I've seen a big increase in pricing over the last few years. It's getting harder and harder to find quality things at really good prices. I'm guessing it's partly dealers scouring Craigslist and partly people being more educated, but things have really changed and it takes true diligence to be successful. I also think greed has driven up the pricing. Following the auctions shows me that the more popular items to go for higher and higher pricing. Of note is I've never purchased anything from an auction.
The last great deal I found was on a trio of Lista cabinets(2 with 6 drawers and a single with a door) with a butcher block for 300.00 and that was 2 years ago. Even then, the guy realized his mistake. Luckily, I had paid my friend(6'4 275 lbs) to go get them and all he had to say is "I priced these way too low". The ONLY reason I got those was because I saw the listing within 15 mins of the post and committed immediately. This is how these things go. If you don't know what you want, meaning a Clausing 5914 that doesn't have a fubar hydraulic system or jacked up lower pulley, it's impossible to snatch anything good because those deals are very short lived. If you just want a Clausing 5914 and don't realize that, while a good lathe, they have a history of problems with that pulley and the Vari-speed, you might get stuck with some expensive problems. Same thing with the Bridgeport types and the variable speed. The discs start to to wear as they move up and down. All of these issues are compounded dramatically if you can't or don't want to address them personally. Furthermore, KNOWLEDGEABLE machine repair guys are few and far between and moving 1-3000 lbs machines isn't like driving your car to get the brakes fixed...
Point is that, while deals are out there, be diligent in your research before buying anything used and have reasonable expectations.
The last great deal I found was on a trio of Lista cabinets(2 with 6 drawers and a single with a door) with a butcher block for 300.00 and that was 2 years ago. Even then, the guy realized his mistake. Luckily, I had paid my friend(6'4 275 lbs) to go get them and all he had to say is "I priced these way too low". The ONLY reason I got those was because I saw the listing within 15 mins of the post and committed immediately. This is how these things go. If you don't know what you want, meaning a Clausing 5914 that doesn't have a fubar hydraulic system or jacked up lower pulley, it's impossible to snatch anything good because those deals are very short lived. If you just want a Clausing 5914 and don't realize that, while a good lathe, they have a history of problems with that pulley and the Vari-speed, you might get stuck with some expensive problems. Same thing with the Bridgeport types and the variable speed. The discs start to to wear as they move up and down. All of these issues are compounded dramatically if you can't or don't want to address them personally. Furthermore, KNOWLEDGEABLE machine repair guys are few and far between and moving 1-3000 lbs machines isn't like driving your car to get the brakes fixed...
Point is that, while deals are out there, be diligent in your research before buying anything used and have reasonable expectations.
