I'm confused.  I am an amateur smith (and, I have a Peter Wright - excellent condition - anvil), which I managed to buy for a very reasonable cost (thanks, David).  Now I see message after message, both here and on Facebook) talking about used anvils (almost always with defects) weighing from 80# to 150#, running from $600 to $1,000 (various brands).  But, I quick review on line shows that I can buy a TFS single horn, 200# for $1,248.  Doesn't it make sense to save one's money for a little while and buy a brand new anvil (assuming that a TFS anvil is a good one.

There is no perfect anvil, forge, hammer, etc. You can wait until you think you find what you want only to find that once that tool is actually acquired, your wants or needs have changed and the search starts over.

Or you can purchase what will work, get the job done, get paid, and start the next job. Put the money into the bank and let it accumulate until you have enough for the brand new anvil you want. Nothing wrong with having two.

 

Anvil prices vary according to location and of course country.

Places like UK and eastern Europe are anvil rich and prices are low. Some areas in the US have high prices and others lower. Australia is probably the country with the highest prices followed closely by that other country you got there, the  SRC or Socialist Republic of California

The biggest con in the second hand anvil market, is to say that older anvils are better than new anvils. The second biggest con in the old anvil market is the innuendo that they have "antique" value, ergo the constant request for a valuation from new buyers to check if they have struck a Picasso or a Monet

If you read a few of the comments on facebook, you will see what I mean. Not that is worth reading, mind you.

There are good old anvils and there are average old anvils in different stages and mostly all usable and then also beaten up useless old anvils. 

Then you have horrible new anvils,  average new anvils and excellent new anvils far superior to any old anvils of any description. 

Take your pick. The new anvil prices are no secret, and yes, they are not cheap, but many have bought old beaten up anvils for near new or even more than new prices. 

Go figure. It is what it is. Offer and demand, and the demand is illinformed and anxious. 

 

 

 

You see it here in Australia, people paying more money for flogged out old "name" anvils,  than what good quality new ones cost.
Same with post vises, second hand worn out units, often with parts missing,  going for way more than you can buy a new one for.

3 hours ago, Jackdawg said:

You see it here in Australia, people paying more money for flogged out old "name" anvils,  than what good quality new ones cost.
Same with post vises, second hand worn out units, often with parts missing,  going for way more than you can buy a new one for.

Can you buy a new post vice? I can't recall seeing one in any of the blacksmith or tool catalogues or stores.

On line sells a 6" post vice for $500

Yes you can buy new leg vises, but they are 5X what a good used one will run you.

Some people say old is better. Some people say new is better. Both of groups are wrong. It isn't the age of an anvil that determines the quality. It is the quality of an anvil that determines quality. ...if that makes since. Lots of factors determine the market for both new and used anvils. Ignorance is, perhaps, the biggest factor, nostalgia is another one, and convenience is too. Is a nice old anvil with a few chips in the tool steel face better than a brand new ductile iron anvil? It all boils down to personal preference.

Vaughans Hope Works in UK sells the S60 leg vise new for $379.

that is 320 uk pounds plus 20% sales tax from vaughns

I have a 7" in good condition and would take 80 for it

 

 

3 minutes ago, the iron dwarf said:

I have a 7" in good condition and would take 80 for it

How much to ship to Ohio?

 

as it will be difficult to pack you can collect it in person next time you are out this way

On 3/16/2018 at 4:55 PM, JHCC said:

How much to ship to Ohio?

Find your local freight forwarder. He will organise pick up and shipping and paperwork for surprisingly little money. I bought a gearbox from UK and a Chainsaw from Germany and the shipping was reasonable. It should be cheaper for you since you are closer and have more frequent services. 

Or lop it into small enough pieces to fit in flat rate boxes..........

Marc1 made some good points. Personally I don't care who made my anvils as long as they do the job. I got mine before the smithing craze really hit hard. But if I was looking around today I would have no problem using an improvised anvil. One of my anvils is a 125# JHM from a retired farrier and it is a nice anvil. They currently run around $700. They were just $574 up until a few weeks ago,  but they probably saw what people were willing to pay for beat up anvils and thought We need to up our prices, and get in on this action!

There are some that are betting their retirement on anvil prices in the future.

This anvil sold in one day on Craig's List.  275lbs, it was basically new.  Right now there are 3 or 4 used anvils for sale in my Craig's List which is odd, there are usually none.  They are asking from $4 to $6 a lb for them. 

A new Refflinghaus model #58 as shown runs from $2,000 for the 220# up to $4,000 for the 460#

Stockmaker, you live where Nimba anvils are made.

I think a lot of guys get into it for nostalgia as they imagine dark old smithies making a living in colonial and other times in history.  Those guys want the old anvils for the most part.  So they go for the old anvil and then as they smith for a while I imagine they see the value of the newer anvils.  If I had my choice, I'd have both!!!  I'd love a new tool steel anvil and I'd love to keep my old German Trenton.  Prices are through the roof because people will pay them.  If nobody could sell the Refflinghaus for $2,000, the price would be lower.  

We talk a lot on here about how FIF has driven the price of things up and a lot of people are watching the show, then jumping out and buying an anvil to make knives and swords.  My fear is that when all of these people lose interest, there isn't going to be the glut of tools flooding the market and driving prices down like a lot of us are hoping for, but instead the tools and anvils will be pushed aside into the corner of the garage with hopes of doing it again when they have money / time.  Or, they are thinking to themselves "Man I have $2,000 tied up in this, I'd hate to sell any of it."   

8 minutes ago, MC Hammer said:

Or, they are thinking to themselves "Man I have $2,000 tied up in this, I'd hate to sell any of it."   

A fine example of the “Sunk Cost Fallacy”, where people won’t sell what they’ve purchased for fear of losing the value of their investment.

At some point they will hit the market again, even if it takes a generation or two.

Let's hope the market is flooded with tools again Thomas!  You are correct, they have to die at some point and their kids will put it up for sale.

I wouldn't expect the price of old name brand anvils in really good condition to fall very much within the next 20 years or so. The Yuppies and Collectors will still be seeking them out, in addition to the Smiths. However it is a good possibility the price of old anvils in rougher condition will fall significantly with a softer anvil market.  If quality new anvils aren't selling very well, production will be cut to meet the reduced demand.  

Prices are driven by what people will pay. Folk new to any craft want the best tools they can get. Normal human behavior, no surprise there it takes time to grow your knowledge and skills and discover the tools don't do anything, it's the person. By that time you have a BUNCH tied up in tools and equipment you don't want to lose by selling for what they're really worth. 

Like Thomas says next generation will want the garage or shop space for their new hobbies and they'll need more money to buy the best tools and equipment they can afford. 

While I paid too much and the pallet of tongs and about 100 hammers were stolen I have enough and then some. When the arthritis in my thumbs gets bad enough I'll sell it off, hopefully for stupid too much. Some of it's old you know, I'll let a little rust grow on it and they'll be antiques! 

We can part the RV in the shop, that'd make Deb happy. Hmmmm.

Think I'll keep my Soderfors though, maybe put it on my grave. Oh wait that won't work I want my ashes buried in a park with a nice picnic table over them inscribed. Here I lie Jerry . . . Born, died, blah blah. Have lunch on me. An anvil just doesn't fit in a picnic. Guess I'll have to let it go too. Keep it working.

Frosty The Lucky.

I bought a bunch of tongs off a guy at the flea market. He didn't know what they were, called them pliers and told me he found them diving off Manly wharf. They have some deep dimples of corrosion but surprisingly still open and close freely.  I think I paid $10. 

If antique is measured by the amount of rust, mine are an archeological find. Should try a museum

On 3/16/2018 at 7:34 AM, ausfire said:

Can you buy a new post vice? I can't recall seeing one in any of the blacksmith or tool catalogues or stores.

Waterside in Melbourne sell them.

 

My flatter is all pitted with rust and I'm pretty sure someone dug it up metal detecting.  I bought it off a picker who had a bunch of different hammer heads in a bucket.  The bottom flatter part was not pitted though so someone must have dressed it out years ago.

Deals are out there, it's just harder to find them.........correction, you just actually have to work at it harder.