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Larry and Carole
        Meeker
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Internet
Antique Dealers & Brokers

 

www.AntiqBuyer.com


LCM@AntiqBuyer.com

 

530-620-7019

Purveyors and Dealers of American Patented & Mechanical Antiques
 

 

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Antique Woodworking Planes,  Patented Woodworking Planes &  Wood Molding Planes

 We can help you sell your Antique & Collectible Tools!! 

If you have antique woodworking tools similar to those you see on this page that you want to sell, please contact us at LCM@AntiqBuyer.com with complete details and we will get back to you ASAP.

Rarity & Demand

Below are a series of pictures and general information about the types of  vintage or antique woodworking planes that I am interested in.  The following pictures of vintage 12vic.jpg (20494 bytes)and antique woodworking planes present  graphic examples of some of the subtle differences that occur in antique tools that affect values and create a price range from a few dollars to many thousands of dollars for a given antique plane. 

They may all look the same upon first glance or to the casual observer but that is not what antique collectible tools and their values are all about. 

Condition, rarity, and desirability all play a part in the scheme of value and all of these factors are intertwined.  This first plane shown is known as a Victor block plane designed by Leonard Bailey and its value can run from a couple of hundred dollars to about $1000 depending on condition,  finish, and other subtle differences.  This example dates from the late 1800's and is a popular and desirable collectible plane for several different reasons.  It was a product of Leonard Bailey who was a central figure in the development of metallic patented planes in America.

A later Stanley 101 block plane like those on the right, which is about the same size and can date from the same era to right up to about 1980 and is somewhat similar in appearance has trouble going to $40.

Whether you are looking to buy or attempting to sell,  I can help.  At our sister website www.patented-antiques.com we have many quality antique tools and other antiques listed that are currently  for sale, and I am always looking for new additions to add to those sale pages. 

I have a large inventory of antique woodworking tools and collectible vintage planes available for sale on those pages that are suitable for both the collector and the user.  You can also use that site to check prices should you be looking for a value for your planes or tools prior to selling them.  Ebay is another good place to check to see what certain tools typically sell for.

I am always looking to refresh my stock  of antique woodworking tools and planes.  If you have antique tools and planes you want to sell please contact me at LCM@AntiqBuyer.com .

The next photo shows an example of a desirable form of wooden molding plane.  This plan18dark.jpg (17121 bytes)e exhibits the proper characteristics that would lead one to believe that it is an 18th century American plane dating from the mid to late 1700's.  When properly marked with a documented and desirable maker's name 18th century wooden molding  planes such as this can bring from several hundred to several thousand dollars each in the antique tool marketplace. 

The market for them is not as strong as what it was 10 years ago, but they are still popular with a small dedicated crowd and still bring good money in the right venue.  The bad news here is that this example, even though it is made of yellow birch and is in good condition, has a proper looking wedge, and the characteristic heavy chamfers of a 18th century plane, is unmarked and thus worth only about $20 or less if you can find a buyer. 

I sold my 20 best molding planes for approximately $10,000 a number of years back, but have not had the opportunity to obtain any more and the supply of rare wooden planes has pretty much dried up.  Again, they may all look the same to the casual observer, but when it comes time to sell yours, you better know which is which.  It is all in the details. 

The truth is that most later 19th century wooden molding planes with common profiles or cuts like hollows and rounds, or rabbits are only worth $10-$20 each on a good day. 

Keep in mind that without pictures and full details, it is virtually impossible for me to have any idea if your plane or tool would be of interest to me or if it is a valuable example or a common one.

Changing Values

The antique tool market and the values for a given tool change over time, often leaving a trail s340.jpg (24515 bytes)of short-lived wildly high prices and sharply spiked price swings in its wake that some people never seem to figure out.  

Way back when, tool collectors all wanted primitive and hand forged tools, and some became quite expensive, bringing unheard of prices for a while.  Then tastes changed and everybody wanted patented or manufactured tools and planes, driving those prices to new highs,  then folding rules were hot, or plumb bobs, or marking gauges, then levels, then wrenches, and next year it will be ??? and so on. 

In other words, the demand for specific categories of antique tools ebbs and flows, and sometimes the prices for specific groups go through the roof, while other categories go right in the tank.  It is a science that does not take a degree in rocketry to figure out, just a knowledge of the market, some insight, and a feel or sense for current market trends to understand. 

The plane pictured above on the left, a Stanley #340 furring plane and the #39 Dado Plane on the right are prime examples of  patented metallic39f.jpg (21977 bytes) specialty planes that continue to go up in value, slowly, and not much faster than inflation.  Both of these planes can still be had today for not much more, or in some cases less than they bought 15-20 years ago during the heyday of Stanley plane collecting.  

There are examples of patented antique planes and other woodworking tools that are not worth half of what was paid for them 20 years ago, and still others that are bringing 10-20 times or more than what they used to back then.  It is all in the details, and knowing what is "hot" or desirable now.

The next pictures are some more examples of popular and desirable patented metallic604.jpg (15801 bytes) planes that we typically deal in.  Condition is crucial.  On the right is a Stanley #604 Bedrock.  This is a later model and commonly referred to as a flat-top because of its distinctive side rail design.  These are considered the king of bench planes and their appeal runs from the user to the advanced collector for some of the rarer versions or model numbers of this Stanley Bedrock series of planes.  Their values can run from a low of $40 or so for a broken up parts plane to $1000 or more for a choice example in a hard to find size or # such as the # 602 Bedrock plane. 

When Bedrock planes were being produced between approx 1898 and 1940 they cost only a quarter to a dollar more than the standard Stanley / Bailey #2-8 size bench plane counterparts.  Today Stanley Bedrocks are worth double or more than their more common Stanley counterparts.  The differing values lie in  the small details and the condition.  Both of which are vital to understand and consider when either buying or selling old collectible or user tools.

The plane on the left is an early model Stanley #10 rabbet plane, and is a variation that would add e10half1.jpg (19864 bytes)considerably to its value over a later version #10 or 10 1/2 rabbit plane. They are the size of a standard #4 plane, but thave the cut out sides to make them rabbit planes.   Stanley is still making a version of this plane in England that sells for a bit more than $100. 

This model plane's distinguishing feature is that the front sole piece has the ability to move to adjust the throat opening for different types of wood.  There have been exhaustive type studies done on antique planes and their features, and this research has created a knowledge base which has led to the ability to closely determine the year of manufacture for various planes or other woodworking tools.  This knowledge has allowed for the precise dating of various tools that to the untrained or uncaring eye all look the same.  At times these details can seem tedious and unimportant, but a planes value can be greatly affected by these details.

Below is a compass or circular plane that was made by Sargent Tool Co., thus making it vastly more rare than its Stanley counterpart.  It is rarer, and harder to find, but nsarg74.jpg (17720 bytes)ot worth all that much more, and in fact until recently most were worth far less. This is because of demand. In this case, demand, not supply determines the value.  This is not always the case though, and sometimes two planes that are nearly identical in appearance can command a price difference that is 10-fold or more. 

A case in point, in reverse.  I have had folks offer me Sears marked planes (Fulton, Dunlop) claiming they are far rarer, and they are, but if no one cares, and no one does, they are worth just a fraction of the same plane made by and marked Stanley. 

 


Select Antique & Collectible Tools Previously Sold

*****Click The Links Below for details*****

The above planes and tools are an example of the caliber, condition and quality of antique tools that I am primarily interested in helping you sell. 

If you have quality antique tools or vintage planes similar to those that you see on this page that you want to sell,  please contact us at LCM@AntiqBuyer.com providing me with as many details as possible. Thank you!! 

To see examples of antique or vintage tools that I currently have for sale please go to our sister site at www.Patented-Antiques.com. To see more example of past sales and values for antique tools visit the past sales tool sale pages you will find there. 

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