# is a giant rope worth anything? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 26, 2012, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-giant-rope-worth-anything/635938 "2012-09-26T22:55:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-giant-rope-worth-anything/635938/1 "2012-09-26T22:55:04Z")
Hello Everyone, My wife and I purchased a new property that has a workshop on it. Inside this workshop was a giant rope approx. 45’ long and 8.5" in diameter. I really don’t know what you would use it for, but I am thinking it would have been used to tow heavy equipment or used in for wheeling activities. It is looped on one end. It reminds me of rope I have seen then use at docks to tie up huge ships. I don’t need the rope and I don’t want to toss it out so I have put it up on Craigslist to see if anyone might want it. I am asking $40 for it, but I am wondering if it is worth se lot more. Something tells me that this rope would be very expensive new. Does anyone have any idea what a rope this size would be used for and what it might be worth? I have a picture of it on my Craigslist ad if you would need to see it to tell me. I didn’t post the link here as I am not trying to sell it by asking a question on the forum. If you need a picture, say so in a reply and I will post the link. I just don’t want to rub afoul of the mods. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-giant-rope-worth-anything/635938/2 "2012-09-26T23:02:52Z")
_ **Eight and one-half inches in diameter?** _ ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-giant-rope-worth-anything/635938/3 "2012-09-26T23:07:37Z")
Do you mean the rope itself was 8.5" in diameter, or a COIL of rope 8.5" in diameter?! ---
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-giant-rope-worth-anything/635938/4 "2012-09-26T23:08:39Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > _ **Eight and one-half inches in diameter?** _ Measured around the outside circumference of the rope. Thinking now I am not sure if to that world be called the diameter, so correct me if I am using the wrong terminology. If I take a string and wrap it around the rope, then take ths string off, lay it flat it measures 8.5". ---
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-giant-rope-worth-anything/635938/5 "2012-09-26T23:09:53Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > _ **Eight and one-half inches in diameter?** _ Measured around the outside circumference of the rope. Thinking now I am not sure if to that world be called the diameter, so correct me if I am using the wrong terminology. If I take a string and wrap it around the rope, then take ths string off, lay it flat it measures 8.5". Sorry for the double post. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-giant-rope-worth-anything/635938/6 "2012-09-26T23:14:29Z")
> [@obbn](#): > > I didn’t post the link here as I am not trying to sell it by asking a question on the forum. If you need a picture, say so in a reply and I will post the link. I just don’t want to rub afoul of the mods. I don’t need your rope, and i won’t be able to answer your question either way, but I think a picture of an 8 inch diameter rope would be cool. Is that good enough? ETA: 8.5 inch **circumference** is what you have. Sorry, that’s a factor of Pi less cool… ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-giant-rope-worth-anything/635938/7 "2012-09-26T23:15:57Z")
You are measuring the _circumference,_ which is _Pi_ times the diameter. The diameter is like straight across, if you look at the end. So it’s about 2.7 inches in diameter (8.5 / 3.14). Still, that’s a pretty hefty rope. I really don’t know how valuable it would be, and it would be used for a big ship. But 45 ft isn’t long. I’d say hang it up in the workshop as decoration. ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-giant-rope-worth-anything/635938/8 "2012-09-26T23:16:15Z")
8.5" in circumference is much less impressive. That said, you should take a picture of it next to a very realistic 1:24 model of a car. That would make it about as clear as many Craigslist ads. ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-giant-rope-worth-anything/635938/9 "2012-09-26T23:26:50Z")
Ropes like that are getting popular with a certain work out crowd (Cross fit?) so it might be valuable on craigslist. If you have a boat and a boat slip, you could nail it around the edge of the boat slip to protect the boat from scratches. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-giant-rope-worth-anything/635938/10 "2012-09-26T23:27:04Z")
> [@Darryl\_Lict](#): > > 8.5" in circumference is much less impressive. So I’ve been told… ☹ ---
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-giant-rope-worth-anything/635938/11 "2012-09-26T23:31:05Z")
Thanks for the clarification on the measurement. I guess my high school (middle school) math class didn’t sink in. Even as I typed diameter I knew it was wrong. Corrected on Craigslist as well. ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-giant-rope-worth-anything/635938/12 "2012-09-26T23:44:17Z")
Sell it around the harbour. If it’s of the right material, commandos and daredevils might use it to fast rope off a helicopter. ---
**Author:** ![Twoflower](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/twoflower/32/22_2.png) [@Twoflower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Twoflower)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-giant-rope-worth-anything/635938/13 "2012-09-26T23:50:41Z")
A camp I once worked at had a rope like that. Was great for a large-group tug-of-war. Maybe you can find someone to donate it to for a tax deduction? ---
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-giant-rope-worth-anything/635938/14 "2012-09-27T00:18:09Z")
> [@the\_diego](#): > > Sell it around the harbour. If it’s of the right material, commandos and daredevils might use it to fast rope off a helicopter. Except that it’s black and yellow and not all black, it does remind me of the ropes they use to fastrope out of choppers. ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-giant-rope-worth-anything/635938/15 "2012-09-27T00:27:23Z")
I probably like to have a rope like that. It seems like one of those things that may come in handy sometime but not worth buying since I don’t have a use in mind. It may be worth more but you’d have to identify it and see what they go for. It sounds like Manilla rope. New 3 inch/50 feet Manilla could be worth [$380](http://www.contractorsrope.com/manila-rope-prices.html) to [$1,200](http://www.us-rope-cable.com/HTML/manila-rope.html), which seems pretty outrageous but if it’s Manilla, $40 would be a steal for someone who wanted it. ETA: Oh, I was going by the description of a rope used to tie up large boats. Manilla wouldn’t be black and yellow. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-giant-rope-worth-anything/635938/16 "2012-09-27T00:57:31Z")
You could play hangman. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-giant-rope-worth-anything/635938/17 "2012-09-27T01:20:22Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > You could play hangman. Oh, yeah, a ginormous noose. Halloween is coming… ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-giant-rope-worth-anything/635938/18 "2012-09-27T01:54:11Z")
How much do you want for it? I don’t have a piece of rope like that, so by definition I now want one. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-giant-rope-worth-anything/635938/19 "2012-09-27T03:00:50Z")
It’s worth its weight in rope. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-giant-rope-worth-anything/635938/20 "2012-09-27T03:06:18Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > How much do you want for it? I don’t have a piece of rope like that, so by definition I now want one. 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-giant-rope-worth-anything/635938.md?page=2)