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Posted By: K W FRITH Your thoughts on thermometers! - Wed Feb 03 2010 01:36 AM
Got a call from an elderly gentleman that wanted to sell his thermometer collection, so I went and looked today! I know very little about the value of these things, so I thought I'd better post it here and see if any of you can give me some advice on this. There are approximately 150 thermometers total and all are in working condition. There are 3 very old wooden ones, about 3 or 4 porcelain ones and the rest are painted steel. Most are advertising a store or business and very few have to do with gas & oil.
The man wants $2000 for the collection and that equates to $13.33 per thermometer. He stated that the price was considerably below what he had paid over the years and I can surely believe that!! My question is whether or not there is a good enough market out there for thermometers, that it would make it worth my time to try and resell all of these and retain my sanity?? LOL Thoughts anyone???






Posted By: HI-OCTANE Re: Your thoughts on thermometers! - Wed Feb 03 2010 01:48 AM
Looks like a few good one in there. I don't about your sanity to try and resell. Looks like a lot of work to me.
Posted By: RetroPetro Re: Your thoughts on thermometers! - Wed Feb 03 2010 01:54 AM
There are repro and fantasy ones there. Also the local generic looking ones are hard to flip sometimes. You might get your investment back but it will be a lot of work.
Posted By: Blackout Re: Your thoughts on thermometers! - Wed Feb 03 2010 02:03 AM
IMO all those small ones are not worth much I see some repos. couple decent ones but sure looks like would not be worth it to me I would not even pay a grand for all those but thats my opinion.
Posted By: Dale Stephens Re: Your thoughts on thermometers! - Wed Feb 03 2010 02:31 AM
I think Metro is right. There's a few good ones in the collection, but there are tooooooo many of the small generic type to fool with. Just my opinion. To make money for your time there would have to be a lot more of the porcelain and large good branded tin type...Dale
Posted By: HI-OCTANE Re: Your thoughts on thermometers! - Wed Feb 03 2010 02:36 AM
I only see two or three that are desirable.
Posted By: gotgas? Re: Your thoughts on thermometers! - Wed Feb 03 2010 02:40 AM
russ is right
could count on one hand the better ones
500or so at best
Posted By: Vermonter Re: Your thoughts on thermometers! - Wed Feb 03 2010 02:44 AM
You have to get that EX-LAX one!
John
Posted By: gasoildude Re: Your thoughts on thermometers! - Wed Feb 03 2010 02:50 AM
Kevin I have to agree with everyone here so far. The few ones that are decent are not worth the total you will have invested in it.
Posted By: VEEDOL_AL1 Re: Your thoughts on thermometers! - Wed Feb 03 2010 03:20 AM
hey kevin---i collect thermometers besides everything else i`m into..their is a few from what i could see that look decent and could probably keep or make some money but i agree with everyone else on the price is too high for too many common ones,,it would take you awhile to see them and return your investment..if you bought them for $500.00 ,i think you could make some money,,i see about 15 especially the beverage ones that would sell but i really can`t see the condition of them.. have to think about all the time listing,and shipping??? do you have a lot of spare time?..i don`t think so!!! lol... GOOD LUCK~~~!!!! ALAN
Posted By: Jack Sim Re: Your thoughts on thermometers! - Wed Feb 03 2010 04:10 AM
I don't know s... about thermometers, but even I would not put out that kind of money for what he has. You sound like you are considering selling some of them, or investing in them. I can give you many things that will bring in much more money than you will ever see out of these.

Too many small items, that are really not worth anything, not enough big dollars items to return your investment.

For years I would seek gas pump literature, and at most swap meets the literature was usually in in a box underneath the table. I would always look through the box, looking for one item that I could sell that would pay for the whole box. This way, one sale would make me even, and anything else I could sell would be profit. If you are trying to invest in something that you expect to sell, to buy say that next globe, you are looking at too many things to sell even before you break even.

Jack Sim
Posted By: THE AMERICAN GARAGE Re: Your thoughts on thermometers! - Wed Feb 03 2010 11:55 AM
I AGREE WITH EVERYBODY ABOUT PRICE....JUST BUY THE EXLAX ONE!


I PICKED UP A LOCAL GENERIC THERMOMETER THE OTHER DAY....$1! (BUT BROKEN TUBE). I WANTED IT MOSTLY FOR THE LOCAL AD & COMPANY ON IT.
Posted By: THERMOMAN Re: Your thoughts on thermometers! - Wed Feb 03 2010 12:30 PM
If I owned this collection and was selling it off at the swap meets this year, these are the prices I would expect to get from the the better pieces

Ducks unlimited 35
John Deere 50
Dr pepper 125
elephant fert 50
round pepsi 60
nesbits 50
white rc 45
blue rc 40
rainbow 60
pepsi 20
fatman 25
7up 50
prestone 70
bubble up 60
bubble up 50
kist 75
mission 50
biltrite 75
ex lax 180
rc cola 150
tums 40
grant batteries 30
red seal batteries 160
stihl 45
rc 40

this is just an opinion.... Tried to base on condition shown, and I would have a some extra on top of the prices to give buyers some bargaining room. I could probally move this lust in a year at the swap meets here in the north east. Nothing in the collection earth shattering or scarce. Well worth $500, I would stay away if he is firm on $2000...... Good luck
Posted By: THE AMERICAN GARAGE Re: Your thoughts on thermometers! - Wed Feb 03 2010 12:53 PM
ARE BOTH THOSE IHC FARMALL TRACTOR ONES REPRO'S?
Posted By: THERMOMAN Re: Your thoughts on thermometers! - Wed Feb 03 2010 12:53 PM
You will some of the little ones to your grave if you try to sell them individually!!!! LoL. People do buy them though, the evidence is in the picture!!!
Posted By: K W FRITH Re: Your thoughts on thermometers! - Wed Feb 03 2010 12:55 PM
I want to thank all of the responders to my question!! Your answers pretty well affirmed what I had been thinking but "THERMOMETERS" are not my area of expertise. I knew there was a few in there that would be fast movers, but all those small locally branded ones would be very slow movers.
Sometimes as individuals, we need to know that we are thinking correctly, and being able to draw from the expertise of the membership on this site, is truly phenomenal! There are many times that I have stopped to rethink my position on a certain subject, just because of the opinion of the many people that frequent this site! Life is a learning process and I hope I never quit learning!!! Thanks to all of you for the time taken to respond!!!---KEVIN
Posted By: THERMOMAN Re: Your thoughts on thermometers! - Wed Feb 03 2010 01:01 PM
The packard, dekalb, ihc, And a few others....are all later/newer/fantasy/repop!!!! Great for the shed...... And more people buy that stuff for $20, than the old cool stuff!!!! Just price it accordingly.... Can't tell you how many times I've seen that stupid packard thermometer priced at $50-$100-$150-$200 or more
Posted By: THERMOMAN Re: Your thoughts on thermometers! - Wed Feb 03 2010 01:05 PM
One last note..... Shoppers have a big bargaining acvantage when the original tube is broken/ missing/replaced. Give them a look.
Posted By: Jay Leeper Re: Your thoughts on thermometers! - Wed Feb 03 2010 01:57 PM
Hope that's not his house.Looks like he needs to put some of the wood in the stove. It's 30 degrees in there burrrrr eek laugh
Posted By: THE AMERICAN GARAGE Re: Your thoughts on thermometers! - Wed Feb 03 2010 04:11 PM
ANYBODY KNOW OF A PLACE THAT SELLS THERMOMETER REPLACEMENT TUBES?
Posted By: VEEDOL_AL1 Re: Your thoughts on thermometers! - Wed Feb 03 2010 08:43 PM
i `ve seen them on ebay from time to time..i have bought quite a few to fix some of my high end ones.. when i look at my thermometr watch i`ve seen them there,,,
Posted By: HI-OCTANE Re: Your thoughts on thermometers! - Thu Feb 04 2010 12:50 AM
tubes for sale 180463702226
Posted By: THE AMERICAN GARAGE Re: Your thoughts on thermometers! - Thu Feb 04 2010 01:21 AM
YIKES THAT ONE SELLER AIN'T CHEAP! I COULD SPEND A $100 EASILY ON JUST 6 REPLACEMENT TUBES OF VARIOUS SIZES.

THANKS FOR THE HELP!
Posted By: VEEDOL_AL1 Re: Your thoughts on thermometers! - Thu Feb 04 2010 02:15 AM
be patient doc!!! their have been other sellers that list cheaper ones in different sizes,,i have bought from that seller and he his high,especially for the larger thermometers,but its supply and demand!!!its hard to find those tubes ,,i looked for a long time before i found just one...
Posted By: gasoildude Re: Your thoughts on thermometers! - Thu Feb 04 2010 03:47 AM
Doc I believe they are.
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