5:52 PM 5/11/2007 Murlands Tool Value Guide at The Best Things

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Murlands Tool Value Guide

Murlands Tool Value Guide


This is the first good general price guide for tools since the landmark work by Barlow back in the 1970s. I remember when I first got into tools; I pored over the Barlow book like it was the most exciting book ever written. New collectors might do the same with this book, and even seasoned collectors like myself will enjoy thumbing through it. The main value that I see to this book is for generalist antiques dealers and auctioneers trying to get a handle on what tools are worth. Like any price guide, it is not really meant to accurately value any particular tool, but instead to give you a general idea of the approximate range of value for a type of tool. The author operates one of the two large British tool auction companies. The values given tend to reflect this background, as tools that bring more in Britain will seem to be valued a bit high to Americans, and other tools that are more sought after over here might appear to be valued on the low side. One final caveat is that this book is the first printing of the first edition and there are some mistakes that could really throw a novice collector. For example, panel planes, are mislabeled as jack planes. I see auctioneers make this mistake all the time, but panel planes and jack planes are diametrically opposed in functionality.