Casting equipment value

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Howdy friends!

I am new to selling used stuff and I need some opinions about what things would be worth.  I'm thinking of selling the remainder of my casting equipment and a friend here on CAS City is interested.  My stuff is used, but not at all abused and no more than 4 years old.  IF I sell, it will include a LOT of goodies, including:

PRS 250 45 Cal. BigLube boolit mould
Lee Production Pot PRO IV (15-20 lb.) new version
Lee ingot mould
Lyman ingot mould
Lyman dipper
Lyman lead thermometer
Cabine Tree standard lead hardness tester
Rapine mould prep (3/4 full)
2 containers of Frankford Arsenal lead flux compound
Mallet made from a hammer handle
A gas-fired melter (similar to a turkey pot burner) - not used by me, and disassembled for cleaning - uses a 20 or 40 lb propane can
A postal-type scale that reads to 35 -50 lbs.  (a cheap-o, but decent for estimates)
Some other dross spoons and little stuff that is handy to have

And about 50 to 60 ingots of ready-to-use alloy about 10-12 Brinnel hardness, some pure lead (maybe 20 lbs - some cleaned & poured into ingots, some uncleaned), and about 150-200 lbs of uncleaned wheelweights, with about 10 lbs of pure linotype

I KNOW that shipping would be prohibitive, but my pard and I live close enough to meet half-way with gas not being too much of an issue for the 200 mile trip (round trip distance)

So, in your opinions, what would a fair price be?  I know that $1.99 would be a GREAT price, but not fair, since I actually PAID for almost everything, including about half of the wheelweights and ALL of the lead.


I want to make him a fair price that we both could live with.  He might even be reading this, so ... whaddya think?

Thanks for the suggestions - if ya have any!

PS - if he doesn't want to buy this stuff, I'll entertain offers from others, but HE has 1st option and I want to sell it all together, I think.

[rickk]

SHB,

you will find similar stuff on ebay all the time... a great place to approximate the fair market value of used stuff.  Keep in mind that with bullet casting stuff condition is everything.

Something to consider is that if you can find someone who wants it all in a package, it is a whole lot less work for you than parting it out one piece at a time.  A package price would likely be less than the sum of the individual prices.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

SHB,

you will find similar stuff on ebay all the time... a great place to approximate the fair market value of used stuff.  Keep in mind that with bullet casting stuff condition is everything.

Something to consider is that if you can find someone who wants it all in a package, it is a whole lot less work for you than parting it out one piece at a time.  A package price would likely be less than the sum of the individual prices.

Rick - I just had a "Duh" moment.  Like I said, I'm not into selling things ... I didn't even THINK of checking on E-bay!  I don't spend any time looking there to speak of, and the few times I do, it seems like most folks think their "whatever-it-is-for-sale" item is made of 14k gold!

Thanks for the suggestion.

And you're right, I think.  I want to sell it all together, and that probably means less overall cost/price.  That's ok - I'm just lookin for any ideas.
 

[rickk]

Ignore prices with no bids... That ain't a real price as you already deduced.

Bookmark some similar stuff that people are actually bidding on and check back after they are sold.

Look at the shipping price on the item on ebay as well, as that is part of the true price. If you are doing a person to person transaction, the shipping is free and that is extra gravy to the buyer.

Let me also throw this out... Stuff can be bought "NEW" for about 70% of manufacturer's list price, so often the upper end of "used prices" is not going to exceed 50% of list price, and that would be for really nice looking stuff.

Molds wear out over time (nicks, warpage, rust in iron molds).  Pots of all brands have a nasty habit of having the heating element short to the chassis, making for annoying shocks or GFI outlet tripping. The LEE pots usually have drip issues even when new. Lead thermometers can be abused if left in a pot continually. Propane burners can get all rusty and the regulator's do wear out over time. Is the regulator a new one (course threads that are hand tightened) or an old one (fine left handed threads that you need a wrench to turn)?

Only you would know the real condition of your stuff.

Fortunately, an ingot mold is pretty much an ingot mold and a dipper is pretty much a dipper.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Hey RickK -

Thanks for your great hints & suggestions.  I understand what you are saying.  My stuff is in good condition still, but of course isn't pristine.  There is a little rust (from the garage storage) on the pot "legs", but I think it's going to be a fair exchange to my friend. The mould has a LOT of life left in it, and it was NOT stored outside in the garage, because I fortunately had a good friend, G.W. who has been casting forever, and he gave me a lot of sound advice.  Part of that was how to "winterize" or store the equipment so the garage atmosphere wouldn't age the equipment prematurely.  The mould was cleaned, some new prep solution put on it, it was put together (not open) and the steel on the handle was rubbed with a tiny amount of CLP so it wouldn't rust - but nowhere NEAR the mould face at all.  And so on.

The regulator is the newer type, if I remember - which is going to be handy since all the new gas containers have the same, thick threads.  (Also LH, if I remember?)  I never used it and have it in pieces to get it clean.  When I got it, there was rust as well as plenty of thick, coagulated grease on the flat "pan" part of it.  It was basically a bottom and it was simply under the heating grate (with the gas holes) and gave the thing a bit of something for any spills and stuff like that there.   I  hope I can find all the little parts!  (All 3 or 4 of them!)

Later ...

[rickk]

SHB,

If you need any parts to fix the propane cooker, here is where I shop - they got just about EVERYTHING:

http://www.tejassmokers.com/

I do homebrew beer in 15 to 25 gallon gallon batches, so I have several really bad --s burner setups that I put together from stuff they sell, which double as lead melting burners or lube melting burners sometimes as well.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

What a great site, RickK!  I  had no idea there was a place to buy parts.  I saw several things that look the same on this burner I have.

Which brings me to this:

My friend and I reached a decision and a price agreeable to BOTH of us!  He mentioned that even 'tho he has been casting for a number of years, the things I am selling are right off his "wish list" of things he doesn't already have!  All I have to do is go out and make SURE this equipment is in good condition and hasn't deteriorated heavily since I looked at it last, about 2 or 3 months ago.  I'll check the heating element and so forth to make SURE he's getting the "deal" I have promised.  I won't mis-represent my stuff "for a few bucks."  'Taint the way I do business.  (Even 'tho I'm NOT in the re-sale business.)



Rick, thanks VERY much for all your help and information!

This has turndeded into a great day!

[w44wcf]

I would say that 2/3rds of retail value would be a real fair price, especially if you can get him to make some bullets for you......

w44wcf   

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Good idea, 44WCF!