I'm considering buying a vintage Stanley No. 5 hand plane for €200. The seller claims it's in pristine condition, but I'm not sure if that's a reasonable price. What do you all think? Should I go for it?
3 Answers
Honestly, that price seems way too high to me. I've never spent more than $50 on a hand plane. If you look around, you can probably find one for a lot less. Check out estate sales or online listings—there are tons of them out there for $25-$50.
Even if it looks like it's been restored and is in 'mint' condition, I still think €200 is pushing it. You can find plenty of these planes for much less at estate sales—usually between $25-$50. You could buy one of those and spend a bit on some tune-up supplies and have a great tool without breaking the bank!
If it's a top-of-the-line Bedrock 605 and in mint condition, maybe €200 could be justified. But for a regular Stanley No. 5? Definitely not! It's really not worth that much unless it's super rare or something.
Thanks for the tip! I’ll definitely look into estate sales instead!