prices of used tools!

[Brian Elfert]

If an item comes back to a store that is sealed and never opened there is no reason it shouldn't go back on the shelf for resale. Perhaps some states have laws against this but certainly not in Minnesota. I know both Menards and Home Depot put merchandise back on the shelves if it is still in the same condition as a new item. I understand a lot of the stuff returned to Walmart and Target is never re-shelved and is sold to liquidators who specialize in returned merchandise.

[Mike Cogswell]

It depends on the tools as well as the seller.

The average for Lie-Nielsen planes on eBay over the past year is 87% of MSRP. And that's ignoring the fact that they typical eBay shipping charge is 2 or 3 times what LN charges. Of course, they are a highly coveted premium plane that has a lifetime warranty. The popular ones that come up frequently average between 80 and 85%. The reason Lie-Nielsen tools command such a high percentage of retail on eBay is because they never discount.

You can pretty much always get decent deal on most tools if you research what things actually sell for and exercise some patience. Most stores sell returns, even new and unopened, at a discount. "Factory refurbs" are often new and unused returns and can be had for good prices. Retailers (and manufacturers) have sales giving good prices from time to time. I just got a flyer from WoodCraft with 10 or 15% discounts on most items the weekend of 2/3 March. Some, like Delta for example, have periodic rebates. I got about 10% off on my lathe via rebates.

[Mike Cogswell]

I think if I'm selling I like the 85% but if I'm buying I like the 40%. Really which side of the fence are you on, buying or selling. Also you say 85% but are you adding the sales tax and shipping to that. And how long are you willing to wait to order it off the web, or how close are you to a store you can buy that tool? Sometimes just seeing a price on a tool doesn't tell everything. I remember talking with a major tool supplier here about the borgs beating their price so much. They said look close at the model number, their's was like a 586 and the borg was a 586r, so not the same tool. Some of the makes have different quality, one maybe metal housing or gears and the other plastic housing or gears, but the same model like stated before.

With some manufacturers (like DeWalt) the "r" suffix indicates it's a refurbished item. In other cases, as you said, the content is different. For example, many DeWalt 18v cordless tools included two batteries in the kit. The BORG models typically only have one. The tools are identical, but the BORG one lacks a very expensive battery.