There’s one thing that drives me crazy when searching for wrenches on eBay, when sellers miss-label a tool or wrench. I’ve seen folks label an open end wrench as boxed end, combination wrenches as open ended wrenches, and even flare wrenches mistaken as “fancy wrenches”. But it doesn’t just stop there, I see a lot of wacky mistakes, usually ones that if I catch, means I get a great deal on a tool.
To education yourself, first take a look at the massive list of wrenches on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrench
Now that you’re familiar with what some styles look like, here’s the skinny on wrenches you need to know for listing them on eBay:
Note Country of Origin
If you know where the wrench was made, put it in the description. If it is made in America, Canada or somewhere in Europe, if you can mention the country in the title that will help you sell the wrench.
Do not be afraid of the origin. There is a tendency to shy away from tools that are made over seas, specifically China. Some tools though have a solid reputation that go hand-in hand with their origin. Take the brand TrueCraft, most of their line of tools are made in Japan and also having a reputation for quality.
Describe the Wrench sizes in ascending order
For example, if you are selling a box end or open end wrench that is 3/8″ and 5/16″, write the sizes in order: 5/16″ – 3/8″
Utilize the size abbreviation standards
Inches are noted by following the size with one double quote. For example, 1 inch is written 1″. Metric sizes are referred to with two letter m’s following the size number. For example, 10mm.
For the sake of maximizing your listing titles, put these size abbreviations right after the size, do not bother adding a space. ebay’s search is smart enough to separate the number from the double quote character and double m letters.
If your tool is using inches, include the words “SAE” in the title, and also include the word “Standard” in the description. If metric, use the word “metric” in the title. Don’t forget to spell check as well, my last great find was from someone misspelling the word metric.
Make sure you spell the manufacturer’s name correctly
There are a lot of tool brand names out there that are of value, but only if they can be found. Misspelling the tool brand name will only prevent your listing from getting the proper exposure that it deserves.
Don’t be fooled by symbols in Logos. Kobalt brand tools sold by Lowes are quite good tools. Their first generation made up to about 2002 are highly sought after because they were made by Williams, same company that makes SnapOn tools. Plomb is another brand that is no longer made, but has a cult following. Believe it or not, many folks who don’t know better list Plomb tools in eBay as “Plumb” tools, simply because the middle letter in their logo is an upside down triangle. There are other brands that were spelled wacky from the beginning too, such as PowrKraft, a house brand for the Montgomery Ward department store.
Be up front with condition
If you don’t know how to access the condition of a wrench, say as such in your listing and let the photos speak for themselves. If there is a ratcheting mechanism, try to test it. If it clicks smooth, or makes a weird sound, describe that in the listing. Even a broken tool has value, don’t be afraid to sell and describe a tool as broken, there’s some geek like me looking for parts for their ratchet and what you have may be the solution.
Don’t over price
The biggest thing I see are tools way over priced. I recommend doing some searches both on eBay as well as on the web for the specific brand and wrench you want to sell. Find out what folks are asking and use a price slightly lower than that. If you truly believe in the auction system, you will have multiple bidders raising the price of your wrench, so there’s nothing to worry about.
Consider the language of your audience
Lastly, if you plan on selling tools outside of the United States, consider doing some research on the vocabulary for the countries you are targeting. For example, folks from England refer to a wrench as a “spanner”.
Hopefully these are enough tips to keep you from listing the wrenches so folks like me can find and buy them!