They're selling perfectly good tools in antique shops!

Roger Tulk

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Location
St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
A couple or weeks ago, I had occasion to go into an antique shop, and while I was there, I noticed this little gem on a shelf. I said I would like to come back and buy it later, when I had the money (and my wife wasn't in the room! ;) ) so he put it away for me. Yesterday I went and got it.

Square01.jpgSquare02.jpg

It is a Stanley square, of course, and the style of the manufacturer's mark places it at between 1910 and 1920. It's in very nice shape, and after I clean up the steel a bit, it's going into my toobox. It cost about what a new one would. There's another, larger but not as well-kept one still at the shop, for less money. Hmmm.......
 
They're selling perfectly good tools in antique shops!

Yeah its sort of distressing. Please buy them before someone paints a pretty picture on them to hang on the wall!!! I can't say how many good tools I've lost to the picture painters at estate sales cause I'll cry (not that I have anything against the picture painters, but please.. please.. don't use the good tools :eek:)
 
Yeah its sort of distressing. Please buy them before someone paints a pretty picture on them to hang on the wall!!! I can't say how many good tools I've lost to the picture painters at estate sales cause I'll cry (not that I have anything against the picture painters, but please.. please.. don't use the good tools :eek:)

So Ryan, I'm guessing this was wrong?

Santa Plane 800.jpg


:rofl:

It's my wife's plane. Or as she calls it, the "Santa Planer". :rolleyes: It's been a while since I looked at it closely, but as I recall it had various issues making it a better candidate for painting than restoration. (I bought it on eBay already painted.)
 
So Ryan, I'm guessing this was wrong?

It's my wife's plane. Or as she calls it, the "Santa Planer". :rolleyes: It's been a while since I looked at it closely, but as I recall it had various issues making it a better candidate for painting than restoration. (I bought it on eBay already painted.)

Can't really argue that there are some tools its better to paint than try to use, those aren't the good tools. At least they aren't worth trying to use if you value your time, sanity, domestic bliss :rofl:.

BTW: Roger, I didn't mention it before but that's a sweet square, clean and in decent shape. Nice catch.
 
the past month or so, Ive been going to alot of estate/tag sales in the high end nabes around me.
Its depressing to see the condition of these million dollar + homes and how people live.
Regardless, it seems anything worth anything as far as old tools, has been sold or grabbed by some saavy tool person.
I find tons of rusted old chisels, none worth taking, cheap hand tools, dozens and dozens of saws, but I have so many, it doesnt pay to get any, Im not using any of them.
Now and then I see something worth taking, but the owner seems to have his mind set on some ridiculous price, thinking he read somewhere it was worth 35 dollars, and as far as Im concerned, any catalog or book can state any price they want, people have to get real sometimes.
Inexpensive power tools, like drills, sanders, are ridiculously cheap, like 2-3 dollars a pop, and noone takes them.
Garden tools are near nothing, but I dont garden or do my own lawn.(when I moved in here, I purchased shovels, rakes, hoes, for 50 cents each from a garage sale, and I still have them all today)

Ive been looking for a good inexpensive portable table saw to keep in my sons garage.

still looking.
 
dozens and dozens of saws, but I have so many, it doesnt pay to get any, Im not using any of them.

I keep a small selection of junker saws with good parts in the saw plate (might be crimped to much to be useful or have a spot of bad pitting down by the teeth but still has some good clean spots) for scrap metal. They make dandy scrapers and scratch stock and I actually used a piece out of one to fix the slide in the window a few months back :D
 
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