Sadly, Dale Beeks passed away in November 2023. Dale was both a great mentor and a true friend. The surveying hobby won't be the same without him.

I purchased Dale's personal collection of rare surveying instruments in 2020, and have been slowly selling the instruments to collectors. I have been adding pics of his collection to this page as I posted the instruments for sale on my website. This page DOES NOT reflect Dale's instruments (1) that I sold privately without a listing on my website or (2) that I haven't offered for sale yet.

Now that Dale has passed away, I will when time permits post pics of everything in his collection I acquired. Below is the story how I acquired the collection.

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Dale Beeks has been buying and selling surveying instruments for approximately 40 years. Dale has had an amazing number of instruments pass thru his hands since the early 1980s - and some of instruments rank as the most valuable surveying instruments in the history of the hobby. While not a practicing surveyor himself, Dale developed an intense appreciation for the history of the surveying profession, and the importance that surveying instruments played in the development of our country. (Dale's First Formal Catalogue of Instruments for Sale - Fall 1985).

Little known fact - Dale also fancied himself as a collector. Every now and then, a rare or intriguing instrument would call out to Dale, and Dale would add the instrument to his personal collection. Some of the instruments have great stories, while others are simply works of art. But all of the instruments in his personal collection are special.

I didn't know about Dale's personal collection until late in 2020. After Dale told me a bit about his personal collection and sent me a few pics, I jokingly asked him "How Much Do You Want For It?" A few days later Dale and I cut the deal.

Dale personally delivered the instruments in March 2021. Dale's a great guy, and I really enjoyed our time together. (He looks just like his Facebook Pics). But I love his instruments. They are just INCREDIBLE. My dad assembled a wonderful collection over 35 years of collecting, but nothing like Dale's collection.

I am going to list one or two instruments from Dale's collection for sale every month or so.

If you've read this far, I will give you just a taste of one of the many special instruments that Dale's collection includes. If you look at the pic at the top of this webpage, you will see a surveyor's tool chest with its associated tools. But if you look closely…you will see a Circa 1760 compass made by Anthony Ham, a Gunter chain with Colonial Tokens minted around 1787 serving as markers, and a number of other small Revolutionary War era items.