Our aim is to bring and connect a host of of tool enthusiasts where those involved (members) have the full range of facilities under one roof to buy, sell, discuss, research and make new friends. We appreciate not everyone is tech savvy and as a result have made this website simple to navigate in the members ‘My Account’ area where they gain access to a wider range of facilities.
Core to our mission:
- Improve the online auction buying experience for antique & collectable tools
- Improve trust and amplify the voices of experts in their fields
- Reduce the buying charges for antique tool buyers
- Create and connect a community of tool enthusiasts with added security
- Improve research, information and connect this with valuations
- Increase the value that tool sellers receive and simplify the process
- Bring standards that have yet to be introduced into the industry
Improving the online buying experience
This can be done by a series of things ranging from improvement of presentation of the tools sold with relevant detailed images that are important to the specific tool in question. This also has to be backed up with good descriptions that come from an experienced eye where ‘in the detail’ is reliably used on a regular basis.
Trust, reliability and responsibility is very important and the corner stone of our business and is something we have always taken pride in. We have built our own used tool business and now bring these key aspects to our expansion into the antique auctions.
This website automates many aspects of the buying process with a simple checkout which allowing us the time to put it where it’s properly needed.
Improve trust and improve the access of authoritative figures
Here I go again on about ‘trust’ but it’s paramount to the what buyers will be prepared bid when they are either confident or unsure with what they are purchasing.
Likewise there are many with wide ranging expertise in antique and collectable tools who should share their knowledge to bring others into understanding their passion. Sharing knowledge only increases demand and that same demand is needed when those collectors eventually part with their prized tools.
Reduce the buying charges for Antique Tool buyers
There are different types of buyers of antique tools, those who are selective and acquire slowly over a longer period and those who buy more items or higher priced tools. For this reason we have introduced membership options to help the type of buyers they are to help them with reducing their the buyer premium.
Over time we hope to introduce other saving methods dependant on the service people use reflecting the time and effort needed to process their purchases.
Create and connect a community of tool enthusiasts
Whilst there are many social networking groups on Facebook I want to create a community of genuine tool enthusiasts where it is conducted within a safer environment. Those who follow the web will realise there are many issues regarding tracking and building profiles on these platforms that they use to retarget people with sales ads specifically targeting the information gathered.
Apple are taking on these companies such as Facebook for the unethical practice of tracking people on and off their platform. This is why we have focused so heavily on being a members only website that stops unauthorised mining of information & tracking of our members. It would have been much easier to create a group on Facebook etc but security and your data protection is hugely important.
We have integrated a world renowned secure and private forum system in our members area which we intend to expand and develop further in time.
Improve research, information and connect this with valuations.
Because the user MyAccount admin panel is easy to navigate and use it make it much easier for people to share information. It’s also designed to build up and store all this information created over time by ourselves and the community of members that is accessed through internal search.
Sold auction lots will also allow members to cross reference them with clarity over the differences in condition, this will build and mature in time. It effectively will become a digital museum with realised prices attached.
Increase the prices that tool sellers receive and make it easier
You need a focused audience to gain the top prices along with a good reputation of doing things right. It’s also important that the correct information and details are clearly shown in the images with the ability to see things in close detail. The best prices also attracts the best antique tools, you know those tools that rarely come onto the market. At the end of the day many of the most desirable tools are held by fellow collectors and we have to create an environment to tempt them to part with them. This is good for all serious collectors who one day will pass them onto the next generation.
Ebay is and was never the answer, you can sell on there but likewise it has comparative selling fees but you have to do all the work and research. We have created an environment that does all the work for sellers and we will do it professionally.
We realise that this may not suit certain tools that the lack of clarity is needed to sell them above the natural value. Buyers make judgements based on honesty and good presentation, they need to have confidence when stepping up to pay top prices on those rare desirable tools.
Bring standards that have yet to be introduced
Much of this stems with embracing technology and building a website that enhances the the antique tools subject both in clarity and its functionality. Whilst there are many involved in this industry, there hasn’t been anyone else prepared it invest both the time and finances into something like this, we are raising the standards as a result.
We have done this on our sister website where we don’t just sell user grade vintage tools, they are also enhanced to their full potential of usability. This saves our customers lots of time & effort and ensures every vintage tool is fit for purpose.
We are experienced tool buyers, we run Tooltique and probably one of the biggest buyers of used tools in the UK. We see first hand what auctions are like to buy from, where luck and hope is always an underlying factor. Like many others there has always been a mixed bag of results from auctions when buying tools and why we hadn’t stepped up strongly into the antique tool market.
It’s clear their is a need for a specialised antique tool auction service without all the distraction of ordinary user grade tools bring. And an auction that will advertise internationally every day of the week though good online marketing, amongst other methods.
We also want to reduce 3rd part online auction services, who charge their fees but do not re-invest them back into the industry. We have shown it is possible to do our own tool auctions online without extra costs to those using our services, others in the auction industry need to invest in their businesses or pay these extra costs themselves.