2025 Garage Sale Thread (14th Annual)

[JMP]

It fits any 9/32" drive tool.

I didn't know that 9/32 drive tools were a thing.

 

[OmegaDPW]

Hey All,

I'm new here and decided to start collecting adjustable wrenches about 2 months ago. I hadn't been to my local flea market in 15 years or more and headed that way yesterday (we only have one in my small town). I don't think I could have struck out worse. First of all, the amount of lazy sellers blew me away. Just about 1/3 of the sellers drove their trailers with tote boxes up and didn't unload anything. It was your job to dig through the totes to find anything. Apparently, I got there early (0800) and many people were just setting up. One guy had an actual table of all sorts of rusty tools and was setting more stuff out. I asked him if he had any adjustable wrenches and he said no. I walked around a few minutes and then left because a buddy of mine lives down the road and I hung out with him. I then returned to the flea market around 1000. Most people were set up by then and the guy who told me he didn't have any adjustable wrenches had two. One was a Craftsman USA 8" and the 8" size is what I'm trying to collect. Covered in dirt and rust, he wanted 8 bucks. I looked around in the real rusty pile of tools and found another adjustable. It was so covered in rust that I don't know what it was but it had a lot of writing on the back that reminded me of Diamond Calk Horseshoe Company, so I offered 10 bucks for both. He said no and didn't counter offer. I left. A few stalls down I found a guy selling a Proto Click Stop 10" adjustable that was in fair condition. He wanted $10. I didn't buy it. I might look at it again next weekend, though. Really want to concentrate on the 8" sizes so "collecting" doesn't get out of hand.

That's my flea market story for a small town in Georgia. I'm thinking E-bay will be the best bet, but I hate not handling something first and seeing how the thumbwheel works and how loose it is...any advice from this thread for a new collector?

 

[Outlawmws]

I didn't know that 9/32 drive tools were a thing.

Yep. Especially for the Plvmb tools marked WF (Wright Field) I just picked up a 9/32 WF sliding Tee yesterday.

 

[ecotec]

Hey All,

I'm new here and decided to start collecting adjustable wrenches about 2 months ago. I hadn't been to my local flea market in 15 years or more and headed that way yesterday (we only have one in my small town). I don't think I could have struck out worse. First of all, the amount of lazy sellers blew me away. Just about 1/3 of the sellers drove their trailers with tote boxes up and didn't unload anything. It was your job to dig through the totes to find anything. Apparently, I got there early (0800) and many people were just setting up. One guy had an actual table of all sorts of rusty tools and was setting more stuff out. I asked him if he had any adjustable wrenches and he said no. I walked around a few minutes and then left because a buddy of mine lives down the road and I hung out with him. I then returned to the flea market around 1000. Most people were set up by then and the guy who told me he didn't have any adjustable wrenches had two. One was a Craftsman USA 8" and the 8" size is what I'm trying to collect. Covered in dirt and rust, he wanted 8 bucks. I looked around in the real rusty pile of tools and found another adjustable. It was so covered in rust that I don't know what it was but it had a lot of writing on the back that reminded me of Diamond Calk Horseshoe Company, so I offered 10 bucks for both. He said no and didn't counter offer. I left. A few stalls down I found a guy selling a Proto Click Stop 10" adjustable that was in fair condition. He wanted $10. I didn't buy it. I might look at it again next weekend, though. Really want to concentrate on the 8" sizes so "collecting" doesn't get out of hand.

That's my flea market story for a small town in Georgia. I'm thinking E-bay will be the best bet, but I hate not handling something first and seeing how the thumbwheel works and how loose it is...any advice from this thread for a new collector?

Are there garage sales and estate sales in your area? Ideally, you want to get tools for what the flea market or EBay dealer paid for them.

 

[3baygarage]

Are there garage sales and estate sales in your area? Ideally, you want to get tools for what the flea market or EBay dealer paid for them.

Yeah. Sounds like you made a fair offer. Some people won't negotiate and are real hard to buy from though.

 

[ecotec]

Yeah. Sounds like you made a fair offer. Some people won't negotiate and are real hard to buy from though.

I agree. I believe that he made a very fair offer…

I would always argue that you don’t want to pay a fair price too often. You want to pay what the dealer paid. That is what allows for huge collections of the highest quality items of whatever it is you are collecting (records, tools, books, fishing stuff, furniture…)… anything… the force multiplier is beating the dealers to whatever it is you collect. Figure out the outlets that they buy from (garage sales, estate sales, flea markets, antique stores and malls…), and beat the dealers to what you want.

 

[Outlawmws]

I rechecked the CL postings and went back out for one, caught a TOO as well, came home, ate lunch, checked them again, went back up a second time! - Its a real nice day today after a lot of dismal weather days so...

I left an NIB (battered box) 533 Coleman Stove as it was $75. I paid less new from Coleman direct for one, so...

I did pay $5 for these - Taiwan Masterench knock off, Wrenches from Meteor Duro, & Proto ; Stanley & Craftsman drivers:




The TOO - UCO candle lantern, with lots of spare candles, a case, and a carry bag, Coughlans Waterproof matches, Coleman rain poncho, Acacia wood spoon - going into camping - a shell ring for my son's fiance, and an etched into sandstone wolf refer magnet:



And the third run of the day, these were $1 each and the toy hammer ws thrown in free.

"Newer" tools - Proto 1" comb, Craftsman Pliers and quite a few wrenches - non reversible ratcheting in 6, 12, 14, and 16 MM, plus a 10MM combo with the "ratcheting" open end - all those Craftsman will land in the T-van toolbox; SK Saltus, and a Cornwell combo.




And older tools - The toy hammer, a wood chisel 2 drivers the big one is WM Johnson - need to look that up - and Bridgeport and Indestro "Select Steel" DOE's

 

[Beerhippie]

I rechecked the CL postings and went back out for one, caught a TOO as well, came home, ate lunch, checked them again, went back up a second time! - Its a real nice day today after a lot of dismal weather days so...

I left an NIB (battered box) 533 Coleman Stove as it was $75. I paid less new from Coleman direct for one, so...

I did pay $5 for these - Taiwan Masterench knock off, Wrenches from Meteor Duro, & Proto ; Stanley & Craftsman drivers:

....
But! It's VINTAGE! It's a COLLECTABLE!

There are some men you just cannot reach....

 

[Outlawmws]

For $75 I'll let someone else collect it. Coleman was clearanceing them not that long ago.

 

[d42jeep]

Spotted a yard sale a few blocks from home. The sellers turned out to be friends of some old friends of ours. Here is what we brought home.
The Plomb ratchet looks to be from 1933.
I found the Sears hand drill to be
so cheaply made that I was amused by it. I cleaned it up a little.
The postwar Ridgid 8” pipe wrench was lightly used with the sticker still in place.
I have several Buck Brothers chisels and I’ll add this one to the others.
Several S-K 1/2” and 3/8” drive sockets.
The Plomb socket turned out to be a lightly marked 5/8”
-Don

 

[Beerhippie]

Nice!

Does anyone actually wear safety goggles when using a wood chisel?

 

[RTM]

wood chisel 2 drivers the big one is WM Johnson - need to look that up

I think William Johnson out of Newark, sold out to Osborne later in life

found the Sears hand drill to be
so cheaply made that I was amused by it. I cleaned it up a little.

A very similar version is used in surgical suites, white plastic, stainless bits so it can be sterilized or sanitized. My daughter got one in a kid's Tool Kit from Duluth twenty plus years ago. Very nice because all the pinch points are enclosed. Forget whose name is on it, maybe Great Neck. I've used it once, cuz it is so short compared to an eggbeater drill.

 

[Skellyii]

Nice!

Does anyone actually wear safety goggles when using a wood chisel?

Well, I didn't used to,

 

[bmwrd0]

And BMWRD0 is back from (a truncated) vacation. Touring several states, visiting family and friends, and although I had to cut it short as the wife tore her meniscus, which shortened the trip and cut the bay area portion out completely. I was supposed to visit the Bay Area shrine to tools: Don's Den of Dandy Delights, and am quite sad to have missed that. But, I was able to visit a few flea markets, used book stores and such.

From the first stop, Stanley driver, Truth extension, bit ratchet, Williams and Blackhawk drag link sockets, SK diamond ratchet, Federal 9-1/2 WF, (2) Hinsdale combos.


Second flea: Yankee driver, Snap-on dbe, unused set of step bits, 1/4" magnetic bit, Plomb and Indestro sockets.

 

[Cruzan80]

Hit up an ES on Thurs, and found the following for $15. Almost all was in a case of assorted, marked as a "set". Talked with the main seller, and he agreed to break it up. Mostly left behind PoweKraft, Thorsen, etc (much later than these).

Bottom is Plomb sockets with a WF-38 ratchet (working), (clockwise) is two late RAy sockets, SK, three NB, three D-I and an Indestro super, an Elkind with flathead/Phillips attachments (looked too need to leave behind), a spinning extension + longer extension, an unmarked forged wrench (small) and two SO sockets by ratchet handle. Above is a CM 12" combination ruler, a Crowntop key (verified it didn't fit any boxes there, code 4045), a Power hacksaw blades, and a Wright speeder (from the "set).

Then I sat, (not pictured) we stopped by a barn sale locally, and got three enclosure boxes for $5. One is about the size of a spa disconnect (empty, metal) the second is about 2x that size (metal), and one is 12x12x6 (plastic). None had any KO removed, so will repurpose them as needed.

 

[Cruzan80]

I had messaged Pvt Lugz about the spinning extension, and he clued me in to a thread about them, where is seems like the maker is unknown. Spinning extension is 41-B-311-200. However, the larger extension that I got looks almost identical, and it is marked 41-B-309-1/2. And it has a makers mark! Both have an uneven grind by the transition from the female to the rod portion, so I have turned them so they match (spinner on left). Both show a bevel on the male ends, to break the "square". And the marking on the extension very clearly is... Mossberg! <M>. What says the rest of you? Do we have a winner?

 

[bmwrd0]

(cont..)
from the third flea

set of cast iron creeper wheels, Facom ratchet, Chrom Vanadium Germany 18mm combo, (3) Blackhawk 3/4" sockets,

and from the bookstore:

a pair of Arkham House books, an English second of Canticle for Leibowitz, and a Euro travel guide from 1913.

A good trip with the exception of visiting friends and family in the bay.

 

[Outlawmws]

Does anyone actually wear safety goggles when using a wood chisel?

Depends on what I'm doing if "carving" then I may not. if hitting it with a mallet ot doing lathe work, yes for certain.

I think William Johnson out of Newark, sold out to Osborne later in life

I found a little info and they went for well over 100 years, but Osborn may have picked up the remainder at the end. this driver is "Pre incorporation" so before when they incorporated in the 1930's - lots of conflicting dates for this company's history.

I've used it once, cuz it is so short compared to an eggbeater drill.

I have a "folding eggbeater" drill that has become a go to for this class of drilling.

I had to cut it short as the wife tore her meniscus

I hope she heals up and recovers fast! Knees are not fun to injure!

 

[Provincial]

bmw, what is the drive size of the Blackhawk sockets?

 

[bmwrd0]

They are 3/4", from about the mid thirties.

 

[Old Radar]

They are 3/4", from about the mid thirties.

My condolences for SWMBO!
I picked up a Blackhawk 14BD 3/4" set almost two years ago that is missing the 1-1/16" #60034 socket. Any chance one of your three has those specs??

 

[bmwrd0]

Sorry OR, smallest is 1-15/16"

 

[Shelbylex]

I guess I have to add something too
Went to a estate sale on the way to work on Saturday
... tons of Pittsburg, newer Craftsman and bunch of cheep no name/china/taiwan etc...

Then I found a lock which I might use for one of my boxes. Subsequently 2 small Cincinnati Tool C-clamps (lets see if they will clean up)
... Going through a bucket full of random staff and cloth - Mitutoyo 0-1" (no machinist tools on the sale....)



1$




... Sunday Sale on the way to work was better, but I will post it once I write down what I got...

 

[brockmub]

Haven’t been able to get out for much picking this year, hoping to turn that around. My brother lined up a pick with a guy who had a storage unit with some of his parents’ stuff in it. A lot of knock off sockets and wrenches but I noticed a Penens 1/4 drive socket and ratchet so I took a chance and bought all of the loose tools. We made a little pile, haven’t sorted through it yet but the owner also had a modern Craftsman tool box that he wouldn’t let me look in. My little bro bought all the blow molds. Had to leave behind the Alemite wheel adjuster. Also found a Motor magazine from 1922.

 

[Smokeshow69]

Haven’t been able to get out for much picking this year, hoping to turn that around. My brother lined up a pick with a guy who had a storage unit with some of his parents’ stuff in it. A lot of knock off sockets and wrenches but I noticed a Penens 1/4 drive socket and ratchet so I took a chance and bought all of the loose tools. We made a little pile, haven’t sorted through it yet but the owner also had a modern Craftsman tool box that he wouldn’t let me look in. My little bro bought all the blow molds. Had to leave behind the Alemite wheel adjuster. Also found a Motor magazine from 1922.

Those blow molds look fairly old. They are not cheap when you try to buy them. Nice find

 

[bluebolt]

Stopped at an antique store that was having an outside sale to talk to a buddy who was selling. He had a Craftsman box that had a bunch of Snap On and Craftsman in it plus more Snap On in a cardboard box. 75 pieces for $120, not bad. The wood Starrett punch holder has all the punches in good shape. Only 4 import tools which will go on the dollar table at my next sale. Not much metric. For some reason with all the Snap On Allen sockets there were no 3/8" sockets. 5/16, 7/16, 1/2, 9/16 and 5/8 but not a single 3/8" LOL.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I didn't know that 9/32 drive tools were a thing.

In the case of several major mfgrs (including Snap-on, Bonney, and Williams, for example), it was their first and only midget drive size, before industry standardized on 1/4-drive in the late 1930's and early 1940's. Snap-on continued to make it, along with Plomb, as @Outlawmws mentioned, for customers who preferred it as slightly more robust, including the US Army Air Corps. Somewhere I have a little equation I ginned up many years ago to show how much more torque you could get out of that extra 32nd. I'll see if I can find it. In the meantime, there are a bunch of 9/32-inch drive tools, sets, history, and related information posted on the 'Midget Drive' thread down on the Vintage Tools Discussion Forum.

 

[brockmub]

I was able to go through my weekend pick to clean up the tools. I won’t bore you with all the knockoffs and try to give the highlights. There were 3 funnels that cleaned up perfect to replace some of my old ones. Two drill indexes, 20 screwdrivers, 10 pliers, and a bunch of Hex drive sockets that will all get flipped.

The small Penens ratchet set will be a keeper and maybe even a restoration. Not sure the SnapOn Torqometer is very valuable but I thought it was cool. The sockets had a bunch of USA brands, Blackhawk, Indestro and Thorsen. There was even a little Chicago Pnuematic impact socket kit in there. Most of the wrenches cleaned up well and I like the Utica Battery Terminal Plier. There were a bunch of extensions from Indestro, Wright and Blackhawk. There was also this sweet Blackhawk socket case that has the word BOTTOM stamped into the bottom, cracks me up.

 

[mikeinri]

Quite the haul, @brockmub!

Mike

 

[brockmub]

Paid $40 for everything and threw this January 1922 Motor magazine on top. It’s missing the cover and its first few pages. Too bad it’s missing its cover… look it up. There were some really awesome advertisements in it too. Not sure what to do with it because I don’t really collect ephemera. Suggestions?

 

[Provincial]

brocknub ***** for that haul!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

There was also this sweet Blackhawk socket case

In case you don't know, that's from the 1920's into 1930's, before their Lock-on era. The "Q.D." signifies Quick Disconnect. The sockets and drive tools would've had a handsome black enamel finish. If you search the Bh thread down on the VB, you will find many examples, including a few of mine. You could probably flip it to a collector who has orphans or a partial set but no box.

 

[JMP]

Picked all this up from a moving sale this morning. Not pictured are the rest of the bits for the impact driver. Paid $38

Normally I make it a point to pass up on any more hacksaws since I already have so many but I really liked this Craftsman Professional hacksaw (made in Sweden by Bahco / Bahco #325). These can cut a two different angles rather than your standard flush cut hacksaw. I must have the royal flush of every nice hacksaw now.

 

[Beerhippie]

Picked all this up from a moving sale this morning. Not pictured are the rest of the bits for the impact driver. Paid $38

Did anyone tell Dad they were moving?

 

[mikeinri]

Picked all this up from a moving sale this morning. Not pictured are the rest of the bits for the impact driver. Paid $38

Normally I make it a point to pass up on any more hacksaws since I already have so many but I really liked this Craftsman Professional hacksaw (made in Sweden by Bahco / Bahco #325). These can cut a two different angles rather than your standard flush cut hacksaw. I must have the royal flush of every nice hacksaw now.

You ****!

Mike

 

[JMP]

Did anyone tell Dad they were moving?

Not sure I get this. I always keep a couple moving blankets in my car since I'm always picking up some sort of junk.

 

[Rusty Pickens]

It's been a while since the estate sale gods shined so favorably upon me. A local sale 10 minutes away promised "lots of tools!", but from the photos, looked like 90% modern imports. There was one blurry photo, however, that promised something special (and more) - a BIG green Giller Tools socket box with what appeared to be a 3/4"-drive SK socket set! If that wasn't enough, I spied what looked like a Plomb 5-ring socket!

Needless to say, I got there as early as my wife would allow. There were maybe 10 people in front of us and thankfully none of the local 'tool guys', so I managed to find my treasure and couple of other goodies, all for $75!



And, as it turns out, the sockets were 3/4" Craftsman circle-K (SK - likely pre-war). The ratchet is probably post-war 40's. The extensions and t-handle look to be SK, but aren't marked.



"What else was in the box?", you ask?

Williams TM-1000 torque multiplier

and...


Lastly, next to the Giller box, I found this old Challenger box...

Which contained...


1/2"-drive, 3" deep BON-E-CON sockets w/ Challenger handle

There are a couple of pieces not pictured, in particular, a nice P&C 3/8" breaker.

Whoopee!!

 

[bmwrd0]

That Crafty socket set sure is nice.

 

[JMP]

Really neat stuff! Rusty you ****...

 

[saukit]

Rusty *****! I've never seen a circle K set in the wild, and to have it complete and in 3/4" is even better! That would go for stupid money on fleabay...