Glenn Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 What are some of the deals you passed up and why? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWooldridge Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 All kinds - where do I start... Many years ago, when I first got addicted...uh, I mean...interested in this craft, I put an ad in several local papers that simply stated "Want to buy - blacksmith's tools". I got all sorts of calls but the one that I remember was a guy who had an old coal forge with no blower. This thing was handmade and very crude, with a rotten pipe for a tuyere and an old wooden box. I couldn't tell what it was like over the phone but had a pretty clear understanding after I went and looked at it. It didn't interest me but I went ahead and asked - his response was, "Well, I'd either like $1800 cash or I'll trade for a nice flatbed trailer". Needless to say, I smiled and shook his hand, then left. This was not something I passed up but I traded a model 92 Winchester saddle carbine for my big 250 lb PW anvil in 1984. Cowboy action shooting has since driven the price of that rifle up to about $1000-$1500 now but I've made a lot more money with the anvil than what the carbine would have brought. That wasn't a bad trade but I'd still like to have the Winchester back. I got suckered pretty badly on a car deal when I was 18 - but you learn from those mistakes and go forward - experience is the best teacher. I am much more cautious in my later years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted T Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 I stopped for a yard sale at the home of an old blacksmith I knew who had just died a few weeks before. His wife was having financial problems and needed money, so she was having a “garage sale” to sale all of his tools. She was selling tools ranging from $3.00 to $10.00 that was well worth up to $100.00 to $400 dollars and more. The range and types of tools being sold were from very old,old blacksmith tools on up through modern tools such as an electric drill press, post vices, hand drills, swedge blocks, coal forge, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdalcher Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 Amen! I also have seen these types of shenanigans and it really burns me up. I am a sucker for a bargain, but ripping people off should have dire consequences. I am sure that on the day of reckoning everyone will attone for their sins, but sometimes it needs to be speeded up a little. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gerald Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 I passed on a real good rack of steel at an auction last year. All new stuff ... flat strap, angle, channel, etc in sizes that I could use. This was easily $400 worth of stock at last year's prices. It went for $120 but not to me. I rationalized not bidding because I didn't bring a trailer with me and it was 40 miles one way to go get mine. This has bugged me for a year. The slow die young I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irnsrgn Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 I had the same experience as Ted with an older lady and her husbands Woodworking tools. People had been scalping her by telling her the stuff was junk and only worth pennies. End result was she got a pad and pencil and I gave her truthful prices for the remaining tools and material. There was an original treadle small scroll saw, minus the drilling attachment and lathe among the tools. $250 was a conservative price for the machine. I dearly wanted the scroll saw, but could not afford to pay what it was worth. End result was she asked me if I could afford $100 for the saw, I said yes, but would not steal it from her. She insisted I take it home with me as I had told her the truth of things and she also insisted that I take my pick of her husbands extensive library of old Woodworking books and Technical manuals. I picked 3 under protest. She told me she was going to contact some of the FRIENDS who had more or less stolen some of the other tools which she described to me and tell them if they wanted to keep the tools to pay a reasonable price for them or she would put an article in the paper and also contact the local TV station to inform the public of the underhanded thing they had done. I eventually got a letter from her telling me that the ploy worked and she realized an extra $3000 from the shameful people who took advantage of her. It made me feel good, I tried to give her more money later when I had it for the saw but she refused. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irnsrgn Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 as far as things I passed up, I have passed on many smithing and woodworking items as I am not a collector but a user and could not see accumulating lots of stuff which I already have. And as far as buying what I consider junk material, its just that, I have enough unknown quality junk laying around that I just used to make jigs when needed, and I would not sell it to someone nor use it on a customers project not knowing what it was and possibly getting someone killed or hurt because they were too cheap to buy new known quality material to build something, especially something that would travel down the road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWooldridge Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 With regard to the "innocent sweet old widow" theme, I had the opposite happen twice. An elderly acquaintance passed away and left a big gun collection - about 45 pieces. His wife asked me to appraise it with the offer of one gun as payment. I did some research, gave her the prices and tagged the gun I wanted, which was not one of the gems in the collection. I told her to let me know when they would do the auction and I'd come by a day early. Word got out and a man came in and negotiated for everything. When I heard nothing after a few months, I called and found out what happened. There was no offer for compensation or apology, just an "Oh, I forgot but I really want to thank you for helping me out". The same scenario happened with a blacksmith shop; the daughter called on behalf of the widow and asked me to do an appraisal. He had a 50 lb LG hammer, a nice older lathe, two anvils, probably ten vises, an acorn table and a bunch of hand tools. I did the appraisal and marked one of the vises for myself. The exact thing then repeated; they put the word out, a guy came in and bought every stick of furniture. I drove by a month later after returning from a business trip and the shop was already bulldozed and everything gone. When I called to ask what happened to my vise, all I got was a lot of stuttering. In both of these instances, the men I knew would not have done this but the wives just wanted to maximize the assets and get the cash. I was approached in both of these cases so I was not out cruising for opportunities and have resolved never to do this kind of charity work again unless I can take an item for payment while I'm onsite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian C. Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 I had to pass on a nice H-B 200 lb. anvil last week. I had just bought the new Grizzly belt grinder/sander and a new recumbent exercise bike, plus the new furnace and heat pump was coming this week. Sometimes discretion must prevail. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayco Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 I had to pass on a nice Champion 400 blower-complete with stand,..that I found at flea market. The guy was asking $50 for it . Didn't have the money......OH WELL!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJ Hofbauer Posted October 28, 2007 Share Posted October 28, 2007 Gentleman I bought my anvil from, as well as a coal forge he built had a huge amount of rare hardie tools, handled punches, fullers,swages, hammers, tongs, etc... I haven't even seen some of them pop up on the Bay. He was selling to me WAY below market, and threw a bunch of cold and hot rolled bar in as well. Unfortunately I was really short on funds, and the anvil and forge was all I got. Later I tried to get back to him and never heard back. It's one that stings a bit. All I can hope is they went to a good home. -MJ P.S. I'm going to the fleamarket in a bit, hoping I don't have to add to this post later in the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete46 Posted October 28, 2007 Share Posted October 28, 2007 I ALWAYS JUSTIFY NON PURCHASES BY SAYING, "OH I CAN MAKE THAT"! WHICH I CAN .IT JUST TAKES ME A WEEK OR SO!:mad: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 29, 2007 Share Posted October 29, 2007 Sometime around 94' we were doing a job near Seward AK and I got word the owner of the Seward Machine Shop had passed away and the executer was selling stuff. That sunday I met him at the machine shop and we looked at all the stuff. I'd told him I was interested in the smithing tools but would look at everything for things I might want. He figured he'd make more with a direct sale than at auction. We dickered briefly over several hundred lbs. of miscellanious hammers, tongs, sets, swages, etc. and both were happy with the results. What I passed on was the anvil, not that I wouldn't've loved to have it, I just couldn't figure out how to get it home. It had 1,278lbs. stamped into it's side. I couldn't find a makers mark, just the weight. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 29, 2007 Share Posted October 29, 2007 If you had only thought to chain it to a grizzly bear and use a whip! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psilogen Posted October 29, 2007 Share Posted October 29, 2007 man, and I thought it would have been a hassle to obtain a 300lb with my Toyota! I have a decent number of friends, but I do not have enough friends to lift a half-ton anvil into a hatchback (nor would the car survive). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted October 30, 2007 Author Share Posted October 30, 2007 300 pounds is the size on one good friend or two strikers. 500 pounds is less than double that. No one said the seat had to be on the bottom.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJ Hofbauer Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 Ok Frosty, you win the thread. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Salvati Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 DITTO . I feel like crying now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Martin Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 Are half-ton anvils still available anywhere? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 There are a few in the wild from olden times---no too olden though as anvil size drops off quickly before 1800, steam powered machinery and the general shop powerhammer allowed for larger work and the need for larger anvils. Modern days: make a pattern and pay the *hefty* bucks and they will cast any size for you. I have seen an anvil over 5000#, the famed "mile long anvil". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Martin Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 wow, how much was that anvil and how would a person go about finding a caster? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 Ray Davis' Mile Long Anvil : Worlds Largest Steel Anvil?< you may want to peruse the making your own anvil pages a bit too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Martin Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 Okay, well I'll stop clogging this topic up with questions now, thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted October 30, 2007 Author Share Posted October 30, 2007 Yesteryear Forge just purchased a 1200# anvil new. They are out there if you need one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 It's no trouble brother-M, ask away. I'm mostly self taught and would've loved to be able to ask questions when I was your age or twice your age. I was over 40 when the net went public and I was finally able to talk regularly with smiths and other metal workers. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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