Old tool box and contents

9/29/04, 2:28 PM #1

George Makowski
Guest

Old tool box and contents

George Makowski

>Hi Folks! I know this is a point that we have discussed several times, but I am back asking to get the latest take on the subject. My neighbor mentioned this week that he (mid 60s in age) has an old chest of tools that his father was given by an older women when her carpenter husband died XX decades ago in Andalusia, AL, I estimate 40-50 yrs ago. He invited me over to take a look. I examined the contents as well as I could with my two year old romping around our feet. What I found was three nondescript block planes, a hardware store brand #4 size plane, about a dozen assorted bits, two braces, a slick, two useable socket chisels, a slick with a cut off socket, an a mix of miscellaneous screw drivers splitting wedges, a carpenter's hatchet, and some small hardware all in a user made box.

He has asked me if I would like some of the items and I am considering making him an offer on the whole lot.

How have any of you handled this kind of transaction? What have you done about establishing a fair price? One option is to do an inventory and add up appropriate prices for the items to come to a total.

George in AL

Re: Old tool box and contents

9/29/04, 5:49 PM #2

David Miller
Guest

Re: Old tool box and contents

David Miller from Iowa

>It is customary for the seller to state the price, although it rarely happens in situations like this. The real question is "What are these worth to you?" I'm not seeing anything of real monetary value in your list, so I doubt you need feel guilty if you get a bargain price.

Re: Old tool box and contents

9/29/04, 6:18 PM #3

Ernie Miller
Guest

Re: Old tool box and contents

Ernie Miller Topeka

>The only thing there of value is the slick and maybe the chisels unless the block planes are adjustable mouthed. I would figure the block planes at $2 ea he is getting a bargen there if the wood is good $5 for the #4 buck a peice on the braces $2 on the chisles and 5-7 on the slick every thing else is ballist not worth a trip to the trash can. Them big boxes are a pain in the but to store. the hardware might be worth somthing but probably not. $20-40 if you like him.

Re: Old tool box and contents

9/29/04, 11:13 PM #4

Alan Hamilton
Guest

Re: Old tool box and contents

Alan Hamilton

>George,

In one of his Woodwright's Shop books Saint Roy of Underhill wrote about a time he was faced with the same problem. People he didn't know asked him if he would be interested in a chest of tools. They had no idea of their value and apparently relied on him to be honest.

He inventoried the contents of the chest, assigned about the usual price of like items that he'd seen, added it up, and then added some more just to be sure he wasn't cheating. He's not Saint Roy for no reason!

Alan

Re: Old tool box and contents

9/30/04, 1:29 PM #5

George Makowski
Guest

Re: Old tool box and contents

George Makowski

>Thanks all, I appreciate the responses from one end to the other. I expect that I will make an offer of about $50 for the whole lot and have the good, bad, and the ugly, but also still have a good neighbor.

George in AL

Re: Old tool box and contents

10/1/04, 2:06 AM #6

Todd O. Cronkhite Native of Maine
Guest

Re: Old tool box and contents

Todd O. Cronkhite Native of Maine

>Sounds pretty reasonable since he is a neighbor. Heck, the chest itself might be worth that alone. What cha' got in mind for those slicks? ;~)

Todd O.

Old tool box and contents

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