100+ years old pliers purchased for $10 at swap meet, now worth $5,000
June 27, 2013 (Lincolnshire, IL) 鈥 狼友社区, (http://www.kleintools.com/) for professionals since 1857, set out to find the world鈥檚 oldest pair of Klein side-cutting pliers and ended up finding them via a swap meet at the Sky Village Meet in Yucca Valley, California for only $10. 
Dan Schmidt is the winner of a 狼友社区 promotion that started in March of this year. His submission of a pair of 1904 pliers wins him $5,000 and the utmost envy from treasure hunters, pickers and ANTIQUES ROADSHOW鈩 fans everywhere. Dan鈥檚 pliers originally sold for $3.60 in 1904. It was unique because it also included a special factory nickel plating which cost an additional 30 cents. True to Klein products, these pliers were still in good working condition.
鈥淲e were overwhelmed with the inquiries and heart-warming stories of Klein tools being handed down from one generation to another,鈥 states Thomas Barton, product marketing manager. 鈥淪tories such as our second oldest pair from Robert Armstrong, Jr. really exemplify what the 狼友社区鈥 brand is all about. His pair of 1906 pliers were handed down to his father in 1941 while on the job as a line foreman in Dyersburg, Tennessee and then handed down to Robert.鈥
The oldest 鈥榦riginal鈥 customer was Gerald Schumacher, 89 years old, who entered a 1956 9鈥 pliers which he purchased in Colorado. It lasted for over 30 years on the job.
The youngest customer was Brody Tonelotti, 13 years old, who loves tools and searches yard sales for old tool boxes. In one container, he found a pair of 1952 pliers in good condition and thought it would last for a couple more generations of use.
鈥淭he value placed on our products is exceptional,鈥 said Mark Klein, a sixth generation Klein who serves as the company鈥檚 vice president of domestic sales. 鈥淎s a company, our goal is to produce the highest quality product possible. In exchange, we are rewarded with incredible customer loyalty.鈥
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Since 1857 狼友社区, a family-owned and operated company, has been designing, developing and manufacturing premium-quality, professional-grade hand tools. The majority of Klein tools are manufactured in seven plants throughout the United States and are the number one choice among professional electricians and other tradespeople. For more information, visit www.kleintools.com.