I'm thinking of selling up, whats it worth?

Well I'm part way though multiple projects, but the missus has a found a house, a real fixer upper with land, double integrated garage, it's a dream, I can see myself there till the end of my days. We need just about every penny we can get, and with all the house work, I'm not going to be needing any of my much loved metal working equipment for the forseeable future. I don't really want to sell it, but I know I won't have time to use or maintain it properly. Just wondered what things might be worth as a job lot vs sell quick and cheap privately, has anyone dealt with any traders before, I guess they don't pay much!?

I've got the following, I may keep my 280 lathe and my mill as they're not easy to come by these days and they're not really transportable without a van

Myford Super 7 (later power cross feed version + quick change box & stand, steadies, chucks, face & drive plat QC tool post,, all the usual stuff etc)
Myford 280 Lathe (all metric, power crossfeed + gearbox, double vee and flat bed)
Myford ML7 (needs a lick of paint) with QC toolpost + spare freshly reground bed + spare headstock, tailstock and other spares)
Myford VMC + DRO (proper one, glass scales) & central lube
10" Alfred Eriksen shaper
Kennedy Hexacut hacksaw
3 coolant pump systems (one modern, 2 good old lumps)
4 axis Gecko G540 CNC controller + PC + 48v PSU + 3x 300+Nm steppers + cables + ball screws etc etc bolt on and go basically, ballscrews are off a BF20 mill, also has brackets and couplings for a sieg X1/SX1

On top of this, are 2 or 3 cupboards full of all sorts of cutters, arbour, drills, chucks, vices, angle tables, surface plate, scraping equipment, metrology kit - all sorts - I'll keep some basic stuff, but I don't use a lot of it so will make sure all the above machines are well tooled.

Any thoughts/offers?

Have you considered long / short term storage facility; shame to get rid of stuff that has been collected over years, maybe you could ask about discount on length of storage term,worth a try.

George.

Hello Russ, roughly whereabouts are you?

Brian

Hi

You won’t get anything like you would think, especially if you need to sell fast, dealers offers are ridiculously low and private sales take time.

I was in the same boat last year and sold, gave away all my workshop for a lot less than it would have cost me to buy.

That said, I have not yet missed the workshop with all the jobs in the new house that appear.

Use it as an opportunity to do new things and you may not be disappointed, good luck with your move👍.

Ian

If you can avoid it don't sell it. It will cost you a lot more in the long run. You will benifit from the stamp duty cut too.

regards Martin

Quite a few years ago I wound up my small toolmaking business and called in one of the model engineering suppliers to take the small tools away, matey rocks up in a long wheelbase transit and proceeds to fill it. Among the stuff that went in were half dozen surface plates 3 foot by 2 foot down to 6” square, complete set of 5C collets, not Chinese carp proper Hardinge jobs including full set imperial and metric round square and hex about half dozen machine vices, abwood make, sizes from 3” up to 8” all on swivel bases, complete set of Moore and wright micrometers 0-1 up to 11-12, dividing heads, height gauges and loads more I cannot remember. When he left he gave me the princely sum of two hundred quid. I kept the rest of the stuff and started model engineering, if I have to give it away I will have twenty years wear out of it first. I would now take anything to the scrap yard and weigh it in rather than make these dealers rich.

Dealers will give you peanuts, the Myfords will fly off of Ebay, as you said keep the 280 lathe & the mill both capable machines.

Tony

If you go the Ebay way, have a look at their Classified Adverts, £9.99 insertion fee, but no final sales charge. Be aware the rules are different from the auction side. I succesfully sold my deceased cousins ride mower for over 2 grand, and insisted on cash payment only!

This is something very much on my mind since I dont expect to see 21 ever again.

I hate the thought of some smart-arse dealer coming in and clearing out the place for buttons, but I have no-one to pass it on to. So, what to do ? Dont expect it to happen right-away, but who knows ?

Happy thoughts for a Friday morning !

In your position, I would think hard about long term storage, it,s not that dear, and you might change your mind later on and regret it.

Hi Russ, Guys,

I bought a Myford badged Denford mill 20 odd years ago and because of a move had to virtually give it away. I got less than a tenth of what I payed for it. Less than two years old as well. I've regretted it ever since.

With the double garage storage isn't the problem but the OP said he was desperate for money. The small stuff is a hassle to sell and the dealer expects it 'thrown in'. The Myfords and shaper will get £3k altogether but it only takes 9 days for a longer auction on ebay so you can wait until the last minute and confirm level of desperation before putting them up. Since you don't really need all 3 why not get rid of one to appease the wife.
Area of country makes a difference and people's ability to travel. Nobody ever offers it but spending £50 on wood to make a proper box not a pallet and sorting out a courier could greatly increase the number interested.

No-one needs 3 lathes, so I'd get shut of the ML7 and Super7 to raise some readies, but keep the rest. If you try and sell as a job lot you'll get nowhere near the value. If you really must then identify everything and sell it as individual lots. Either the classifieds on this forum or **LINK** will probably be better than ebay, but of course you can try all 3

It doesn't have to take that long to fix up a house, you'll need a hobby to come back to.

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Haha. Ducati nuts are even nuttier than Myford nuts!

Edited By Hopper on 11/07/2020 01:54:40

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Sell for 0.99p !!! and don't cry if that's what it sells for .

Just make sure you charge for postage.

A few points on ebay.

If you go into advanced search you can view "sold items". This will allow you to see actual prices for recent sales.

They often have free or cheap listing offers that you can take advantage of.

Take clear photographs and point out any defects.

Decide whether to include accessories or to hold them back and sell them separately (often the best bet)

Don't be in any kind of hurry.

Be careful when offering transport as you can look like a scammer. (offer it as an option but be sure to allow collection)

Try to show that the machines have been used by someone who knows what they are doing.

Consider offering a selection of minor accessories (drill chuck, cutting tools, centres etc) so that your buyer can get up and running with it.

Spend time on the description, make sure that it is clear and doesn't contain any spelling mistakes (scammers frequently write with very poor English)

These are a few pointers from someone who makes a living off ebay. For all its negative press I have had very little trouble with it. Most of my buyers (99.9%) have been genuine people who want a particular item and are willing to pay for it. If you are reasonable with them they will be reasonable with you. Yes you will encounter the cretins but they are everywhere and whichever way you choose to try and sell things, they will find you.

Personally I would list everything you own, provided you get the right money for things you will always be able to replace them ( I'm sure someone will disagree here but if you got £300,000 for your super 7, I doubt that you would have much trouble getting another).

Don't forget that storing things is expensive. Even a small space can cost £1500 per year. If you have to leave stuff there for a year or two this can start to add up. Cheaper alternatives like Uncle Freds garage have all sorts of hidden problems (the roof leaks or someone breaks in).

Just my thoughts.

Good luck with the property though.

Regards.

David.

Agree pretty much with the above.

After years of collecting, one should reflect very, very carefully before disposing of.

The amount raised will be disappointing, and a source of serious regret, should you alter your mind once said house is finished.

Although I'm not a dealer, I think it's a bit unfair, and naive, to berate them too much. There is nothing hidden in the fact that they are trying to operate a business and need to make a profit. Often within ridiculously tight margins, when all operating costs are allowed for, there won't remain much for their pocket.

Duncan's post above made me smile.

I've been renovating my place for the last 21 years, and it's still not finished.

But, my workshop gives me a place where I can tinker with other stuff, having a break from stuff that I really should be doing ...

Good luck with the move,

ATB,

Daniel

Ebay is OK if you refuse payment via paypal for local pickup. Under Ebay rules you need proof of shipping if someone claims non receipt, so if he's picked it up you can't prove it. Witnesses are not valid either.

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