advice w/selling old planes; please help identify these 3

[Philip DiPaolo]

hi --
i know a guy who wants to sell a bunch of planes he inherited from his grandad i think -- there are about 18. he doesn't know anything about planes; he just wants the money. i know a little bit, but nothing like the folks here!

since i can't use all of them, we made a deal that i'd help him sell / list the planes, and in exchange i'd get to buy 1 or 2 for myself, for a reasonable price. (i'd like to get a decent deal for my time and effort. does this sound fair?)

anyway i've seen photos, and i recognize many of the planes. many of them are stanley bailey-type -- block, bench, smoother, jointer, router, rabbet -- and a few are wood planes, with an odd duck or two in the lot. no bedrocks that i can tell. but as for details -- i certainly can't tell you which frog-style or lever cap the #7 jointer has, for instance.

i would guess that these are mostly pre-WWII era and older. i don't know if any of them are truly rare or unusual, but they seem to be in decent shape, and well-cared for -- besides the years of surface rust. i imagine they'd clean up well.

whoever owned these probably did carpentry and furniture work for a living, because there is a range of tools in the group.

anyway, i'm trying to figure out the best way to help him sell them -- and get the best deal for him. he was hoping to get as much as $750-800, but i am skeptical, though i didn't tell him that.

**note -- he's already done craigslist, unsuccessfully, and doesn't want to spend that much time again. he's also *not* interested in ebay. i don't want to do ebay either, nor do i want to act as a dealer.

ideally these would sell to just a few people, so there's not a bunch of separate shipping to do -- but whatever works!

i thought i'd try listing here first, and on FWW knots, and woodnet. i was also thinking of contacting one or two of the well-known guys who refurbish planes.

what do you folks think? can you make any specific suggestions, ie people to contact, or old-tool sites for selling? people here know so much it's amazing.

anyway, thanks very much in advance!
philip

oh, and here are pics of the 3 wood planes on which you can unleash your expertise. what are these, and what are they worth?

[Mike K Wenzloff]

The screw-arm plow plane may be the most valuable in the bunch--though the Marples transitional [the one with the curved front section] because it has part of the original Shamrock decal may be a surprise.

The plow is more valuable if it has the other original 7 irons, I would dig around for them. I would also try to identify it. Handled plows by US makers--if that's what it is--are not too common.

eBay would be what I would do with them following a gentle clean, a bunch of research and really good descriptions written of them. That's what will bring the highest values.

Take care, Mike

[Alice Frampton]

The Marples is a #2961 jack - machined, built-up body, iron frog. Made between 1961 and '64 but still apparently for sale until 1968. Don't think they caught on much and probably didn't get used much either 'cos all the ones I've seen have the decal in pretty good order and generally look unused. Not sure what the going rate is but I think I paid about 20GBP for a pair - jack and smoother - in better condition a couple of years ago. Mind you I have a nagging feeling I saw one on a dealer site more recently that was priced a bit higher.

Cheers, Alf

[Clint Jones]

The plane in the middle is a No.4 sized Gage plane. If that guy wants that much for all three he must be living on the moon. The plow plane is the most valuable of the three. Youre looking at about $300 for all three.

[Philip DiPaolo]

hi -
thanks for the replies.


If that guy wants that much for all three he must be living on the moon. The plow plane is the most valuable of the three. Youre looking at about $300 for all three.

he hoped to get ~$800 for all 18 planes, not for these 3. the rest of the planes are metal-bodied, and as i said, look to be mostly stanley/baileys with the exception of a small coffin smoother in ok shape.

any thoughts on good ways to sell these other than ebay? he's said doesn't want to do ebay, but maybe i can convince him if it's really the only option.

thanks.

[Clint Jones]

I would be interested in any Stanley planes he has. I will send you a PM.

[Mike K Wenzloff]

That's an average of $45 per plane. In mint condition, assuming they are Stanley/Bailey pattern planes, it's almost double what he is going to get, depending on the sizes.

#1, #2 and some #3s will go higher than that #45. #s 7 and 8 will go for higher than that $45--if they are in great shape and early models.

Here is what I suggest. Go to eBay and for each model, after you determine its "type" [type is the date range it was made] do a search on completed auctions. That should open his eyes. There's a reason they did not sell on Craigslist--and that's because he is asking too much.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, or as I prefer, reality.

The Marples can bring something if he happens upon a collector looking for it. Unlike where Alice lives [the UK], they simply are not common here. That said, a collector will probably accept he needs to purchase them from the UK and most likely has done so.

The plow if it has all 8 irons, to make it valuable in the long run, can be sold off as the plane and a single iron. Then the irons separately. Though I hate to see that as plow irons are difficult to find which fit properly.

But that will take eBay. That is the main place he will see any kind of return on those planes. And in a relatively short period of time.

Other than eBay, there is the Craigslist option--which he has tried already. He can try to consign them. Most likely the only one they would want is the plow and at that only if it has all the irons.

Knowing what planes they are would be the best way for any of us to offer advice.

Take care, Mike

[Philip DiPaolo]

thanks very much mike, for that info and advice.

i obviously need to talk to the guy to see if he wants to be realistic about this, and reevaluate his expectations and selling methods.

to those interested who sent me a pm, let me talk to the guy first and then i can start replying.

thanks again!
philip