Why are old Craftsman Professional screwdrivers so expensive?

[dclark2171]

Here you go Craftsman fans


https://www.ebay.com/itm/1457701401...qccyF0mSJu&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1457701401...qccyF0mSJu&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

 

[bonneyman]

Making them smell so bad costs a fortune!

 

[vwpieces]

Garbage.
Broke a slotted one on First Use back in the day.

 

[PugetDude]

Garbage.
Broke a slotted one on First Use back in the day.

Everyone knows you not supposed to actually use them.
Just polish them and put them on display.

 

[FigN⋅m]

Garbage.
Broke a slotted one on First Use back in the day.

Not Garbage
Didn't break any slotted on any use on any day.

Guess that evens out.

 

[Andres26tnt]

lovey screwdrivers worth upwards of 1k at least . being serious, i understand nostalgia but man sometimes people are dumb. I'm a car guy, I have soft spots for my dream cars and childhood vehicles. I will never overpay for anything, specially if its a nostalgia buy. funny enough the first tools I've ever purchase were Craftsman USA. Upgraded few years later and man the difference in quality was an eye opener.

 

[dclark2171]

lovey screwdrivers worth upwards of 1k at least . being serious, i understand nostalgia but man sometimes people are dumb. I'm a car guy, I have soft spots for my dream cars and childhood vehicles. I will never overpay for anything, specially if its a nostalgia buy. funny enough the first tools I've ever purchase were Craftsman USA. Upgraded few years later and man the difference in quality was an eye opener.

I agee. I finished out my late Father's Craftsman V series SAE combination wrenches into a complete set, along with his old Proto's as well. They are all I need for SAE. Great quality wrenches. However, I'm paying around $30 total to buy the gaps in his set. That's one thing vs $700 for a box of screwdrivers. LOL

 

[zendriver]

I had some of those black handled, pretty crappy tips.

Red-black handled way sturdier, but ergonomically ****. They're in with my other toolbox queens.

I remember several years ago estate auction bidders going ape-**** for a NIP (new in plastic) set. Presumably collectors.

 

[SRSemenza]

I always liked the hard version of the all black handles. I found the durability to be good. Wore out the #2 PH but it had been used a lot. I had the entire set. Still have most of them in the slotted, as well as the #4 PH. When I tried to replace the #2 PH with an Ebay purchase I discovered the soft handle version. Don't like that one at all. Some of mine say Professional and some say Industrial.

At which point I discovered Wera.

Seth

 

[Jtels85]

Nostalgia for Sears and Craftsman USA made tools, nothing more and nothing less. That’s all it is driving these prices.

I don’t blame people for spending astronomical amounts of money on them. Have you seen the garbage tools that today’s brick and mortar stores are selling? They don’t give people the feels like shopping at Sears did.

Also, the folks who don’t understand why people just don’t by SnapOn, Wera or Whia? Most people don’t have access to a tool truck and the general public has no idea that these German brands exist. You are in the 1% of tool buyers, so stop with that nonsense.

 

[PassnThru]

I have quite a few of the red and black handled professional ones. They are my go to screwdrivers to this day. Having said that - I don't have every one that was made and I don't care. Any gaps I have can be filled with something else as the need arises. I would even store them in the same drawer

Some people can't stand to have a gap and they have to fill it with the same brand/model.

Not saying that's a bad thing - just one explanation of why some people are paying very high prices for something that's not available anymore.

 

[Skellyii]

I have a ton of these laying around, many from my dads old tools, and you can pick them up at garage sales cheap (50 cents each, etc). I have beat the piss out of some of them and have used as pry bars. Look at what this dude is asking

https://www.ebay.com/itm/296365969936?itmmeta=01HX47SK5X2EZW1H4G5TDDV1A0&hash=item4500c9d210:g:xgIAAOSwY8VmHGxT&itmprp=enc:AQAJAAAA0BGW3K/XveceQA3khK3S60i/FhTRka5QQiVy/3u0739AzjhfFWr9pdKPbR0rOrYnt7wsKmJEsxI8+1ey3GfJ3keNShQweJILz6bIh9x5+1ICJ0LWZu7IiBwtG0B7zdrC/3b5v/9RgOH2pqKGEjKEuRgj8DAAowHVYXiLx9G2cSImIGv5UYjrIIwYhQeo6d/GR0vlWmorI/CNT1C59qz2UTQWZIH1frpqvtv1XA+CLyzkVDx39kigXHtM6CXGlTEnAm/3E/bODcFkP9SDlLSkk7o=|tkp:Bk9SR5Kz5ofpYw

Wow!

I just bought a handful of those same screwdrivers this afternoon at an estate sale for $0.25 each. Most of them looked like they had never been used.

Sadly, no package, or I might have been able to put my youngest through college.

 

[dclark2171]

Wow!

I just bought a handful of those same screwdrivers this afternoon at an estate sale for $0.25 each. Most of them looked like they had never been used.

Sadly, no package, or I might have been able to put my youngest through college.

Every estate sale or garage sale has Craftsman tools of some sort. I was at an estate sale yesterday...Vintage Craftsman drill press---SOLD, Craftsman Circular Saw---SOLD. I did pick up a 1 imch Craftsman VV Combination wrench to complete my Dad's set for $2

 

[dclark2171]

On Ebay at least, NOS or used PROTO tools are a bargain compared to Craftsman. One could purchase PROTO tools and build a really nice tool set at a fraction of the price. Better quality and much cheaper

 

[Jtels85]

On Ebay at least, NOS or used PROTO tools are a bargain compared to Craftsman. One could purchase PROTO tools and build a really nice tool set at a fraction of the price. Better quality and much cheaper

Proto doesn’t carry the nostalgia that Craftsman does.

I’d rather use my Craftsman USA tools than Proto, or any other brand.

 

[seber]

For actual selling price just check the sold option on Ebay. Some of those have been listed a dozen times with no sale. You can check that by checking completed and look for green price (sold for) vs black (asking price).

 

[Farmall450]

I had a fairly big set of the red/black Craftsman Professional screwdrivers. When the prices shot up, I sold them on Ebay, since I had quite a few that were new/like new. I thought they were great screwdrivers, but I replaced them with a set of Vessel Megadoras. The Vessels are so much better in quality and use. I felt completely stupid to have believed the Craftsman Professional screwdrivers were something special for as long as I did. Anyone paying top dollar for those is either a sucker or a Craftsman collector. I didn't pay top dollar for mine, but I was still a sucker for being a Craftsman loyalist.

Dang, I still use mine as "good" screwdrivers (but I have Snappy for great ones).