I have been going out on Friday and Saturday mornings now and then and looking through the junk and occasionally finding a treasure. A few weeks back I found a old Bear White Tail 2 Compound Bow with near perfect draw for me complete with case 40 arrows and a large selection of broadheads for $15. I have picked up a lot older fishing tackle and tackles boxes that average about $5 for a box full of 1970s-1990s lures I have been loving sorting through mystery boxes I have picked up 13 Zebco 33 Reels and 5 733 HAWGs some still in the original package for $1-$3 per pretty much all 85-90 models. Have even found a few sharp fingers for my sharp finger knife collection. Today's Trip out I didn't find any tackle, reels or knives but I did hit gold at what I initially figured for a low end total junk sale but decided to stop and look around. Walking up the drive two tables caught my eye right off the bat. The first a large Cherry Round Clawfoot table with matching chairs and leaf to turn it into a very large clawfoot table. A $75 price sticker on it and after close inspection it is solid cherry with a makers mark and a year burned into the bottom of the top and under the pedestal RTF 1907 As I was inspecting the the Oak Drop End table and pair of matching chairs (Found the same maker mark and a year of 1898 burned into it.) The Nasty Old Hag Running the sale yells out "Make me a offer I want all of this shit gone in the next hour!" One of those people I just take a instant dislike to So I shopped around a bit more and found a 47 Pcs Intact Wood and Sons China Set withe green rose pattern. Not much else interested me so I made the Nasty Old Hag a Offer of $25 for the clawfoot, $10 for the drop end and $5 for the China set. So I stopped by one of the Antique shops owned and ran by a semi kind of friend that also runs the County Historical Society and Museum. And ask him to take a look at my finds. The Makers Mark he knew all about it is the first initial of 3 brothers names that were the premier local furniture and cabinet makers and ran their shop from 1891 until 1918 the shop ceased to exist in 1918 when all three brother were killed in a train derailment returning from a craftsmans convention in Saint Louis. My jaw about cracked the concrete floor of his shop when he said "I will write you a check right now for $3500 for the clawfoot and $1500 for the drop end table." I politely declined as I wan them for the house and he was pleasant about it and said if you ever change your mind you know where I am. I asked him stripped refinished and the couple of scratches worked out...... what would be their fair market value? Just curious. The Clawfoot and full set of chairs restored would be worth $7,500-$10,000 and the Drop End (Solid White Oak) and pair of chairs would sell for $4000-$4500 Seems there are several regional collectors of the RTF Makers Mark and high demand for their pieces. The China set was made in England between 1935 and 1940 and is a fairly common set and pattern and worth $550-$600 for the set. He asked me where I obtained the stuff and I told him and he Nodded his head and said that Nasty Old Lady...... These are from her Mother and Fathers house. Then he asked and how much did you I HOPE STEAL THEM FOR? All Three things for $40 He laughed and said that old witch deserved it. Which was kind of my thought as well after dealing with her just plain nasty attitude. Hands down my best day of yard and garage sale shopping ever! And picked up some pieces that represent the local and regional history as a bonus. And nope I have no intention of selling any of it! The Oak Drop End Matches Mrs. Kraps Oak Roll Top Desk, The Clawfoot and chairs have inspired me to rip out the 12' low bar I had built in the combo living/dining room and put that Cherry Clawfoot Table where the Bar was. A perfect fit with the leaf in and will look great as well. Stripping the table and chairs and refinishing them will be a breeze....... Unlike so much antique furniture some dumb as DID NOT encase them in 10 layers of enamel paint I don't know why but I really like the China set. pic is one the Antique shop emailed me of plate he has that is the same as my set. Not a chip or crack to be found on any of it! And it is a 8 place setting for the 8 chairs that will fit around the table with the leaf in. Perfect for when we have guest. LOL Now I need to find 4 more RTF cherry chairs that match the 4 I got today Antique shop has 3 at $700 per LOL too rich for my blood.......... And Mrs Krap was giving me the STARE OF DEATH when she saw me considering buying them By the time I got home and all the stuff off loaded into one of the containers for storage until the house is done..... I was so hot all I wanted to do was get into my ice cold AC and crack a bottle od Stag open. I will go out in the morning with the camera and get some pics to post of today's treasure finds. I like auctions but it takes forever for them to get to anything I am interested in and there is always someone that just keeps bidding something up for the sake of bidding it up. My guess are the planted fake bidders that are there just to bid stuff higher and bow out when they think you are going to stop bidding. LOL I have had a few auctions over my life and the Auction company always planted 2-3 fake bidders in the crowd. The more they sell the stuff for the bigger their commission. So I just assume every auction company participates in the practice. Anyway the real point here yard sales and garage sales have been proving to be a good way to find things of much better quality than the Made in China or Vietnam stores offer. Just very hit and miss and a lot of junk to purvey in locating a handful of treasures.
Someone needs to tell her just how badly she got screwed! Sadly, that is what happens in many families, past generations have acquired nice things, and then someone like this comes along and throws it all in the dumpster. If you have nice things, you need to leave them to someone who will appreciate them ...even if they aren't kin! The same goes for land. I have 10 acres that has been in my Father's family for 100 years. I'm planning on leaving it to my Great-nephew, who is currently 7 years old, on condition that he NEVER sell it! If he does sell it, the majority of the money will go to charities of my choosing. I got a good lawyer! If he doesn't like it, he can walk away, but he would be a fool! I would rather a complete strange of my choosing have it, someone that would love, appreciate, and care for the land the way we have!
I am afraid that is we don't preserve things the best that we can that the younger generations will in general lack the wisdom and foresight to do so
I found something I've been wanting while garage sale cruising this weekend - I could never really justify buying one new and warranty guaranteed used - Stihl or a Husqvarna chain saw >>> passed on a questionable Homelite earlier this spring - this weekend widow neighbor lady was selling off more of her deceased husband gear - was about to leave after when I spotted a McCulloch saw box off to the side - hiding inside was a Stihl MS 250 - thought she'd be asking $100+ >>> $30 - and knowing her hubby the thing was pure gold ... real nice was that I sold off two junk saws for $25 earlier this spring - got a saw now I can use for life and pass on forward ....
I haunt yard sales and flea markets all the time, found a lot of nice stuff over the years, not as lucky as you sir, but have done alright. I mostly look for tools and equipment, camping gear and hunting/fishing gear. wife looks for the furniture and household stuff, we've been to a few auctions when they have something of particular interest, but usually the Y.S. and F.M. only, better prices, people easier to deal with.
You're a good man, sir. I would have sold that antique furniture before Mrs. Zimmy ever knew about it. But I would have brought home roses and a full beef in the freezer
Garage sales and auctions are only good if the seller doesn't know what they have. If the owner is selling their own stuff ... it's way more expensive. I prefer a spouse going off the price the other spouse said they paid and discounting it from there.
I very rarely have any luck finding 'deals' at garage/yard/estate sales. I find that estate sales are typically done by professionals and they know or at least have a ballpark value for most items, so no good deals there. Sometimes garage sales can have good deals but mostly it's buying other peoples junk. I did get what I felt was a great deal on a Tomahawk Chipper/Shredder by Troy-Bilt a couple of years ago. Paid a hundred bucks for it because it sat for a couple of years and wouldn't run. The shredder/chipper mechanism moved freely but the drive belt was gone. A new carb and belt later it was working great, followed up with some maintenance (sharpening the chipper and rotating the flails) and it works great. Sold my smaller chipper/shredder that I had for a $150.00, figured that was a great buy at the time. The plus side to buying used/non-working equipment for me is that I generally have one of my 2 kids 'helping' out. So I'm passing on some knowledge and usually have them help troubleshoot issues so they are using their brain for something more than watching electronics. Now, when I have a garage sale I'm trying to off load as much crap as I can, I don't really care about the price. My wife picked up 8 metal folding chairs with a padded seat and back from her previous employer as they were throwing them out. I sold a set of 4 for $20.00, which was pure profit. My MIL was furious that I didn't ask for more money, but we didn't need all 8 and since our investment in them was $0 I would have been happy with $10.00 LOL My MIL on the other had would go up to people looking at her stuff and start to give a dissertation about how valuable it was, how they sell for "X" amount on Ebay that her price was more than fair. But the Ebay price would be, lets say $50+ and she would expect a to get $40 for the item at the garage sale. Maybe, if the right person comes along, but not generally going to happen.
We are always scouring the ritzy neighborhoods in the evenings near trash night > garage sales Wound up getting a couple of junk weedwhips that needed a little bit of lubrication and carb cleaner. Best find was a troy-bilt rear tine tiller on the curb. Took two of us to get it into the truck. Got her home, put some gas in and it started pouring it out of the carb and down into the engine. Well couple of oil changes and a 14 dollar carb from china and she's digging up the yard for a grand total of less than 25 bucks. I'll take someone's junk sometimes.
I did find a brand new looking big wheeled push mower ,, 35 yrs ago ,, the thing didn't hardly have a scratch on it . It was in a dumpster ,, I pulled it out,, pulled the cord ,, it had compression,, but wouldn't fire up . So I took the pull cord cover off the top of the motor,, and it was packed with grass clippings ,, it had the plastic governor plate wedged open or shut ,,, cleaned it out , pulled the cord about twice and it fired up and ran like a top . I ended up burning it up mowing down about 3-4 acres of 4 and 5 foot tall grass in part of my deceased grandpa's cow pasture .
Always went looking on spring & fall clean-ups. Found a new push mower once, found a new snow blower, 30 ft. extension ladder, antique hand truck, etc., etc.. As i said earlier i love yard sales & flea markets, i've found all kinds of things some cheap some Whoa! Was at a Y. S. once, 1st i will say all the stuff they had was REALLY NICE STUFF, an old brass divers helmet, ships engine telegraph, again etc. etc., the stuff was $350-$500 each! I told the lady running it that she needed to auction it all as people didn't carry that much money when Yard Sailing, I wished her luck and moved on.
Gas cans, I'll buy every mother loving old school gas can without the EPA craptastic nozzle i can find at every garage sale i hit.
I'll translate for the Hispanic buyers to communicate with the English only sellers. That little bit of help assists in negotiations quite a bit. My best deal lately was an old large electric steamer/broiler for $10. It had dents. The big 50 year old version of this.. https://www.qfc.com/p/hamilton-beac...el-electric-roaster-oven-silver/0004009493271
I have about a dozen 5 gal. old style gas cans, 7x 2.5 gal. cans and 5x 1 gal cans. yeah i hate those new nozzles too, i buy even cracked cans just to get the nozzles.
I think it’s been said before here, but Amazon (and others) sell “replacement water container nozzles” perfect for replacing the nozzle on any gas tank.
Yes, I bought them awhile back. It fixes those extremely unsafe and badly designed government-mandated "safety" gas cans.
