Wow! I just got me twelve new old planes, for £90. That’s just £7.50 each!
I was looking at new ones in Mackays* the other day, and they started around £50-60, and second-hand ones I was seeing, e.g. on our recent antiques crawl round Kings Lynn and environs, seems to start around £15-20, and then head for the stratosphere.
I had to drive to Grantham to buy this lot. If that cost me £30 in fuel, then my planes are still only £10 each. Result!
I haven’t had a proper look at them yet, other than before deciding to buy them. There are about six Stanleys, of which two are the Handyman type, two are SB3s, and two are the classic Bailey #4.
There are an Acorn and Stermat – both new names to me – one Silverline, and two or three of as yet unknown provenance. One of the latter uses small disposable blades, with the spare blades kept in the handle. Weird!
Most of them – nine of the twelve, I think – are no. 4, although there are two smaller ones (the SB3s) and one larger one. I started typing this post sat in a café, on my way home, having restorative tea and jam tarts. When I get home I plan to start looking into exactly what they all are, and what condition they’re in.
They look pretty good. Several having nice clean, sharp, sound looking blades. One of the Stanleys has clearly had much heavier use than the rest, as the iron is visibly far smaller/lower in the plane than all the other comparable ones. None are too rusty, nor even too dirty. Reckon I’ve lucked out!
My plan is to recondition any that need it, keep a core set, and sell the rest to cover my costs. Who knows, I may end up with planes that are practically free, or perhaps even earn me a couple o’ squid?
* The marvellous old tool shop in Cambridge.