Does it seem like prices are going up?

T

the possum

Joined
Jul 31, 2002
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Even though there have always been axes around the place since I was a kid, and I have been a certified knife knut since kindergarten, for some reason I didn't start to appreciate good old American axes until relatively recently. It was perhaps 4 or 5 years ago when I made an active effort to find and rescue these tools made by real craftsmen in the golden age.

It seemed like they were everywhere, for 10 bucks, 5 bucks, or even free. I could walk into pretty much any antique store, flea market, and plenty of yard sales, and score something nice for the price of a McDonald's lunch. Sometimes I'd leave things for next time, since I already had enough to carry.

But any more, I'm not finding them. And when I do, people are asking ebay prices for 'em. We stopped at a nice antique barn on vacation, and I found about 20 nice old hatchets and axes, but none at near the prices I was used to paying in the past. They started out at more like $35, but most were $50-$75.

Are you guys seeing the same trends? Does it seem like there's more competition out there for nice old axes/hatchets, or prices are going up?
 
I'd check to see if the prices get higher as the member count here gets higher.:p Seriously though, prices are getting higher in some spots but just a couple of days ago I was given some heads. A few years ago I got 4 axe heads, a tomahawk head, and 1 or 2 five gallon buckets full of tools just for showing interest and knowledge in them, plus offering to buy them. I also got 74 tools (yes, I counted) just because they were rusty "junk" in someone's yard. You can still find them, but the more you find, the less there will be hiding.
 
The only people that pay high-prices for an axe are those in a big hurry, or those who think they have to have some specific brand and get it in an online auction.

If you just buy axes as you run across them cheaply and locally at yard-sales etc., then you should not pay more than zero to five-dollars for any of them.

It is up to you how much you pay for axes, it has nothing to with anything else.

I would not be surprised if people on this forum had extra axe-head laying around they would give you for free if you asked.
 
Best thing to happen here lately is all the folks trying to sell refurbed axes on Craigslist it buries the cheap ones have gotten several in the last couple months,where your at matters don’t see ct or Maine axes,peeling patterns,rafters or stellitoes here in the Midwest.
 
I have noticed a scarcity of axes more that the price increasing. I've got probably a dozen people looking for axes for me. And i created a problem for myself i didn't anticipate! Now a couple of them go to yard sales and buy em for 5 bucks and sell em to me for 10! lol. But what they tell me and what I've heard from people and dealers myself is that old tools of any kind, especially axes, have recently(in the past 5 years or so) really taken off and everyone is after them. So I've given up hoping to find many and I'm networking to find axes. And while it may have a down side or two I've got axes coming in all the time. It's still fun to go look on a Saturday morning though.
 
Excluding handle costs the most I've paid for an axe was $22 more or less for a plumb jersey/rockaway just because I really wanted one and the people on ebay sold it way cheaper than the going rate as a heavily rusted no-name. Saw the lugs, bought the axe, cleaned it and found the Plumb stamp and cheered. Aside from that one I get heads and complete axes in the $10-$15 range with a little patience. Poking in sheds and thrift stores is how I find most of them.
 
Thanks for the input, fellas. I'm glad some of you are still able to find deals. Sounds like I'm not the only one noticing this trend, though. I suppose I should be happy that others are starting to appreciate these fine old tools as well.
 
I think it depends on what it is and where you are, definitely. Around here, I'm still able to score 10-20 a week at between $5-10 each for decent quality stuff. More sometimes for premium stuff. Around here single bits are so common, MUCH more so than doubles, so people want significantly more for a double of equal quality. But I have several good single bits for sale ranging from $12.50-$16 each. Nice desirable stuff in great shape always costs more, but you don't have to spend much at all to get a good quality working tool. Tell me what you are looking for (or anyone else) and maybe I can help you out. I regularly put 2 good heads in a flat rate box for around $30 shipped.
 
I actually thought about calling you out in my first post by name, jblyttle. :) You're in a whole 'nuther class.

Since you offered, I'm looking for a nice boy's axe head. (you may remember the thread I started on this topic a while back: https://bladeforums.com/threads/2-vs-2-1-4-for-a-boys-axe.1607474/ ) I found one on the bay that I really liked the shape of, but did not win the auction. Someone else thought it was worth at least $34.50.

I'm leaning towards a 2 pounder, but if you have a 2 1/4# with a nice thin edge & high centerline, I may be interested. Here's a pic of the one I liked, for reference:
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Like that one and think its worth 35 bucks,hell i just spent more than that on the chinese food my kids are gonna flush down the toilet.Look up his name on the same place you saw the one above.
 
the possum said:
I actually thought about calling you out in my first post by name, jblyttle. :) You're in a whole 'nuther class.

Since you offered, I'm looking for a nice boy's axe head. (you may remember the thread I started on this topic a while back: https://bladeforums.com/threads/2-vs-2-1-4-for-a-boys-axe.1607474/ ) I found one on the bay that I really liked the shape of, but did not win the auction. Someone else thought it was worth at least $34.50.

I'm leaning towards a 2 pounder, but if you have a 2 1/4# with a nice thin edge & high centerline, I may be interested. Here's a pic of the one I liked, for reference:
[
s-l1600.jpg
Click to expand...
Boys axe heads are less common but I can still help you out. If I remember I have at least 2 at $15 each. If you can't find them or have any questions just PM me.
 
Axe prices overall are on the upswing, have been for about the last 5 years or so. This, of course, depends on the axes you are after. Yard sale, flea market finds have increased a little, but that is to be expected.

Online auctions, private sales, etc, have really increasedprice wise over the past 5 years due to the increase in demand and knowledge of the axe. This again is to expected as the overall popularity of the axe has skyrocketed in since Surviorman came out however many years ago.

This is part of the axe collecting game, and the fun that comes with it
 
After I got interested in axes, I tried going to antique stores and exhausted all of the options easily accessible to me - but that was a total waste of time. all the ones I found for sale were usually junk and/or in poor condition and prices were more than I could get better quality stuff online - so most of mine have come from the online auction. I have a full time job and a family and don't have time to go around to estate sales or yard sales or anything like that.
but yes, there are some ridiculous sellers out there - did you see the flint edge for sale now with a buy it now for a grand?!! and I love the auctions with high starting or buy it now prices, but zero description, and that say see pictures for condition, but then have a couple horrible pictures from an angle where you can't tell anything. Which brings us back to JBLyttle - his prices are always total fair, and he provides great pictures and descriptions of all his items.
 
I don't think price increases are strictly limited to axes and hatchets it's anything collectable. I believe it's a combination of affordable readily available internet access and the proliferation of smart phones. Pretty much anyone can at anytime do an online search that will show a price reference for almost anything. Many of those people don't look at details which may indicate why a certain piece sold at such a high price or if it actually sold. They simply know what price one was listed for and believe that since they have one similar it the value is the same. I'm lucky enough to be able to occasionally find a nice piece at a fair price at flea markets and yard sales but for each one I find there's many I pass on because of the price tag. I can't say how many times I've heard "one just like it sold on Ebay for $......"
 
Odd that this comes up today! I was just offered a pile of tools headed to the dump. "Take what you want and get rid of the rest". I took a KeenKutter with the toe knocked off and a S.Richard Co. kitchen knife. It still happens...


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