I am writing from the perspective of someone who buys heritage woodworking
tools from eBay to use in freelance interpretation at a variety of Ontario
museums and historic sites.

More often than not (by far!!!) the item descriptions on eBay are incorrect.
Virtually ANY old plane is likely to be listed as a "moulding" plane or
"block" plane. eBayers learn very quickly to ignore adjectives such as
"rare" and "unique", especially when used for an article stamped on the
blade quite conspicuously in the accompanying photo as "MADE IN INDIA"!!!.

Few sellers take the time or have the equipment to offer a variety of
photographs or even one DECENT photograph.

One very quickly learns which dealers to trust and these I contact off-eBay
to tell them of specific items I'm looking for, so they can let me know when
they come up. They are invariably truthful, willing to answer questions if
they can and supply additional photos if asked for them.

Prices on eBay are HIGHLY variable. For instance, I recently paid less than
$US15 for an early Disston No. 7 crosscut saw, one of the very first made
during or immediately following the Civil War, and in excellent condition.
Last evening, another collector outbid me to acquire an 1885-1920 Shurly &
Dietrich panel saw for $US23 - with a cracked handle and poorer quality
blade - NOT a very good buy. So selling on eBay can be a chancy business,
just as is buying.

On the other hand, one can find real treasures and sometimes at low prices.
Last evening I bought an early commercially made wooden-bodied router
plane - for $US38! Such planes are quite rare, unlike most other planes, as
most joiners made their own router planes. In this case, the seller frankly
admitted he had no idea what the object was and, clearly neither did most
potential buyers. I would happily have paid at least double the price.

Can eBay be used as a source of artifacts for museums? Yes, but there are
usually questions of provenance as few dealers can tell you much about the
history of anything they sell. An exception was a shipwright's tool chest
offered recently by a dealer in Nova Scotia. It contained a VERY complete
set of tools used for mould-making and sandcasting in a Lunenburg NS
shipyard. I alerted the head of the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in
Halifax and told him I considered this collection of such importance to the
history of NS shipbuilding that I thought he HAD to acquire it and offered
to donate half the price. The museum accepted my offer, bid for the item and
acquired it for the reserve bid amount of $US500. Since some of the tools
were marked with the craftsman's name, they were able through local
industrial and census records to document the provenance and have now filled
an important gap in their collection of shipbuilding tools.

eBay is like anything else. CAVEAT EMPTOR!!!
--
Harry Needham, Principal ([log in to unmask])
Harry Needham Consulting Services Inc.
Solutions for Heritage Institutions - and Others!
74 Abbeyhill Drive
Kanata ON K2L 1H1 Canada
(Voice) +1.613.831-1068
(Fax) +1.613.831-9412

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