Looking for a value on my anvil

[Isaac M.]

Hi,

I am new to the forum. I am looking for a value on my anvil. It is a Hey Budden 12. I believe it was made in 1906. I am in South Florida. 

Thank you for you time.

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

Welcome from the Ozark Mountains. In my area it would go for about $2.00 U.S. per pound. I'm not familiar with the 12 stamp, my Hay Budden has the actual weight there 106 pounds. Have you weighed it? Yours looks to be in very good condition, how did it do on the ring & rebound tests?  There should be a serial number on the front foot below the horn which would date it.

BTW: We won't remember your location once leaving this post, hence the suggestion to add it in your profile.

I can't control the wind, all I can do is adjust my sail’s.
Semper Paratus

 

[Daswulf]

Hi Isaac,

 Your anvil looks to be in good shape. Hard to tell if it is one with a wrought iron body with a steel face plate or one welded at the waist with a solid steel upper half. 

Looks more to me to have the wrought body and steel face plate. I would put more value on one with the solid steel upper welded at the waist. Yours looks in good shape. Irondragons suggestion of the numbers on the front foot is a good one. Might narrow down the year and weight.

As for my area that would fetch around 3-4 maybe 5$lb. easy. Not sure in your area. 

[Rojo Pedro]

Nice anvil. The heel looks really thick on that one like a Brooks. 

$4 a pound no problem in So. Arizona

[swedefiddle]

Good Morning Isaac,

Use your bathroom scale to weigh the Anvil, compare the weight to the number 1_2, it will probably be close to just over 100 lbs.

Welcome from our part of the Rock on the Left Coast.

The value of your Anvil is, Priceless!! If you own it, it doesn't matter what someone else thinks. That is a 'Keeper', don't let it go, use it and enjoy it.

Neil

[Isaac M.]

Thank you for everyone's help.

[arkie]

Randy, if I could buy that Hay Budden for $2/lb I would trade in my wife!! Thirteen years ago, I paid about $2.75/lb for my 167# HB. That one in the good shape it's in would probably fetch $4/lb or more in these parts! 

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

I haven't bought an anvil in a long time. When I bought my 106 pound Hay Budden, it was $1.89 a pound. You're right anvil prices have gone through the roof lately.

I can't control the wind, all I can do is adjust my sail’s.
Semper Paratus

 

[Frosty]

My 206lb Trenton cost me $600 in the late 90s.

Frosty The Lucky.

[George N. M.]

OK, I'll throw in my "why back in my day, you whippersnappers" anvil price stories.  In 1978 I bought my 100# Vulcan for $25 at an auction and in the early '90s I bought my 200# Peter Wright from an antique dealer for $250. And, yes, anvil prices have gone up considerably since then.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

[JHCC]

Folks need to account for inflation. 

20 hours ago, arkie said:

Thirteen years ago, I paid about $2.75/lb for my 167# HB.

$2.75 in 2010 is $3.87 today.

16 hours ago, Frosty said:

My 206lb Trenton cost me $600 in the late 90s.

That's $2.91/lb. Let's assume you bought it in 1998; that would be $5.48/lb today.

Used anvil prices have gone up a lot, but -- leaving aside great deals like George's auction find -- not quite as dramatically as the unadjusted numbers might suggest.

 

[Frosty]

Ayup, that would've been 98. There's a larger conversion for Az dollars to Ak dollars too.

Frosty The Lucky.