Taunton, MA · Used Gages 508-343-1219
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Seller guide · Printable checklist

Selling Used Gages: How to Inventory, Photograph and Describe a Lot

Most surplus gages sit in drawers because nobody has time to list them one by one. You don’t need to. A buyer can make a fair call on a whole drawer or cabinet if you give them a clear inventory, the right photos and an honest note on condition. This checklist is the prep that gets you a straight answer fast, whether you sell, list or scrap.

Text photos: 508-343-1219

Short on time? Skip to the photo list. One photo of the whole drawer plus close-ups of the markings is enough to start the conversation.

1. Sort the lot first

  • Pull everything onto one bench so you can see it all. Group it by type: calipers, micrometers, indicators, height gages, bore gages, pins, thread gages, blocks, standards and fixtures.
  • Keep sets together. A partial pin set or a mic set missing one size should stay in its case so the empty slots are visible.
  • Match standards and setting rings to the tools they belong to before anything gets separated.
  • Put obvious junk (broken frames, rusted faces, dead digital tools that won’t power up with a fresh battery) in its own pile. It still matters, but it is priced differently.
  • Set aside anything you still need on the floor, so it doesn’t get photographed and offered by mistake.

2. Make a simple inventory sheet

One line per tool or set. A spreadsheet, a notepad photo or a text message all work. Columns that matter:

  • Type (for example 0–1" outside mic, 6" digital caliper, .0001" test indicator, 2-piece thread plug).
  • Brand and model if it is marked.
  • Range, size, thread size and class, or pin size and class.
  • Inch or metric, and resolution or graduation.
  • Quantity, and whether it is complete with its case, standard or accessories.
  • Condition in your own words: in use, stored, unknown, or known problem.
  • Whether a calibration cert exists, with the date if you have it.

Big lots don’t need every line filled. A count by type (“about 40 thread plugs, mostly UNC, 1/4 through 3/4”) plus photos is a fine start.

3. Clean and protect, don’t restore

  • Wipe off coolant, chips and old oil with a lint-free cloth. Light oil on bare steel faces before storage or shipping.
  • Put a fresh battery in digital tools so they can show a reading in photos.
  • Don’t sand, polish, lap or adjust measuring faces. Rework can make a gage look better and measure worse, and buyers can tell.
  • Close mics and calipers to nearly zero, not jammed shut, and lock them so faces aren’t knocking around.
  • Leave gage blocks in their cases. Don’t wring blocks together for storage. (What buyers check on a block set: gage block set guide.)

4. Gather the paperwork

  • Calibration certificates, matched to serial numbers on the tools.
  • Gage block set certificates and any inspection reports for surface plates.
  • Original manuals, setting standards and case inserts.
  • Any internal gage-control records or ID tags, if your quality system allows them to leave the building.

No cert is fine. Just say so. A buyer for production use will usually calibrate under their own system anyway; an honest “no paperwork” beats a cert that doesn’t match the serial.

5. The photos to send

  1. The whole lot on the bench or in the drawer, every piece in view.
  2. Each set open in its case, with any empty slots visible.
  3. Brand, model, range and serial markings (one clear close-up per type is enough on big lots).
  4. A zero reading: mic or caliper closed, indicator at rest, digital tools powered on.
  5. A reading on a gage block or standard, with the block size visible, if you have one handy.
  6. Close-ups of measuring faces, anvils and contact points.
  7. Any rust, dents, chips or damage. Showing it up front saves a renegotiation later.
  8. Cert pages showing serial and date.

Good light, a plain background and the phone held square to the markings do more than a fancy camera.

6. What helps and what hurts

Usually helps

  • Complete sets in the original case.
  • Standards, setting rings and accessories present.
  • Clean, smooth measuring faces and a repeatable zero.
  • Cert matched to the serial, even if it is older.
  • Clear markings you can read in a photo.

Usually hurts

  • Rust or pitting on faces, anvils or blocks.
  • Sprung frames, bent spindles, sticky or jumping dials.
  • Missing pieces from a set with no list of what’s gone.
  • Worn-out thread gages with no way to tell which member is which.
  • Digital tools that won’t power up on a fresh battery.

7. How to describe the lot

A useful first message is three or four lines. For example:

“Shop clear-out, Taunton area. One cabinet of inch gages: about 12 outside mics 0–1 through 5–6, 6 dial and digital calipers, 2 height gages, a box of thread plugs and rings (mostly UNC/UNF, unknown wear). Some certs, mostly expired. Photos attached. Prefer one buyer for the lot.”

Say what you know, flag what you don’t, and say whether you want one buyer for everything or will split it. That is enough for a yes, no or counter.

8. Pickup and shipping

  • Small lots ship well in their own cases, wrapped and boxed with padding so nothing shifts.
  • Indicators: lift the stem off the contact point and pad the dial face.
  • Surface plates and big height gages are freight or local pickup. Mention weight and whether you have a forklift or dock.
  • New England local pickup is preferred for whole cabinets and shop clear-outs.
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