Used Planes on eBay

[Matt Lentzner]

I was poking around on eBay and noticed that there's a lot of used planes for sale for really reasonable prices. There's a lot of Stanley Bailey planes in particular. One was from the turn of the century and going for $0.99 (of course that will get bid up).

How do I know which of those planes are good ones? I know that, in general, the older Stanley planes are much better than what they currently sell.

Any advice is appreciated,

Matt

[Zahid Naqvi]

I have bought most of my old Stanleys from eBay, the pictures and hopefully a knowledgeable seller. If you don't want to deal with the uncertainity of an anonymous seller contact some of the guys who refurb old planes and resell then. Clint Jones who is a member here at SMC is one such person and comes highly recommended, I now purchase most of my used tools from him.

[Mark Stutz]

Buying planes on that auction site is a real hit or miss proposition. I have done a few, mostly specialty type, though was very cautious and knew what to look for. If you buy from a reputable dealer, who does mostly tools, and knows how to describe and picture it, and knows what to look for, you can do OK. Beware the dark pitures with only one or two views...the seller may not even know what they have or what to look for ...cracks in the castings, etc. If you're just starting down this slope, I'll second Zahid's sugesstion. Once you know what you're looking for and how to rehab them, you can sometimes get some bargains.

[Mike Henderson]

You really need to make sure the seller is reputable because you can't see everything from a picture. I bought a plane from a seller who didn't know anything about planes and what I got was a plane that was put together from pieces of a number of different planes of different ages. While it would work, the value wasn't there because of the mixed vintage.

Mike

[Dave Ray]

Like Zahid says, talk with Clint Jones or better yet buy from him. A real straight shooter.... you can take his word to the bank.

[Lewis Moon]

Acquaint yourself with Pat Leach's site and the Stanley plane dating site (Kaune's site has some great info, too), do a completed auction search to see what the prevailing prices are, check shipping prices (check against the actual carrier, too!) and don't be afraid to ask for a cheaper shipping price PRIOR to bidding, check and read the seller's feedback and read over Ebay's dispute policy. Use an auction sniper (don't bid up an object too soon..I've seen a LOT of stupid there) and above all, DON'T FALL IN LOVE! Bid a price you feel is adequate and within your budget and if you lose, there will be another one coming down the pipe soon.
As a rule I have wonderful luck on Ebay with the only exceptions being my fault....mostly. Now if I could only follow my own rules.

[Corvin Alstot]

Look for auctions with adequate pictures, I avoid the grainy out of focus
stuff as there are plenty of planes in great condition with great photos.

Of course after you do buy a plane, you will have to learn how to sharpen
and tune the plane up. (These are great lessons to learn). Best of luck.

[Lewis Moon]

Look for auctions with adequate pictures, I avoid the grainy out of focus
stuff as there are plenty of planes in great condition with great photos.

Of course after you do buy a plane, you will have to learn how to sharpen
and tune the plane up. (These are great lessons to learn). Best of luck.
Actually, I look for the grainy pics for just this reason. A lot of great deals out there if you know how to do a little "photo interpretation".
Save searches for planes you want and after you get acquainted with the market, look up "newly listed" and "buy now" stuff. I also look for misspelled listings and always do a search using the most generic terms possible. I've seen a Sargent 514 listed as just a "Plane" (someone else saw it too:()...
It takes a little time and strategy but there are some great deals to be had.

P.S. Get acquainted with spare parts suppliers, and prices...a lot of times it's cheaper to put a plane together out of spare parts (provided you're either picky about casting numbers, etc..... or don't care).

[Marcus Ward]

Blurry pictures and I bid - got a sweetheart #4 with the logo still on the handle. Now, I don't believe in collecting, that plane is a user, but it goes to show if you know what you're looking for you can do okay. I've gotten burned once on a #60 1/2 that the seller described as in good shape and complete, turns out the mouth piece was from a different plane and didn't fit, plus it had cracks. She was nice and refunded most of my money and I kept the plane for parts. Sellers will work with you if you get something they think is just fine and it's not. I've gotten a lot of KILLER deals on ebay too by being incredibly patient and thorough in my daily searches. I picked up a minty 140 sans side plate (who is gonna use it with the side plate on???) for 48$. Picked up a really nice #113 in great shape 90% japan and nickel for 51. And by all means if you find one you think is gonna be a good one, pm me with the url (don't post it in public! Big no-no), I'll be glad to advise (promise I won't bid against you either! :) ) I love these old hand planes, glad to help a brother out.

All that said, I think the prices lately have been kind of high on the end of the auctions. Maybe it's just me.

[Jake Helmboldt]

I've gotten some good deals on ebay for planes. Like others said, learn to fettle (tune up a plane) by doing some reading online or books (Garret Hack's "The Handplane Book" is a good resource). That will help you know what to look for.

Look for pics of the mouth to see if there are cracks or chips. Look to see how much of the iron is left (not a huge deal, but can indicate use & wear). Avoid cracks, welded repairs (warping), anything that has holes or modifications, etc.

One way to get a great deal is look for the auctions with more than one plane. I got a really nice #4 and nice #5 in a single auction for what the nice #4 could have gone for. A lot of people don't want to mess with auctions that have something they don't need or want.

[Richard Niemiec]

I've basically stopped buying off ebay, and just visit to see what things are going for, which is generally overpriced given you can't fondle what you are buying. So I haunt fleas and estate sales and have done just fine.

Exceptions would be LV or LN planes on ebay which are obviously in good shape, but overseas buyers can bid them up to full US retail, as retail over there is a whole lot more expensive, in the case of LN, we'll see how the disintegrating value of the dollar may change that.

But when I did buy off ebay, I can ditto someone's prior observation about doing some photo interpretation. I would copy the lousy pictures and photo edit them to get some additional detail as to type, etc., and that did help.

[John Powers]

Its a crapshoot allright. Got a nice 5 on Ebay, and nice 3 and a 4 from craigslist and an almost flawless wartime 4 at a garage sale. Pictures have to be good. Cracks in any metal are out. Even replacement of the wood can blow a good deal. I'm surprised what people have in garages. I've been boffed on too many chisels on Ebay to go that route again unless I see a great detailed picture. I see a lot of reasonable ones on these sites; got my 7 from a guy on Woodnet and its just fine. Bid on nice looking #5, let it go if it gets too high. what they say about #5's they're like streetcars. . . .there'll be another one along in a minute. Get a firm shipping price. Lots of "shipping and handling" scams now.

[Steveo O'Banion]

.... So I haunt fleas and estate sales and have done just fine.....

Now thats a lot of fun right there!

[Anchor Sarslow]

Having done a lot of buying of different things here is one thing that might get something cheaper,. If you are willing to not use paypal and only bid on stuff where the seller does not take paypal, you will find much cheaper prices usually.

I figure (depending on what I am buying) that if I buy from a non-paypal seller I save anywhere from 30 to 70% on most things over those either accepting or requiring paypal.

In otherwords if you are willing to have patience in paying and recieving, you save a bit of money.

[Corvin Alstot]

It takes a little time and strategy but there are some great deals to be had.
Lewis/ I started this way too, but a few planes were rougher than I
wanted and I also was spending too much time chasing deals than
actually cutting wood. I have sold off the rough stuff and really only look
for the rare or specific tools than are harder to come by. Have you seen
any cheap Stanley #9's or #72? Its all fun any way you do it!

[Lewis Moon]

Lewis/ I started this way too, but a few planes were rougher than I
wanted and I also was spending too much time chasing deals than
actually cutting wood. I have sold off the rough stuff and really only look
for the rare or specific tools than are harder to come by. Have you seen
any cheap Stanley #9's or #72? Its all fun any way you do it!

Unfortunately, I live in an area of the country (Phoenix, AZ) that only really became "settled" after WWII. I could find Native American pot shards in my back yard but finding old planes and tools (and many other antiques) is harder than finding hen's teeth. I can say without hesitation that I have NEVER seen a plane worth buying for sale commercially (or even at a yard sale) here in AZ, and I've looked hard. Seems as if everyone who lives here now must of sold all of their dad's old tools at a yard sale prior to moving here.:( Whenever I travel on business to the East Coast or the Midwest I always take time to duck into antique shops and invariably find an order of magnitude more tools than I find around here.
Thus, I'm left to haunting Ebay and bugging Clint.
Of course if anyone has a cheap #289, #46, a Record 2506 or a Record 311 they want to send to rust free Arizona....You can keep the #9 but I'll take that #72:cool:

[Corvin Alstot]

Thus, I'm left to haunting Ebay and bugging Clint.
Of course if anyone has a cheap #289, #46, a Record 2506 or a Record 311 they want to send to rust free Arizona....You can keep the #9 but I'll take that #72:cool:
Houston is not much better, except we have a few antiques store that do
have tools, but they think a #4 rusted and beat up Stanley is worh more
than a Lie-Nielsen. I hope to go to one of the NorthEast auction at some
point.
I like #289's too, I will sell you the second one I find!:D

[Kirk Howard]

I've bought a dozen or so planes off ebay, a couple Stanleys and mostly LNs, and 2 did not match their descriptions. Both problems were with the irons and nothing a little elbow grease didn't fix.

I ask several questions on every auction I get serious about, and I think that if you do the same you'll come out in good shape the majority of the time. Just always ask the seller about the details that are important to you.

[Thomas Knighton]

I just snagged a plane and a brace for $1.25 last night. I figured that, at worst, I can get some practice with restoration, which would be worth the $1.25 all by itself :D

Tom