Danglerb
10-25-2009, 08:56 PM
One thing or another and I have missed any decent tools deals, so with $142 sitting in my Tooltopia cart I drug myself out of bed and walked the swap meet aisles this morning. First row was disappointing, the regular seller of Snapon always is in the first row, and like the last few times he isn't there. I dig through a few boxes of cheap tools, but nothing that interested me, so instead of going row by row I skip to the back where its more junk and less news socks etc.
I've just been looking through my Tooltopia cart, so I KNOW prices, and several used tool sellers have stuff almost double the new price. I see a couple things that are sort of tempting, but heavy, like a Craftsman intermediate box, kinda rough, but working 3x 12" drawers for $15, but I pass.
Then I find the red (haven't found a name yet) handle duckbill pliers with serration just at the tips, guy asks for $2, and settles for $1.
Nothing else shows up I want, and I am on my way out when I realize I haven't gone down the second row, so figuring I am on my way out I call my wife asking about lunch and expect to be done in a few minutes. One of the regular tool sellers, as in EVERYTHING has a price marked, has two items that catch my eye; Craftsman speed wrench 1/2" and 7/16" (its their open end ratchet design, and 7/16 is what fits coax cable fittings) and green handle duckbill pliers. Smooth jaw just like I want, can't see any brand, but green is SK and I am pretty sure 17838 is the right number. Seller takes $10 for both.
Now I figure my day is done, but a few spots farther down the row there is the Snapon guy with his normal LOAD of tools on the ground and half filling a dozen or so bus boy type gray plastic bins on a table at one side of the space. Turns out he hurt his back, and lost the space at the front when he didn't come for a few weeks. None of the 24" ratchets I want, so I just dig around and try to find something I want. The quote me $8 each for a set of Snapon line crowfoot wrenches, so I decide to pick just what I need, and then can't find all the sizes I want.
I pick a Snapon T45 that I hope fits the strikers in my Mustang for $5, and find a pair of Alden ratcheting open ends in a big pile of hundreds of mixed truck brand wrenches, drivers, and pliers, only $3 each since I don't think they know the brand, ditto for the Osborne hog ring pliers for $5. I top it off with Snapon FCOM10, 13, and 15 crowfeet for $6 each.
Ah, its good to buy a few nice tools cheap. ;)
I've just been looking through my Tooltopia cart, so I KNOW prices, and several used tool sellers have stuff almost double the new price. I see a couple things that are sort of tempting, but heavy, like a Craftsman intermediate box, kinda rough, but working 3x 12" drawers for $15, but I pass.
Then I find the red (haven't found a name yet) handle duckbill pliers with serration just at the tips, guy asks for $2, and settles for $1.
Nothing else shows up I want, and I am on my way out when I realize I haven't gone down the second row, so figuring I am on my way out I call my wife asking about lunch and expect to be done in a few minutes. One of the regular tool sellers, as in EVERYTHING has a price marked, has two items that catch my eye; Craftsman speed wrench 1/2" and 7/16" (its their open end ratchet design, and 7/16 is what fits coax cable fittings) and green handle duckbill pliers. Smooth jaw just like I want, can't see any brand, but green is SK and I am pretty sure 17838 is the right number. Seller takes $10 for both.
Now I figure my day is done, but a few spots farther down the row there is the Snapon guy with his normal LOAD of tools on the ground and half filling a dozen or so bus boy type gray plastic bins on a table at one side of the space. Turns out he hurt his back, and lost the space at the front when he didn't come for a few weeks. None of the 24" ratchets I want, so I just dig around and try to find something I want. The quote me $8 each for a set of Snapon line crowfoot wrenches, so I decide to pick just what I need, and then can't find all the sizes I want.
I pick a Snapon T45 that I hope fits the strikers in my Mustang for $5, and find a pair of Alden ratcheting open ends in a big pile of hundreds of mixed truck brand wrenches, drivers, and pliers, only $3 each since I don't think they know the brand, ditto for the Osborne hog ring pliers for $5. I top it off with Snapon FCOM10, 13, and 15 crowfeet for $6 each.
Ah, its good to buy a few nice tools cheap. ;)