Tools on ebay

[mkulltra]

There seems to be tools at almost every garage sale I go to. Does anyone sell tools on eBay? If so, which ones do the best and what should I pick up when I see it? Any particular brands?

 

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[roadrunner]

Do an advanced search and then check the sold box and see what has sold.

 

[Oregon Viking]

Snap-on, Craftsman. Made in the USA stuff

 

[NHBandit]

Snap-on, Craftsman. Made in the USA stuff

^^^ This. I'm a member of the garage journal forum and there are several members over there who buy tools at flea markets, auctions, garage sales, etc & sell on Ebay. US made stuff is the best with the common truck brands bringing the most money such as Snap On, Matco, MAC & Cornwell. Complete sets sell better than individual tools also. Craftsman not so much since it's cheap to begin with and for the past couple of years Sears has been outsourcing tool production to China. If it dosn't have "Made in USA" on the tool it's not. It's sad to see for a guy like me who has been a professional mechanic for 40 years. Craftsman was always known as "the tools America trusts" and all that hype. Anyone been to Sears lately ? It's a ghost town in there. More employees than customers. I've been grabbing USA made Craftsman stuff when I happen to see it on sale in Sears and stashing it away. 5 years from now I'll cash it in.

 

[mjlalt]

Craftsman tools are not as good as they used to be , and I think a lot are made in china

Most Craftsman hand tools carry a lifetime warranty so if you find a craftsman tool that is in poor share you should be able to get a new replacement
Avoid Craftsman Evolv, IMHO they suck and you need a receipt to get the lifetime warranty .

Snap-On are very expensive and have excellent resale value

Matco/Mac are good too

Metric Sizes are in higher demand as most newer cars require metric tools now.

 

[clovis97]

As a general rule, Snap-On does have good resale value, but it has to be in good shape too.

Etchings or markings, as well as rust or damage, can greatly diminish the value it has.

In my experience, you won't find a ton of Snap-On at garage sales, estate sales, or auctions. It isn't rare, but due to its value, you won't find a ton of Snap On laying around.

I've been reselling for 10 years, and couldn't fill a men's shoe box with all the Snap On I've found, and I specialize mostly in tools, garage stuff, etc. (Sure, I could have bought semi loads of it, but at high prices.)

Lastly, Snap On isn't what it used to be. It used to be like finding gold. Now, after all the Saturn, Pontiac (as well as a ton of other GM and Chrysler dealerships) closed the values of used Snap On (and all tools) dropped significantly.

I still have a number of SO specialty sockets listed, which now have been on for over a year, and my prices aren't unreasonable.

 

[Atlanta Mi Dave]

Vintage Craftsman (USA) hand tools sell great especialyl if no pieces are missing.

 

[Bassmaster96]

Snap on is the way to go. All things usa made also like mentioned above. If you are at an auction or something and see a broke craftsman, buy it if you can get it cheap because you can get a new one because of the warranty.

 

[Baltimore]

Snap on surprises me with how valuable their tools are. I bought a loaded tool box at a yard sale for $5 once, and it had two snap on screwdrivers. One was quite old and beat up, the other was one of those tiny stub screwdrivers. Still sold them both on the first round for $15 per, got great feedback from both buyers. Also, stanley planes are good, I think there's a few guys on here who know stanley stuff.

 

[Baltimore]

Also, if you see Rigid brand aluminum Pipe wrenches, grab em, they can go for up to $100 or more depending on their size. I once bought a dozen rigid pipe wrenches at a flea market for $5, I had looked them up and thought I was making out like a bandit, turns out I had been seeing the values of the aluminum ones and thinking that applied to all of them. All of mine were steel, I sold about half of them for $5-10 each, but I wouldn't buy them again. Still have a handful of them sitting around, not really sure what to do with them. Waayy to heavy for a minimal profit.

 

[clovis97]

Also, if you see Rigid brand aluminum Pipe wrenches, grab em, they can go for up to $100 or more depending on their size. I once bought a dozen rigid pipe wrenches at a flea market for $5, I had looked them up and thought I was making out like a bandit, turns out I had been seeing the values of the aluminum ones and thinking that applied to all of them. All of mine were steel, I sold about half of them for $5-10 each, but I wouldn't buy them again. Still have a handful of them sitting around, not really sure what to do with them. Waayy to heavy for a minimal profit.

You might try lotting them together in one listing. I would try listing them under the title "Lot Pipe Wrenches Altered Steampunk Yard Art Supplies".

I'm not sure what category I would suggest.

 

[Tallone]

Nobody has mentioned electric tools (drills, saws, etc.) or gas-powered tools like chainsaws and leaf blowers. I haven't bought many pneumatic tools. I have sold a bunch of electric tools that I picked up at auctions and garage sales. Quality brands like DeWalt and Makita do well. Cordless units seem to be more popular than corded ones provided you have the charger and at least one battery to go with the tool. I have sold a few corded tools. The only gas-powered tools I have done well with have been Husqvarna units. I had a couple of Poulan chainsaws a while back and had to practically give them away. As with most things, condition is important. I'll buy a dusty tool but I stay away from tools that have obviously had a lot of hard use. I sell most of my tools on Craigslist. They are usually a quick flip with no fees and no shipping hassles.

 

[diggummup]

I try to stay away from anything with a rechargeable battery like tools. To me, it opens the door for problems. Rechargeable batteries are expensive and I don't want some clown buying an item just to switch batteries and get his money back and me getting a bad battery back. JMHO.

 

[Tallone]

I try to stay away from anything with a rechargeable battery like tools. To me, it opens the door for problems. Rechargeable batteries are expensive and I don't want some clown buying an item just to switch batteries and get his money back and me getting a bad battery back. JMHO.

This is one of the reasons why I sell all my tools on Craigslist. The buyer has the chance to inspect the tool and try it out in person. Once they decide to buy, any problems they run into are their problem, not mine as I am under no obligation to accept a return. I have only had 2 people ask me to accept a return from a Craigslist tool sale - one because I made an error in the listing and the other because I allowed the guy to take it home and try it so I knew before the sale that he might bring it back.

 

[choppadude]

As a mechanic I use mostly Snap On, MAC tools, Matco, Proto and Armstrong. These brands all sell well used. I stay awsy from any electric or air powered used tools as they are almost always on thier last leg.
I also buy up any broken hand tools from Snap ON and MAC since both trucks stop by my shop weekly and I can exchange those broken tools for new with no questions asked.