2025 Garage Sale Thread (14th Annual)

[Beerhippie]

Congrats to JMP on the aviation tool kit. That will be a big head start on a good career!

Beerhippie, that box probably was made by one of Gerstner's competitors, and has great potential. I have a Pilloid that used to have a leatherette cover, but now is painted steel over a wood frame/drawers.

Go here to check out yours: https://sites.google.com/site/theguideforwoodmachinistchests/

The mystery chest has been IDed! Thanks to @alinc100 and the Guide, we now know it's a Schartow Iron Products Co. of Racine, WI # 235-20, 1938-1948.

I'll start into working on it tomorrow. I think I'll sand the case down some and do a re-paint.

I'm thinking Hammered Black would look good. Call me an infidel. It'll be my new desk organizer.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I'm thinking Hammered Black would look good.

Especially with that big ol' classic trunk hasp. I believe those are unique to SIPCO. It's a neat look if only because it's so different from the homogenized machinists' chest look.

 

[mikeinri]

Hi everyone, I haven’t been around much, you know other hobbies in life that sort of thing. But anyway, I got back on the hunt for tools again late last year. I had a couple of good fines, but the one I got Sunday was pretty good and I thought I would share
I answered an add on marketplace for a group of tools laying on the garage floor. Immediately I saw two snap on ratchets I’m kind of a ratchet hoarder so I text the gentleman. The ad was only seven minutes old so I got pretty lucky. We agreed to meet at noon And I drove to his home. We had a very nice conversation about American Airlines. He was an inspector there My dad worked there and retired in the 80s so when I saw a lot of snap on spline drive tools, I got kind of excited anyway here’s what I got for $120
Lots of craftsman and proto and snap on. Very little china stuff
the punches are Starret, and that sweet Wright ratchet!

You ****!

A single tool oriented estate sale this morning, rural ag. run by family.
I was there 1/2 hour early & it was apparent that my main regular competitor had been there for quite a while & had big piles of good stuff.
Sigh...
There were 2 buildings, I started in the shed where he was.
I made this pile, & the seller says "how about $20".
Aluminum potato shovel, digging bar, Craftsman wood clamp, baby eagle safety cam



Of interest:
C-man bushing driver set, Indestro 1/4 stuff.



Armstrong spuds, Proto Brass, some quoits.



I stowed that stuff in the car, & went to the next building.
I made a big pile on the concrete only to find that the prices were all the sudden not as friendly.
Finally settled on $80 for these:
Rino ramps, Ag. triangle, Ground tools, small propane heater, Chinese jack stands, & misc.



Of interest in this pile:
Ridgid #5 strap wrench (have a smaller one, this one is bigger.
Ridgid #4-S pipe cutter
NOS #15 tubing cutter
Williams #8041 1-5/8 x 1-7/16
Wilton big-*** c-clamp #812



A Deere bird feeder that needs a little work. I have some wood dowels around here somewhere for a perch...




After I loaded up all that, I did a last walk through & came up with these for 5 bucks.
Saw blade, Peterbilt, & a Blue-point flex magnet pickup.

You also ****!

Did anyone ever actually use any of those tools?

Don't know what you paid, but... you ****.

Ditto! @JMP *****!


Mike

 

[alinc100]

I added a thread and a few details on the 41B over on the Vintage board https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/1914-gerstner-41b.545683/

 

[Marsim]

Here is something I never saw at a yard sale before. Hooks up to the gas and brake pedal for handicapped drivers. Monarch mark I-A automotive hand control. $10

 

[Patrickm82]

Not much going on this weekend, so I went back to a spot I picked a few weeks ago. Nothing spectacular but here’s what I got for $15
Got the B&D work mate a few weeks ago but forgot to post it. $20

A big *** MT 2” drill bit just a wall hanger
1947 popular science magazine
New Britain 1/2” ratchet
Square D and Furnace motor controls
3/1, liquid wrench bottles
Phillip Morris tobacco tin
Parts cleaning brush
3” chunk of mahogany
Cool old ox-weld goggles
Whale hack saw

 

[Outlawmws]

Man, I fell of this wagon 6 days ago! Had to catch up!

Lost of nice finds in the past week!

Here is something I never saw at a yard sale before. Hooks up to the gas and brake pedal for handicapped drivers. Monarch mark I-A automotive hand control. $10

A guy I went to Jr and Sr. HS with was handicapped and drove a full sized Ford PU truck wit hand controls. awesome and scary at the same time as he drove it HARD. Also saw a local stock car driver that did the same.

Got the B&D work mate a few weeks ago but forgot to post it. $20

I love those aluminum framed WorkMates!

I even forgot to post yesterdays finds so I'l be catching that up now:

Overall fairly slow - one moving sale yesterday, and a HS Flea today. Some TOO's were stopped for, but none produced.

Yesterday - copper Jello molds for SWMBO, diving weight belt with 15 Lbs of lead, and a 3 position leveling ramp. $12 all:








And the Flea from today:

$2 Body dolly $2 Pvmb & Proto drivers $3 Cannon for the "artillery park", $2 Texaco printing stamp, $2 Gas measuring can for coleman irons (not Coleman Branded but I think the same supplier made theirs) $4 Starrett driver, PS&W lineman's pliers, Sharpening steel and scabbard, Free - Tin, Key ring release, brass screws and hook.



Left behinds included a 200A, two 220's and a 229 backpacker for lanterns, and a nice precision power supply but I have 3-4 already,


Some details:

Measuring can had soem mods made, for the handle adn the "add on" to the spigot:




I think this is my first Plvmb plastic driver? - need to check.



PS&W (PEXTO) Markings:



Looks like late 50's early 60's Texaco station?

 

[bmwrd0]

A nice couple days hitting sales that were close by

First stop, a family farm sale, is were I found a Proto wrench pouch, two Armstrong hex sockets, a Snap-on PH#2 socket, and a vintage small allen key set.

The other stop was a small, local pro-run sale, which is were I found a gigantic Golden Rod locomotive oiler. All told $5 that day.

Today, more local sales

From the first stop, a vintage Wilde allen key set, International tool company bore gauge, and turquoise Snap-on tool box. Second stop was a junk man were I picked up an SK ratchet, Chromium Vanadium tappet wrench, and SK combo. A couple duds later, I found the push drill (with bits!) and (not shown) two wire framed milk crates. All of that for $28.

 

[gleman]

Not much going on this weekend, so I went back to a spot I picked a few weeks ago. Nothing spectacular but here’s what I got for $15
Got the B&D work mate a few weeks ago but forgot to post it. $20

A big *** MT 2” drill bit just a wall hanger
1947 popular science magazine
New Britain 1/2” ratchet
Square D and Furnace motor controls
3/1, liquid wrench bottles
Phillip Morris tobacco tin
Parts cleaning brush
3” chunk of mahogany
Cool old ox-weld goggles
Whale hack saw

Post your Workmate in the Workmate thread!

And you **** for that and the drill bit.

 

[mikeinri]

Not much going on this weekend, so I went back to a spot I picked a few weeks ago. Nothing spectacular but here’s what I got for $15
Got the B&D work mate a few weeks ago but forgot to post it. $20

A big *** MT 2” drill bit just a wall hanger
1947 popular science magazine
New Britain 1/2” ratchet
Square D and Furnace motor controls
3/1, liquid wrench bottles
Phillip Morris tobacco tin
Parts cleaning brush
3” chunk of mahogany
Cool old ox-weld goggles
Whale hack saw

You ****!

Mike

 

[WisJim]

Stopped at a local thrift store today as there aren't local garage or estate sales nearby yet this spring, and got a couple of interesting books. It's always nice to have another edition of the South Bend lathe book (55th edition, ca 1958), and I might learn something about radio controlled boats from the other one. The "Manual Gearbox Design" is way over my head, but I'm always tempted by books that cover a subject that I am ignorant of.

 

[jeffmoss26]

This past week’s finds. Went to my usual restore and got the Craftsman pipe wrench, Irwin wooden handle driver. Everything else is from the “main” west side restore.
Screwdrivers are unbranded made in USA, HWI, Enderes, Stanley, Klein, and the last one is an old Snap-on

 

[Smokeshow69]

Not much going on this weekend, so I went back to a spot I picked a few weeks ago. Nothing spectacular but here’s what I got for $15
Got the B&D work mate a few weeks ago but forgot to post it. $20

A big *** MT 2” drill bit just a wall hanger
1947 popular science magazine
New Britain 1/2” ratchet
Square D and Furnace motor controls
3/1, liquid wrench bottles
Phillip Morris tobacco tin
Parts cleaning brush
3” chunk of mahogany
Cool old ox-weld goggles
Whale hack saw

Dude those vintage controls are killer!

 

[d42jeep]

Three Craigslist ads mentioned tools so after a late start we checked them out. The first sale was 5 minutes away and only had a couple of things left. I liked the ornate wood clamp, the large Channellocks will clean up and I usually pick up steel wool, if it’s fine. The Plews brake spoon is part of a running joke with my neighbor who refers to his collection of brake spoons as “world class”.
The clamp was a little more modern than I expected.

The second sale in Berkeley was a bust. The third and last sale was in Pinole and at first glance didn’t look promising. The seller, a long retired carpenter, showed us around his house to show off furniture he had built, eventually he showed us his backyard and there was a covered workbench area where I spotted a S-K set with some assorted tools inside. I spotted a Craftsman carry box under the workbench and it produced some Craftsman sockets and a nice 4” Diamond adjustable.
Lots of Craftsman tools to flip.
The ratchet and socket are US made Allen brand. The crowsfoot and universal are US made Napa.
The extension was Snap-on and the 4” Diamond adjustable cleaned up well.
-Don

 

[LesserSon]

MrsLS&I took a break from exploring maritime N.E. to check out Easter Sunday’s Raynham MA Flea Market. Very similar vibe to Quakertown PA mart, but with a bit less hand tools (at least this week) and different accents.
$8 took away a sm Plumb Anchor ballpein, buggered Japan needlenose (bought for the identical-to-Channellock-blue grips), Utica 1002-8 pliers (I swear I don’t already have these), XceLite 7/32 nutdriver, Spear & Jackson (Sheffield) bracebit, 1/8” LSStarrett punch.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Plumb Anchor ballpein

I would've been thrilled with just that very nice find.

 

[RTM]

Spear & Jackson (Sheffield) bracebit

Looks like a Spoon bit, nice get.

 

[Patrickm82]

MrsLS&I took a break from exploring maritime N.E. to check out Easter Sunday’s Raynham MA Flea Market. Very similar vibe to Quakertown PA mart, but with a bit less hand tools (at least this week) and different accents.
$8 took away a sm Plumb Anchor ballpein, buggered Japan needlenose (bought for the identical-to-Channellock-blue grips), Utica 1002-8 pliers (I swear I don’t already have these), XceLite 7/32 nutdriver, Spear & Jackson (Sheffield) bracebit, 1//8” LSStarrett punch.

Your in my neck of the woods Mr. Lesser! I almost took a ride over there myself this morning. Only about 30 mins from me.

 

[ecotec]

You guys are lucky. My local flea market was closed for Easter.

 

[Outlawmws]

Very slow Easter Sunday, Only one YS advertised worth trying; and the couple of TOO's i saw were drive bys...

$1 total for a pair of Klein strippers, and a old (1930's, very early 40's?) Geometric CM 3/16 driver Other markings included "Forged" and "Vanadium Steel" - Vanadium got replaced early on the war with other not so valuable to the war effort alloys.

The tape covers a blue collar I'l remove that after soaking off the house pant on the clear section, and finish with Mineral oil. The tip seems unmolested surprising for such sdn old driver!

 

[four.cycle]

I had to run out to the other end of town yesterday, so I stopped at an "antique mall" that's out there. Most all of their stuff is obscenely overpriced, so all I left with was the 24" x 36" "Marvel" comics reproduction poster. They had all of two little bench vises, which I've posted in the vise thread for those who might be interested. There were a couple other items of interest, but not interesting enough to warrant paying their asking prices.
The dead Craftsman mower was a freebie at the lawnmower shop. I'll cannibalize the engine for a bare deck I have here in need of a power plant. Just hope I can figure out a way to rig up a dead-man cable - hopefully I'll have what I need out in the garage.

 

[bmwrd0]

The one by where the Starlight used to be?

 

[four.cycle]

^ No. This one is up on 102nd and Pacific Avenue out in Parkland. I haven't been to that "Star Light" swap meet in over 30 years... I don't even know if it's there any more - I never go out there any more - too much riff-raff in the south end and Lakewood now.
Sorry... I put the name and address on the VISE photos, but not these.
THIS is the place on Pacific Avenue

(The guy peddling the barbecued "Asado Chicken" out in the front is making some tasty stuff, but watch him: last time he gave me TWO backs!)

 

[bmwrd0]

They were both clients of mine, while my business was still going. The one next to the Starlight was the pricier of the two.

 

[saukit]

***** to 3Jakes for that Cman bushing set, Alinc for the Gerstner, and JMP for the aviation kit!

Flea market opened back up last week and I've been 3 times in the last two weekends Paid too much for all this stuff but I've been jonesing to dig and the sales around here have kinda sucked. I'm about done with the pro estate sales around here, they're crazy with their pricing lately.

Anyway for last weekend at the flea and a yard sale or two...

Overpaid for this Plomb and Craftsman 1/4 stuff from my usual flea guy...think these two pics were $30.





Craftsman stuff. $10 on this lot, the =v= set is metric and complete.


Dug all this craftsman 1/2 stuff out of a bag of sockets I paid $10 on...most of it was overseas dreck


$10 for the little box plus some randoms. The 1/4 BE set looks to be complete which is why I agreed to pay that much.


Yard sale mish mash for $4.


Finally, everything I got today all lumped together. Went a bit crazy and dropped $50 on this stuff but it's got quite a few pieces I need for set building. The flea vendors are way too savvy for my liking, I think every one of them looked through the stuff instead of just glancing at it. Good for them I guess, not so much for me



Craftsman metric 1/2 stuff and some random stuff including Plomb and Husky


S-K and Snap-on. I got lucky and hid the Snap on wrenches under some other stuff in my hand otherwise they probably woulda tried to charge me $10 each on them


More Craftsman stuff for sets


Now time to get to cleaning!

 

[Outlawmws]

Flea market opened back up last week and I've been 3 times in the last two weekends

Way to bust th ice jam! you **** for that three rip haul!

 

[Beerhippie]

How many SK 45170s are out there? It seems I see one in every sale that has any half-way decent tools. I've disciplined myself to leave 'em behind. Two is plenty for me.

 

[saukit]

How many SK 45170s are out there? It seems I see one in every sale that has any half-way decent tools. I've disciplined myself to leave 'em behind. Two is plenty for me.

I see a lot of them too...I quit buying them for a while but then I sold a bunch of sets and needed to replenish the stock! I have a bunch of boxes laying around that need filling.

 

[WNYflyer]

How many SK 45170s are out there? It seems I see one in every sale that has any half-way decent tools. I've disciplined myself to leave 'em behind. Two is plenty for me.

That is like Williams S-52 1/2" drive ratchets around here, they are everywhere.

 

[bmwrd0]

45170's and Proto 3/8". I have had to train myself to walk away.

 

[ecotec]

45170's and Proto 3/8". I have had to train myself to walk away.

Me too.

I don’t even look at one that doesn’t look basically new and isn’t cheap. 45170’s are at a ton of garage and estate sales. I never fell in love with the old Proto ratchets. The heads are huge.

The 45170 was the first ratchet that I did not break regularly. I have never broken one. I started with 1980’s/1990’s Craftsman ratchets that I broke about twice a year.

 

[Beerhippie]

Me too.

I don’t even look at one that doesn’t look basically new and isn’t cheap. 45170’s are at a ton of garage and estate sales. I never fell in love with the old Proto ratchets. The heads are huge.

The 45170 was the first ratchet that I did not break regularly. I have never broken one. I started with 1980’s/1990’s Craftsman ratchets that I broke about twice a year.

One of the two 45170s I own has been in my toolbox and regularly used since the late '70s. I may even have bought it new.

 

[ctuai]

Local online auction ($10): Hammond Edgemont synchronous clock (1950's)

• My second synchronous clock. It's never looses time. It really is dead accurate so far. The other ones the same way. Keeps perfect time. Synchronous, that's the way to go for timepieces.

A Lincoln Electric (synchronous).

• Bakelite on a wood base. The little dot below the 12 is a hole that shows a spinning dot that goes from red to black. It's an indicator to show that the clock has stopped and needs to be restarted.

 

[Fixr]

^ It's for making krumkake, not waffles.

Doesn't look a bit like my mom's krumkake iron. Her krumkake were thin, similar to a tortilla.

 

[Pexto]

How many SK 45170s are out there? It seems I see one in every sale that has any half-way decent tools. I've disciplined myself to leave 'em behind. Two is plenty for me.

Two 45170s is plenty for me too. They are so sturdy and reliable that I don't think I need more. One just had a rebuild kit installed and should be good for decades more.

But you also need a couple of 40970s in 1/4" drive. One of mine (a yard sale find) is soooooo nicely worn that it's backdrag ranks right up there with my Koken Zeal.

And of course the 1/2" roundhead, the 41270, is also worth having. I only have one of those; last summer I walked away from two of them at a garage sale that were almost new. I'd already spent my limit and didn't really need another. I still regret it!

 

[bmwrd0]

Ratchets are sooooooo personal. I used my fathers 45170 for a little while as a kid, and as soon as I bought my own tools, moved on. Way on, as I am a confirmed Cornwell man now. Never liked the SK, no matter the size. Round heads just don't work for me.

 

[Beerhippie]

The only ratchet I like better than my 45170 is my T&E Infinity. Ratchetless, zero backlash, very low drag. Only drawback--if you call it that--is the push-through plug.

 

[Outlawmws]

Twelve 45170s

five 40970s, but one of those has the 45173-2 kit for a 3/8 in a 1/4" body! Probably my most used ratchet...

Proto and SO also have these (So does HF but i don't like them)

 

[WNYflyer]

From one pro estate sale this weekend which was the only sale worth hitting. Sales company was reasonably priced this time.

Carton full of mostly Snap-On stuff, all or nothing. $45 + tax

1/2" drive Snap-On extensions, New Britain 1/2 breaker, Snap-On 3/8 breaker.



Mostly Snap-On 3/8" drive SAE sockets with a few 1/4" drive thrown in as well as a few MAC and Vulcan sockets in the mix



MAC distributor wrenches, Snap-On punches, Snap-On 1/4 flex extension, Snap-On mini hacksaw frame, Mac driver, Snap-On pickle fork.

 

[Outlawmws]

Carton full of mostly Snap-On stuff, all or nothing. $45 + tax

All in, under a buck a tool? USUCK!