Lurch67
Well-known member
What is the value of this Vise?
http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/tls/4168157789.html
http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/tls/4168157789.html
Whats this Vise Worth
- Thread starter Lurch67
- Start date
fatfillup
Well-known member
If it in fact works well, that is a fair price. Seen them sell for lots more at auctions.
justanengineer
Well-known member
Youre in the northeast where old iron is cheap and his price is skyhigh. Id go maybe $30 since it looks to be in pretty nice shape.
fatfillup
Well-known member
Not sure where you get this impression. I buy and sell a lot of tools, been to 4 auctions in the last 10 days and you never see a wilton sell for $30. Now I couldn't make money on it paying $110. but it is a fair price. It would sell quickly for me though.
PCO6
Well-known member
If it works as good as it looks I wouldn't hesitate at that price. I'm sure others have paid more and been happy.
zoomieport
Well-known member
Buy it.
ajchien
Well-known member
I think that's a decent deal at $110.
The copper soft jaws, and the condition of the handle with the original finger pinch savers are an indication that the owner has taken good care of it.
The copper soft jaws, and the condition of the handle with the original finger pinch savers are an indication that the owner has taken good care of it.
Canoe50
Well-known member
He also rates cast steel anvils pretty low in quality, (his words) when in fact they're rated at the top by blacksmiths & people use anvils on a regular basis. You can take his comments with a grain of salt.
justanengineer
Well-known member
5 days later and its still sitting, I dont call that a good or fair price, I call it overpriced and hoping for the misinformed as many here are. I buy/sell a few tools to support my auction habits since I attend 30-150 most years and SWMBO works off/on at one. My father also had a side business dealing in used industrial machinery and tools for 40 years so Id say I know a thing or three about tool prices. Ive got a pair of Wiltons here currently that I dont have $10 in combined, and given that I end up with a few that cheap consistently every year without even trying to buy vises, Id say they do go decently cheap upon occasion. Golden rule of vise buying, NO MORE than $0.50/lb unless the vise is over 100 lbs, then its $1/lb. With a quick repaint, Id price that ~$50 on craigs and hope it sells within a week. If you want to make decent money selling tools, you either need to sell big items ($1k+) or turn/burn a lot of lesser items within a few days.
Thanks for the kind remark, I will have to pass that along to the next farrier after I resurface his anvil. I'm sure they will enjoy the giggle.
FWIW, an anvil from forged steel is widely considered the best (hence the most expensive) anvil you can buy. I prefer a steel forging on top of an iron body personally and know many with similar opinions, its the way most were made until a few decades ago, theyre still relatively easy to resurface/repair, and its a good compromise between cost and performance. A cast steel anvil OTOH usually is a royal PITA to repair and since its just a ground casting, theyre cheaper to manufacture and softer than anything but a plain iron ASO. Sorry, but forging vs casting of the same material.....basic material science suggests forging will win every time.
Those things must grow on trees there. Here in Oregon, that woulld have been sold in 15 minutes to someone who called and offered him $250 to beat someone out. I paid $425 for a almost new C3 and thought I stole it. I have paid $40 for Wilton Cadets in trashed condition without regret. You all sound spoiled 
Greyson
Greyson
devoncoolman
Well-known member
I dont know where u boys buy vises but they go for money around these parts. That wilton for $110 is a good deal.(if your looking for one) if i didnt need it i wouldnt pay that for it. But if i did i wouldnt hesitate to pay that
slip knot
Well-known member
Send it to me. I'll double that $$ in 15 minutes on CL here.
Well said Joe B...
toomanytoyzz
Well-known member
I saw that as soon as it was posted on CL. As much as I wanted to take the 20 min. ride to ****** it up I need another vise like I need another wife. If you are looking for a bullet and are local, go get it. It's a stellar price. If you are looking to flip I beg to differ.
I just sold this bullet for $152 on ebay. It was as virgin as you can get with a vintage/collectable vise. I completely tore it down, de-rusted, sanded, buffed, primed and painted. I was thinking it would go for about $200, but ebay is just as unstable as anywhere else these days.
IMO, if you want the vise to use grab it. You're not gonna find one (bullet) in that price range for months on CL. If you are looking to flip it move on. The profit margin isn't too great.
I just sold this bullet for $152 on ebay. It was as virgin as you can get with a vintage/collectable vise. I completely tore it down, de-rusted, sanded, buffed, primed and painted. I was thinking it would go for about $200, but ebay is just as unstable as anywhere else these days.
IMO, if you want the vise to use grab it. You're not gonna find one (bullet) in that price range for months on CL. If you are looking to flip it move on. The profit margin isn't too great.
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jakemac
Well-known member
Two things that I have never really understood the high prices on.
1.) Vises
2.) Anvils
They seem like such simple tools that not too many folks have a extreme need for.
With that said, I would love to find a nice little Wilton, but really can't justify the usual prices. 
Here is one for $350 FIRM that has been green spry bombed.
http://southjersey.craigslist.org/tls/4160324785.html
Uhm, why is your ad still up? No offense, it looks great, especially compared to before, but it is a vise, not a split window corvette, I don't think the average CL buyer is interested in the entire back story.
http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/tls/4155123772.html
1.) Vises
2.) Anvils
They seem like such simple tools that not too many folks have a extreme need for.
With that said, I would love to find a nice little Wilton, but really can't justify the usual prices. Here is one for $350 FIRM that has been green spry bombed.
http://southjersey.craigslist.org/tls/4160324785.html
Uhm, why is your ad still up? No offense, it looks great, especially compared to before, but it is a vise, not a split window corvette, I don't think the average CL buyer is interested in the entire back story.
http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/tls/4155123772.html
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The $110 Wilton vise in question. Before the CL ad disappears.
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nicksnothereman
Well-known member
You know...guy wants 100 bucks for it, it ain't worth that but that's what he wants. If you don't want to pay that much then it's probably best just to let it go. He might get it he might not but at least he won't feel cheated on the sale when he eventually reduces the price to sell vs. getting a low-ball offer. I take people at their word. People sell things for various reasons (usually to pay the bills). If their price isn't what I'm willing to pay I just let it go.
Maybe that's just the way I am.
toomanytoyzz
Well-known member
Never seen a split window corvette (or ANY Corvette for that matter)for $225 or $110. Never will either.
I also recieved about 8 emails asking about the molasses process and how you do it, along with some other resto questions. I even hooked my buddy up with some side work with one of the guys who needed some work done on his bike. Without the "back story" I wouldn't have the case of beer in the fridge my buddy gave me for giving his name out.
The ad has been taken down. Sold it on ebay, and forgot to take down the CL ad. Here's a link to the ebay auction. I know you like to call people out on their BS
. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Wilton-Bull...Work_Holding&hash=item20da4f2b97#ht_542wt_946
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Canoe50
Well-known member
I never said a thing about forged steel anvils. I referred to your remark in another thread about cast steel anvils being low in quality. Plain & simple, they are not. Don't believe it? Maybe you & your farrier friend can read up on it after you're done giggling. I'll even make it easy for you & provide a link. Look around the net, you'll find plenty more links if you're still not convinced. Or just ask some of the smiths at IForgeIron who do this for a living. And BTW, the bodies on most of the older English anvils were wrought iron, not cast iron as you also remarked in that same thread.
Like I said, I take your comments with a grain of salt. And yes, I'm being kind.
Thirty dollars for that vise? Yeah, show me where you can find that vise for $30 & I'll buy each & every one.
http://www.blksmth.com/****'s_Shop_Tips.htm
fatfillup
Well-known member
I would also buy every Wilton I could at $10 a piece. Just don't see them going for that often. Yes I have scored a few inexpensively, but I would run that pictured vise to $60 every time and double my money. Now I don't sell on CL or ebay, I sell out of a store along with my pressure washer sales business so my pricing structure and clientele are different then those venues.
As far as your $.50 a lb, for most vises that is about right though I don't usually weigh the vises, but Wiltons will command more so I will pay more. Perhaps your market place is different, meaning more supply = lower prices, but I have a steady market for good used vises and the bigger the better.
fatfillup
Well-known member
I understand why you would say not many folks don't had a big need for an anvil,,,,,,,,,,,but who the heck doesn't need a vise if they work on just about anything?
While I don't doubt this one bit, there's another reason that comes to mind, too. I know a lot more people that look to buying use, quality items over new lesser quality and higher-priced items.
For example, my wife would've never looked for a used item before we were together. Now she's a pro when it comes to items that are in her wheelhouse.
toomanytoyzz
Well-known member
I understand why you would say not many folks don't had a big need for an anvil,,,,,,,,,,,but who the heck doesn't need a vise if they work on just about anything?
Anvils are priced accordingly because you can't take a ride to the local steel distributor and ask for a 200 lb. chunk of steel that you want to turn into a proper anvil. Stick with an I beam or section of RR track for tinkering.
If you own one for blacksmithing (or looking into getting into blacksmithing) it will pay itself off in no time. It's about as essential to the trade as a set of wrenches are to a mechanic.
Basically, if you think anvils are overpriced you probably will never use one for its intended purpose which is to shape/form metals using heat. Believe me, some anvils are crazy overpriced, but that's what makes forums like this fun
. We get to post them up like zkling did with the guy selling the spray bombed bullet for $350. That thing has been on CL around here for probably a year if not longer.The first part of you reply couldn't be further from the truth. This is the first place I go to if I question about a particualr vise that I've never seen before. Still have yet to stump the experts here on GJ.
As for your theory about pricing and auctions you are mixing apples and oranges if you are trying to figure market value of an item. I go to auctions all the time as well. I never offer close to market value for a tool at auction unless I personally want it, and it is in near mint condition. I also live in the North Atlantic with a high population and plenty of old industries and steel plants miles from my house. I see some nice vintage stuff go through auction houses all the time that end pennies on the dollar when discussing market value. If you get your tool scores at auctiion you almost feel sorry for people who pay high dollar for itmes you got for next to nothing. BUT relize that some peoples time is more valuable to them and they may not live remotely close to any sort of auction house or even flee market which would yield tools like we covet on this site.
With that said, the Wilton vise for sale is worth $100 if you were looking for one to mount to a bench. That's what it would probably go for on ebay. So, to answer the OP's question about the value, I'd say it is definitely worth $100.
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Outlawmws
Well-known member
Sorry, but I disagree, most people don't Google for prices, they search Eprey, and THAT is the driver for high prices. Many will not bother to look for the completed auctions to set what an items REALLY go for generally so many things get inflated against BIN hopeful asking prices.
That said Eprey is a false indicator unless you are selling there. Eprey has the largest pool of buyers and can get silly prices all the time. Add to that I strongly suspect that it is used for money laundering purposes and without an item or $$ changing hands, they can pump the $$ from one dummy account to a "real" account and it's clean. So I've seen some items go for some insane prices, and later the same item goes up for sale and the same thing happens.
I also don't agree with Justanengineers assessment as he habitually under-prices nearly everything, probably two reasons; hes buying wholesale, and selling retail for quick turn around. Second hes in an area that has a LOT of resource, and a declining populating overall. certainly the blue collar population is declining, and that is a primary basis for tool sales. In bigger metro areas you have more hobbieists (and collectors) driving the prices, simply because there are more people, so prices are higher than where he lives.
Vises and even more so, anvils have skyrocketed for a number of reasons, but having a lot of collectors snapping up all the deals leaves the guys that have a real need stuck with the higher priced leavings, unless they get lucky.
As far as that vise; FWIW I sold one over a year ago for near 3X what they are asking. My area, my price, and it sold in about 3 weeks. I was NOT unhappy with the results, or the time it took for the buyer to surface, because I'm not "in the business" so I'm not worried about the "stock" setting for a bit....
fatfillup
Well-known member
^^^^^I also never worry about stock sitting. As long as enough of something sells, I don't care if I have something else sit a year or more. Things for me tend to sell in spurts. I may have 6 grease guns sit for 6 months and the all sell in 2 weeks or even to one guy (company). Everything will sell if you have enough time. May not be everyones business model but it has worked well for me.
964haus
Well-known member
Those things must grow on trees there. Here in Oregon, that woulld have been sold in 15 minutes to someone who called and offered him $250 to beat someone out. I paid $425 for a almost new C3 and thought I stole it. I have paid $40 for Wilton Cadets in trashed condition without regret. You all sound spoiled
Greyson
Up here is the same situation - easily in the $250+ range.
So true. so so so true. I use to be very heavy into bladesmithing, primarily damascus work, to the point where I was considering getting my rating and going pro, so yes I actually needed an anvil. After searching for a real anvil that a HS student could afford I stopped looking and made two japanese / robin style anvils. Finally I lucked into an old beat up POS that I dug, literally, out of a guys field for nothing. It's been about two years that I sold my large forge setup and with it went that anvil to young guy starting out, reminded me of myself. I figured no problem I could find a nice anvil again pretty easily. Nope, NSL.
What pains me is a few neighborhoods over is an old couple that have a very nice, large anvil sitting on a stump in their front yard. Around it they have their very creepy gnome collection.
I stopped once to ask randomly if they wanted to sell it I would like to purchase it off them. Give them my number. A few weeks later they called me and said they would take $$$$ (I forget the exact # but it was well over $500) 
I've tried the WTB on CL route, again everyone "knows" the value of them. Yet majorty of the people that have them don't even use them. Reminds me of the old hand braces. Everybody but everybody thinks they are gold, yet very few people actually use them. End of rant.
And let's be honest, even on here there are people that have quite a few vises and anvils, yet have no real need for them.
justanengineer
Well-known member
Not to argue the english language, but you did say that the cast steel anvils were at the "top" in your first post of this thread, sorry if I take some things literallly. Personally, when considering anvil quality I judge based upon the striking surface as many do, so yes, the forged or even a plain rolled steel top wins over a ground casting any day. Im not saying cast steel anvils are total ****, just lower on the totem pole of quality than others. FWIW, most anvils Ive ever seen are old "farm" anvils (not farrier's and certainly not "English" if youre implying European manufacture), which generally have a cast iron body with a forged steel top. Farmers werent exactly wealthy folks and their anvils from the 19th and 20th century typically reflect this.
I think its more a matter of selling style. Wiltons will command a higher price, if you put in the effort and take a few risks to sell beyond your local area. Personally, I prefer to sell fairly local to the guys who want a vise, not necessarily the folks interested specifically in Wiltons. I make a few bucks without trying, dont have to keep anything more than a week usually, get paid cash green money, and dont have the disputes/issues that come up with ebay/shipping/etc....been burned hard a few times bc of that. I also make friends/contacts willing to hook me up with deals, which happens regularly.
I think youve hit a few of the right reasons. The DIY population that has tools worth reselling in the NE is definitely declining (literally dieing unfortunately), as are the blue collar trades and manufacturing. I also dont buy in suburbia like many others do unless its a business/shop sale, and even then I judge the crowd and might stay/go according to prices/interest in items I want. I prefer estate sales and auctions out in the sticks where generally folks have a lot less money and more iron, and theres a lot less competing bidders for it. I also dont waste my time with 99.9% of the auctioneers/sellers as others do, I only buy from places where $1 isnt an insulting offer, where there arent schills running the bids up, and Im also a bit more dedicated than most at searching out treasures when Im at a sale. Many folks hit auctions and get caught up in the social aspects or their own laziness, I dont, and consequently I get deals when nobody's paying attention, dont want to stand in the rain, think the auction's over/nothing "good" is left, or think theyre selling "junk." At estate sales especially, when they announce "everythings gotta go" Im searching in the weeds/brush/back 40, asking about things in the attic, looking at stuff hanging on walls/propping open doors, and keeping my eyes open otherwise for things to ask to buy at the END of the auction when theres few bidders left. Realistically, theres a lot more strategy/tricks to buying as well, but a lot of its situational and tough to explain. Most importantly tho, Im a cheap SOB that knows my (very low) limit, isnt afraid to walk away, and can be happy if I get only one item.
The only thing youre off on outlaw is I dont buy "wholesale" anymore, havent been to a non-public auction in several years (other than small club and fundraising events) like the plant closing sales my father used to attend regularly, I dont have a business license like he does nor the connections. Good explanation otherwise.
One important thing relevent to vises that I notice a lot at auctions and estate sales - everybodys interested in the "big ticket" items but miss the small stuff. If you want a cheap vise, when everybodys disappointed they didnt get a welder/classic car/other big item and not paying attention, buy the rusty/nasty bench with the vise attached. Also keep your eyes on what sells/what doesnt, often a benchtop full of tools sells but the bench (or the attached vise) doesnt. Wait til the end of the sale when most have already left and ask about that bench and/or vise. At estate (garage type) sales, tell folks youre a car/garage nut and ask to see the basements, garages, or other work areas. Many times theres a vise attached to a bench that didnt get drug out to the "public" area due to weight/size/etc. If somebody's selling/moving/renovating their relatives' house, things need to go, so dont assume theyll say no if you ask politely, wave green money, and are willing to do the removal work yourself.
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