Reply To: Need help to buy some used tools
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Hi Bert , i’ve also been ‘hunting’ for tools on ebay.co.uk and i’m in Greece.
It’s not been straightforward, but i gradually learned what to look for in tools …and sellers. After one month of spending way too much time on the pc i’m almost completely tooled up for the basic’s. Stick with it , for me it’s been worthwhile and i’m very proud of the old tools that now will become even older in my hands :-).
Point being that you have to really ” x-ray” the listing’s , save a few favorite sellers ,compare the tools listed to ones on Paul blog, this forum….. all over the web, best advise ,do your research then buy!
Find sellers that offer international courier ( for about 20-23 GBP for 20kg ), airmail small packets ( to Greece it’s about 6-10 GBP ) or even surface mail, the last has worked fine for me so far (i’m not entirely sure it’s safe as a few people say it’s not) . One more thing , if a seller doesn’t say ” only uk postage” , always ask ,most are glad to help. My experience has been that more that half of the listings can be posted internationally.
You mentioned saws ,i now have more saws than i need , one lot of 8 hand saws went for 16… 3 old distons/atkin/and some other very nice ones ,nice handles , i’ll restore them ( and if i can part from them 🙂 ) , sell them. I also got 4 tenon saw’s for 5-10 each and a very nice Groves dovetail saw for 15.
As Paul and many others have noted , wait for the right bargains ! I got a bit impatient and spent more than i should of on a few things , but then a few days later there they go at half the price!
Also , most times a rough looking tool doesn’t meen it’s a bad tool, learn what to look for ,if it’s all there and there are no nasty deformations or really deep rust , it’s good! After some cleaning/derusting even painting if you like, you’ll love your tools.
I hope this helps you , it was dificult for me so i feel glad to pass on my experiance so far , more so for another begginer, ask anything you want , i’ll try to help.
all the best !