What is With Stanley 42X Pricing?

[Jim Koepke]

Because of a recent discussion on saw care mentioned saw sets my curiosity was aroused.

Looking on ebay shows four recent sales of Stanley #42X saw sets. One went for just under $30 with the shipping. The other three were over $100 each.

Is this an anomaly of the market or has some woodworking guru claimed them to be the must have tool of 2019?

jtk

[Tom M King]

It's been like that for several years.

[Gary Ragatz]

Could have to do with their condition - and/or someone getting carried away during an auction.

At Jim Bode, they mostly seem to sell for $70-$90. He has three in stock now for $69, $79 and $85.

[Mel Fulks]

I hit two ,at different times, complete in boxes for under $5 each. You gotta look at the stuff the ladies are selling. Sold one ,giving the other to my son.

[lowell holmes]

I have six saw sets, four Stanleys, one Somax, and one Taintor.

I like the Taintor the most. One of the Stanley sets was my fathers.

I think those that sell on the auction site tend to be over priced.

[Rob Luter]

The mythic 42X has had a aura over it for years. I don't know why. Maybe the X. I had two and sold one for $40. I had paid ten bucks in an antique store.

[Pete Taran]

I can claim this one. I extolled the virtues of the 42X all the way back in the mid 90s when I was making Independence Tool Dovetail Saws. That's what I used to set them and it worked very well for that purpose. I think I may have written an article or two about it in the Fine Tool Journal along the way. Since Stanley isn't making them anymore, I guess as more people learn to file, they are in very high demand. It is a great set! The regular 42 will work just as well in competent hands.

[Andrew Gibson]

Jim, you helped me score my first 42x a number of years back on ebay, I think I got it for $15 or less. I sense have picked up a couple more for parts at flea markets for a few bucks each, they always seem to be missing a knob or anvil. I think in parts I have a complete second in the drawer. Most likely one of the magazine gods said something and made the price spike, just like with the 2101 bit brace.