Advice needed on valuing this workbench
- Thread starter bluntsy
- Start date
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It probably isn't what you want to hear, but it is likely worth the value of the vice (check on eBay). It may be a bit more but literally a few quid more.
It looks a nice bench and may be a bargain to the buyer but that is the sad reality of these things. Similarly, if you have a worm eaten old bench with a vice it is likely to fetch a bit less than the vice alone.
It looks a nice bench and may be a bargain to the buyer but that is the sad reality of these things. Similarly, if you have a worm eaten old bench with a vice it is likely to fetch a bit less than the vice alone.
Jamied
Established Member
I disagree, get it eBay, try it £350.
You got nothing to lose.
It looks a good bench.
You got nothing to lose.
It looks a good bench.
Seb
Established Member
I'm really sorry to hear about your Dad bluntsy. Have you any use for it all? or are you not really involved in woodwork at all?
Where are you located? Is there more gear that you are looking to sell, and could open it up to woodworkers that might want to buy a few items in one go.
I'd probably tend to agree with the post above. It's better than a lot of the poor £100-200 efforts that turn up all over the place, and have no weight to them whatsoever. You've nothing to lose in listing it on the higher end to start with. Just take lots of good photos showing the vice, bench top condition, open drawers etc
Where are you located? Is there more gear that you are looking to sell, and could open it up to woodworkers that might want to buy a few items in one go.
I'd probably tend to agree with the post above. It's better than a lot of the poor £100-200 efforts that turn up all over the place, and have no weight to them whatsoever. You've nothing to lose in listing it on the higher end to start with. Just take lots of good photos showing the vice, bench top condition, open drawers etc
I agree that you have nothing to lose and that it may well be better than many out there. But looking at the completed eBay listings for woodwork bench, I still think that 100-150 is where it is likely to end up. Hopefully I am wrong and you get more. The market will find its price on eBay...
Eric The Viking
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Stay away from eBay for this - their costs are excessive.
Try if at all possible to sell it locally: You apparently live in Devon, a county full of retiree woodworkers. And it does look like a nice bench. I would try Gumtree or local small ads,
at a sensible price (in the 300-350 area, as mentioned above). Be prepared to negotiate, but put as much practical info in the ad:
- is it home made or manufactured,
- what wood(s) is it,
- dimensions, and,
- if it dismantles (or looks like it does).
Also details of the vice that's fitted. If you don't want to sell the vice separately, don't - otherwise the bench will be harder to sell on its own, and I doubt you will want to dispose of it.
Also have a look for local woodworking/woodturning clubs, or anything similar. You might find a buyer there, but if they have a clubhouse, you might donate it as a last resort. Were it my dad's stuff, I'd like it to be appreciatively used...
Regards, E.
Try if at all possible to sell it locally: You apparently live in Devon, a county full of retiree woodworkers. And it does look like a nice bench. I would try Gumtree or local small ads,
at a sensible price (in the 300-350 area, as mentioned above). Be prepared to negotiate, but put as much practical info in the ad:
- is it home made or manufactured,
- what wood(s) is it,
- dimensions, and,
- if it dismantles (or looks like it does).
Also details of the vice that's fitted. If you don't want to sell the vice separately, don't - otherwise the bench will be harder to sell on its own, and I doubt you will want to dispose of it.
Also have a look for local woodworking/woodturning clubs, or anything similar. You might find a buyer there, but if they have a clubhouse, you might donate it as a last resort. Were it my dad's stuff, I'd like it to be appreciatively used...
Regards, E.
AJB Temple
Finely figured
Above prompted me to look at eBay fees. 10% flat fee on sales proceeds including postage. 4% additional fee for setting a reserve price. Plus various small charges for improving prominence. It is far more than I realised.
RichardG
If at first you don’t succeed have a cup of tea.
I seem to regularly get messages from eBay offering max £1 fee sale weekends, where anything listed during that time will have a fixed sale cost of £1. If fact I have one at the moment which runs out tonight. Not sure how widespread these are but may help.
Richard
Richard
Bod
Established Member
Did he make the bench, or buy it?
A bought one, the value of a good condition item is about 1/2 the purchase price.
If he made it to available plans, then probably a little more than the material cost.
Fully home-made to his own design, then ? Do you really want to part with it?
Bod
A bought one, the value of a good condition item is about 1/2 the purchase price.
If he made it to available plans, then probably a little more than the material cost.
Fully home-made to his own design, then ? Do you really want to part with it?
Bod
nev
Established Member
Regardless of who made it, what its made from, how precious or sentimental it may be to someone - it is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. Its too big to post so will go to someone local. Gumtree and Facebook marketplace are local and free to advertise but will come with a multitude of time wasting idiots. If you don't want that then ebay it is. Yes they take a fee (for advertising to the entire world) but at the moment you have a bench and no money, or you could have no bench and some money minus fees. Start the bidding at 100 quid and take what it goes for.
Or donate it to your local mens shed association where it will be used by many grateful people that will get as much enjoyment and satisfaction from it as your late father did.
Or donate it to your local mens shed association where it will be used by many grateful people that will get as much enjoyment and satisfaction from it as your late father did.
thetyreman
Established Member
agree with others that ebay is too expensive for something like this it means you have to up the price to include that 10% and the extra ridiculous paypal fees as well, I would use gumtree or pre-loved instead.
guineafowl21
Established Member
(Nev) “at the moment you have a bench and no money, or you could have no bench and some money minus fees”
This is a good point.
That looks like a good, solid, workmanlike bench. If I were looking for one, I’d happily pay about £200 for that. A bench and vice is the first thing you need for starting a wood shop, so your likely buyer is a newbie. What if you threw in some starter tools like a square, chisels and tenon saw? You might push up closer to £300 then, by offering a ‘workshop starter set’.
It’s worth far more to you than £300, though, especially if your dad built it himself. Have a good think, and make sure you’ve absolutely no intention of using it, nor any of your family.
This is a good point.
That looks like a good, solid, workmanlike bench. If I were looking for one, I’d happily pay about £200 for that. A bench and vice is the first thing you need for starting a wood shop, so your likely buyer is a newbie. What if you threw in some starter tools like a square, chisels and tenon saw? You might push up closer to £300 then, by offering a ‘workshop starter set’.
It’s worth far more to you than £300, though, especially if your dad built it himself. Have a good think, and make sure you’ve absolutely no intention of using it, nor any of your family.
Thank you all for taking the time to reply. Your comments have been very helpful and also made me think more about the prospect of selling it. I'm now starting to question whether I want to sell it at all. I'm not a woodworker but feel it would be a shame to let it go, particularly as woodworking was my Dad's passion. I'll just have to figure out how to take it apart and where to store it...
BrianB
New member
Sorry this a late post but I just found this great site! So much more refined than many of the rude USA sites. There is a growing market in the US for these old workbenches for antique ‘tables’ in homes. Some use them as islands in kitchens. So think about displaying it with pride in your own home.
rafezetter
Troll Hunter
marcros":2ndazlz3 said:
I also disagree - I see benches on Facebook marketplace all the time and all of them are in a worse state and nowhere near as good functionally with all those drawers, and other additions
That really is a very good workbench, don't let yourself be undersold.
Also try contacting the local "men in sheds" group.
I'd be happy to pay at least £200 for that as is - and I would if I had the space for it.
Oops didn't realise the OP date, how did you get on?
lurker
Le dullard de la commune
BrianB":3rdneh2r said:
Welcome Brian.
We would be happy to be rude to you, if that would make you feel more at home.
Keith 66
Established Member
I just sold my Dads two benches, they fetched £100 each & to be honest i think i did well at that. I simply had nowhere to keep them so they had to go.
On the plus side i did keep the tiny bench he made for me when i was 5 this was an exact copy complete with a ninature vice. Its just 4ft long & 14" deep by about 18" high, I cleaned it with steel wool & gave it a coat of finishing oil & it now lives in our kitchen. The paradox is as a piece of furniture its probably worth more that the originals!
On the plus side i did keep the tiny bench he made for me when i was 5 this was an exact copy complete with a ninature vice. Its just 4ft long & 14" deep by about 18" high, I cleaned it with steel wool & gave it a coat of finishing oil & it now lives in our kitchen. The paradox is as a piece of furniture its probably worth more that the originals!
I decided to keep it. It's currently in my mum's garage, but one day I hope to buy a house with a garage so I can use it. I just couldn't part with it knowing the time and effort my Dad put into making it.
johna.clements
Established Member
Even if you never use it for joinery etc would be useful for general diy.
