Selling tools, need advice on pricing

[JDgreen227]

I will be selling my Craftsman radial arm saw and 10" table saw, as well as a large air compressor and probably an entire group of assorted power tools, as well as some older Craftsman mechanics roller chests and cabinets. Everything has been well cared for and is in very good to excellent condition. A plus factor might be that everything is older and well made (USA manufacture) but what matters more as regards pricing: The age of the tools or the fact that they are quality made and in great condition?

And: What do you feel is a fair price for a 15 year old table saw that cost $400 new (heavy duty with cast iron side tables) that has had little use? Your input will be useful in determining the asking prices.

Thanks to all.

 

[LD1]

Pics would help with knowing exactaly what you got. But I'd say $100-$150 for the saw.

 

[Parkanzky]

Is it a 220V oil-lubricated compressor? I know someone that may be interested.

 

[JDgreen227]

Is it a 220V oil-lubricated compressor? I know someone that may be interested.

No, the compressor is 115 volts.

 

[Gem99ultra]

I wish I could be more encouraging toward you're getting a fair price for quality tools that have been properly cared for. But I can't. Today's cheap throw-aways are so tempting to the masses.

I was at an auction last Saturday that had just about everything there that you're letting go. Bids offered were totally embarrassing.

Like you, I've worked hard for my quality tools, and it has taken a long time to accumulate them. I'd rather give them to a deserving soul than to let them go for next to nothing.

 

[JDgreen227]

I wish I could be more encouraging toward you're getting a fair price for quality tools that have been properly cared for. But I can't. Today's cheap throw-aways are so tempting to the masses.

I was at an auction last Saturday that had just about everything there that you're letting go. Bids offered were totally embarrassing.

Like you, I've worked hard for my quality tools, and it has taken a long time to accumulate them. I'd rather give them to a deserving soul than to let them go for next to nothing.

That gives me an idea...perhaps I should donate them to a deserving agency or educational facility. Thank you for your input.

 

[TomSeller]

The radial arm will be hard to sell. On the table saw it may be difficult to sell, depending on who looks at it. Many people these days want a lightweight table saw on a wheelbarrow style cart so they can move it around. I often take my saws outside so I don't get all the sawdust in the shop. Those that have an old style shop with lots of room will like your saw. Offhand, I will guess $150, but pics would help on pricing. Why are you selling the tools?

 

[JDgreen227]

Selling them because I have no need for them now...my house has been enlarged and remodeled during the past 25 years and I am beginning to rid myself of stuff I have no use for. We plan to move to a smaller place in about 8 years as we will be in our 7th decade then.

 

[Parkanzky]

FWIW, when I bought my current home it had a wood shop in it. I don't do woodworking. I thought the tools would be really handy, but they also took up a lot of space. So I decided to keep the big drill press, dust collection system, and a bunch of benches/layup tables, racks, etc. and put the rest up for sale.

What I sold was:

Jet 22-44 drum sander
Jet JSG-6DC belt sander/disc grinder
SawStop 3HP 10" Cabinet Saw
Jet 14 x42" Wood Lathe
Jet JWBS-20 20" Bandsaw
Powermatic 209 planer
Steel City 8" Industrial Jointer
An old DeWalt radial arm saw that had been converted to 115V.

You can see the tools here to see what the stuff looked like (Pardon the mess in the photos, this was shortly after we moved in):

https://www.flickr.com/photos/24556082@N02/sets/72157647621294479/

There were a few extra blades for the bandsaw as well as replacement knives for the planer and jointer. There was also a remote-control shop air purifier that I ended up throwing in.

The stuff I sold ranged from nicer consumer stuff to lower-end commercial. I had most of the receipts and then did a lot of internet research to come to a price. The new price for everything was a bit over $15k from the cheapest sources I could find online. I ended up selling it all as a package for $8550. I would have probably gotten a bit more money splitting it all up, but I really liked having that garage empty before winter for about an hour of my time.

So there's one data point. I had a really hard time understanding what used tools are worth. Some stuff seems to really hold its value and other stuff that looks to me to be similar quality depreciates like a rock. The easiest thing to do is search for-sale ads on woodworking forums and see what other people are getting.

 

[s219]

Can you post pics of the saws? My father is in a similar situation, and is selling a 1970's vintage Craftsman radial arm saw and 1980's vintage Craftsman table saw up in CT. I would want both if he wasn't a 10 hours drive away, so I told him to try to sell them for a fair price, otherwise I'll take them and figure out transportation somehow.

He was under-valuing the table saw quite a bit, but I told him that nowadays a comparable size and quality saw would be $1200-1500 on the low end, and over $2000 on the high end. Hence my interest, as I know what it would take to buy something new with cast table, good guide rails, and comparable horsepower. I think I spent about $450 just to get a portable 10" job site saw of average quality, which is nowhere near as capable as one of the big saws.

The radial saw I have no idea of value, but I know the old Craftsman radials were extremely well made, and I suspect would also cost a lot to get an equivalent quality unit today (may not even possible in the homeowner end of the market anymore).

Bottom line -- someone who knows tools and can understand the appeal of an old US-made Craftsman table saw, if it's one of the good ones, would probably pay at least $400-500 for that old saw. But I'd like to see pics before I say for sure. If it's one of the desirable models, it will fetch good money.

 

[oldballs]

JD, your post makes me sad. I've got a lot of the similar power and hand tools that have been well cared for. So far my only option seems to be to rent a U-Haul and see if I can take it all with me...as I pass on.:laughing:

 

[motownbrowne]

The table saw should bring $150. Maybe $200 if you're lucky. You'll basically have to give the radial arm saw away. Mechanic's tools and chests might do a little better. Unfortunately, the lifetime warranty on craftsman stuff just doesn't mean much to a buyer anymore. If you break something, they replace it with Chinese versions. Good luck!

 

[2LaneCruzer]

I was recently offered a Craftsman band saw, table saw and a joiner free if I would haul them off. They were all old, but heavy quality tools. I ended up with the bandsaw and am storing it for my son in law. I would guess that the tool boxes are probably the most valuable items you have. I sold a Craftsman table saw at a garage sale probably 15 years ago, for $175. It was only about 5 years old.

 

[JDgreen227]

I would post pics IF it would not take me 2 hours to get the saws out to do that...the table saw is buried in the corner of the garage and the radial saw is buried in the corner of my northside barn. The radial saw is mounted atop a cabinet with drawers and is a big bulky and heavy item. It's 19 degrees outside right now and I don't plan to move them until it warms up.

 

[Parkanzky]

Please post links to anything you end up putting up for sale. My circle of friends always has a wish-list of tools.

 

[TomSeller]

Craigslist is the best place to get pricing comparisons. Search in adjacent cities if need be

 

[RedNeckGeek]

Since you're not in a hurry, spend a little time each week scanning the ads on Craig's List in your area. Then drop by the Harbor Freight store (if you have one) or visit them on line to see what "new" tools of comparable size (forget about quality for now) cost. Demand for tools changes with the season and with what else happens to be on CL at the time. Unless you have one of the "cult classic" tools like an old Delta Uni saw, they'll sell for what the market will pay.

The biggest problem with used tools is that the buyer has no idea what condition they're in or how they've been treated by the previous owner. Almost everything I've purchased off Craig's List that had a power cord had at least one electrical issue, and most of them needed at least a new power cord. Some needed brushes and minor repairs, and once or twice it wouldn't have cost much more for a new one than what I paid for the used one plus the parts for the repair. If you have the literature that came with your tools, make sure to show it to the prospective buyer and have photos of it in your ad. See if you can find a place to purchase parts, and include that info as well.

All of this figures into the price a buyer is willing to pay for a used tool. I find myself much more willing to pay closer to the asking price if the seller has spent the time to clean them up, can show me that they'll run, and demonstrate them doing their intended job. It also helps if the rest of his shop is clean, he drives a well maintained car, and his house doesn't look like a junk yard. I figure if he treats everything else in his life well, chances are he took good care of the tool he's trying to sell to you, too.

Radial arm saws have pretty much been replaced by compound sliding chop saws that take a lot less room. You may end up donating yours, or only getting pennies on the dollar.

Unless it's a well known brand like Speed Air or Ingersol Rand or other Pro level tool, the compressor probably won't bring much more than the HF equivalent. But being 115V at least it'll sell. Nobody wants a 3 phase motor, and many won't fool with 220V, either.

The pricing often doesn't seem fair, especially if you purchased everything new. But keep in mind the money you've saved by not paying someone else to do the work because you had the right tool to do it yourself. And next time you need to buy a tool, see if you can find a used one in good condition. If it's a one time only need, you might be able to sell it for what you paid for it after you're done.

 

[forgeblast]

Old tools are funny. Older power tools I do not see prices being that great in my area unless it was a top of the line product. Most People want a newer saw with more features. The other problem is that a person may have paid $400 ten years ago and wants $350 for it I just do not see that happening due to the lack of replacement parts. My chop saw falls into this, I cannot buy replacement parts for it anymore and those parts that are listed are expensive.
Hand tools...I never tell my wife what I spend on them. Some of my axes run $200+ throw in knives, gouges, adze whew!
When you go to take pictures, clean them up take the pictures in natural light to get the best view of them.
List as much info make model etc on them as possible someone searching for one may contact you. If not scrap them.

 

[JDgreen227]

RedNeckGeek makes several excellent points...most of all that the money I spent on tools saved me from paying someone else to do something I could accomplish myself. I made a living for 31 years as a carpenter/maintenance mechanic and worked self-employed for 7 years after retiring. I renovated two rental houses and resold them for a tidy profit and enlarged and renovated my existing home.

One photo shows it in the late 80's when I moved in, the second after the work was done. Guess I got my money's worth out of all the tools I purchased. The "before" picture is very weird, a digipic of a print pic. The place was not THAT lopsided.

 

[CobyRupert]

Bottom line is: they're worth what a person is willing to pay for them. If you think they're worth more, then you get to keep them until you find a person who agrees with you (or that you agree with them). Value is not set in stone. Despite what Kelly Blue Book, or an appraiser, or what something else similar sold for, an object has 2 constantly changing values: 1) What it's worth to the buyer; 2) What it's worth to the seller. When the 2 agree you have a transaction. - 2 cents (off soap box now)