This morning, after pulling email and checking the weather, I came to the forum to see if any new posts had been made. Seeing the posts whereby members were seeking 33 caliber molds, I decided to scan eBay to see what molds were available there.
I was quite surprised to see that 4,700 entries were up for sale under "bullet molds" on that venue. While they have tried to stratify the entries into classes, the sellers entering the molds for sale generally don't have a clue what they have or how to list it.
Some molds listed as "new" display lead streaks under the sprue plate, indicating at least a few casts. Molds listed as "vintage" generally are abused molds, not old molds. Molds sold in "lots" are generally overpriced. It's abundantly clear that a lot of estate sales have transpired and granddads molds are on the block.
The general appearance and abuse of the products is disheartening to say the least and it is evident that the vast majority of the products up for sale have been seriously abused, rendering them incapable of producing a usable product. Lots of molds are mislabeled as to their intended caliber or use but anyone who has been casting for decades will immediately recognize any shining stars listed within the items for sale.
Unfortunately, one has to scan a rather long list of items up for sale to discover the jewels contained within. There are a few of them in the listings. If one is seeking a particular mold, it is probably worthwhile to peruse the list to identify one which may be placed back in service to produce a quality bullet.
I concluded that most sellers simply do NOT know the product they are attempting to sell. There are a lot of new molds for sale there, mostly Lee molds which are overpriced, but there are some new molds by other makers too. There are a host of listings showing incomplete molds missing sprue plates and such.
Suffice it to say the takeaway is:
1. It seems to be there are a lot of estate sales going on trying to liquidate dad's casting gear.
2. Most of the offered molds are unserviceable.
3. There ARE some real gems that appear on the venue.
4. It's worth a perusal to see what is available on there for molds no longer produced
Have a great day!
With rifle in hand, I confidently go forth into the darkness.
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