I look forward to Tool Shows the same way I look forward to a sale at Sears.  I go, looking for specific items, but never knowing what bargains I’ll find.  The main difference in a tool show and shopping just any old place, is the people.

We took along two friends from upstate New York to the Bedford, Texas Tool  Show.  They had never been to a tool show before, were intrigued with the tools, but more impressed with the friendliness of the people when they saw tools pass from hand-to-hand with promise of future pay, valuable goods traded for value, all without paperwork or money exchanged.  “No one signs anything?” she asked, and I stopped to think about it, “no, not usually, unless it’s a long list and they need to know what they removed from their own inventory.”   I had forgotten that the rest of the world doesn’t conduct business that way.

The speaker had given many talks about Tools–collecting, keeping, preserving, selling, and wanted to talk about something different.  He spoke about buying.  He admitted, like most of us, that in the beginning of his collecting, he bought everything.  If it was a tool and he saw it–he owned it, especially if it was cheap.  A few years later, he had inventory that needed cleaning and was short on some parts and TLC, so he gathered up most of his collection and took it off to an auctioneer.  Then he started again.  This time he paid more attention to value and condition; two things he said we should notice when we buy; not to settle for a tool unless it is top notch. He eliminated his “average” inventory and started again, setting limits.  Since that time, he gathered a collection that he enjoys, one that commands top prices, and one he sells sparingly, or not at all.

The Bedford show meant even more to me because I saw it through the eyes and excitement of our friends.  They were first impressed by the openness and honesty of the people, second by the uniqueness of the tools offered for sale.

Toolers are trusting, honest and sincere, sharing information about which tool came from where and can be used for what purpose.  They are there to sell the tool at the best price, but will give a tool buyer a good deal if cost allows.  They’ll buy a tool at a fair price if it’s in good condition.

People who collect old tools are interested in their history–who had them last, what they were used for, when they were made, what company manufactured them, are they still in business, and so many other details that one question leads to another and one more.  The more stories to tell, the better the sale, and the more fun the buy.  Find a tool club near you, and join. You’ll have a great time!

printed in SWTC, copyright Myrna Estey Coleman