Found a Stanely Bedrock 602C!

[Hans Hauge]

Hey, all. This is my first post on Sawmill Creek, but I've been on this site many times over the last few years and found some great advice and information.
This past summer a client offered me some old planes that had been sitting in a Rubbermaid in his basement. I took and old looking one and stashed it in my basement. Well, I started reading Garret Hack's Handplanes a few weeks ago and was surprised to see that my old plane was from the famous Bedrock Series. I took to the internets and searched it's model number and just about lost it when I saw the same plane for sale on Ebay for $2,300!
So what I'm wondering is how does one go about selling something like this? Should I just post it to Ebay? I tried contacting Bob Kaune--BK tools--about selling it on consignment, but got no reply. I also tried Patrick Leach who wrote the Blood and Gore site--he wanted me to name a price, but I was looking to him to help me set the price. The summary of what I've gathered from the net is that planes of this kind sell in a range from $800 to $2,100.
Well, my plane is a little rusty and dirty and there's a chip at the base of the front knob, but it seems to be in pretty awesome shape considering it's a tool that's over a hundred years old. The japanning is chipping away at the mouth, but appears otherwise intact. I've heard it's not good to overly clean or try and recondition something like this. But, I think someone could get the rust off with very little effort and it would look very close to original form.
So thanks for reading, any advice is greatly appreciated.
Any advice on post a photo might also come in handy.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Hi Hans, welcome! Wow, great find, collectors love those planes. One of the moderators will probably move this post to the Neanderthal section of this site, thats where the hand tools aficionados drink their coffee. Jim Keopke has a good post on posting pics, and knows a lot about planes. I know some, and when you do post a pic, seeing the bottom is important on a 602C. Some were faked unfortunately.

[Cary Falk]

I don't know anything about planes except I hate using them. Just because something is listed on E-bay for a certain price doesn't mean it is going to sell. I would try CL first because it is free to list but the market is going to be small. It wouldn't be hard to ship so you could post it on several large cities noting it will be shipped. Take a lot of pictures and give a good description. I don't use E-Bay much anymore because E-Bay and PayPal take a good chunk out of the price. Sometimes you list it a what you want out of it and you get 0 bids. Sometimes you start it out really low ant it goes for more than you expected. It can be very unpredictable.

[Rick Potter]

For six bucks, you could become a contributor here, and be allowed to post in our classified ad forum. Lots of customers there.

[Kent A Bathurst]

To be fair to Patrick - he puts food on the table by using his hard-won expertise buying and selling this type of tool, so your inquiry kind of put him in a box - his true product is his extensive knowledge [and reputation BTW].

To reach the widest audience of collectors - and that is your target market, not users - indicates to me you go to ebay, maybe set some reasonable reserve, and let the bidding begin. The fees you pay via that route are simply the price you pay for access to the marketplace as a neophyte in the world of rare collectible handplanes.

[Judson Green]

304995

Just saying....

[Kent A Bathurst]

This past summer a client offered me some old planes that had been sitting in a Rubbermaid in his basement. I took and old looking one and stashed it in my basement.

Just curious - - assume you do end up making a killing on the plane.

Whatcha gonna kick back to the client? Should be a pretty darn nice Christmas present, I would think.

[Hans Hauge]

Haha!!! I'm on forumrunner now!
I meant no disrespect to Patrick Leach. I stated the facts of our exchange without comment and I doubt I tarnished his reputation.
Here's some photos of the plane. Mr. Leach said it was in OK condition with whatever flaws easily correctable. I'm curious if anyone might have an idea as to what "easily correctable" might mean.

[Hans Hauge]

Do you think the clients would want to know they gave away and nearly discarded a valuable antique? It's worth discussion. In my case--if I were in their shoes-- unless someone was coming by with half the proceeds (which is not happening) I'd rather be left out of it. I'd end up a weirder hoarder than I am now. But, I could drop by with a gift certificate (anonymously maybe?) for a night on the town. That's maybe not a bad idea.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Nice plane! I think Patrick probably meant replacing the knob.

[Mike Hollingsworth]

I'd make sure my client doesn't read SMC.

[Hans Hauge]

I think I complicated this by use of the word "client." The company I work for is a high end design/build firm and we tend to use language that fits that bill. Ironically, the job on which I got this plane was very far from high end. My boss did his neighbors a favor and sent our crew over on a one day job to demo their basement. His neighbors then found a more affordable outfit to do the renovation. Not that these people are broke--they're just not the kind of wealthy people we work for. The point is, I don't have a relationship with these people. I'm a low-on-the food-chain carpenter--they're not my client. We might be friendly, but that's just because I'm nice and so are they. They don't read SMC.
But, if this hasn't swayed you, Kent, you're of fine moral fiber. "The neighbors" thank you in advance for the anonymous gift. I thank you for prompting the idea.

[Frederick Skelly]

You want my thoughts? You got it - respectfully:

Someone you know - and are presumably friendly with - gave you something they did not realize has great value. In fact, for what was apparently some period of time, you did not realize it either. Had they known, would they have given it to you? If your plans are to keep it and use it, that is one thing. If your plans are to profit from their ignorance, that is a completely different thing. The "anonymous" bit verges near deceit, in my book: Either own up, or walk away.

This is not the same as stumbling across $2,000 somewhere, and turning it in to the Police to hold for whatever period of time they require, before they give it back to you as found money.

Had the roles been reversed, and you unwittingly gave away something of great value, how would you hope to be treated? Let your conscience be your guide. Do unto others. All of those trite moral guidelines apply here.

Me? Anyone that I could contact after the fact gets half. A close friend gets it all. At worst, I am exactly where I was before, just as happy as before, with as much beer and shop tools money as I started with. And - another person is astonished and delighted to know me. I can only come out a winner - not possible to lose.

I agree. Keep it and use it. Or give them half of the money.

Fred

[Mel Miller]

IMHO, the 602C listed on Ebay for $2300. is just a fishing expedition. Earlier round side Bedrocks, like yours, normally sell for less than the later flat top models.
Don't attempt to do any cleaning of the plane. Look it over carefully for cracks in the side or around the mouth. Look also for owner's initials in the sides.
Then, list it on Ebay and let it sell for whatever it brings. A plane like that will attract enough attention to get plenty of bidders. You will get much more exposure on Ebay than CL, or SMC.
A dealer won't give you anywhere near what you can get by selling it by yourself even after the Ebay fees.
You can use the money you get from selling it to buy yourself some other tools that would be more useful to you.
You wouldn't want to use a plane this valuable for fear of dropping & breaking it.

[Alfred Kraemer]

There are two - maybe more - very different markets for vintage tools: hand tool aficionados and tool collectors. Sometimes those groups intersect, but generally the first group is more likely to be represented here. Ebay asking prices can be outlandish, and can be far from actual selling prices.
Collectors are interested in rarity, condition, etc. It is also a more elusive group. You may need to research some auction options.
I would think that for your tool, ebay may be a good option - just check for the same or similar item, add them to your watch list, and you'll find out in a short time, what it sold for.
Good description and pictures are critical.

Good luck

Alfred

[Jim Koepke]

Howdy Hans and welcome to the Creek. I am always curious as to where folks call home.

My knowledge of the collector market is about zilch. For the user market a Bedrock of that size would be unusual unless you found one in a lucky spot like you did.

I am not sure about collectors desires for the early style Bedrocks. The flat tops always seem to go for more. I do know when collectors get together they like to show off their "bragging rights." Yours might be the rarity someone is looking to have in their cabinet.

jtk

[Stew Denton]

Hi Hans,

I'm a user, not a collector, but I look at a lot of planes on Ebay.

The Stanley Bailey #2 planes are pretty rare, because they are small enough that people that have tried to use them like a normal bench plane report that they are too small to get your fingers between the tote and the frog like a normal bench plane. People normally held them like a block plane.

Since block planes are cheaper than bench planes, instead of a #2 bench plane I would guess that people did what I did and just bought block planes instead of the #2s. Stanley didn't sell many #2s, probably for the reason I just listed, and thus the rarity for the little bench planes like the #1 and #2.

The corrugations were to cut down on friction, so there was no need for corrugations on a tiny plane like the #2. So they sold very few #2s that were corrugated.

Leach reports seeing less corrugated #2 Baileys than even Stanley #1s. The Bedrocks were more expensive than the Bailey series, and they sold a lot less Bedrocks than Baileys. This makes the Bedrock 602Cs truly rare, which is why they sell for so much to collectors.

The flat sided Bedrocks normally do sell for more than round sided ones.........TO USERS. That is not necessarily the case for collectors. According to Leach's Blood and Gore site, there are a lot less of the corrugated round sided 602Cs than the flat sided ones. Collectors are normally more interested in rarity rather than utility, consequently, I think that the round sided 602 C you have could be worth more, possibly significantly more, than a flat sided 602 C.

You have a truly rare collectors item plane....do not be in a hurry to sell it. Find out the best way to sell it first, and know what it is worth before you sell it.

As is, I would guess your Bedrock is worth on the order of at least $1000, perhaps much more. The smooth soled #602 Bedrocks sell for $500 and sometime MUCH more, and the corrugated ones sell for MUCH more than that. It would be worth more if in better shape. That said, it is not in bad shape as it is, as there would appear to be no deep pitting, and the rust does not look bad at all.

The planes that I see cleaned up generally sell for quite a bit more than ones that are not cleaned up. That said, you can do significant damage to the value of such a plane if you try to clean one up and do not have darned good knowledge of how to carefully and wisely go about what you are doing.

For example using even really fine sandpaper that is coarse enough that it leaves scratches on the plane will definitely hurt the value to a collector. Also, if the Japanning is reasonably good, I would not do anything more to the Japanning than a careful cleaning of the bed with a soft cloth and mineral spirits.

I have been working at restoring several planes that I own, and have spent a lot of time learning how to do it carefully, both reading various places, and also by asking questions on this site. There are lots of knowledgeable folks on this site. I have been doing everything by hand to this point, no power tools of any kind what so ever on any of the planes that I have worked on, but that's not to say that power tools should not be used. It's just that hand work is better in my case.

I am currently working on a Stanley Bailey #4, and have maybe 10 to 20 hours or so in it so far. It is not a quick process by hand, but I think it is worth it for the planes I use, and especially on the ones I inherited from my dad and grandfather.

That said, I don't work on collector grade planes. I leave them to the collectors who will pay a lot of money for that grade of tool. I work on user grade tools, as I want them to use in my shop. I can't justify the kind of money it takes for collector tools just to use in my shop.

Of course, everyone knows that the top end collectors would like a tool to be untouched and original in all regards, and to be in mint or near mint condition. There aren't too many of those around. I think, based on what I have seen, but don't know with certainty, that a carefully restored tool may also have a high, but lower, value.

Again, I am NOT a collector, and if I had that plane, I would look up something like the tool collectors association in your area. You should be able to find it on the net. Thus +1 on what Jim said above. You can talk to that group, the one in our area has a couple of shows a year. Someone, or maybe several, in it will know about such things, or will know someone who does know about such planes with certainty. They will be able to give you the best advise.

Stew

[Tony Zaffuto]

My 2 cents: first dealers have to make a living. Guys like Patrick Leach and Bob Kaune do this as their profession and have considerable travel in order to gather up tools to sell. In my opinion, they would prefer a tool "as found" as opposed to one that someone attempted to clean, etc. As far as pricing goes, best estimate of pricing is recent historical pricing. You can get said pricing from Ebay or from searching completed auctions that make pricing available. Martin Donnelly does this (at a price) and Fine Tool Journal used to do this (no sure since Clarence sold the mag). If you enlist a dealer to sell it, expect about half of the average retail recent price. If you take it to auction, well, you can figure your costs up front, but the amount you net may vary from less to more. If it were me, I would keep the plane.

The other issue about giving some of the proceeds to your client, only you know deep inside what to do. In my case, I was given a Stanley 18-1/4 block plane in a bunch of otherwise plane-like looking junk by an acquaintance. He was/is pretty much a ner-do-well that I have given odd jobs to over the years, just to give him a few bucks. The money I've given him never produced any value to me, but was more to help him. In recent years, he started going to auctions and got this box with old tools for a couple of bucks, hence he gave it to me, saying he didn't care what was in it. I reciprocated a month or so later with another odd job.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Stew, I'm a collector too, well I was in a more profitable phase of my life. You are right about the cleaning. Honestly it's probably worth more to a collector in untouched condition, as they can make it how they want. Personally, if I bought it, I'd take it apart and give it a good cleaning with an oily rag. I don't like perfect mint, Lie Nielsen sells beautiful examples of that for far less. I want to see the history. Not broken parts or neglect, but good honest age is great.

I've seen the flat top 602C bring $2600 before, back in the day. I've personally never owned one, and I have owned several #1's, for reference of rarity. Today, a roundside 602C would be in the $1500 range in my mind, if I could afford it. Ebay used to be the place to list these. As they went away from the auction format, that avenue of sale has declined. I still see some good stuff sell there sometimes, but I think collectors are slowing down as the economy crashed, and are looking to avoid the fees of ebay if they are selling. Used to be the fees were worth it as it was the only place to get in front of the buyers. They screwed that up by trying to be Amazon though.

While I'm rambling, keeping the profits is a personal thing, isn't it? Each case is different. I once bought around 10K worth of planes for a few hundred on an auction. I didn't feel like I owed anyone else a slice of the profits. On the other hand, I have split the $20 profit on a 605 with a friend, as it was a personal favor he did for me to acquire the plane.

[Tony Zaffuto]

Auctions are dependent upon the auctioneer doing their job in advertising & describing. Selling on an internet site requires the owner/seller to do the same. I don't feel bad getting a good deal at auction, since they are mostly "buyer beware" and too many times I've come out with the fuzzy end of a lollipop.

What I neglected in my earlier post is exactly what Steve just suggested: take plane apart, clean with oiled rag and don't do any damage!!!!!! When taking screws out, use a bit of "Break Free" (or similar product) so you don't "cam" out any screw heads or worse, break off any screws. Be careful of over tightening when re-assembling. I view it as acceptable to sharpen & try the plane out, unless the blade is close to being used up. Also, stay away from flattening the sole and as much as you may want, don't take any sandpaper to any part of the plane! That thing called "patina" takes many years to build up and can be erased in minutes by a ham fisted amateur (don't ask and I won't tell about my early years).

[Hans Hauge]

Well, thanks all for taking some time to reply. I've never participated in an online forum before--it's great.
So a wipe-down with an oily rag is in in order. I'm really compelled to take a soft-bristle toothbrush to some of the gunk around the screws.
I'm not so tempted to try and remove any of the screws. If it wasn't an antique I'd spray on some PB Blaster and torque away at them. But, I'm not sure the lubricant wouldn't work it's way under the "patina" and leave me with an awkward

[Hans Hauge]

(Oops, hit send. Hadn't finished)

I'd don't want to use PB blaster or another penetrating lubricant because I'm worried it might ruin the finish.
I'm feeling like an all-of-the-above option is in order. I'll try and contact Martin Donnely about a sales history. The seller of the 602C on Ebay contacted me and gave me his track record--he's sold a few previously. Then, I think I set an Ebay auction price and advertise it (with a buy it now price) on the craigslist sites of few major cities.

Dumb question, if a tool collector is hunting on craigslist are they looking in "tools" or "antiques."

Any other ideas of how I could cheaply spread the work of an Ebay auction.

Is there a tool collector magazine it wood be worth posting a classified in?

[Jerry Olexa]

You are indeed fortunate..agree you should be respectful and kind to those that gave you the plane

[Mel Miller]

(Oops, hit send. Hadn't finished)


I'll try and contact Martin Donnely about a sales history. The seller of the 602C on Ebay contacted me and gave me his track record--he's sold a few previously. Then, I think I set an Ebay auction price and advertise it (with a buy it now price) on the craigslist sites of few major cities.

Dumb question, if a tool collector is hunting on craigslist are they looking in "tools" or "antiques."




It's not Martin or any other dealers' job to figure out what you want for the plane - it's your job. If they spent time doing that for everybody it would occupy all their time, and hurt their business.
There is no "exact value" for that plane. It varies from day to day and who is interested in buying it. Are you so concerned that you get every possible dollar out of the plane? You have nothing in it - it's all profit. Just list it on Ebay at a very reasonable starting point that will attract lots of bidders, and let it go.
You're not going to get anywhere near the same exposure on CL, and it's a way more risky way to sell.

[Tony Zaffuto]

It's not Martin or any other dealers' job to figure out what you want for the plane - it's your job. If they spent time doing that for everybody it would occupy all their time, and hurt their business.
There is no "exact value" for that plane. It varies from day to day and who is interested in buying it. Are you so concerned that you get every possible dollar out of the plane? You have nothing in it - it's all profit. Just list it on Ebay at a very reasonable starting point that will attract lots of bidders, and let it go.
You're not going to get anywhere near the same exposure on CL, and it's a way more risky way to sell.

Mel's right: if you re-read my post I suggested Donnelly, because you can purchase a CD from him listing auction results going back a number of years. If you were to call him, I'm sure he would make this suggestion. If you subscribe to his auction previews (nice, glossy catalogs) for the year, the CD is provided at no charge.

[Hans Hauge]

I understand that Martin Donnelly would be providing a service that would likely entail a fee. I understand it's not his job to appraise my object free of charge. I don't think I said otherwise. Mel, I am doing what you are referring to as my "job" by doing a little research. I could sell it for $50 and it would all be profit. But, I'd be an idiot. If I can eek $200 to $500 more out the sale by spending a little time strategizing and sitting at the computer it would definitely behoove me to do so.

[Moses Yoder]

If it were mine, I would have somebody, a photography shop, take photos of it. Especially the toe where it says 602. I would take the lever cap and iron off for some shots but I would not try to remove the frog due to lack of experience. I would not clean it at all, in any way. I would post it on ebay with as many pics as they allow for one auction and I would describe it as follows; "602C Bedrock Plane, type 3 (I think) in as found condition". That's it. I would start the bidding at $19 and set the reserve at $200. I would make it a seven day auction and start it at 6:00 pm Eastern Standard time on Sunday evening. It will not be necessary to post the ebay ad on Craigslist, all the collectors are checking ebay ads and Craigslist both, it would just irritate them to see an ebay ad on Craigslist. When the hammer drops you will know how much it is worth.

[Jim Koepke]

Hans,

Put the tool to use and see if you like it. My #2 gets little use, but when it does come to the bench it is the right plane for the work being done.

There are a few brushes that are always on my bench. Two are tooth brushes. One has only a round pointed group of bristles, the other is a standard tooth brush. Both wound up in the shop after being used on my teeth. Then there are two ~ 1" paint brushes, nothing fancy. One is what is often called a chip brush. (In my opinion the name comes from a mispronunciation of cheap.) The bristles on it have been cut down to about 3/4". The other is another inexpensive brush with long poly bristles. These are used all the time to clear out wood dust and shavings from planes after use. Maybe in a few centuries this could have an effect on the patina. Nothing I would worry about affecting the value to a collector down the road.

jtk

[Bruce Haugen]

As a reference, I was at the local MWTCA meet about a year ago. There was a table with a bunch of plain Jane #2's and a guy walked up with a wad of cash. He picked the two best and paid a total of $400 for both. Now, these weren't 602C's, either. He explained that he decided long ago that he could collect #1 or #2's but at $1000 for one or $200 for the other, he thought the choice was obvious. I asked him how many he had. He said "200." Must be nice to be a collector.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Moses's advice on the eBay listing is good. It would get my attention, especially the ending Sunday evening and the low start price.

[Mel Miller]

As a reference, I was at the local MWTCA meet about a year ago. There was a table with a bunch of plain Jane #2's and a guy walked up with a wad of cash. He picked the two best and paid a total of $400 for both. Now, these weren't 602C's, either. He explained that he decided long ago that he could collect #1 or #2's but at $1000 for one or $200 for the other, he thought the choice was obvious. I asked him how many he had. He said "200." Must be nice to be a collector.

Sounds like a misguided collector to me. Buying multiples of the same thing, especially the more common ones, seldom turns out to be a good investment. He would have better off to collect 602s, but even they have dropped in price the last few years.
Reminds me of a local guy that decided (several years ago) that pennies would soon go out of circulation and become more valuable. He was paying 2 cents each, and those of us who knew about it went to the banks repeatedly and bought all we could to sell to the guy. Supposedly, he buried 55 gallon drums full of them in his back yard. Sure would like to see him today to ask how that worked out.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Sounds like a misguided collector to me. Buying multiples of the same thing, especially the more common ones, seldom turns out to be a good investment. He would have better off to collect 602s, but even they have dropped in price the last few years.


Couple ways to look at that Mel. The pure collecter that is doing so as an investment, and knows what he's doing, would probably be alright. Especially if he collected whatever FWW was going to promote as the new fad plane of the month, as long as he actually sold.

Personally I use my collection so I like diversification and the dividends everytime I use it. By the time my widow sells them, I seriously doubt any one will collect. We're a dying breed. Still a better investment than those pennies!

[Adam Cruea]

Nice find!

If it were me, I'd just hold onto it and use it. But I'm the same guy that dropped $200 on a #2 to use it. That's my mentality; why buy it or keep it if you're not going to use it?

And regarding Patrick Leach; I did not know selling tools was how he puts food on the table. Learn something new every day.

[Kent A Bathurst]

And regarding Patrick Leach; I did not know selling tools was how he puts food on the table. Learn something new every day.

You are gonna love this, then:

http://www.supertool.com/

Sign up for the monthly tool list he sends out. Reserve an hour just to skim it. Items from 20 bucks to $5,000 [at times]. Not just Stanley planes. Not just planes.

[Jim Koepke]

Sign up for the monthly tool list he sends out. Reserve an hour just to skim it.

+1 on this.

I have learned a lot just from his monthly tool list and the pictures.

I recommend it highly.

jtk

[Tim Atkins]

I would put it on the Bay at twice the Buy now price you would take. Get everyone's attention. Then slowly drop the price to the point you want for it. It is kinda like fishing. Bait it out there, if no one bites change the presentation. If no one buys it at your lowest price, keep till later. Then only three things can happen. At a latter date prices may go up on rare tools, you become a collector or you have a rare user plane.
Also be prepared for people complaining about your price you set. The only reason they contact you is because the you have something they want and can't afford it and want to beat you down on price. Those people are not worth your time. Been down that road. I am a collector for now. Till the prices goes back up.

[Mel Miller]

I would put it on the Bay at twice the Buy now price you would take. Get everyone's attention. Then slowly drop the price to the point you want for it. It is kinda like fishing. Bait it out there, if no one bites change the presentation. If no one buys it at your lowest price, keep till later. Then only three things can happen. At a latter date prices may go up on rare tools, you become a collector or you have a rare user plane.
Also be prepared for people complaining about your price you set. The only reason they contact you is because the you have something they want and can't afford it and want to beat you down on price. Those people are not worth your time. Been down that road. I am a collector for now. Till the prices goes back up.
Personally, I don't think that's a good approach. I have bought and sold on Ebay for many years and believe the high priced fishing expeditions are counterproductive. Potential buyers get tired of seeing the same item relisted until it's beat to death and ignore it even if the price drops a little. There is that initial surge of enthusiasm when you come across something interesting that gets lost in a long drawn out process. I speak from experience.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Personally, I don't think that's a good approach. I have bought and sold on Ebay for many years and believe the high priced fishing expeditions are counterproductive. Potential buyers get tired of seeing the same item relisted until it's beat to death and ignore it even if the price drops a little. There is that initial surge of enthusiasm when you come across something interesting that gets lost in a long drawn out process. I speak from experience.

I strongly concur. I ignore those sellers, I don't want to wait months for the price to get to the correct level. There was a nice little Sims smoother listed a while back with a ridiculous BIN or offer. I offered a high, fair price as I wanted it. The seller declined, so I moved on. It stayed listed for many more months, the last BIN price I saw was 30 less than I offered. Just put a low starting price auction out there and the collectors will find it.

[Hans Hauge]

Well, I followed Mel's advice (thank you!), posted the plane two weeks ago (sold $845) and look what I've got in return! I'm sure some of you are banging your head against the wall, but believe me the TS-55 and my cheap bailey block plane are everything that elusive old antique was. I'm grateful for everyone's couple of cents and look forward to posting more questions-- maybe even someday an answer.
Thanks again
Hans

[Jim Koepke]

posted the plane two weeks ago (sold $845) and look what I've got in return!

Wow, congrats.

My dreams are of such finds. Then about all the tools that could be bought with the money.

jtk

[Brad Chittim]

I've always found it fascinating how many people in this world are so eager to tell others what to do with their money. It's as if they earned it themselves...but not really. While I would not advertise that someone had unknowingly given me a #2, the operative term here is the word "given." Not invested, not consigned, not partnered with to share in the proceeds of a sale. The plane is yours to do with as you see fit. Personally, I would keep it in my collection. You're unlikely to come across one in the wild like that again. Also, it doesn't matter what Ebay listings are out there. You need to search COMPLETED listings. I can't tell you the number of times I've seen overpriced tools at estate sales based on some dimwit's quick search of Ebay listings.