> >...................
> >I can't believe there's not a person on this list who doesn't
> >have a box or a shelf of "early purchases" stashed away somewhere,
> >which --like Frank pointed out-- would only go for a pittance
> >of the price that was paid for them.
>
> +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

    You know I got thinking about this and I have to honestly say I don't
think  I ever bought something that I couldn't sell for at least close to
what I paid for it.The possible exception might be something with undetected
damage but even then often I have gotten out from under it by selling it for
parts,[sometimes doing better then if I sold a undamaged whole tool!] I have
to admit from the get go I bought a good many books, did some studying and
I'm the type of guy that doesn't like to spend much on something that he
doesn't know about and this probably helped me from getting hurt.Sure I
might spend  a couple of bucks on something that I don't know about that
looks good and I think is worth a chance but I am always surprised to see
people shell out the bucks for stuff they obviously don't know anything
about.This has ranged from watching someone pay $25 for a common molding
plane with the wrong cutter in it to some slow head paying $2,000 for a fake
powder horn!
 Now the opposite side of the coin is that I do regret not buying allot of
stuff that I should had bought.There was that no 1 at auction I went to $200
on but I wasn't 100% convinced it wasn't a repo.I only had a few seconds to
look at it before bidding and I didn't know for sure...Now I think it was
genuine and that I messed up.
   Now if you want to make $ at selling tools you do have to know what to
buy.I once had a fellow tell me all that is needed to make a profit in
selling tools is to buy them at a small auction and then sell them at a
bigger auction,[in this case he was talking about the ebay]. Well now that
is just slow head talking,[and a bet from a person that doesn't sell many
tools!] as I often see tools sell for WAY more at local small auctions then
they would ever go for on ebay.I go to an auction where rough wood jointers
will sell for $20-$30 and a rusted broke 45 will hit $125 a good bit,
anybody here think you could sell these for a profit on the ebay?
  I always tell people before they ever buy a tool they should do some
reading and research and in the long run they will be out ahead.If I had
$100 in my tool buying budget I would spend $50 on books before ever buying
a tool......at least that is what has worked for me......Todd