Atlas prices

[jwmay]

Has anyone else noticed a sharp uptick in Atlas lathe prices in your area?

A couple years back, I could buy a 618 for 300-650 pretty much any time. A 10F rarely went higher than $1200, and only then if it had a qcgb. The top line Craftsman Commercials were not much different in price than today. But I haven't seen a 618 for less than a thousand bucks in a good long while. And regular change gear 10F lathes are 1500-2000 dollars. Seems like the complete machines are beginning to equal the sum of their parts.
I'm a little torn by that. Glad to see the machines may not get parted out quite so often. But it sure is harder to find the extras without cheap machines on top of cabinets full of tooling! Ha!

Anyway I was just curious what people are seeing where they live.

 

[markba633csi]

I've been noticing that for a while. Ebay thing is great if you need a part but it has the undesirable effect of making whole machines harder to find and more expensive- everyone wants to get rich parting them out
-M

 

[Ulma Doctor]

folks often overvalue their items for sale

 

[NCjeeper]

I have not been following the lathes, but the shapers and horizontal mills have had a surge in pricing.

 

[Aaron_W]

Agree with Mike, I've seen those kinds of prices, but watching Craigslist and Ebay, the ones that sell aren't usually that high unless a really nice example..

I've been watching the 6" Atlas lathes the past year and they are still selling around $500-600 unless they are really clean and have tooling. Sure I've seen them listed for $2000 but they linger for a long time..
There is a Craftsman commercial for $900 on my local CL, and it has been there for about a week. There was another asking $1500 that was up for well over a month, and I'm assuming the seller finally took a lower offer to move it. Both looked decent in the photos.
Ebay is a little different since there is a wider audience and some of those high prices include shipping which can add hundreds of dollars to the price.

 

[Packard V8]

I recently sold a 618 on a good stand, with decent tooling and gears, for $650 and thought I was getting top dollar.

jack vines

 

[benmychree]

I think that there much higher quality lathes out there for a good deal less money --- Aaron W can testify to this.

 

[wrat]

Machine tools are a foundational commodity of any economy.
As the dollar plummets in value, it will require many more of them to purchase items of intrinsic value. Even the Commodities market can stave it off for only so long. Copper, Iron, Lumber, etc. All on a meteoric, yet oddly silent, rise.
Oh, sure, the dollar may not plummet in comparison to soft investments that can be propped up - like fiscal instruments. But against food and goods, it's sinking with no bottom in sight.
That will include any machine tool of any size and shape and eventually reach right down to used lawnmowers -- what if you can afford the gas to run one.

 

[benmychree]

I more agree with Aaron W and Ulmadoc, some people grossly overprice what they are trying to sell, hoping for a chance sucker to take the hook.

 

[JPMacG]

I have not noticed a change in the price of Atlas lathes, but Atlas mills and shapers have risen in price around here. They are relatively rare compared to lathes. YouTube videos and forums like this have stimulated interest.