Why did this saw sell for $301? *LINK*

Re: Why did this saw sell for $301?

mikew

>Dunno. No reason I can see. Ain't an early saw. No etch because it's been over "cleaned." Near full height--but especially on rips ain't that uncommon.

Take care, Mike

Re: Why did this saw sell for $301?

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>I would say why not? Looks like it's now in beautiful condition, the seller has provided full information about it and how his/her mods have fitted the saw for a particular use, and s/he has written about it all beautifully. To say nothing about how it compares to the prices of equivalent new saws, assuming they exist. Just goes to show that money is attracted to quality.

Pam

Re: Why did this saw sell for $301?

Patrick Gibbons

>Call no sale final till the bill is paid and the return date is passed.

Sure, but still it was an excellent writing job.

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>

Looks like a bidding war to me...

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond CA

>Bidder no. 3 just had to have it over bidder no.2. Seems he has another one listed as well, it up to 50 something dollars now.

Funny thing

Wiley Horne

>Same seller has another rehabbed thumbhole D-8 coming along right now. This latter auction has the bidders identified, whereas the auction which is the subject of this thread used the 'blind bidder' format. Who decides whether an auction will be blind-bidder or named-bidder--the seller or ebay? Anyone know?

Wiley

Because it wasn't worth $302

Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA

>

Re: Funny thing

greg forster

>I think when the bids go over $200, it goes to blind bids

I've got 4 very nice D-8s in the barn. Need to send them to Ebay

Re: Because it wasn't worth $302

mikew

>There's truth in your subject line.

It sold for that much because there we're a couple people who would bid that high.

Doesn't need to make more sense [cents ] than that.

Take care, Mike

Re: Because it wasn't worth $302

gregforster

>looked at Ebay past auctions. D-8 thumbhole saws sold $30 range

Marv is a friend...

L. Hanson

>Marv (the seller) is a friend of mine. To say he's a perfectionist is not giving him enough credit. He does an excellent job refinishing old saws, with more care and passion than anyone else I know. He's been doing it for a while now, and getting himself a reputation as a capable, honest craftsman doing good work in the process - along with building a clientele over ebay over the last while.

Is the saw worth that much? Maybe its more than you or I would pay for it, but it obviously is worth it to somebody. They don't make them anymore, as you know... and the buyer simply wants to be assured they are buying a genuinely usable, high quality saw. Honesty and integrity are worth their respective weight in gold... That's why the saw sold for $301.

So in my opinion, more power to him!

:-)

Leif

www.norsewoodsmith.com

Thanks Leif

Neal in San Jose

>I've added him to my list of favorite seller, right up there with mrsdeadhorse!

Re: Because it wasn't worth $302

ThomD

>"It sold for that much because there we're a couple people who would bid that high. "

Fair enough.

So... What were they thinking?

:0)

What were they thinking...?

Wiley Horne

>Dunno, but here's a thought about it....There are new saws, vintage saws, and custom saws.

If you think about that thumbhole D-8, it's not a new saw, and it doesn't make it as a vintage collectible. No etch and a repaired horn = not collectible. It's a user.

But that saw does make it as a custom saw. It's got the very desirable thumbhole handle, and it's in beautiful shape. It's got the Disston double taper still on it, which is hard work for a maker to reproduce. The details about set and toothing and sharpness were convincing to me.

Overall, the seller comes across as knowledgeable and credible and meticulous. I suspect the buyer felt absolutely no risk of a lemon (he's a repeat customer according to ebay's data), and on the other hand felt a high degree of confidence that this saw is the equal of a expensive custom saw.

There is a thriving market in custom planes. But to date custom saws--western ones, anyway--are a rarity, with the very notable exception of Mike Wenzloff, who will work with you and build a high-quality saw to your detailed spec. What this auction tells me is that there is growth potential in the custom saw business, and it's just beginning to be tapped. There's room at the top in saws.

Wiley

What were they thinking...?

mikew

>Now knowing who it is via Leif, there could be a couple reasons.

In general, I think some buyers work themselves into a frenzy of "have to have".

But there are a few sellers on eBay who I will bid higher for something simply because of who the seller is and I know I can trust the transaction and the product.

That said, this saw wasn't simply valuable to me, so I would not have bid. Now if it were a Disston 43 or an earlier patent of that type...well, I probably wouldn't even then bid that high but it would have gotten up there.

I don't have an answer for this auction other than someone really wanted that saw. Doesn't need to make sense to me, I suppose.

Take care, Mike

Re: Why did this saw sell for $301?

Todd Hughes

>Is kind of interesting but if you look at the bidding history of the only two bidders that took it past the opening bidder's $65 [only 3 people bid on it] you will see that the back up bidder that was responsiable to driving it up to this high price had been on ebay for several years and the only bidding he has ever done has been on this one sellers auctions....Maybe nothing to it but I am sure some would find that rather suspicious...I Don't know.

Personaly I am surprised it ever got a bid for $65 which is more then it is worth. Is wrote up and photo'd very well but in the end you are selling a very common , over cleaned saw with no etch and in what i would only rate at being in GOOD condition.

...If legit I don't think the auction went this high because of the saw but rather I think it is because a couple of not very knowledgable bidders getting caught up in a bidding war for a very well presented common saw by a talented ebay seller.....Todd

Re: Marv is a friend...

Marv

>Thank you Lief for the kind comments and compliments. Hope you are moved into your new shop by now.

I must say, if I had seen this saw on eBay I would be asking some of the same questions that have been asked here. All valid questions. When I saw the final bid I was as surprised as so many others were/are.

Most of the saws I sell on eBay are user saws. This saw was just an old beat up saw that I reconditioned and made as functional as possible. I don't consider a repair to be custom work. I have however added wheat carving to a few commom D8,s and D100,s Those I would consider custom saws. It's such a joy to transform an old tool from the scrap heap, so to speak, back into something useful again. Only the person doing the work can fully appreciate the contrast. That part of the process is priceless.

Disston saws in general are not deeply etched compared to say a Simonds. It's not correct to assume that an etch is gone only because the blade was over-cleaned as one person suggested. Cleaning thick crusty rust from a blade is hard work. I only clean a blade to the extent that it needs to be cleaned. Any more than making it smooth is a waste of time when reconditioning a saw meant to be a user. An etch doesn't make it cut better. If I invest more effort it is in the sharpening.

How much one spends on something is to a large degree based on how much money one has to spend. It's all relative. The buyer had recently bought an anvil for $526.00. I don't have that kind of money to spend on anvils or even saws. The buyer obviously has the money. He paid with a cashiers check so the transaction is nearly complete. I'm now waiting for his feedback. I'm just hoping he'll think the saw is worth what he paid for it once he gets it in his hands. This is not the first saw I have sold for a huge price, relatively speaking. I'm always a bit nervous until I see the feedback or an email.

I very much appreciate the positive comments left here in this forum and fully understand those who are puzzled and even question the legitimacy of the bidding that took place. I wish I had that kind of control of the bidding on my auctions. If I did I'd be a rich man.

Thank you all for your comments. I found them all interesting and even helpful.......Marv

Re: Marv is a friend...

mikew

>The over cleaned woulda been me, Marv.

Not knowing who did the cleaning I misspoke [which I alluded to in another post] and apologize. I see so many saws which were "cleaned" by over zealous types who just go for shiney and have little or no sensitivity as to how they go about it.

Still puzzled about the draw to your saw for those two bidders, but I would have taken the money as well.

Take care, Mike