2021 Garage Sale Thread

[Rileysan]

This was an eBay find earlier this week. While all but the most hardened of Craftsman collectors would have balked at the BIN price of $120, I didn't have any second thoughts at pulling the trigger. What I found was an uncommon (if not rare) 1935 Craftsman Vanadium 22-piece "Handy Set" socket set.

The set is incomplete and the box is a little rough, but the availability of this set is almost non-existent. Over the past 5 years, I've seen exactly 1 of these sets come up for sale on eBay, and even though I haven't searched the GJ archives, I don't remember seeing a single post with this set. The set is missing the entirety of the 9/32" drive tools, but they are also not rare (I already have 2 sets). The C-97 ratchet is uncommon and worth more than the price I paid for the whole set and the C-91 extension and C-96 sliding T-bar border on rare. I should have no problems filling in the gaps in this set and couldn't be more pleased to add it to my collection!

Brian

 

[bmwrd0]

Very nice Brian.

 

[Outlawmws]

Sure Brian! Run up the Prices!

Nice find though!

 

[Provincial]

Another **** for bmw on the Stickley magazines!

Congratulations to Brian on the Craftsman set!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

It was 19*F when I hit the flea this morning (Lugz 2021_11), and I could count the vendors on two hands, but one of them had a Mess o' Tools dumped out on his table.

When he saw the way I was going through the pile with precision and selectivity, he asked me some questions, and before too long I was helping him sort the wrenches by type, brand, and age, I showed him the difference between a forge mark, a logo, and owner's marks, and I pulled out a few that I thought he could make a little more than a buck a piece on, which he put in his truck.

Oh, and I came away with a few for myself.

That "S" wrench at the top is going to solve a mystery. No clue on the oddball combo obstruction hex wrench. The smaller "S" wrench in the middle suddenly makes my Southington loosies a collection. The next one down with the 22-1/2* angle goes on the Bonney board. Everyone will recognize the pair of parabolic antiques as IH. The DOE engineers wrench at the bottom is a Fairmount Chome-Alloy in a Jeep size (ISN 25) that I needed.

 

[d42jeep]

That seller had the market cornered on monkey wrenches!
-Don

 

[woody 73]

Again nothing exciting to look at, not like a box full of tool goodness that makes one drool and nothing to write home about...

The tool and the story ...

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=473987

 

[3baygarage]

Hit the flea market for some treasure hunting. My finds, some are pretty scrappy this week or even broken. Some broken Snap On, Mac, S-K.

I love funny flea market interactions. This is how the Plierwrench transaction went. I had just spent $10 with the guy on a bunch of the tools you see. He’s a nice regular old timer I like to buy from.

Me: (I pick up the Plierwrench out of a tray)

Him: Oh, that. Now that’s a nice one right there. Let me see that. This is antique you know. You squeeze the handles,and the jaw comes out (Demonstrates for all his wierd buddies). Etc etc etc.

Me: yep, they have interchangeable jaws.

Him: indicating it’s going to be expensive

Me: What do you have to get for that? (Expecting the worst)

Him: Tell you what, $2 for this.




Snap-On and Mac drivers, a bulbous stubby that has a German look to it.

Snap On body hammer head.

S-K rats, Fleet rat, PowrKraft rat, Litton Pocket Socket sans ratchet

neat Reed one hander

odd non-spark single end box wrench

Wrenches: PowrKraft,TRW,Williams,Mac

Sockets: Stanley(Mac), Cornwell impacts, S-K

Old valve core tool

Ridgid spanner

SnapOn pouch

Unmarked hand impact

Craftsman wood chisel

Plierench

Plomb WF breaker bar

Seat belt style filter wrench

Millers Falls nail bar

Craftsman socket magnets

Bell System Proto wrench and Stanley screwdriver. Unmarked wrench same as the Proto.

Odd little open enders. Not sure if they’re part of the Bell System kit or unmarked imports. Anyone know? They were together.

Screwdrivers: Plomb, two Proto

Snap On ferret t handle and Craftsman ext.

How often do you see a cracked S-K ratchet with a good mechanism for a buck in one row, and then find a S-K Wayne with a sunken ball and a sprung clip for a buck fifty in the next row? My mission was clear, Franken-donor time!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

That seller had the market cornered on monkey wrenches!

He sure did. Nothing really grabbed me as special though.

neat Reed one hander

Yeah it is! That was the first thing my eyes landed on. I didn't even know they made a self-adjusting pipe wrench like that.

 

[3baygarage]

Lugz, I was going to ask if you knew who the valve core tool was but I figured it out. Dill Mfg. Co..

My friend pretending to enjoy some forced tool time here.

 

[ForrestT]

3Bay, nice finds. I’ve never seen a cracked SK ratchet before. Good find being able to make 1 good ratchet out 2 bums.

Lugs, the table at that flea market would’ve been great to find! Especially this time of year!



Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[ForrestT]

 

[3baygarage]

3Bay, nice finds. I’ve never seen a cracked SK ratchet before. Good find being able to make 1 good ratchet out 2 bums.

Lugs, the table at that flea market would’ve been great to find! Especially this time of year!



Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

The photo doesn’t show the bend, but someone had a pipe on that ratchet.

 

[d42jeep]

The photo doesn’t show the bend, but someone had a pipe on that ratchet.

S-K will warranty those if you are interested in that. You can email their customer service. I had a ratchet with a sunken ball and they sent me a free kit.
-Don

 

[3baygarage]

S-K will warranty those if you are interested in that. You can email their customer service. I had a ratchet with a sunken ball and they sent me a free kit.
-Don

I know, thanks. One was abused, one mangled. Not trying to spend their money on this stuff.

Check out this set Don. Also found at the flea today. Catalog was rolled like a cigar under the sockets. Done deal for $20!

Missing the 9/16. 2x 11/16.

Came with four other sockets. One looks like one of those mystery SR sockets but no markings. Hmmm.

More photos in S-K thread:

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=8917856&postcount=2606

 

[RTM]

My acquisition off FB. Not a steal, but a decent price on 4 chisels. 3 long paring chisels by Robert Sorby of Sheffield 6, 13 & 19mm (1/4, 1/2, 3/4") About 8" usable blade on each.

Ashley Iles 3/16" mortising chisel, custom grind on the tip.

All arrived quite sharp, compared to the dull rusty and out of square I am used to buying.

And the **** end of a Berg 1/4" for those playing along at home.

 

[Outlawmws]

3Bay, nice finds. I’ve never seen a cracked SK ratchet before. Good find being able to make 1 good ratchet out 2 bums.

Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

The photo doesn’t show the bend, but someone had a pipe on that ratchet.

Totally unsurprised at the pipe marks.

That ratchet was certainly broken trying to loosen something.

 

[duddly]

Got out to an estate sale today. Hoping I get out a little tomorrow morning and the snow doesn't shut things down. $12 got me a little adjustable wrench marked only 'PAT AUG 2, 1921 MADE IN USA', a cool staple-less 'Bump Paper Fastner' and an unidentified clamp(?) thing. At first I thought it was a vulcanizer, but it is not. I could use some help. Also picked up 10 books from the 30s and 40s. Audell's Engineers and Mechanics guides 1,2,3 and 7 (with a couple duplicates). I love the Audell's guides - including a picture of the cover art and another eliectrical guide from them. A Engineers sketch book with some neat diagrams, and a book on Steam heat for power plants.

Anybody impacted by snow please stay safe!

 

[d42jeep]

I know, thanks. One was abused, one mangled. Not trying to spend their money on this stuff.

Check out this set Don. Also found at the flea today. Catalog was rolled like a cigar under the sockets. Done deal for $20!

Missing the 9/16. 2x 11/16.

Came with four other sockets. One looks like one of those mystery SR sockets but no markings. Hmmm.

More photos in S-K thread:

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=8917856&postcount=2606

Nice set. I may have an extra 9/16” if you don’t already have one.
-Don

 

[steaks&anvils]

Got out to an estate sale today. Hoping I get out a little tomorrow morning and the snow doesn't shut things down. $12 got me a little adjustable wrench marked only 'PAT AUG 2, 1921 MADE IN USA', a cool staple-less 'Bump Paper Fastner' and an unidentified clamp(?) thing. At first I thought it was a vulcanizer, but it is not. I could use some help. Also picked up 10 books from the 30s and 40s. Audell's Engineers and Mechanics guides 1,2,3 and 7 (with a couple duplicates). I love the Audell's guides - including a picture of the cover art and another eliectrical guide from them. A Engineers sketch book with some neat diagrams, and a book on Steam heat for power plants.

Anybody impacted by snow please stay safe!

Duddly,

I think that is the tabletop clamp base to something. Turn it over, does it look like something is held by or attaches to it?

 

[Outlawmws]

Nice finds Dud! I like the Audel's guides as well, and have at least three. (Welders, Diesel, and Steam fitters...)

on the Clamp

 

[duddly]

Duddly,

I think that is the tabletop clamp base to something. Turn it over, does it look like something is held by or attaches to it?

here are some additional pictures. The "flat" part is actually a wedge. And the part that would go against a table in a hold down is fairly "rounded" on the bottom and flatter on top - the flat part is 4 inches long - sorry there was nothing in the pictures for scale. There are no markings.

I think you may be right about it being a clamp to hold something. If I put the thumbscrew at the bottom, it has a straight edge to fit a table, and above the table would be something round like a worklight or even a small vise/tool that has a slot for the clamp.

 

[Outlawmws]

Knowing what Diameter fits that radius might be a key clue...

It also looks Olive Drab? Military?

 

[duddly]

Knowing what Diameter fits that radius might be a key clue...

It also looks Olive Drab? Military?

A quiet visit to the kitchen later and I can tell you that it fits fairly well on an 8 inch diameter pot. It is painted, Ovlive drab.. maybe going towards brown.

Snow not withstanding... I may try to go back for the last day of the sale tomorrow and look around to see if I can find an answer.

 

[pfaustus]

Those paring chisels are lovely. Great find. That mortise chisel is more ground "wrong" than "custom". You are going to have to remove a lot of metal to fix it.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

If I put the thumbscrew at the bottom, it has a straight edge to fit a table, and above the table would be something round like a worklight or even a small vise/tool that has a slot for the clamp.

Maybe. What is this piece (circle in red)? It looks like something may have broken off there?

 

[Mavawreck]

Nice finds Dud! I like the Audel's guides as well, and have at least three. (Welders, Diesel, and Steam fitters...)

Me too! They are fun to read. Working on my garage bookshelf.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Lugs, the table at that flea market would’ve been great to find! Especially this time of year!

Yessir! That's one of the things I like about the winter flea season here. It's really only for the hardest of the ******** sellers and buyers. No throngs of people and strollers to navigate, no hundreds of tables of beanie babies and clothes and toys etc to walk past.

 

[ForrestT]

Yessir! That's one of the things I like about the winter flea season here. It's really only for the hardest of the ******** sellers and buyers. No throngs of people and strollers to navigate, no hundreds of tables of beanie babies and clothes and toys etc to walk past.

I wish we had those types of flea markets here in Ohio.


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[Private Lugnutz]

My finds (Lugz 2021_12) from this morning's trip.

The convertible snap ring pliers on top of the book represent the "Field of Dreams" (...if you build it, they will come...) Principle that is sometimes at play in this hobby. Waldes-Truarc snap ring pliers are ubiquitous, and probably much like everyone else, I have had a few 40's vintage examples for years without really giving too much thought to the name or history. As you may recall, I found a No. 2 with a really cool Waldes Koh-I-Noor (WK) logo and a wartime Naval Air Station (NAS) number on them earlier this year (see page 6, post #107, Lugz 2021_04). Those prompted me to start a thread on the subject on the Vintage Board, linked here, which got off to a great start with other contributions. One of those was a pair of convertibles. To be honest, I didn't even know they existed and I made a little mental note of hope to find one, and wondering how long it would be until I did. Well, not long! Twenty-three (23) days, in fact.

I am not yet sure about the Ken-Tool multi-wrench to the left of the book. Ken-Tool has a really interesting history (including a very good and seriously legitimate claim to inventing a tool that was crucial to winning WWII!), and I see their things from time to time, usually too modern for my preferences. This is the first vintage tool I have ever found.

Everyone will recognize the BERNARD 6" parallel jaw pliers with cutters.

The book (copyright 1937) is my favorite find. The binding is shot, but that's okay, because I think I might be cutting this one up. It is full of wonderfully strange illustrations. I opened it randomly to the page in Pic 2, for example, which I immediately saw in an antique frame in a hipster or steampunk house. It's a little creepy. Read the caption in Pic 3, which invoked for me some vivid scenes from the movie adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's "The Road."

 

[bmwrd0]

Yessir! That's one of the things I like about the winter flea season here. It's really only for the hardest of the ******** sellers and buyers. No throngs of people and strollers to navigate, no hundreds of tables of beanie babies and clothes and toys etc to walk past.

I loved going to the swap meets on rainy days for just this reason. There would be vastly fewer vendors, but you had the time and ability to really sift through what was on offer, and many times brought home great finds.

 

[RTM]

That mortise chisel is more ground "wrong" than "custom". You are going to have to remove a lot of metal to fix it.

Hate to say, I didn’t notice the tip when I agreed to buy it. The name and price I got by bundling it blinded me. I pinged the seller why the grind, and did not get a concrete answer. As all are sharp, and were used, I’m gonna give it a whirl. That’s way too much quality Sheffield steel to grind away in any hurry. I have a few other mortise Chisels with oddball grinds, but one from 1850ish that still looks like the expected original profile.

 

[txlonghorn1989]

3bay Starting the year off with some good finds. I think you **** on the SK socket set for $20!

duddly Nice haul! That clamp/? is cool. I hope you figure out exactly what it is and it's use.

RTM Great pickup on those Sorby chisels.

I envy you guys with sales worth going out for. Stay safe out there folks!

 

[txlonghorn1989]

Lugz I'll bite. What was the Ken-Tool invention that was crucial to winning WWII?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

A rim tool for B29s. The heat in North Africa, compounded by the extra heat of landing, would melt the tires without it. Probably some hyperbole involved. OR and Jock, our resident flyboys, may know more.

I can't figure out if this thing is finished or came off the line too early. I have to get the spider eggs out of it and derust it and study it more.

 

[bmwrd0]

Saturday was my normal "get out of the house to give my wife some space" day, so I hit the local sales, estate and garage.


First stop was a local estate sale for its half price day. I picked up a complete P&C100 set, marbles cleaning rod, Herbrand 3/8s combo, Proto and SR sockets, a set of Dunlap ignition pliers, and one of the books I will show below. $7.25 for everything.


Next productive stop was another estate sale, where I picked up a bicycle maintenance manual and a set of chair casters I need for my desk chair. $1.50


My last stop was the estate sale I hit on the way home on Friday, where I picked up a big bag of misc. sockets and an SK rachet (with Craftsman deep attached) for $7. The bag contained Bonney, Proto, Craftsman, SK, and Indestro sockets along with the usual junk. This particular estate sale company has zero idea about tools, which can be good (the SK ratchet with socket was $2) and bad (they have a habit of dumping sockets into sacks with no regard to what is in there, so sets get broken up)

But before that last ES stop, I swung by an old antique dealer who sells out of his home. He wasn't showing anything in his ad that really interested me, but sometimes I have picked up great stuff from him. Well, one of the two collectible books I picked up was from him:

Butchers Crossing is firmly in the camp of what are called revisionist westerns, books that take the history of the west and treat it in a much more honest and literary light than the westerns that had been popular. This particular book was released, to very little fanfare, in 1960 and is regarded in literary circles as one of the best in that vein, standing along with such classics as Blood Meridian and The Oxbox Incident. A hardcover first edition in dust jacket such as this can fetch anywhere between $500 and $1000 on the used book market. Needless to say, I am very happy to find a nice copy for only $8. The other book, Rebecca is a very well regarded gothic mystery/thriller that had been filmed by none other than Alfred Hitchcock in 1940. This edition is nothing truly special, but a nice wartime Triangle reprint with a very nice dust jacket. I picked it up at the first ES I hit that morning for a buck.

 

[d42jeep]

My finds (Lugz 2021_12) from this morning's trip.

The convertible snap ring pliers on top of the book represent the "Field of Dreams" (...if you build it, they will come...) Principle that is sometimes at play in this hobby. Waldes-Truarc snap ring pliers are ubiquitous, and probably much like everyone else, I have had a few 40's vintage examples for years without really giving too much thought to the name or history. As you may recall, I found a No. 2 with a really cool Waldes Koh-I-Noor (WK) logo and a wartime Naval Air Station (NAS) number on them earlier this year (see page 6, post #107, Lugz 2021_04). Those prompted me to start a thread on the subject on the Vintage Board, linked here, which got off to a great start with other contributions. One of those was a pair of convertibles. To be honest, I didn't even know they existed and I made a little mental note of hope to find one, and wondering how long it would be until I did. Well, not long! Twenty-three (23) days, in fact.

I am not yet sure about the Ken-Tool multi-wrench to the left of the book. Ken-Tool has a really interesting history (including a very good and seriously legitimate claim to inventing a tool that was crucial to winning WWII!), and I see their things from time to time, usually too modern for my preferences. This is the first vintage tool I have ever found.

Everyone will recognize the BERNARD 6" parallel jaw pliers with cutters.

The book (copyright 1937) is my favorite find. The binding is shot, but that's okay, because I think I might be cutting this one up. It is full of wonderfully strange illustrations. I opened it randomly to the page in Pic 2, for example, which I immediately saw in an antique frame in a hipster or steampunk house. It's a little creepy. Read the caption in Pic 3, which invoked for me some vivid scenes from the movie adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's "The Road."

That Ken Tool looks a little like the Barcalo tool I got at the end of last year.
-Don

 

[txlonghorn1989]

Nice haul bmw. I enjoy seeing what books you pick up. Never heard of 'Butcher's Crossing' but I just requested a hold on it from the library. Sounds like a good read.

 

[duddly]

Maybe. What is this piece (circle in red)? It looks like something may have broken off there?

It does no look broken off. There is no break in the finish there, so I think it is just mold marks. I looked at that area pretty closely when I got it because it looked suspicious and I thought it might be some type of marking. But I think they just did not grind down the mold marks.

 

[Old Radar]

Saturday was my normal "get out of the house to give my wife some space" day, so I hit the local sales, estate and garage.


First stop was a local estate sale for its half price day. I picked up a complete P&C100 set, marbles cleaning rod, Herbrand 3/8s combo, Proto and SR sockets, a set of Dunlap ignition pliers, and one of the books I will show below. $7.25 for everything.

Nice set! There's certainly no denying the family resemblance!