SWMBO's out of town this weekend, so there's no one to give me dirty looks when I took off for an estate sale at 7 AM on a Saturday. The ad for a General Contractor Estate Sale was too tempting and brought me back onto the field from "retirement".
The address was just the street and town, so I think it kept a lot of folks away--there was just one other guy and I there a half hour before the opening. The SIL running the sale let us in and we had the place to ourselves. Turns out my bargain hunting companion was a former worker at a Snap-on production plant in Natick, MA for 30 years! He had some good stories to tell about the plant, the various brands they manufactured, and the deep employee discount he got on his garage full of Snappy tools...
Anyhoo, things were priced to sell and after circling the full basement and larger backyard workshop a few times, here's what I came away with for $120. There's too much to make my usual detailed list, so I'll just hit the highlights.
Handtool brands galore! The SIL said the owner would buy a tool whenever he needed one. Or forgot one at a job site. Or just because.
Here's the Snap-on pile...
And the Mac and MatCo. The red socket holder is cool--it has a magnetic rail running down the middle to hold the sockets in place. The other two socket stick are good quality Craftsman.
Were there Craftsman sockets, you ask? Oh yes. Wright, too. And Cornwell, Thorsen, S-K, Indestro Super, P&C, Proto Los Angeles, Easco and a pile of foreign made junk. Also, two Craftsman 3/8"-drive ratchets, one a RHFT. The 1/2"-drive breaker bar is a Duralast
This picture shows three partial rolls of duct tape (including one Gorilla Glue brand), two small gear pullers (one a Kennedy brand!), medical forceps, a dead blow hammer, and a cool drill bit index.
Some DBEs, including Craftsman ratchets, a Blue Point and two Lone Star branded wrenches made in......India.
A nice selection of large Bonney shield combos, along with a few orphans.
Pliers, cutters and grippers of all kinds, including Craftsman, Channellock, and Crescent. Also, a complete set of Craftsman Clench Wrenches and some adjustables, including NAPA and S-K Tools.
A small pile of flat-blade, Phillips and Torx drivers.
Seven different Vice Grips, all from the Dewitt, NE era.
Here's much of the previous, bookended by two Craftsman behind-the-seat plastic tool boxes.
20 kg of snow melt for the upcoming Boston winter, two 20-foot cargo chains, 120 feet of 3/8" steel cable in three loops and a selection of hooks and pulleys.
Two welder masks for visiting Boy Scouts (when I finally get around to hosting a Welding merit badge day). How about that funny looking ax? No maker marks on it that I can find. Anyone have any ideas?
Three Jorgensen wood clamps, plus a nearly identical Hargrave, a hlaf can of Liquid Wrench and a three-foot crowbar.
Two partial cans of Coleman stove fuel, to go with the stove I bought a few months ago, two vintage C-clamps, and a 20" Stanley tape measure.
Four Milwaukee hole bits (2" - 2-1/4" sizes), four Forstner bits, and two chuck keys.
Three boxes of assorted bolts and nuts, plus a big *** chunk of threaded rod.
A "Ding Dong" hack saw (gotta love the Brits) and an old Bridgeport Boy Scout camp ax, missing the wooden handle.
A 100-foot 14 AWG extension cord, a super-sized Master padlock, and a key hider.
Much of this I'll keep, for vehicle tool boxes and my other collections. The truck brands will go on Ebay to cover the day's expenses.
I was able to pick up two shelf units both for one dollar. In the cabinet was a Mechanics vest pocket reference book dated 1945 Written by the Supervisor of the Ford Motor Company Apprentice School and a Professor of Physics at Wayne university. Tons of cool factor there I thought. 
1 HP Baldor buffer with a shop made stand and about 20 pounds of compound. I looked on Amazon before bidding and they sale for 975.00 plus 30 shipping ... no stand, no compound. I have been looking for one for about 2 years now. My 1/2 HP Baldor is nice but it's a 1/2 horse... 
