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I Forge Iron

New benchmarks in ridiculous


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Well I've got new benchmarks for ridiculous adds for used anvils.
I found these on Kijiji

This first one is a Mousehole - he wants $1000.00 for it. He doesn't give the weight but it doesn't look over 200lbs :blink:
http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell-tools-equipment-Vintage-1820s-30s-anvil-W0QQAdIdZ200711413

This second one is a Canadian Blower and Forge - 100lbs. I inquired about the price - he wants $800.00 for it. :blink:
http://kitchener.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell-art-collectibles-ANVIL-W0QQAdIdZ197843166

sam

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I did send that fellow a email... it said...

"Hate to break it to you... But your anvil is not rare, valuable or 200lbs.... It would make someone a fine yard ornament... It will sell at about 10% what your asking.... "

Maybe he will thank me for my profound insight... Or maybe he will do what most do and call me bad names...

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hate to say anything but the item of refence in that picture is a staple gun in the back left corner that mousehole is not a small anvil compared to some (markings are X.0.15 so assuming X=1 127#) however $7~8 a # in Toronto is insane due to the location in the heart of anvil country north centered between Buffalo NY Detroit MI Columbus OH Cleavland OH

that is not a small anvil and i love to have it in my shop for the right price

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Im not saying in any way shape or form that its not a usable or desirable tool.... but at $8-$10 its not a screaming bargain nor a wise investment...

Some anvils can be worth pretty big money, I know of a 750lb that brought $3000 that was not pretty, Still only $4/lb but $3000 for a rough anvil is a pretty hard sell..

It comes down to people thinking that because its an anvil its worth its weight in gold... I collect old bikes and have run into the same thing many times, People think that because they have a 50 year old Schwinn that its worth $1000.. Well some are, shoot some are worth $10,000..... But sorry, the one you have is worth maybe $50.... And of course they always get mad at you and call YOU a moron... (Im sorry but I am a tool expert, Not to say I know everything or every market but I have bought and sold millions and millions of dollars worth of tools and equipment... Shoot my best month I sold almost three hundred grand worth of equipment.... I always get a kick out of someone telling me that even though this is the first thing they ever sold that Im the moron and they know what its "worth")

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Many people confuse old with valuable. With them I sometimes hand them a rock and tell them it's a million times older than what they are selling and so much more valuable and I'm will to trade them even! They are hardly ever amused.

Many people get confused reading the "Antique Price Guides" that often list top dollar for items with special characteristics. They then assume that their run of the mill item *must* be worth the same as the rare and special ones. With them I offer to sell them large numbers of similiar items at half the price and so let them make a fortune selling them full price. They are hardly ever amused.

Many people have items that have sentimental value; it's been in the family and in use for generations, (even if I can hard date it to being less than 50 years old!) They will sell it; but for a grossly inflated value. With them I generally point out how it's part of family history and should not be sold out of the family.

Many people don't *know* what they have and so guess a wildly inappropriate price. When them I generally refer them to things like "the real price of anvils" thread.

And sometimes a widow tries to sell me an anvil far below it's worth and I have to offer her more than she's asked; or tell her what a good going rate for it would be.

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And sometimes a widow tries to sell me an anvil far below it's worth and I have to offer her more than she's asked; or tell her what a good going rate for it would be.



I really do this quite often as well.... Many times at the blacksmith swap or conference when I am among friends I'll pick up an item on a table that's marked $8 or something and say, "hey I dont think the price you have on this is fair, Here is $10" Sometimes I get some funny looks, but have yet to have someone unamused
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When the wife and sons were still doing construction they picked up a deck job on a house that had been taken over by one of the daughters after her father`s passing after a long illness.His shop hadn`t been touched in years and she asked if the wife knew anyone who might be interested in the contents.
The house was on a coastal island and most of the tools were fairly well rusted so I offered $500 for the hand tools,which she accepted.The tools were easier to restore than I thought and sold well right away.2 weeks later I returned and gave her $200 more.She then showed me to the basement and told me to take all the old Stanley planes and other tools(pre wwII) that were still in the boxes home and to also see if I could sell the machines too.
Needless to say,Mary and I still talk and were both very happy with how we both made out on the deal.She still keeps her eyes open for other folks with tools and sends them to "The nice tattooed man who helped me so much after Dad`s passing".
Honest and forthright actions do still pay dividends and treating folks as you would like to be treated never goes out of style.

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thats some big prices out there. when i picked up my 500lb PW thats broken off at the hardy the fellow had been asking 2100 for weeks, then 1900, then 1600, i sent him and e mail offering 500, and explained that because the tail end had been broken off the value was greatly decreased, and that 500 was all i believed it was worth in the condition. I met up with the fellow and he was vary understanding and glad to take the 500 for it.
Seems people always ask crazy high prices, i just try and be calm with them and enplane why things are not worth so much.

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How about this one?
http://cgi.ebay.com/Antique-1886-Fisher-Norris-Blacksmith-Farrier-Anvil-/370365688931?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item563b83ec63



OUCH! I hope that guy's OK! You can really get hurt when you fall and bump your head really hard.......
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