why dont dies hold value?

[Rapier]

It is a signt unseen deal, even if you have them in hand. They could still be gouged or rusted inside or could be altered. So the market for used dies will not bear a high price.

[Alferd Packer]

I don't understand wearing out bottleneck rifle dies.I always clean the cases before sizing a d always use STP for case lube.
Over 20,000 30-06 cases thru my RCBS sizer die and it has a yellow cast inside the die , but it still sizes the cases perfectly.
I guess I'm in the minority on wearing out dies.
Still use my .45 LC steel dies as well as the 44 mag steel dies.
I never expected them to wear out and they haven't.
How do you tell if a die is worn out.it won't chamber in the gun after sizing?
I have seen fellow reloaders that don't clean cases and are sparing with the sizing lube, only lubing every fifth shell.
I lube every shell, but very lightly so as to not have lube dents in the case shoulder.
The straight cases used to get carbide dies, but I found my brass splitting and worn out.
So using the steel dies and STP, the cases last more than ten times longer.
Of course the cases are cleaned before sizing.
I think sizing dirty cases is one way to wear out your sizing dies.
I also clean primer pockets as well.
Grit from those can get on lube pad and then onto cases into the dies.

[RichardB]

" why don't dies hold value?"


BECAUSE YA BOUGHT LEE!!!!!!!

[Winger Ed.]

How do you tell if a die is worn out.it won't chamber in the gun after sizing?

They don't exactly wear out,,,,, well, the expander ball can.
I think it's Lyman that now makes some carbide ones.
I trashed one for 5.56 after less than 2,000 cases and replaced it with a carbide one.
It's harder than Chinese Algebra and is still doing fine after going in & out of about 3500 cases.

I wash, bore brush the neck, & tumble cases.
I'll lay them out and hose 'em off with 'one shot', even inside the neck, then do the sizing.

A sizer die can get a scratch or burr inside it and leave scratches on the case.
I had a .270 die that somehow got a burr pulled up inside it.
I noticed it left a rather deep scratch on the side of a couple of cases. I was suspicious of them and kept 'em set aside.
Both split when fired.

So far, I've only lost 2 expander balls. One 7.62, a 5.56, and one sizer, but it can happen.

[popper]

There is a markup on retail products. Manuf cost, profit, distributor overhead and inventory and TAXES. Same for all products. So 75% of the cost is 'depreciation'. So you sell something at just below MSRP, some thnk it is a deal.
I've some unused Lee dies, cost more to ship than to trash.

[higgins]

In the fairly distant past, I bought a couple of used steel Lyman pistol die sets just to get the M-die for less than the price of the M-die alone. Add in the value and utility of the other misc. parts like lock rings, nuts for adjustment stems and the stems themselves and it's a good deal.

[reloader X]

I tend to watch new and used pr ices for stuff and have always been baffled as to why reloading dies dont hold their value as well as other reloading gear.
back in the day I might have started will cheap lee dies then graduated into very expensive Redding dies and everything in between. ive never worn a die out but have buggered some up by not being as careful as I should have. mostly jamming up resizing dies by trying accidentally having a piece of berdan primed brass in the pile .
but I still cant figure why quality dies dont resell at nearly what they cost new. iv e bought used perfectly good die sets at gun shows and other places for low as $10 a set for dies that would easily cost $60 to $80 new.

its because they're wear items not a storehouse of wealth..