Are you a Tool Snob?
Toolsnob defined: A person who buys high-end tools to show off.
tool snob [toõl snäb] noun
a person who only buys high end tools and believes that their taste in tools are superior to those of other people. Tool snobs add a lot of value to certain tool brands or tools made by certain makers, believing the ownership of these expensive tools give them a social superiority and rank. Tool snobs often show a condescending and arrogant attitude towards owners with a different taste. Usually used as show offs, the tools are hardly used for its original purpose and can fetch a high price at auctions if sold as they are in mint condition.
OK, this is my definition of a tool snob. You will probably not find this definition in Webster's Dictionary or Encyclopedia Brittanica, but I feel it is fairly accurate. I am sure you have met a tool snob at least once in your lifetime.
Am I a tool snob? I don't think so. I might have evolved into one if I had enough money to spend. This I know because I did one time have a little extra, and bought several Lie-Nielsen planes. It feelt good, and I took a lot of pride in owning these knowing how much I had spent. Yes, I admit I felt a little superior. (Well, I guess we all have it in us to become a tool snob, what we do when we realize where we are going is a different matter). However, later I sold them, realizing that the tools really had no value for me just sitting there and being pretty in a drawer without being used. I got a chance to try them out - and yes - they are wonderful tools! If I were to do woodworking on a grander scale where I constantly would use these planes, they would not be snobby items, but high quality tools, worth every penny of the money invested. And I also learned that buying high quality tools pays off if you ever have to sell...
When I have time and a little extra cash, I like going to yard sales, garage sales and flea markets. If I find something useful, I trade my hard earned money for what others might consider junk. And I have been an eBay'er since 2000. Many nice handtools have found their way from different countries (especially England) as well as the US to my workshop from various eBay dealers. Craigslist is another good source for local tools where I live. Some tools have been bought new, other used. And what tools I did not like or found to be of less use for me I resold - always letting the buyer know why I am selling it, of course. My motto is that Honesty pays in the long run, but it will not make you rich... I will rather sell an item with a loss than making money by lying. Some of the tools I have are also inherited.
Today I use what I buy, and sometimes I pick up items that I think can be useful later on. But I don't spend a lot of money on tools anymore. I am lucky in the sense that I already have been able to build up a decent collection in the last ten years. I still like to acquire older hand tools, though they will not see much use. So I am certainly a tool collector too - like most woodworkers... Yes - and the guy who dies with the most tools wins.