Thread: So I get approached by a guy on Market Place wanting to know How I Price My Tools...

Spin doctor,

Do a reverse image search on some of the photos to see if they were lifted from somewhere else.
There can't be many people around with 4 Stanley #1's

Jeff

Are they lifted images? The giveaway or warning bells are generally that the images are all "different." Collectors and makers tend to have an identifiable personal photography style. Digital camera image files also contain "metadata" - the data about the author, camera, settings, image size, create and modify dates, etc. IF the author or web hosting software has not removed it. Scanned images of traditional film photographs will not have that metadata, unless the creator has added it.

If the images have different camera data, back grounds, lighting, context or contradictory / missing metadata I would be wary that the person is genuine.

The other concern is that - are you being groomed for a scam? Scammers use a whole raft of methods to establish a raport with intended victims. Note Neil's scammer warnings on this Forum.

On another forum a poster was caught out posting images of others work as their own work, in that instance it was due to advancing age health related "memory" issues. I've been alerted by friends to images of my turnings posted on US forums by others and not by me, purporting to be their own work. Thankfully that can be halted with a DMCA notice to the website hosts.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the conversation starts to turn to selling you those items……a scam me thinks

Sounds dodgy but an odd assortment.
Unless he inherited them howcome he isn’t more clued up.
I have a Siegley #8.
But 4 #2s !?
H.

Originally Posted by Beardy

I wouldn’t be surprised if the conversation starts to turn to selling you those items……a scam me thinks

I'd run, there's too many suspect things going on. If he does in fact own those tools, he'd be able to tell you the replacement costs of every screw and attachment on those planes in Australia, the US and the UK.

Originally Posted by Beardy

I wouldn’t be surprised if the conversation starts to turn to selling you those items……a scam me thinks

He'd have a tough time selling me anything. I'm trying to get rid of stuff. LOL

TBH, even if it were legit and I had bags of money, I wouldn't want them. I buy user tools that I think I can actually employ in some task, I'm not a collector.

Originally Posted by Mobyturns

I've been alerted by friends to images of my turnings posted on US forums by others and not by me, purporting to be their own work. Thankfully that can be halted with a DMCA notice to the website hosts.

I'd rather just shame the pr^&k and sign up and reply to their thread letting everyone know they're a dick fraud. Let it stay there in perpetuity. And then remind them on every post they ever make about how they stole your pics. Far better than it simply disappearing and no one is the wiser

I must have had brain fog that night. I'm usually more sus of idiots like that... Did do a reverse pic look up and yup found one on another forum in about 1 minute... So I sent him a very colourful message. I also sent a public colourful message the account holder to effin stop using qwerty as his password.

An update to the story...

So I get another message from the individual telling me I'm a very nasty person for calling him all sorts of names...

I then go on to tell him again to eff off with the added c word to emphasize my lack of desire to engage...

Well damned if he didn't reply again. But this time he includes many pics of his collection... Needless to say, I got it wrong it two ways: 1) He's legit LOL. 2) It wasn't $10k in planes he was showing me, it was well in excess of $20,000 in planes. And that doesn't include all the other tools he has. LOL. So I unpack it all for him from my perspective and the barrage of scams I have to endure. After that, we have a cordial chat! Though I still have no idea why he thinks I have any idea what his stuff is worth., and as such told him that I'm a small-time hack trying to thin out the herd, I'm not a collector or trader of tools.

So anyone looking for stanley 1s and 2s? Or corebox planes, siegley planes, or god knows what else... Let me know and I'll see if he would like to talk to you...

Still be wary! He has engaged with you and is slowly gaining your trust.

Look for another means to establish his bona fides. Yes, many collectors typically don't like to many people knowing what they have got for security reasons, however someone who has amassed a collection of rare planes does not fly under the radar. One must have a network of contacts to acquire them.

IF you are offered planes for sale at 'bargain' prices seek references from verifiable sources such as dealers, known collectors etc. before any further dealings.

Originally Posted by Mobyturns

Still be wary! He has engaged with you and is slowly gaining your trust.

Look for another means to establish his bona fides. Yes, many collectors typically don't like to many people knowing what they have got for security reasons, however someone who has amassed a collection of rare planes does not fly under the radar. One must have a network of contacts to acquire them.

IF you are offered planes for sale at 'bargain' prices seek references from verifiable sources such as dealers, known collectors etc. before any further dealings.

For me it's a no brainer. I'm not a collector. I buy tools that I think or will employ in my work. #1s #2s, or siegleys... are worthless to me. Even a no. 3 is too small foe my hands...

I do buy from people once in a while, but they need to provide a phone number I will contact and talk to them on. That pretty much kills the scammers. And I only do bank transfers, no PayPal or paid. Both of which the scammers love.

On a side note. He says he's about 45 mins away. Will ask the next time I'm going to brisvegas if I can see his collection...

I'm the same, users for me, not a collector either. Hoarder perhaps.

In 2012 or 2014 (craft disease) at the NZ Woodturning Symposium a gentleman there had a very sweet collection of almost pristine Stanley hand planes. He pretty much had the lot. Very nice to see.

Selling online comes with an enormous amount of scammers nowadays.
Unfortunately, having intense paranoia is pretty much how I go.
it’s a shame, it sucks the fun out of it.