Hand tool lovers are doing it for themselves

Tool display at one of The Traditional Tools Group’s tool sales

When people who are passionate about woodworking unite, everyone benefits. Here’s a little history to illustrate that...

Henry Black held the first Sydney Tool Sale & Swap in 1986, after attending a similar event in the parking lot of a San Diego tool shop in Christmas 1983. The sellers at his first sale were really all fellow members of the NSW Woodworkers Group. The first sale was in a huge, shared workshop Henry was using at Botany. Later venues included a Sea Scout Hall and various school auditoriums and basketball courts.

In 1991 Henry put out a questionnaire at the tool sale to see if there was interest in forming a tool collector’s club in Sydney and received 100 positive responses. Subsequently a meeting of 16 interested parties in Henry’s Concord workshop started the club off. This became the Traditional Tool Group, with most of the founding members also members of the NSW Woodies.

The scene at the February 2026 TTTG Tool Sale

The Sydney Tool Sale & Swap continued as Henry Black’s personal sale with attendances of 400–500 buyers each year. The largest attendance was 800 buyers in 1991, thanks to an article in the Sydney Morning Herald “Good Weekend”. After a few years of diminishing numbers and Henry’s kids (formerly enthusiastic helpers) starting their careers, Henry handed the Sydney Tool Sale & Swap over to the Traditional Tools Group. The Traditional Tools Group tool sale started in 2012. Since then, TTTG has continued to hold a sale every year apart from 2022 when COVID forced its cancellation.

It is difficult to compare figures over the years, but TTTG has recorded visitor numbers since 2013 after moving the event to the Brickpit Sports Stadium at Thornleigh. In line with Henry’s experience the average attendance hovers around the 400 mark. I have personally attended these events since the early 1990s, and my thoughts are that numbers have continued to be extremely healthy. I think the longevity of the Sale, forty years old and still going strong, supports that view.

Of course we could not hold the Sale without the sellers. The range of tools sold by our sellers is amazing. Individually, the volume of tools sold by each seller varies greatly. Some sellers hire just one table while our largest seller hires 12 tables.

For insurance reasons we only allow TTTG members to sell at the Sale.This ensures that everyone has public liability and accident cover. Indeed, the venue manager demands we have adequate insurance cover. One of our regular sellers is Lifeline. Early in the TTTG Sales era we decided to standardise the seller tables and purchase 50 blow-moulded, folding leg, plastic trestle tables. We added to the number of tables over the years and now have about 80 tables. Storing these was a real issue. Then, via one of our members, Lifeline offered to store the tables if we allowed Lifeline to use them at the various Lifeline book sales held around Sydney. TTTG only needs the tables on one day each year, so this has proved to be a real win for both organisations.

Ironically TTTG does not aim to sell tools at the Sale. The TTTG stand at the Sale does offer tools for sale but only on a small scale. One aim is to raise funds to pay our operating costs such as the rent for our workshop at Marsfield, our website, group insurance, tool collection, etc. But the Sale also allows TTTG to raise interest in and awareness of traditional tools, demonstrate the use of tools, recruit new members, and expand the diversity of traditional tool users and collectors. We are certainly seeing a younger and more diverse demographic at the Sales.

The 2026 Sale in February was a great success. Many sellers reported a successful day and the TTTG bank account now reflects that result. TTTG also signed up some new members. Plus, the Lifeline book seller reported their ‘best ever’ result at the Sale.

The Sale was initially once a year only, however TTTG now holds smaller Members and Friends tool sales throughout the year with the next one taking place 17 May at Old Eastwood Town Hall, 74 Agincourt Rd, Marsfield, NSW from  9.00am–12.30pm.

More information at TTTG's website.