What is my Gilson Worth?

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I am often asked the question, "what is my snowblower worth?" There are no hard and fast rules so let me begin by making some points.

There is no "Blue Book" of machine values.

To my knowledge there are no machines that have known collectors value such that they will fetch a higher price.

You can command a dramatically higher price after several significant winter storms than you will in a July garage sale.

There is a buyer for anything.

Something is worth what a willing buyer will pay for it in a free market.

Buying a vintage machine with limited or no spare parts support is taking on a hobby.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

You never know what will motivate a buyer.

The value of used full sized snowblowers is a truly amazing thing. By full size I am refering to machines starting in the 24-26 inch and 7-8 horsepower range. These are the machines that can do a lot of work. The workings of these machines are much like today's top brands. These machines are much sturdier than today's machines and many of us love them for just this reason. It is not uncommon to see dealers commanding $400. prices after servicing the machine and offering some sort of short term warranty. I have seen 40 year old machines command money equal to the original selling price. Machines selling for 1/2 - 2/3 of the original price are very common. Small machines of unknown brands will sell for less on average and many dealers will not even offer them as used machines.

I have taken in ober 100 snowblowers in a wide range of conditions. If the machine is in working condition the owner sees the machine through rose colored glasses. He pictures it in "as new" condition and fully functional. The fact is that age, water, salt and use take it's toll. When I get a used machine I perform triage on it. In a 5 mnute examination I will almost always identify a dozen or more things that need attention. It may be an adjustment, wearing part or correcting for a part that was bastardized or substituted. A vintage machine getting looked at for the first time is almost sure to need several hours (and often much more) to make it mechaincally sound. It may run and even work but that does not mean it's sound or likely to be reliable. If you are not a DIY person the cost of getting this work done by a shop will soon make you wish you had bought a new machine.

There are many legacy brands that shops will not touch. With limited or no parts support they do not want to find themselves deep into a job with no parts availability. This would leave them in the misserable position of billing you to return a non working machine or eating the costs they sunk into your unit. There are many shops that sadly see Gilson machines in this light. The other gotcha is that every machine has it's tricks and procedures and it is difficult to find a technician that really understands your unit. The vintage machine owner wants to be prepared to go it alone. This is some of the headwind an informed buyer will offer.

NOTE: Professional engine service is almost always readily available for just about any machine. Just make it clear that you want the engine serviced.

With all of that considered I can't begin to appraise your machine no matter how many pictures you send or what you tell me. My standing answer is $50. give or take $25 for a complete machine that runs.

Between Halloween and President's Day you can do better (November 1 to Mid February)
When backs are sore and snow is in the forecast you can do better
If it really runs well and you can demonstrate in snow you can do better
In the off season you will stuggle to be noticed, let alone sell for a good price.

Here are some common avenues to a sale:

Consider posting it in our Facebook Group. Hundreds of Gilson owners are members of this group and will have visibility to your machine. This is a great opportunity for a well kept machine as well as a tired unit that may only be good for parts.
Facebook Marketplace and dozens of other sites like it
CraigsList
If you have the right location, a For Sale sign on the machine at the end of the driveway can do the trick

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Created January 2007 ---- Updated March 2020