Most of the old vises on Ebay don't sell because they are little more than scrap metal by this point in time.
Good condition? Years ago, I would shop at auctions and farm sales, and vises that were cracked, or had excessive wear on the nut sold for almost what a new one cost. But, those days seem to be gone. Craig's List will be swimming in worn out vises, with silly prices, but, an offer on someone who is motivated (read, moving, divorcing, etc) will usually turn out to be a purchase for a bit more than scrap value.
That is really what most of them are actually worth.
I finally broke down and purchased, brand, spanking, new a Wilton machinist's model 500 vise, that set me back a painful $390 in the early 1990s. It wasn't beat, didn't have a bunch of lash in the nut, and the keyway kept the moving jaw square to the fixed jaw at under .005". I have taken very good care of it, and replacement cost, today, is somewhere north of 1K.
Worth every penny of that, IF, and only if, you need a great vise. If you don't have a great vise, you might as well be at the beach.
Best,
Ted
