Help the helper

[Ryan Cathey]

I'm trying to help a friend sell a plane on ebay. She already has it listed but it doesn't appear to have much interest. It's a type 5 Stanley number three. What would you expect to get from this plane. To find it on the bay search for "antique wood planer". Thanks everyone.

-Ryan C.

[Clint Jones]

Ryan the plane looks pretty bad. It looks as if it has a crack in its side cheek. It may be hard for someone not familiar with tools to notice this but I can spot it from a blurry picture even if it is covered by rust. Also the blade is kind of short, tote is in poor shape, etc. It may clean up a bit nicer but with a crack I definately wouldnt even consider it. I say its worth around $20 as is. It would sell for if you took it apart and sold the lever cap, frog, and front knob. Also the seller should have put No.3 and plane instead of planer.

[Ryan Cathey]

Thanks Clint, I'll let her know. Oh by the way, I have the plane ready to ship.

-Ryan C.

[Clint Jones]

Thanks Ryan I'll get the shave to you soon, before I leave to go back to Mississippi. I hate it there by the way :( .

[Ryan Cathey]

You better watch out...this is a country wide forum, there's bound to be some Mississippians out there lol!

-Ryan C.

[Clint Jones]

I love the state and the people there. I just hate being away from home so long. Last time I was in Biloxi for a little over a month on a job.

[Ryan Cathey]

Good save...good save hehe. I know how you feel though after eighth grade(I'm in tenth now) I went to Australia and New Zealand for 20 days. It was the first time I was away from home without my parents for so long so I kinda liked it but I did get a little homesick there at the end. BTW if anyone is able to I highly suggest a trip to New Zealand beautiful weather, scenery, and people.

-Ryan C.

[Clint Jones]

Ryan about the crack in the plane. I'm not sure if there is one but I believe that is what I see. You should tell the seller to check for it. You can use light steel wool on the area of question that should remove enough crud to see if it is cracked.

[Ryan Cathey]

Will do. You need to post more! You sure have a lot of good things to say. lol

-Ryan C.

[Ken Werner]

Hey Ryan,
I've bought and sold a few planes on eBay. The No. 3 you're working on selling does, as has been said, have some significant problems. I'm not sure the cheek is cracked, but if it is, that really reduces its value. The tote needing a repair on the horn is not a big deal, but the ugly initials are.
[All just my opinion, take with large chunk of salt.]

If you can clarify the issue of the cheek, or post a clear image of the area, that might help. The blade is quite short, but if someone is looking for a good user, he might plan on a replacement blade anyway.

Stanly No 3s have been pretty desirable lately, often going for 50-75. But I wouldn't pay that much for this one.

You can edit a listing.

Good luck.

Ken

[Mike Henderson]

I would have done the pictures a bit differently so that the potential buyer can see more of the plane. One picture should be of the plane disassembled and the parts laid out. There should be a close up of each side, and the bottom, especially the mouth. ALL marks should be described, especially all dates on the body, the lateral, and the logo on the blade. The tote and knob should be described in detail, indicating any cracks, breaks, and other defects (like the initials branded on the tote). Any defects in the body, like a crack, chip, break or hole, should be described. Anything unusual about the frog, lever cap, chip breaker, and iron should be described. Any pitting or frozen threads should be disclosed.

I agree with Clint that the title should say "Stanley #3 plane" plus whatever else you want to say. But that's what people will search on. The words "antique" and "vintage" are wasted words - nobody uses those in a search.

While this is an older #3 plane, the #3 is not that rare of a plane. Condition determines a big part of the value.

All that said, many buyers wait until the last 20 seconds to make their bid. There's no advantage to them for bidding early. There's still over four days for the auction to run.

BTW, it's auction number 250093288747 for anyone who wants to see the plane.

Mike

[One more thought, although it's too late now. When you have an old plane in bad shape, clean it up before you offer it for sale. No one's going to want this plane in original condition for a collection. Sand off the initials, clean off the rust, fix the tote, etc. so that the plane looks good and you'll get a better price.]