2026 Garage Sale Thread (15th Annual)

[ctuai]

Estate sale ($80): Derbyshire watchmakers lathe w/ Watchmakers faceplate and Foredom CP-10 rheostat, C&E Marshall Watch-Craft motor; GRS Benchmate;

Almost didn't go to this one as it was 45 minutes out and didn't look like much was there. Fortunately, buried under the workbench was the lathe, which then made me dig a bit more and voila the rest of the gear showed up. Couldn't find the tailpiece for the lathe.​

Misc. 32 - 8mm collets, & 5 step collets; Bergeon no. 4081 soldering tweezer holder; Bergeon vise; Levin poising vise w/level; 17 Levin 8mm collets; K&D Main spring winder no. 128; 5 - Levin step collets



Box of misc. supplies



Little Giant brake; Wizling glass grinder; The Jewelry Repair Manual 2nd. ed.; Engraving cushion.



4 lbs. of copper

 

[Outlawmws]

Derbyshire watchmakers lathe w/ Watchmakers faceplate and Foredom CP-10 rheostat, C&E Marshall Watch-Craft motor; GRS Benchmate;

And all that other stuff!

Awesome find man!

 

[Provincial]

ctuai is killing it lately! Two *****. Also a **** for bmw.

 

[DetailSeeker]

@ctuai , you ****.

(I am trying so hard right now to not go looking for estate or garage sales, and this thread is not helping. Am I leaving? I am not.)

Frances

 

[Burt Shaver]

Went to our local flea market today, got there around 11:30, seen this hand painted sign. Asked the vendor how much, he says 100.00. I offer him 80.00, he says he can’t take 80.00, that a fellow he knows hand paints them. We chit chat a bit and then I go on my way looking through the rest of the market. Come back out around 2:15 and he’s packing up. I go to the car and grab some more money. Offer him final offer of 90.00 and he takes it, we chit chat some more. Nice fellow. Not a great deal but I will most likely not see another one like it and I can enjoy it for the rest of my life

 

[3baygarage]

BMW gets another YOU ****! for the Blackhawk ratchet and Snap-On.

 

[3baygarage]

Saturday flea market finds. All from same vendor. He does cleanouts and storage. There weren’t many tools out, maybe two boxes. Then I glanced over and saw a few more tool boxes in his trailer.

He doesn’t think the crowd there is worthy, so he sometimes saves the better stuff for other venues. Well, I’m glad he saved it! He’s let me in his trailer a few times now, because he knows I like to look at everything, and also knows I buy.

I found some goodies in there. I made a pile and was afraid the price would be a gut punch as he carefully looked it over. Then he says, “Give me 60 just to get it out of here.” I tried not to with joy. Gave him $2 more for the tiny punch and Craftsman wrench. New Year’s deal I guess?


Craftsman 12mm wrench, swivel socket, 4 way driver.
6 vintage Cornwell sockets. Pexto pliers. Mayhew punch.


Mac quick change bit set. Looks incomplete, didn't see one phillips is busted. All the torx are nice!

Otc rear axle bearing puller set. Looks new.

Finally, Snap-On 3/8” Pit driver set and two 1/4” extensions.
I would have given him the $62 just for this. The set’s in great shape, no worn or broken bits.

 

[Outlawmws]

Pexto pliers.

Nice find on the PEXTOs. not real common, but probably the most common PEXTO piler based on my PEXTO count of pliers. (Almost half...)

 

[WisJim]

I've been busy with holiday stuff and relatives (including grandson) but finally got out to the flea market just down the street from my son's house in Pueblo, CO and found an incomplete Disston saw set and a Millers Falls No 35 bit extension. A few days ago I found a 1946 edition of "High Speed Combustion Engines" in a thrift store and couldn't pass it up.

 

[d42jeep]

A sale at a business that is closing showed up on Craigslist this morning so we braved the rain and drove to Martinez, CA. There was only one other pair of customers so we had a leisurely look through the few tools that were there. We came home with these things. All of the little DeWalt storage boxes were empty. The Stanley square went straight into the Evaporust



Before and after the cleaning and sharpening of the Buck Bros wood chisels.
An Indestro DBE wrench all cleaned up and ready to head to the Pacific Northwest.
Postwar Irwin Perfect Handle screwdriver.
Possible Stanley #1 Phillips.
Bridgeport comfort grip screwdriver according to the patent number.
Nice Craftsman 1/2” nutdriver.
11mm Craftsman combo wrench.
-Don

 

[Tom "Python" Aycock]

My first garage sale thread post, I think?

Still had Holiday family at the house on Saturday so had to delay my flea market trip for Sunday. It's a 1.5 hour trip over a couple of mountains to get to the Tri-cities flea market in Bluff City, TN. It was 35° with rain projected so I wasn't sure if many outside "trunk" vendors would be there.

It was slim showing for sure but still was able to find some tools.

Got this tombstone Duplex box, a good sampling of Thorsen, Action, Westline, Indestro, and a few, new brand to me, Granco sockets. Visited a long time vendor in the enclosed area and he had a Snap-On 3/8 drive speed brace and a couple of NB hex sockets and the S-K extension I needed for a set I'm restocking. All in all it was a decent day and I spent under $30 (not including fuel for the trip). The wife called me on my way back and asked where I was. I told her I was at the hunting camp. She chuckled and gave me a list of groceries to pick up.

 

[WisJim]

@ctuai ***** for that lathe and related items.

 

[LostBoy(IRL)]

Hopefully no one minds me posting this here, I typically update my original post with updates, but this was 2025, so dropping it here

The USAG ratchet I picked up last week cleaned up very nicely, I have worked on a few older ratchets, but not that many tbh.
The internal of this though was a first for me, assuming that just means this is the first round head I have opened, but is this a sightly unusually design? The hole in the pawl is where the selector threads in (was a steel screw when I got it, but seems to take a 3mm bolt, thankfully the screw didn't, ah... screw the threads , I'll replace with something more user-friendly when I find it or think of it, the ratchet works Grand) it's a strong build, the position of the pawl is held by a spring with two ball bearing one of which sits in the recess in the pawl, the other runs along the gear, with a decent strength spring between them, which seems like an odd choice, when the hole didn't have to go fully through, and yes the second ballbearing caught me by surprise, I eventually found it...

Link to original thread.

 

[LesserSon]

Hopefully no one minds me posting this here, I typically update my original post with updates, but this was 2025, so dropping it here

The USAG ratchet I picked up last week cleaned up very nicely, I have worked on a few older ratchets, but not that many tbh.
The internal of this though was a first for me, assuming that just means this is the first round head I have opened, but is this a sightly unusually design? The hole in the pawl is where the selector threads in (was a steel screw when I got it, but seems to take a 3mm bolt, thankfully the screw didn't, ah... screw the threads , I'll replace with something more user-friendly when I find it or think of it, the ratchet works Grand) it's a strong build, the position of the pawl is held by a spring with two ball bearing one of which sits in the recess in the pawl, the other runs along the gear, with a decent strength spring between them, which seems like an odd choice, when the hole didn't have to go fully through, and yes the second ballbearing caught me by surprise, I eventually found it...

Link to original thread.

LUCKY!
It would be almost worth it to have a small blasting cabinet for taking apart ratchets and fishing reels. Add a CCTV or GoPro camera to record the process so you could reverse it.
Of course, I rarely think to grab a 2qt (or larger) freezer bag, which is a LOT cheaper, and would work almost as well.
I found a ball bearing on the floor after moving some equipment a few weeks ago, but I don’t remember which ratchet it came out of more than a year ago, or where I put that.
There’s a vital component to a spinning reel lost in the gravel or ivy back of my house, in addition to a half dozen nuts, bolts and springs from other things I took apart without adequate preparation.

 

[Outlawmws]

I get a gallon baggie invariably these days! even did that up camping taking a small fishing reel apart. I also have started doing this on large aluminum baking trays. so there is a lip for parts that want to roll away...

 

[RTM]

I found a ball bearing on the floor after moving some equipment a few weeks ago, but I don’t remember which ratchet it came out of more than a year ago, or where I put that.
There’s a vital component to a spinning reel lost in the gravel or ivy back of my house, in addition to a half dozen nuts, bolts and springs from other things I took apart without adequate preparation.

I lost a clip from a vise that came off the main screw, held the dynamic jaw so it would open. Thought I took adequate precautions, did not expect to pop up at an angle, hit my safety glasses, and fly off into the unprepared area full of lumber and tools .

 

[Burt Shaver]

Bought this women’s Yamaha snowmobile coat off marketplace today.
I had messaged about it roughly a week ago, it was listed as brand new for 75.00, I had offered 50.00 when I messaged a week ago, I got no reply. I was going through my saved items in Marketplace last night, came across it and messaged again “ would you take 50.00” she said sure. I asked if she could hold it for me till January 8th when I would be in the area to save me the 1h 9m drive each way, she said she would hold it but I could t wait and went today. Fits my wife perfectly and as far as I can tell it’s brand new.

 

[Outlawmws]

I asked if she could hold it for me till January 8th when I would be in the area to save me the 1h 9m drive each way, she said she would hold it but I could t wait and went today.

Smart move. 2 days later it would have been gone.

 

[mikeinri]

I've had to make repairs on grass before RV, (tractors, etc.), and have inevitably lost parts in the process. If I'm lucky and it's steel, a magnet on a handle has saved my bacon several times over the years.

Tiny ball bearings? Probably not, LOL.

Mike

 

[SC Fly Guy]

Estate sale ($80): Derbyshire watchmakers lathe w/ Watchmakers faceplate and Foredom CP-10 rheostat, C&E Marshall Watch-Craft motor; GRS Benchmate;

Almost didn't go to this one as it was 45 minutes out and didn't look like much was there. Fortunately, buried under the workbench was the lathe, which then made me dig a bit more and voila the rest of the gear showed up. Couldn't find the tailpiece for the lathe.​

Misc. 32 - 8mm collets, & 5 step collets; Bergeon no. 4081 soldering tweezer holder; Bergeon vise; Levin poising vise w/level; 17 Levin 8mm collets; K&D Main spring winder no. 128; 5 - Levin step collets



Box of misc. supplies



Little Giant brake; Wizling glass grinder; The Jewelry Repair Manual 2nd. ed.; Engraving cushion.



4 lbs. of copper

Coming out of the gates strongly. Warrants a YOU ****!!

 

[Outlawmws]

Man, between weather and holiday's I'm approaching a month since the last time I was at any sort of sale. Maybe time to hit a thrift and waste some time...

 

[WisJim]

Man, between weather and holiday's I'm approaching a month since the last time I was at any sort of sale. Maybe time to hit a thrift and waste some time...

For me, being at my son's in Colorado is a treat because if the weather is decent (and it usually is), there is a weekend flea market about 3 or 4 blocks down the street. Not a very big flea, but back home in Wisconsin there aren't any within a reasonable distance anytime during the year, and garage sales are pretty much only May thru October, and there might be one or two estate sales during the year. So our annual visit to Pueblo often nets me a tool or two from the flea market and that gets me out for a walk too. I envy you folks who have a real flea market every weekend within a reasonable distance.

 

[Beerhippie]

Man, between weather and holiday's I'm approaching a month since the last time I was at any sort of sale. Maybe time to hit a thrift and waste some time...

Sales around here are shut down for the duration. Maybe sometime in April or May we'll see the signs go up again.

Working on a Vanagon damned near every spare minute since the beginning of December has kept me out of the local honey holes. Maybe I'll take a break this weekend to get down that way... if we don't get the two to three feet of snow predicted for the next couple of days.

 

[INSP380]

Went out to get this old guy last night. Been watching it for months and the price dropped into a fair range. It was missing it’s 3” post, so I made a replacement and an additional one as well. The threads are a unique size, .187 -40. I think the new post came out nice and this relic is ready for another 70 years . Brown & Sharpe 625 Planer Gauge… Now part of my collection..

Steve

 

[RTM]

The threads are a unique size, .187 -40.

10-40 maybe?

I love mine, as a totally unneeded tool. I think mine was apprentice made.

 

[INSP380]

10-40 maybe?

I love mine, as a totally unneeded tool. I think mine was apprentice made.

Nice piece! I have a Lufkin as well. Nope, it’s actually a 3/16-40 ME thread. Oddball size. My Lufkin used a 8-36 thread. Another one I had to custom make. I’m 100% on both thread sizes.

Steve

 

[mikeinri]

Went out to get this old guy last night. Been watching it for months and the price dropped into a fair range. It was missing it’s 3” post, so I made a replacement and an additional one as well. The threads are a unique size, .187 -40. I think the new post came out nice and this relic is ready for another 70 years . Brown & Sharpe 625 Planer Gauge… Now part of my collection..

Steve

Nice save!

Mike

 

[INSP380]

Nice save!

Mike

Thank you! I’ve been on the look out for B&S to go with my vintage apprentice kit. Figured anything in the period is fair game. I prefer to buy cheap and restore..

Steve

 

[jeffmoss26]

First restore haul of the years, $15 including a couple brass hinges not pictured

 

[Skellyii]

Man, between weather and holiday's I'm approaching a month since the last time I was at any sort of sale. Maybe time to hit a thrift and waste some time...

Man, I feel ya. We've had uncommonly great weather the last few weeks, but everything has been shut down for the season.

I think there might be some sales popping up in a couple of weeks...just in time for the winter weather to finally arrive.

 

[mikeinri]

Thank you! I’ve been on the look out for B&S to go with my vintage apprentice kit. Figured anything in the period is fair game. I prefer to buy cheap and restore..

Steve

I have a soft spot for Brown & Sharpe...

One of my grandfathers made a career as a tool maker at one of their manufacturing facilities (in Smithfield, RI). He died when I was very young, and well before I had any interest in tools, so I don't know which ones he actually made, unfortunately.

I have yet to start building a collection.

Mike

 

[four.cycle]

My favorite junk store in beautiful downtown Sequim had but paltry offerings. The proprietor said that donations have been way down this holiday season, but I found a few items:
small pliers of as-yet-undetermined origin, a giant pair or Crescent linemans pliers, yet another Mercedes-Benz Heyco 17 mm lug nut wrench, although this one has a different part number than the one I picked up last week.
Imperial Brass flaring tool, Fuller slip-joint pliers, and an odd Lectrolite Tru-Fit 3016 5/8" combination wrench marked with the alloy composition on the other side: .05 CHR. .05 VAN

 

[four.cycle]

CL deal I had cooking before I had to leave town last week - finally managed to connect with the guy:

four saws 01/08/26
... a couple totes (one is cracked) and a couple nuts. Millers Falls and Stanley hand drills. Twist drill bits. Old ratcheting brace (not seeing a name on it anywhere) with a mess of auger bits with number sizes stamped on them. Is there some sort of "cross reference" for these numbers to a fractional equivalent?

 

[WisJim]

Is there some sort of "cross reference" for these numbers to a fractional equivalent?

The number stamped on the tang of auger bits is the size in sixteenths of an inch.

 

[four.cycle]

ah! duh! thank you! it would appear, then, that with the bunch I got in another batch of stuff two months ago I should have a fair assortment of those things.

 

[four.cycle]

Okay, so the next question is: can these auger bits be resharpened? Most of them in this batch are in pretty rough condition: the "screw" part at the lead ends are rounded off (or rusted off) on most of them; the leading cutting edge is blunt as a stone on several. Fixable? Junk?
The last "grab bag" of stuff I got had a mess of auger bits in it, but I haven't really even looked at them closely yet.
Not that big a deal, I was primarily after the Millers Falls hand drill - this was sort of a "package deal".

 

[Etchase]

$40 with the battery. Not many signs of use. XRU23

 

[gpw_42]

Okay, so the next question is: can these auger bits be resharpened? ….Fixable? Junk?

No experience with this sort of restoration, but this guy says fixable, with the right type of file:

At the very least, should make a good excuse to buy a new file . Good luck!

 

[four.cycle]

I got all kinds of files... I kind of went nuts with files when I first joined here.
I'll see if somebody local can rework these.... sharpening stuff isn't really my part of my skill set.

 

[WisJim]

Okay, so the next question is: can these auger bits be resharpened? Most of them in this batch are in pretty rough condition: the "screw" part at the lead ends are rounded off (or rusted off) on most of them; the leading cutting edge is blunt as a stone on several. Fixable?

Usually I don't attempt to sharpen a bit with the screw part in bad shape. It would be difficult to rescue a damaged screw but not impossible with adequate files. I have a lot of auger bits, though, so I can afford to be fussy.