For a long while now I’ve had a posh handplane (very posh) in my fleet that’s a duplicate – there’s two of them of the same kind (bevel-up smoothers). I’ll not ramble on about how I came to have two. I couldn’t bring myself to sell it since it’s very pretty – as well as good at planing. 🙂
Just lately I’ve had to reduce the big machine tools because of a house move, involving a smaller workshop. This was also an opportunity to go more hand tool in my woodworking. So I would like to buy several hand tools I don’t presently have but which are costly.
The ladywife is spending all the spare dosh on doing up her new and vast garden. I need to sell that posh plane to fund the purchase of the new hand tools on my list. There seems no marketplace here so how do you sell your unwanted tools to the woodworking enthusiast world? Is it just a matter of ebaying them?
Any advice will be gratefully received.
Lataxe
Replies
Ebay is a good resource. Where are you located? I'm assuming somewhere in the UK? I'm not sure what sites you have online there, but in North America Craigslist, kijiji, and the like are good options. There are also some woodworking sites that have buy and sell pages.
Ebay is a good source, I find they can really fleece you though!
What kind of plane is it?
Hello Eideann,
Ebay has been a significant market place for me (both buying and selling stuff) for some years but only within the UK (Britain) and the EU. Buying and selling outside seems rife with problems to do with carriers and customs or import duties. I've never had a problem either buying or selling probably hundreds of items - but nothing very expensive - domestically.
The plane I want to sell is a Marcou. I acquired it many years ago after Philip Marcou (the maker) send a pair of planes to David Charlesworth for a review. Those customs and carrier issues I mentioned meant that Philip didn't really want to have the planes back only to have to go through all the hoops and difficulties he's had getting them to David Charlesworth, from New Zealand to England, once again. He made me an offer I couldn't refuse.
:-)
Marcou planes and similar very high-end tools don't seem to sell much in Britain. I know of no other owners. Mind, Karl Holtey used to sell his for even more - but to collectors rather than users I suspect. Anyway, I probably need sell the spare Marcou I have to someone in the USA, where Philip Marcou has sold (and still sells) the great majority of his new ones, I believe.
I'll ebay it then - but very carefully!
Thanks for your advice.
Lataxe
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