What a bunch of numbskulls! (on eBay)

[Doug Shepard]

I've been watching a couple of LN scrub planes on eBay just in case the price stayed reasonable enough to bid on one of them. Brand new, the list price is $145 and FTJ sells them for $135 with free shipping.
So one of these beauties is currently up to $152.50 with 1 day to go - and freight is going to be 5-12 bucks depending on where you live. Plus - the description says "This plane has what I would term "chatter pitting" along the entire length of the sole plate, some of which can be seen in the photograph. However, the plate is still quite smooth and the pitting is more cosmetic than performance effecting." It DOES come with a 2nd blade however, so maybe that justifies paying more than list??

The other plane is currently at $102.50 with 1 day to go - plus the freight. This one says "New still covered in shipping oil" and "in the original box".

So while the "New" one is currently at about 75% of new, the pitted one is at 113% of the new cost. I fully expect to see more idiots frantically trying to outbid each other as these near their ending time. So I guess rust and pitting command a 38% or more premium. Maybe I should go home and set my tools out in the rain for a few minutes so as to keep the resale value up and protect my investments.:confused:

[Keith Christopher]

*Le sigh* Ebay is RARELY for bargains anymore. More an online shopping mall where people get caught in the fever of outbidding -essentially beating- someone else. I always use an auction sniper for my bidding. this way I don't get the price driven up.



Keith

[Ellen Benkin]

Ebay is only good for really obscure items. Otherwise it's pretty much retail (or more) prices. By the way, I've bought many LN items, some at the factory in Maine, and I don't remember any of them being covered in oil.

[Steve Stube]

It DOES come with a 2nd blade however, so maybe that justifies paying more than list??
To be fair I think you need to factor in the cost of a second blade before you run the numbers - and see what the final price is (auction end). Interesting!

[Jamie Buxton]

A few years ago somebody Ebay'd a Lie-Nielsen box -- yep, the cardboard box which LN ships the plane in. There was no plane. Just the box. As I recall, the seller got $50 for it.

[Doug Shepard]

A few years ago somebody Ebay'd a Lie-Nielsen box -- yep, the cardboard box which LN ships the plane in. There was no plane. Just the box. As I recall, the seller got $50 for it.

That would certainly explain the over-list price bidding then. I forgot to factor in $50 for the box.:D



To be fair I think you need to factor in the cost of a second blade before you run the numbers - and see what the final price is (auction end). Interesting!

I was going to factor that in, but then I noticed this detail in the description:
"One blade is marked "LIE-NIELSEN USA", the other has no markings."
It really sort of makes you wonder about the pedigree of the 2nd blade. Hard telling if it's a LN or garage sale blade they picked up somewhere. Amazingly, none of the bidders has bothered to ask either.


I'll let y'all know what the final prices end up at. <!-- End Description -->

[Matt Meiser]

A few years ago somebody Ebay'd a Lie-Nielsen box -- yep, the cardboard box which LN ships the plane in. There was no plane. Just the box. As I recall, the seller got $50 for it.
Darn! I think I just threw away the box for my LN #4!

[thomas prevost]

I almost never buy anything on Ebay. As stated earlier, it is mostly an online mall. 1)Most retailers put a reserve that is only$10-20 less than buy now or retail. 2) those with no reserve have a clause to pull for "walk in sales" . if the price is not at or above retail, they pull it and relist it in a few days. 3) Ebay releases your bid information to anyone who request, thus I get unsolicted offers referencing the bid. On one occassion it got cascaded to a porno spammer.

Thus, I buy locally or through companies like Amazon.com or Wood workers supply, Lee Valley is my favorite.

[Steve Stube]

thomas, I'm guessing your granddad wasn't a blacksmith. They often make tools using a hammer.

[Chris Padilla]

If you do your homework, eBay can be a great retail source. You need to be careful about the retailer (check feedback) and you need to inquire about shipping. You'll often find a cheap price for something but you'll see they make it up in shipping and handling.

I've done very well with my 40 or so purchases on eBay. Anytime I want something, I will always check to see if it is being sold on eBay as part of my research along with just Googling the part.

[thomas prevost]

Steve,
My grandad was a "Mahogany man". To brag a bit. After wwI he worked for Lewis Grant whose father was world reknown for building small craft mainly the Adirondack guide boat. When this industry died, he became a builder of custom boats similar to the ChrisCraft. He had his own shop .

His shop had a woodtop circular saw, drill press, a saw with a 10" long blade that looked like an overgrown jigsaw.

The rest of his tools consisted of planes, planes and more planes and chisels everyware. Each plane had a specific job. Babbets for shiplap angle planes to get deck curve right. etc.

The most interesting were the slicks. These were long handled up to 4 feet. The end sat on his shoulder. The length gave him the proper angle to the bench so as to walk along and cut perfect scarfs.

[Alan Turner]

I was going to factor that in, but then I noticed this detail in the description:
"One blade is marked "LIE-NIELSEN USA", the other has no markings."
It really sort of makes you wonder about the pedigree of the 2nd blade. Hard telling if it's a LN or garage sale blade they picked up somewhere. Amazingly, none of the bidders has bothered to ask either.

---------------

I seem to recall that when LN came out with the A-2 steel, they then put the LN mark on the iron. My LA block has 2 blades becuase I bought a second, in A-2, which was marked. The orig. was not marked.

[Doug Shepard]

I seem to recall that when LN came out with the A-2 steel, they then put the LN mark on the iron. My LA block has 2 blades becuase I bought a second, in A-2, which was marked. The orig. was not marked.

Hmmm. Now you've got me curious. I'm going to pull out my LN's tomorrow and see what's on those blades. I think most of mine are pre-A2. That sounds like a good method to determine which type you've got.

[Dale Rodabaugh]

Its just like any other auction.Some things go for a good price,while other used stuff goes for more than the new price.All it takes is two people wanting the same item.Hard to tell where the price will wind up.:confused:

[Dave Richards]

Doug, I expect you'll find people losing their heads at auctions everywhere. A few years ago I was at an auction and watched a couple of guys bidding back and forth. The auctioneer got the price up to $8 before one of them gave in. The winner seemed pleased that he'd bought about 10' of used clothesline rope for $8.00. :rolleyes:

Thomas, I would have loved to have known your grandfather. Sounds like an interesting guy.

[scott spencer]

I tend to sell more than I buy on Ebay...even then I'm just playing around for pocket change. There are occasional bargains if you're patient and pick your moments. I recently bought two of DeWalt's better woodworking series blades for ~ $50 delivered (24T and 60T), and I'm very pleased with their performance so far.

The buyers sometimes bid way too high. Last month I bought an item on Amazon for $185 delivered, used it for the intended project, then sold it on Ebay for > $160 plus s/h. I never dreamed it would go for much over $100!

[Bernie Weishapl]

What amazed me was I was looking on ebay at a 12" Delta Drill Press. He had it listed at $59 to start. It was brand new in the box. But it had no bids because shipping was $125, insurance was $10 and handling was $12 which totaled $206. I could buy it off Amazon for $169 and free shipping. That is where most of them are making up the difference. Dave R. you are right about auctions. I watched a couple of ladies bid against each other on some costume jewelry that wasn't worth $2. One lady got it for $45. Just amazing.

Bernie

[Lee Schierer]

At autctions, some people leave their common sense at the door.

Before I purchased my table saw I went to a few auctions trying to pick up a used one for a good price. At one auction, three of us were bidding on a used table saw of the type I wanted. When the bidding reached my limit for a used saw I dropped out. It went much higher and the winner seemed quiite please with himself for having won the bidding. The final price of the used saw was more than the cost of a new one from the local retail store according to the catalog I had in my hip pocket. Maybe I should have showed it to the winner. :D

[Calvin Hobbs]

Mark me down as a fan of Ebay. I have bought 75 or so things on ebay the last several years, including out of print books and old tools.

To find an old circular plane or the like I could look around forever and never find one, call up ebay and there are several to choose from.

Even though collectors might make many of the prices go out of whack, if you are patient and know what you are willing to pay there are always great deals out there.

Cal

[Randy Meijer]

There is no doubt that some folks loose their objectivity when bidding on eBay!! On the other hand, there are places in Texas...and other states, I'm sure...where folks live "MANY" miles from a big home center and a trip to same would represent a half days travel time(or more) and associated travel costs. For folks like this, it is understandable that they are willing to pay a premium above retail for items that are not available to them locally.

I've found a lot of great deals on eBay; but you do have to know market value so you don't overpay and you do have to be patient to find them. Most recently, I bought a used telescope that would have been in the neighborhood of $200 new and paid $37 + $11 shipping. It was missing a couple of nuts and bolts that I replaced at Home Depot for a buck and a half!!!

[Chris Damm]

Lee, Don't do it. Overbidders tend to get very upset when you point out their follies! Been there, done that, never again!

[Chris Padilla]

"A fool and his money are soon parted." However, if they don't know they've been a fool, then you probably shouldn't point it out! They may well find out on their own or remain blissfully ignorant.

I'm sure we've all paid too much for stuff here and there. It is always worse when you thought you had a good deal than already knowing you are overpaying (for whatever reason, they are your own).

[Doug Shepard]

OK here's the outcome. One went up slightly and the other sold for what it was at when I first posted.
The "New" condition one went for $112.50 + $15.10 or $127.60. I'm basing the shipping charge on what it would have cost to send to my location for the cheapest service offered. Don't know what the buyer actually had to pay.
The pitted one with extra blade went for $152.50 + $4.86 or $157.38.

Based on buying the same plane new from Fine Tool Journal for $135 and an additional blade direct from LN (FTJ doesn't appear to sell the spare blades) for $30 + $6 S&H here's the final comparison:
"New" plane sold for 94% of a true new plane
"Pitted" plane sold for 92%. Considering that the only reason there are 2 blades is that the owner upgraded to the A2 blade when it came out, and that this is the one already on a new plane and the one likely to be left on the plane, the extra blade benefit doesn't seem all that great. Having 2 sharp blades available might reduce stops for sharpening, but ....
I tend to consider this sale as being more like 117% of a new one.

Anyway, just thought I'd post the outcome. Some of these bidders seem way more interested in winning the bid than actually making a good buy. You'd think (or hope) that someone computer-savvy enough to use eBay would also figure out how to use Google and do some online research to figure out that they're bidding more than the cost of a new one. Oh well.


Like some other replies, I have gotten some good buys there - mostly wood over the last couple of months. I think I came out as good or better there than ordering from one of the better known hardwood mail order suppliers like Gilmer, Hearne, Higgins, Woodworkers Source, etc. and have found a few that are truly one-of-a-kind in terms of figure.