Help pricing a toolbox.

Hi I was hoping someone might be willing to help with me something.
As some may have read my husband passed away last month. I have a US General 42 inch toolbox along with it's top that I want to sell. Along with a bunch of machinist tools.
Please note that I am not trying to sell this thing online since it would cost too much money and be a pain in the neck to ship! I am just wondering about how much I should be asking for it. It's in great shape and I intend on cleaning it some before I sell it so it should look close to like new condition.

I was thinking of asking $500 for the toolboxes but kind of wish I could get some input before I post it in the classifieds. Anybody have any advice to offer?
Thanks.

a reply to: dawnstar

You have my condolences about your husband. Going through things like that can be hard I am still doing that with my fathers stuff.

Unfortunately tools generally cost a lot to buy but are hard to sell for what was paid. There isn't any way I could give you advice on the info you have provided. Maybe if you took some pictures of the tools and posted them I could help.

Have a look online at some store prices for tool boxes. You'll see pics and prices so you can find a good comparison. I'd suggest a firm price of about 1/2 retail but start a bit higher, like 2/3 retail.

The tools are very difficult to value without seeing exact bits and maker. I would suggest you don't like anyone 'cherry pick' through and take a few that they want, otherwise you'll be left with bits nobody want and all the expensive good tools will be gone. You might want to ask some friends if they know a mechanic that could look and suggest a price. If you can't get someone to look then set a price you'll be fine with for all of them and hold out until you get it. After a month lower the price a bit and list again.

All the Best!

a reply to: dawnstar

Your best bet would be to check the price of similar items on ebay, Kijiji or the classifieds in your area. The machinists tools could be worth a lot more individually so be sure to research them also as you may be sitting on a gold mine if you can find the right buyers. Tools are much easier to ship also, a typical small flat rate box is a $6.50 US within the continental US.

I definitely advise you to investigate as quality machinists tools can be a high value, high demand item.

Sorry about your mate .I would suggest that you try to contact some of the graduating students from local technical schools moving into the trade . Tools and used tool boxes are a buyers market so find someone the tools will work for .Take offers as they will be in need and will pay a better premium then someone wanting to make a buck on it . Even if you have to sell for lower then you hope you may have the knowledge that you helped a younger person entering the trade ...best of luck .

a reply to: dawnstar

I am sorry for your loss. Might you still be in touch with any of your husbands work mates, or friends? I would imagine somebody in his line of work might be interested in purchasing them, if even for nostalgia.

The Machinist tools may be out dated now with all of the computer advances in machining. I have a recent machinist graduate living next door, Ill see if he has any pertinent information. You may be well served having an auction, or having these items sold at auction to get interested parties in the same room together...hopefully increasing the sales price.

The toolbox needs to be researched to define the quality. Most companies make varying grades of them. The same with the tools, there are different brands of tools. Some tools, like Snapon bring a better price. People seem to collect certain brands sometimes. A craftsman man will pay more for Craftsman than a Snapon man. Even things like brand in a Crescent wrench style tool is important. Crescent is actually a brand name, not a style of wrench.

I have LOTS of tools, I could fill a Semi trailer to the roof. But I am OCD and this was my crutch. I used to know the value of tools pretty well when used, but that was ten years ago and now the young aren't as interested in them, being more interested in computers than fixing things, Some tools can be as high as fifty percent of a new comparable tool, while others are ten percent of a new tool. But remember, old tools may have cost less back thirty years ago so ten percent could be like fifty percent of cost.

Do you have a son or daughter that would want these? How about a nephew? You could sell them to some young person you like that would actually use them for a very reasonable price.

I gave my son in law some tools so he would have them long ago and he sold them on E-bay. I could have sold them, I gave them to him because he needed some tools to do stuff around their place. Five years later he was buying new inferior quality tools to do a job. They were junk compared to the ones I gave him and he paid much more for the shiny new tools than he got for the industrial ones I gave him. This is just a personal rant. I now lend him tools till I die at which time he can have them. That way he can't sell them.

some pictures would hekp, what kind of machinist tools, i may be interested, u can send me a pm if u want, i have over 60k invested in tools.....the downside of a mechanic pictures would def help, the toolbox itself wont be worth too much since it sounds like it is harbor freight, the tools itself are what are worth the money

ps: my snapon box, just the empty box, 68 inch cost me 11,000 dollars

Some mill bits cost over $300 each. It doesn't matter whether they are for a CNC mill or older mill.

I bought a tool box and found bits in it I sold for way way more than I paid. I had a machinist friend who bought them all.

Don't be too hasty. They could be valuable or could be junk.

Take them to a pawn shop to get a price & then post them on craigslist for triple whatever they offered you.

thanks for the advice guys I kind of like the idea of going to a pawn shop and then just tripling it.

well so far I know I have 6 Mitutoyo micrometers sizes 6-7", 7-8", 8-9", 9-10", 10-11", and 11-12"
I've looked on ebay and most of the ones I seen were of smaller sizes

one box down and about 5 more to go and then there is whatever is in the toolboxes