Who's correct?

[rustcollector]

Well I am 99.99% sure he does not have the correct wrench, I have to wondet ig thid Vance guy is even correct. If the wrench and the book are right, I have about 10 of these identical marked 9N wrenches that I'll take $25 each for.
Item number is 111151223628 on ebay.

[mvwcnews]

A couple of weeks ago I had a visit with an antiques shop owner, and the conversation turned to sales literature, auction listings etc. and the ways that buyers get suckered.   In my opinion, that auction listing is full of "weasel words"  that gives the seller an out.. 

If you do an "image search" for "Newhouse Wrench" in bing or google, that wrench does not turn up  in the "best matches." You'll find the "wolf trap wrench" and a malleable iron wrench with NEWHOUSE cast in.

[jimwrench]

 Seller messed up and got one picture too clear. Seems to be a N9 orphan and very common.

[Bus]

The only Newhouse trap wrench I know of is the one below. trap collectors have been running wanted ads for years trying to obtain one. I have never seen an example in all the wrenches I have handled.

Picture is from
http://trapanswers.blogspot.com/ with the following caption:
   "A Newhouse wolf trap combination tool, used as a hammer, wrench, and spring compressor; it's also used for making adjustments to the trap. Another rare piece, if you happen to have one, they are worth over $1000."

Also found this description in a 1908 Hunter-Trader-Trapper magazine"
   "Newhouse Wolf Trap Drag and Wrench These drags are very convenient to fasten to traps They will either securely hold the animal or make a trail that is easily followed Drag made of wrought iron furnished with strong S Hook to fasten to trap chain Price 25 cents each Wrench is of malleable iron With a pair a trapper can set a No 4 or 4 Newhouse wolf trap very easily Has small slot in end for bending the dog The flat surface near one end will serve as a hammer Has also a long slot in middle for slinging on carrying strap Price 25 cents per pair One Drag sent postpaid for One new subscriber One pair Wrenches sent postpaid for One new subscriber Newhouse Fox Trap Drag"

The wrench on ebay can be found marked "M58" or "N9", as far as I know they are both orphans. I can't imagine how a small (5-3/4" long) wrench like this would be used on a wolf trap but I could be wrong.

 Rustcollector: I have several of each so if you sell you for $25 each I will sell you ten more for $5 each. I also have one unmarked example.

[rustcollector]

That's the only wrench that I know of too, Bus. I once sold a early 190? Onieda catalog with the wrench listed in it. $1.50 per dozen. Be nice to have a dozen now.

This idiot seller and I exchanged a couple emails with him telling me that this Vance guy was the expert, not me. Sorry, I don't have to be an expert to know that that actual wrench he is trying to scam people on has nothing to do with traps. I finally gave up on the seller doing the right thing, and reported the item last night, but it seems last I checked that ebay hasn't done anything about it. I hope everybody else will harass this idiot too.

I have gotten so many of these M58's, N9's and unmarked similar ones that I have actually just started scrapping them. Seems you can't buy a box lot of wrenches without getting some variant of the wrench. I can't see them ever truthfully being worth more than scrap metal.

[rustcollector]

Last time an idiot tried this, I posted a wrench like it at some ridiculous price and told everybody that the other wrench was a scam. It was taken down in less than a few hours after that. I may have to do it again.

[rusty]

Don't get it.

The catalog he is referring to , and shows in the photo says the wrench is stamped S. Newhouse" right in the description.

But the wrench he is showing in the picture (both sides) isn't stamped....

Yeash

This appears to be his second try, the last one , from pennsylvanis listed 'for a friend' didn't sell at the $249 reserve....

*duh*

Stray bit - There is at least one brass reproduction of the wolf trap wrench ....

PS: If you want ot get distracted for 2 hours...: http://archive.org/details/trappersguide00newh

[rustcollector]

The one his so called friend tried had to be taken down for an error in the listing.

[jimwrench]

 Asked seller why his wrench marked N9 rather than S Newhouse. No response. He is up to 13 bids and $153.49 At least only the high bidder will get scammed.

[rustcollector]

reported twice to ebay, they have done nothing. Blatant scam and they just stand by and watch it happen.

[mikeswrenches]

Scam or not, feebay still collects a Final Value Fee.  In other words THEY DON'T CARE.  For them it's only about the money.

Mike

[Carl Wagner]

Some things never cease to amaze me. I'm going to copy this listing exactly and go pick up the 10 or so I see at every flea market. Some people....

[Carl Wagner]

BTW....There is at least 3 of that same wrench currently listed on ebay.

[RWalters]

To be charitable to the seller, and I must be in a charitable mood tonight, he appears to be a generalist selling everything from a cast iron doorstop to an album cover autographed by Conway Twitty. So he's not likely to be an expert on anything he sells. That said, the wrench illustration in the guide by Vance is not captioned (more like a page filler) and appears to be at least two pages away from the line about the Newhouse wrench, so if he's calling it a Newhouse wrench based on the picture, that's a stretch, particularly as it takes about two minutes on Google to see what a real Newhouse wrench looks like. That doesn't explain his unwillingness to accept accurate information about his listing. On a number of occasions I have messaged ebay sellers about items they have misidentified or stated they couldn't identify and when I've gotten responses they have been appreciative. As to whether it's a scam or he's just stubborn, Napoleon said it best, "Never ascribe to malice that which can adequately be explained by incompetence." Plus he has a 14 day money back return policy, so if the high bidder gets their wrench and finds out it's not really a Newhouse wrench, I think they'll be ok. Apparently, I'm feeling chatty as well as charitable tonight......

[rustcollector]

To me, this guy is just outright stealing from some unknowing people. He has been told that it is wrong and insists on leaving it up. Bad business practice if you ask me. I'll try to run an informative listing tomorrow to see what happens.