How much does a broken ear cost on a farm wrench?

[skipskip]

I'm not so much looking for an appraisal as I am trying to start a discussion about values.

Ag wrenches are often brittle and poorly designed so they are often found with a broken ear or two.

Now on a $5 wrench that's fatal, and the wrench becomes fodder for the antique mall or low wend swap meet.

But suppose it's a better wrench?

How much does a broken ear de-value the tool?

here are two wrenches

one is a Wiard star wrench the other a Moline WP241

Each with a broken ear.

AJUN 506 by Skip Albright, on Flickr

the star might be worth $100 if not broken, how much now ?

$50  $10?  $90?

the moline is a $40 tool , now it's?

$5  $10   $0?

Opinions?

[stillfishin]

I would think 0 or close to it in both cases. I'm sure someone might want one for a collection and may be willing to rebuild those ears, but its more likely they will just wait till a good one comes along.

[Lewill2]

My focus is rare adjustable wrenches and my view is if it is something rarely seen or one I have never seen before I would rather have a poor example in my collection that costs pennies on the dollar of a complete or good example, and I'm still in the hunt.

[oldtools]

depends on if it is repairable to almost original condition, is the broken piece included? just weld it? but to make a original looking piece?

[rustcollector]

Wiard star wrench = $100+ in good condition, $20 or less with any break. Just sold one myself that was broke.

Moline wrench, might as well toss it. Hardly a $15 wrench now anyway and broken it would be hard to do anything but give it away.

[jimwrench]

Takes all the value away for me. Only way I'd buy one would be in a lot with something I wanted. Send the broken one to the scrapyard (It should make the remaining good ones worth more.)

[leg17]

Some collectors like "space fillers" until a better example comes along.

Ebay could determine the market value.

Collectors are all different.

[rustcollector]

Over soaking in things such as vinegar are just about as bad on the farm wrenches. The metal used on the majority of them just doesn't like that process a whole lot.
Overall, Skip, broken ears are a killer on the farm stuff. You can figure on average that it will cut value to 1/5 of a good one. As with everything, there are exceptions to that.
I'd rather have pitted than broken myself.

[strik9]

I have fixed and resized forged steel wrenches.  Welding a part back on or welding a chunk of steel and making it the part.   .     They cost a lot of work and never look right as even a refiled or stretched example.  Add in they are unsellable afterward for being modified.     .      I stopped doing that a while back and just leave them with a patina of age and whatever form they had.