User braces and egg beaters: suggestions?

[Clint Jones]

A market price is set by what people are willing to pay for something. I dont think collectors or dealers are willing to pay $50 for a bell system brace or $30 for a 750 chisel. Collectors definately drive up the prices on some things but the vast majority are items that have no user value at all (well maybe except bedrocks and maybe a few other things). Dealers driving up prices, that is insane, a dealer doesnt want to pay market value so you dont have to worry about them. You have the same oppurtunity as a dealer to buy at a low price by frequenting estate sales, auctions, yard sales, and craigslist.

As for selling a Bedrock I find for $25 for $35 ...aint gonna happen. My time and knowledge is worth something. Also have to factor in the gas and sometimes lodging as I travel to buy alot of the things I find. I have been told by some buyers they dont mind paying the markup as their time is more valueable to them than the money.

[Bill Moser]

I have a stanley 921 10" brace, and a goodell-pratt egg-beater (both off of ebay). Both great tools. The 921 in particular is in perfect condition, no loss of plating, and came with an extension bit, for < $30! Good luck on ever finding kind of deal again, but there are plenty of decent stanley. millers falls and even craftsman braces for sale online every day, for cheap. A box of Jennings or Irwin auger bits is cheap as well. I love my braces & drills. Nothing against my Makita 18v, but I'd rather reach for the others....

Also, to put in my .02 on another question raised in this thread -- I, as a user, always considered Stanley 750's out of reach (for a complete, original set, anyway). I was ecstatic when LN produced their updated version, and have the whole set now. At about $50 per, they beat out a set of 750's in price, and i'd bet in performance as well. There are some old tools worth having for their beauty alone (Preston bullnose planes or side rabbetts, ultimatum braces, millers patent planes, etc). But in most cases, if I can afford it, I'll take a new set of whatever by contemporary toolmakers over the antiques any day.

[Roger Bell]

"As for selling a Bedrock I find for $25 for $35 ...aint gonna happen. My time and knowledge is worth something. Also have to factor in the gas and sometimes lodging as I travel to buy alot of the things I find. I have been told by some buyers they dont mind paying the markup as their time is more valueable to them than the money." - Clint Jones

Mr. Jones is quite correct concerning the tool dealers. I know quite a number of these guys and they spend considerable time in the acquisition process. It seems to me, in consideration of that time and effort...to say nothing of the time it takes to acquire the wherewithall.....for these gents to include at least some of that in their price to you.

Moreover, Mr. Jones makes a point that should be self evident. That it is the users, rather than the so-called collectors, that are driving the market and the demand that they create that is setting the prices. There aren't enough collectors out there to make that much of a difference and they just ain't interested in the cheap user stuff anyway. A few, like Mr. Jones and on occasion, myself, deal from time to time to support their habit. And we sell at the price that the market will bear. If it don't sell, then the price is lowered until it does. But guess what?

In any event, this is what it is and those who wish to attain the rather silly gloats derived by getting something on the cheap might be advised to do what the dealers and the collectors do to get what they get. Namely, to spend the time and effort it takes to find desirable items for desirable prices. And that kind of effort doesn't happen don't happen while surfing the Net while at work. It takes more than that. A lot more.

So it don't do no good whatsoever to blame nobody, now does it? Times change. Markets change. The good old days when we used to get all kinds of things etc., etc., for near nutthin', just ain't here no more. So we can just hike up the old suspenders a bit higher and continue to grouse or we can accept things just as they are without blaming anyone, can't we?

And from what I recall, the old days weren't all that great anyway.

And, to make this post relevant and to bring the discussion back to on topic, if the OP can't find something suitable, PM me and I will take care of it.

[David Martino]

It's these internet forums driving up the prices!!!!!!!!

Let me do my part:

The online auction haven is tricky unless you know what to look for, and bargains are hard to come by, at least for me. I've had good luck buying from two online sellers,
Brass City Tools,
and Sandy at sydnassloot.

Not sure about including links here, but you can Google for the addresses. There are probably others that folks here could tell you about.

Sandy Moss's site sydnassloot also has a terrific bunch of pages on braces from his own collection. Great reading and lots of info.

You could also look at George's Basement if you haven't found it already for great detailed stuff on braces and Miller's Falls drills IIRC. Although the quote above about #2 and #5 sum it up pretty well for those.

I'm no expert but I like braces, have bought 2-3 in the last year - the Stanley and earlier North Bros. 2100/2101 everyone knows about and they now command a premium. If you can find one in good shape they're a lesson in what great hand tools can be like. But Millers Falls also made high quality ones - look for the larger chucks, 770 series braces and some others. And I picked up a Craftsman 10-inch brace marked "BB" (maybe for ball bearing?) that had to have been made by Millers Falls since it's a dead ringer copy of one of their better braces, right down to the Lion chuck. But for maybe half what the same MF would set you back.

Good luck and enjoy the sleuthing - my first slippery step into vintage tools was a set of Jennings auger bits in the 3-tiered wood box... after getting some information right here on Sawmill Creek. I get a kick out of how well they do what they were made to do every time I take them out.

Dave

[Alan DuBoff]

I dont think collectors or dealers are willing to pay $50 for a bell system brace or $30 for a 750 chisel.

Not unless you could sell it for more...not to worry, I am not driving the prices up myself, I don't think.

[John Powers]

Got a nice No 2 at a flea for $3.00. Guy didn't know what it was and said he liked the smell of my pipe. Still he stared for a moment. It works good. Also keep an eye our for a MF push drill with the fluted bits. They useful to.