tools. Or worn or damaged ones.
ssdave
Banned
I'd put together sets of sorts, and put them out for sale at a yard sale or craigslist. They will sell, if the price is low enough. Your price will have to be lower than Kobalt or Husky or HF sets, though, unless they're Proto, Snap-on, Craftsman, SK, Wright, Indestro, P&C, Plomb, Mac, Matco, or similar quality US tools. If the're mixed sets, hard to sell unless cheap.
It will be a fair amount of work to sell them for not much gain. Unless you're having a yard sale anyway.
It will be a fair amount of work to sell them for not much gain. Unless you're having a yard sale anyway.
I've seen this idea get mentioned from time to time.
Does anyone have experience donating to a school.
Do they really want a pile of old hand me down tools? Just curious.
I don't know if they would or if they would last long enough to matter. I have 2 boys in metal shop class now and if they want to work on any thing they have to use their own tools school doesn't have much of anything. Few clamps and hammers and that's it. They even use their own tools to work on school equipment if they have to fix it. We have a hell of wood shop and wood teacher and program and they make him teach metals so its kind of a step child program 1 hour a day.
I've been told they do not. If you have modern, metric tools in decent quality, yes. Old, cheap, SAE? No.
Depends on the interest of the teacher; he may take them, put the bucket out in the shop and let students dig through them and take them home.
No teacher wants to stock his shop and teach using old, poor quality tools. Or worn or damaged ones.
Depends on how wealthy the area is and the teacher of the program. I imagine there are some vo-tech programs that would accept complete sets of SAE/metric sockets/wrenches if for nothing else to let the students take home if they want.
Or for use in the program. It helps to have them clearly bundled up and not just all slammed into a bucket.
I had 2 sets of cheap tools that someone gave me. I made a few sets (adding my own castoffs) to the mix. I sold them all off in a few hours at the local outdoor flea market. It isn't hard to get rid of this stuff. CL is a pain in the **** unless the stuff is free, then it will disappear asap.
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yea figured be facebook ads yard sell. We are 80 mile from closest home depot, menards, harbor freight. I didn't figure they would bee a lot money I just can't throw a unbroken tool away. I have used tools that were no name for years (yes I have good tools also) but growing up as a kid working on farm in high school we used cheep stuff because it was easy to lose. You know I have broken some of it, cheep ratchets mainly a end wrench or 2 but for the most part it worked. I see kids all the time trying to work on stuff with no tools. I just wondered if I put sets if they might sell. I not trying to get rich would even give them away to right kid. My thinking maybe if they give alittle for them would take better care of them. I have heard lots of comments about how my boys have nice tool set from kids and parents.
I sell stuff like that with some regularity on C-List or OfferUp. I build sets and toss them in whatever old tool box I have at the moment. I can generally get $40 -60 depending on how big a pile I have. $40 is my sweet spot.
I have the best results if I match the color of the handles on the screwdrivers and pliers as much as possible. You need to make them look as much like a matched set as possible. Even junk tool guys want a "set" I guess.
Smooth polished wrenches generally sell better than raised panel. Metric is easiest to sell, SAE is the toughest. Brand names I have found are unimportant.
I find that when the tools are real **** I can move them easier by including more tools. As a last resort I can get $20 for a five gallon bucket of mixed **** sockets or wrenches.
I have the best results if I match the color of the handles on the screwdrivers and pliers as much as possible. You need to make them look as much like a matched set as possible. Even junk tool guys want a "set" I guess.
Smooth polished wrenches generally sell better than raised panel. Metric is easiest to sell, SAE is the toughest. Brand names I have found are unimportant.
I find that when the tools are real **** I can move them easier by including more tools. As a last resort I can get $20 for a five gallon bucket of mixed **** sockets or wrenches.
Mustang1167
Well-known member
I did this last year with mismatched sets of tools I used years ago. I made the most complete sets I could and sold them on eBay. I sold almost everything I put up. Flea market route would probably be just as successful. Don’t over price them and the will go quickly.