Hit the jackpot this weekend!

[Modern homesteader]

I found a guy on Craigslist this weekend who was looking to sell a couple of anvils. I was in the market for one so I called him up and went over his place.

I did get this 140 lb Mouse Hole forge anvil. Dates back to 1820-1835!! It was in decent shape and the price was right so I pulled the trigger.



So after browsing his collection, he tells me he has some woodworking tools as well. I said sure lets take a look.

Shelves upon shelves upon shelves of Stanley planes, chisels, old disston saws, etc etc etc. Must have been hundreds, possibly over a thousand planes alone in this shop.






An extensive collection to say the least. I have a feeling I will be back.

[goerk]

you really did hit the lottery, seems like the perfect place to spend some money

Whish I could find a similar place where I live, encouraged by wranglerstar I will search any flea market nearby for a nice old stanley plane I can restore (or at least try).

[Head Dynamics]

Wow, you don't live anywhere near northern Illinois do you? I would love to spend some cash there.

Nice score, anvils are getting harder and harder to find.

[DaveS]

That is impressive.

My first thought when looking at the pictures was "...I wish I could find a place like that...", but I quickly realized it is probably best for my relationships with both my wife and my wallet that I never find this kind of treasure trove.

Anvils have been harder to find around me as well. More and more I've been finding sections of RR track, but even those are selling high considering what they are.

[Modern homesteader]

As if the anvils weren't hard enough to locate, the price has gone through the roof. A couple years ago you could find them for $2-3 a lb, and now you are lucky if you find one for $4-5 a lb. You can just about buy a brand new one for not much more than the old ones cost. Some people get hung up on the fact that these are a piece of history, and while I certainly admire that, I just need something to bang on more than I need a centerpiece for my lawn.

Many of you up north are lucky in that most anvils stayed north during the industrial boom. Here in the south much of what we had was farm land, and much less need for anvils. I have seen some beautiful anvils in the northeast going for decent prices.

[SNAFU]

As if the anvils weren't hard enough to locate, the price has gone through the roof. A couple years ago you could find them for $2-3 a lb, and now you are lucky if you find one for $4-5 a lb. You can just about buy a brand new one for not much more than the old ones cost. Some people get hung up on the fact that these are a piece of history, and while I certainly admire that, I just need something to bang on more than I need a centerpiece for my lawn.

Many of you up north are lucky in that most anvils stayed north during the industrial boom. Here in the south much of what we had was farm land, and much less need for anvils. I have seen some beautiful anvils in the northeast going for decent prices.

Anvils run about $15-25/lb here, can get a new one for half or less the price some people want for old beat up scrap....