2015 Garage SaleThread

[Outlawmws]

The retirees have a big advantage for any sale during the week, compared to us working stiffs...

 

[rockinacummins]

Well I hit a good one today finally:




Snap on L872 with both 36" and 19" handles, all williams USA pliers except the pair without grips are proto, all Williams USA extensions plus one proto, Williams USA 1/4 drive deep sae socket set, proto 15" adjustable. All of it in very very good or excellent condition for $340.

My cousin also got a mac 1/4 drive general service set and a snap on 4 piece striking pry bar set plus a 36" pry bar for $130.

 

[rockinacummins]

You know, I sat there for a few moments WAITING for the pics to upload...

Haha sorry outlaw! I was expressing my aggravation through your suspense!

 

[Outlawmws]

NP. Rock. Nice finds there!

 

[zkling]

Don't let the old guys fool you, they are my main competition around here. I'm 42 and it seems most the guys beating me to deals are at least old enough to be my dad...

The retirees have a big advantage for any sale during the week, compared to us working stiffs...

So much truth in these posts.

I do however appreciate those before ~8am Friday sales though.

 

[msgtsmithret]

Originally Posted by loudog212 View Post
Question
For those that frequent garage sales, would you say you find the good stuff from older sellers. .

Thats where I look. I got to know my area very well, like where the older subdivisions are, then target sales in those areas. Outside of subdivisions works well too if you know the age of the homes. You have to pay attention though. Some old neighborhoods just turn into scum and of course those are no good.

 

[Davefr]

Stihl 041 Chainsaw from a private estate sale for $10. The seller asked me if I wanted some extra chains/bars and here's what he threw in. The 36" bar/chain looks almost new.

Japanese tap and die set $5 and a 16" Stihl chain from the free pile:

150lb digital package scale ($5):

What a waste of time! I go to a professional run estate sale and get in line for the sign up sheet. Now wait again to get in. Everything is grossly overpriced. They have a separate barn with it's own sign up sheet. Wait to get in there. Either total **** or overpriced!! This is what I have to show for half a day wasted. ($2). Have you guys given up on professional estate sales? I'm concluding they're a huge waste of time. (just like pawn shops).

 

[ichabod]

Just got back from an estate sale and picked up this little sander. (it was shiny). got it for a dollar fifty.

 

[uniballer]

Stihl 041 Chainsaw from a private estate sale for $10. The seller asked me if I wanted some extra chains/bars and here's what he threw in. The 36" bar/chain looks almost new.

Japanese tap and die set $5 and a 16" Stihl chain from the free pile:

150lb digital package scale ($5):

missing a couple of zeros in those prices?

 

[jakemac]

Have you guys given up on professional estate sales? I'm concluding they're a huge waste of time. (just like pawn shops).

No, I haven't given up on them. In general, I have better luck at Estate Sales than yard sales. If I'm going to waste my time, I'd rather not do it by also wasting gas running back and forth all over the county. You need to pay attention to who's running the sale. After a while you start to get a feel for the company that's running the sale, so you can prepare yourself before you go in. Family run estate sales can be really good, but they can also be really painful as well.

There is one company I see that can be difficult to dicker with, but I've figured out how to approach the guy, so I can often get him to come down on his price when other's can't. But it took 2 years of going to his sales to get there. There is another company that I will NEVER go to another one of their sales no matter how much I might want something I see in the pictures because of how they treat their sellers and buyers.

There's another company that focuses on "collectables" and is clueless about tools. Few of their sales have any tools though. I know that I can get things dirt cheap from them because they don't care. Hummel's and Glassware are gold though.

Some companies have a lot of followers because they run good sales. When I see one of their listings I know that I have to be there 2 hours early, just to get a number in the middle of the pack. Other companies don't have many followers (for a number of reasons), if you can develop a relationship with them you can do ok.

 

[Grimly]

Stihl 041 Chainsaw from a private estate sale for $10. The seller asked me if I wanted some extra chains/bars and here's what he threw in. The 36" bar/chain looks almost new.

$10!
You ****!

 

[Itinerant]

Good score on the Stihl and extras Dave.

What a waste of time! I go to a professional run estate sale and get in line for the sign up sheet. Now wait again to get in. Everything is grossly overpriced. They have a separate barn with it's own sign up sheet. Wait to get in there. Either total **** or overpriced!! This is what I have to show for half a day wasted. ($2). Have you guys given up on professional estate sales? I'm concluding they're a huge waste of time. (just like pawn shops).

Was that the sale on Angel Street in Beaverton? Either way, I'm with you on the professionally run sales being largely time wasters.

 

[nine4gmc]

What Jakemac said about estate sales and I'm with uniballer, Dave's "0" must not be working on his keyboard :

 

[Davefr]

Good score on the Stihl and extras Dave.



Was that the sale on Angel Street in Beaverton? Either way, I'm with you on the professionally run sales being largely time wasters.

^^^Yes, that's the one. It was swarming with shoppers but everyone leaving was bitching about the prices. I didn't even see very many people in the checkout line.

I wasted half a day going to the house and then the barn.

I love private estate sales run by the family members but these professional estate sales have become a waste of time for me. I can find the same items at similar prices on Ebay.

I'm surprised these professional estate sale companies aren't left tons of unsold items on the final day of the sale.

 

[nine4gmc]

Some of them are Dave, once you get to know them, you'll see. There is one particular one around here that brings the unsold items to their next sale, same high prices just waiting on the right fool to fall for it.

I use the notepad on my iPhone to list sales every week and below them, I have "recurring good sales", "recurring bad sales", "good estate sellers" and "bad estate sellers" listed. I compare names and addresses when planning my route. If its the high priced sellers, I often just wait until 50% off day to go by, if I even do.

 

[jakemac]

Many of the estate sale companies in my area also own auction houses or consignment stores. So, they don't care if they empty the house. When the sale is over, they just pull up a truck and bring the good stuff to their warehouse. Then sell it at boutique prices to the "fashionable" people. That's were they really make their money. The estate sale is just their way to hook the house's owner into a sales contract.

 

[Craptain]

Many of the estate sale companies in my area also own auction houses or consignment stores. So, they don't care if they empty the house. When the sale is over, they just pull up a truck and bring the good stuff to their warehouse. Then sell it at boutique prices to the "fashionable" people. That's were they really make their money. The estate sale is just their way to hook the house's owner into a sales contract.

+1

We seem to have a different way of running the sales round here. I have never had a number or list to get in. I have been asked to wait though. And I also know most of the companies and they know me, so whilst I don't get screaming deals I do get fair deals most days. I have also persuaded one guy to at least use eBay SOLD listings to price his stuff rather than asking prices.

All I got was a Craftsman axe and a few videos this week. And. I was given a really poor Gerstner machinist chest with a couple of tools. Total expenditure $3.
Sorry. No pictures.

Sent from my LG-D801 using Tapatalk

 

[Blue Frog]

I picked up a very unusual and rare item today - a solid brass playing card trimmer, circa 1900, made by Will & Finck, San Francisco. The handle, which I originally thought to be plastic,is actually ivory.













Blue

 

[Outlawmws]

Very cool BF!

 

[ttpete]

I picked up a very unusual and rare item today - a solid brass playing card trimmer, circa 1900, made by Will & Finck, San Francisco. The handle, which I originally thought to be plastic,is actually ivory.













Blue

That has an angle adjuster that's used for making a shaved deck for cheating at cards. Anything Will & Finck marked is worth a good amount. They made gambling devices and knives, including some push daggers. Good catch.

 

[nine4gmc]

Even a very poor Gerstner is better than no Gerstner!

 

[bubinga]

Very cool BF!

yeah it is, It's cool.

Even a very poor Gerstner is better than no Gerstner!

Yeah it is, you could probably refinish it.

 

[Outlawmws]

I went out for a couple after getting my weekly gas fillup:

Three bucks for this folding 3 legged chair. I have another one of these (without the add-on sun shade) and it's handy as it folds, then those arm straps convert to shoulder straps for carrying. The only real issue is its very low to the ground, but I can manage it.

I also got the Fan in pic two for a quarter at the same place. The second decent stop was a TOO Collins BP hammer (It will need a new handle, its too far gone...) a 3" Brinks & Cotten clamp (was froze when I got; it I WW the rust off the threads and a few drops of PB blaster, and it freed right up), And the 1 gallon can is beat looking but the inside is clean, rust free, and smelling slightly of gas. it should clean up fine. $5 for the Hammer, clamp, and can.

 

[jawoodworking]

Hello all. This is my first post here on the forum, and I have all you guys to thank for my new found hobby of stalking the local auction houses and garage sales for vintage tools and other cool items. The following are a few of my finds from several gargae sales over the past few weeks.

First one of the season: Paper cutter for $5 and a hattchet with a new handle for $1

Here are my finds from last week. It was a cold miserable day, but I was still able to score these wrenches, which I knew, thanks to this forum, were from manufacturers worth pursuing. All 8 for $16

Last but not least. A few items from an older machinist that was downsizing his collection. Nothing amazing, but items I do not previously own. Everything here, plus a few more screwdrivers for $10

 

[bubinga]

I know a lot are not a big fan of the open leadscrew vise, But it was $5.00.
I am getting ready to paint the vise.
The file cabinet was free, and look how perfect the HF drill press base fits on it. height is good too, as these HF drill presses are tall.
I pop riveted a piece of AL. down to the top of the file cabinet.
and the chisel, Nicholson file, hose repair thing, drill bit, and the plug were $2.00

The 2 file cabinet things the pattern makers box is sitting on,(under my wood lathe)
were $1.00 each.

The knock out bar in the lathe headstock is from a fireplace end Iron set, it was $1.00

 

[jawoodworking]

Last one for the weekend. This was a toolbox full of tools that I won from one of the local online auction houses.

What initially caught my eye was the Sandvick paint scraper. We have an identical one at my business, and use it on a daily basis. The reason I bid on the toolbox, was because it looked to be in great shape and full of tools, many of which I did not have.

As I began to empty out the toolbox to see what I purchased, it seemed to just keep on giving! I can't believe the amount of stuff that came out of it!

I won the the toolbox and all the tools for $40. Sorry for the dark and slightly fuzzy layout photo. Currently, my workbench is in my 10x10 shed, which is a less than ideal photo taking location.

Does anyone know what brand of toolbox it is? I looked all over for any identifying marks or names, but wasn't able to find any.

 

[Itinerant]

^^^Yes, that's the one. It was swarming with shoppers but everyone leaving was bitching about the prices. I didn't even see very many people in the checkout line.

I wasted half a day going to the house and then the barn.

I love private estate sales run by the family members but these professional estate sales have become a waste of time for me. I can find the same items at similar prices on Ebay.

I'm surprised these professional estate sale companies aren't left tons of unsold items on the final day of the sale.

I'm not surprised, I drove by there about 1100 yesterday just because it was on my way somewhere else and there were still about two dozen people waiting to get in the house. There were a lot of people on the streets too returning to their cars and I didn't see anyone carrying anything.

Many of the estate sale companies in my area also own auction houses or consignment stores. So, they don't care if they empty the house. When the sale is over, they just pull up a truck and bring the good stuff to their warehouse. Then sell it at boutique prices to the "fashionable" people. That's were they really make their money. The estate sale is just their way to hook the house's owner into a sales contract.

I don't know if this is the case here because I'm new to the area, in fact the whole professionally run estate sale thing is new to me, almost never saw them in the area I moved from. But since I've been here, I've been to enough sales run by enough different companies to believe that anything desirable will most likely be priced absurdly high.

 

[BFBOB]

[
150lb digital package scale ($5):

]

Great score on that scale. That's the kind I wanted, but with the remote readout they're very $$$$

Pro-run estate/garage sales are hit and miss around here, but by and large it's a big enough market (St. Louis) that they can't get away with really flagrant overpricing. Too many options, and anyway buyers can wait for the nearly universal Last Day=Half Price Day.

On the other side of the table, for mostly logistical reasons, my sister and I hired pros to run our mother's estate sale. They ended up getting about half again what I thought they could, hauling the unsold either to Mother's favorite charities or the dump, and leaving an empty house. They really do provide a service.

 

[nickelTwin]

Williams 6" c clamp for $2.00

 

[nine4gmc]

Good score jawood, is that remnants of a craftsman sticker on that cantilever?

Btw, who you think you are coming in here showing us up in your first post?

Seriously though, thanks for posting!

 

[mike_paxton]

I picked up a very unusual and rare item today - a solid brass playing card trimmer, circa 1900, made by Will & Finck, San Francisco. The handle, which I originally thought to be plastic,is actually ivory.













Blue

Blue:

I love the unusual and that card cutter/shaver is over the top, with an ivory handle to boot. Good Score.

BTW, there is or used to be a card making factory in the Norwood section of Cincinnati area. They also had a museum showing various items used to make playing cards back in their day.

 

[bubinga]

this box was $2.00, garage sale, l am keeping all my electrical stuff in it.

 

[bubinga]

Williams 6" c clamp for $2.00

this guy had one like that yesterday, 8"or 10" I think, but he had $10.00 on it.

 

[bubinga]

Power hacksaw
Just picked this up, gave $40.00 for it, needs a motor, this is the picture from craigslist.
will be wire wheeling and painting, and installing 1/2 HP motor.

 

[Waggoner72]

Just picked up these 4 snap-on torque wrenches all for $200. Barely used at all, digital one not ever used.

 

[bubinga]

Just picked up these 4 snap-on torque wrenches all for $200. Barely used at all, digital one not ever used.

nice, what drive(s) are they?

 

[Waggoner72]

Digital and one right above it are 3/8
Other two are 1/4

 

[JeremyBurke]

This great Park Machinist chest followed me home from a craigslist deal today. I has all the original felt very few paint issues and both the keys.







Not bad for $40 and a lunch break in the truck.

 

[bubinga]

Digital and one right above it are 3/8
Other two are 1/4

Nice,

This great Park Machinist chest followed me home from a craigslist deal today. I has all the original felt very few paint issues and both the keys.
Not bad for $40 and a lunch break in the truck.

Good price, is that 20" wide?

 

[Joe Dailey]

I bought 12 of these NOS hard handles still sealed up in plastic from the early 70s according to the seller...Pretty cool! And a few other things.