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How can I tell how much my anvil is worth


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my uncle recently passed, God bless his soul. He had an anvil and I'm trying  to figure out if we should sell it or not. It a Hay Budden and I have some pics but don't know where to find the serial number. I did take some pics.  Can anyone help me? image.thumb.jpg.61741131e8347a67ef20c307

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The price is set by the buyer and seller coming to an agreement and money changing hands.

Factors include the actual weight of the anvil on the bathroom scale, the make (Hey-Budden is considered a good anvil), the condition of the anvil, if repairs can be determined, rebound of a ball bearing on the face, the condition of the face, and where the anvil is located.

Take some time and search out other anvils in your area and look at the asking price. That is not the selling price, just the asking price. This will give you an idea of the value of your anvil.

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Karie,

As Glenn indicated, Hay Budden has a good reputation, but the there are many other factors that could detract from being a good anvil. If the top surface has been improperly repaired and the hardness reduced, that would be bad. Evidence of cracks or delaminations would be bad. The picture of the side where you are pointing to the "60" looks a little odd along the top surface. Really tough to say without checking the rebound all over the top surface.

As to some basic information, the "146" stamped below the Hay Budden is the weight of the anvil in pounds. It could be a little less because of wear, but should be right around that. The serial number is on the front foot on the left side. Look at your photo where you are pointing at the upside-down #5, you can just barely see the stamped S/N just above the screw head.

I would suggest contacting a local blacksmith who has some knowledge in evaluating the condition. You can start with the California Blacksmith Association leadership, and they can direct you to someone in your area.

Whether you should sell or keep it is your call. Is anyone in the family even vaguely interested in taking up the hobby? It will be hard to replace the anvil down the road and the family history won't be there with another one. Good luck with your search and decision.

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