2023 Garage Sale Thread

[mikeinri]

One thing that jumped out from the table @yatg posted in the other thread:

Here's some tips for anybody selling on ebay

You pay the 13.25% fee on the total transaction, item + shipping + tax.
Plus a $0.30 transaction fee or whatever they call it.

I figure 15% for ebay fees.

If you want $20 for the item, list it for $23.


Ship items "economy" with a flat rate cost.

I calc the cost to ship the item to the farthest US location, for me its Florida (zone 8), then add 15% to come up with my ebay shipping cost. If somebody ******* about the shipping cost, I can always adjust if they live closer.

If it calcs out at $8 to ship, I would use $9.25

Use flat rate boxes and envelopes.
If its small and weighs over a pound and will fit, it goes in a flat rate letter or legal envelope.

I pack and weigh the item then calculate the actual cost, then add 15%.

Use pirateship.com for shipping, best rates for USPS and UPS.

A lot of people F themselves using ebay shipping.
ebay gives you a "discounted" rate, but then ebay takes their cut on that.
And sometimes I think ebay shipping calculations are just wildly inflated.
If buyers think shipping is overpriced, they're not going to buy your stuff.

If you can break even on shipping after ebay fees, you're doing good.
There are still costs you have to absorb like tape, boxes, packing material, paper, ink, etc.

Where you personally live has nothing to do with ebay sales tax. ebay calculates the sales tax for the seller's locale. If you ship to Oregon its 0, if you ship to California it can be upto 10% or more.

Paypal is out of the picture when selling on ebay.
ebay does their own payment processing.

Here's a sales report for some stuff I've sold.
The 'pct' column (fee/total) is what ebay actually took.
The 'net' column is what ebay deposited in my bank account.

If the shipping price is high - relative to the item price, the fee percentage (if calculated against the item price alone) is higher. Same would be true if selling into a state with high sales tax vs low,

Am I understanding this correctly?

Mike

 

[d42jeep]

The sales tax is paid by the customer and distributed to the states by eBay. My last calculation was 15% but that was a couple of years ago when I last sold on eBay. The looming IRS threat soured me on selling there.
-Don

 

[Private Lugnutz]

With a ten, a five, and three ones in my pocket, I was hoping to run into some good deals at the flea this morning (Lugz 2023_41) and I was not disappointed!



- Anyone familiar with the style of the panels on the shanks peaking through some of the blue pockets of that DBE set in its original rollup will recognize the mfgr. Indestro is not a brand I am hot to collect, frankly, but I am loathe to leave any near-complete set in its orignal rollup behind. Ironically, I have left A LOT of Select Steel DBE orphans behind over the years, so now I will have to keep a lookout for the missing two. There is a really nice branding on it, just hard to see in the glare.

- The "S" wrench is a script Herbrand.

- The file handles are 'SKROO-ZON' (for the GMTK hoard).

- The blades with the hooked cutters are for some type of utility knife I don't think I have, 'MADE IN ENGLAND', branded Stanley.

- The little brass case is vintage (maybe antique) Gilette.

- The pocketclip screwdriver is unbranded (for the ignition sets in the GMTK hoard)

- The 1/4-drive spinner looks import to me (branded 'ALL TRADE'?) but it doubles as an extension and I am sure it will not look out of place in one set or another.

- The only reason I grabbed the Williams monkey wrench is a 'RAILROAD SPECIAL' marking and the handle. It's some kind of very early maroon fibrous plastic. I have never seen that before. Usually all steel or wooden scales. It will take me to the books.

 

[four.cycle]

- "The file handles are SKROO-ZON (for the GMTK hoard)". >>> Skroo-Zon was a GMTK component? I think I might have one or two of those.
- wrench set if fabulous!
- carpet cutter blades should fit your standard Stanley utility knife.
- ALLTRADE was a line of Asian-import stuff marketed here in the U.S. I sold it for a short while when I was an independent rep - mostly the sales were pneumatic tools. Buddy of mine is STILL pounding away on an ALLTRADE air ratchet thingie I gave him in 1989.
- red handle? RLY? maybe a one-off home-made job?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Skroo-Zon was a GMTK component?

Small (1" grip, x 3) and Medium (1-1/4" grip, x 2) file handles were specified. Brands were not. But SKROO-ZON, made by Safety Tool Corp in Watertown, N.Y., are a popular choice. I don't remember if I ever fully verified their age or not, but they remain a very popular choice. Others are Disston, SHUR-GRIP, and Lutz.

Some LEFT-BEHINDs

Pic 1: Another day, and flush with $200, I may have bitten on that barber chair, which would be cool in a big party room.
Pic 2: The small parts carousel was only $40, but I just don't have the space for it.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

- wrench set if fabulous!

Thanks! I will definitely double tap that on the DI thread and @BlueBomber 's DBE thread after clean-up.

- carpet cutter blades should fit your standard Stanley utility knife.

Thanks.

- ALLTRADE was a line of Asian-import stuff marketed here in the U.S

Thanks for confirming my hunch.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Nobody wants to know what's inside the yellow box?!

Time for the latest installment of.... LUGZ'S GAME TIME!

Twenty Questions.

Go!

 

[mikeinri]

I was afraid to ask... Is it gold?

Mike

 

[Squez]

Went back to last weeks estate sale picked up a few more items
Proto 2 screwdriver 3/8 socket 1/4 extension ( challenger ) 1 in socket as challenger
Vaco 122 du-2 p12
Xcelite #2 x2
Visegrips 7cr
Macfix 1 slot 1 phillps
Craftsman 2 duckbills wire cutters slipjoint tape measure
Utica needle nose?
Kline needlenose
Senco drive bits 3
Vermont 12 drill extension
Elkind folding hex x2
Fair mount 1 3/8
Newbritain 5/16 combo
Esco 1/4 ratchet
Disston tape
K&E tape
Vim hex socket x3
Snap on 5/16 3/8 x2 sockets
Stanley 69-122
4 in 1 USA screwdriver
Bonney sockets 11/16 x2 5/16 x2 1/2 5/8 3/8drive
Nicholson 8 1/4 x6
Odd pair of plyers wschollhornco
And a no marking small duckbills
Roll of 3 m 1/2 heat shrink
40.00

 

[Patrickm82]

My $20 ES score. Going to head back for half price day tomorrow. They had a few tool boxes I would be interested in.

Klein sockets and extensions
Klein drive a matic
Craftsman V &VV doe’s
Craftsman V 1/2 swivel socket
Craftsman prof. and stubby screwdriver
Craftsman drill index with PRC bits in it
Gearwrench 1/4 in set complete
Sharpening stone
C.S Osborne scissors
Stanley yankee bit driver with #1&#2 Phillips
And half bottle of marvel mystery oil

 

[four.cycle]

^ is that model 632 Klein driver marked with a patent number?

mmmmmaybe... 3339439 ??

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Is it gold?

No. [19 Questions remaining.]

 

[four.cycle]

ahhhh... a pair of dice and some fake money?

 

[IMCA38]

I like those full handle stubbies. Have several of them.
I’ve only seen them from CMan and Husky.

 

[Patrickm82]

^ is that model 632 Klein driver marked with a patent number?

mmmmmaybe... 3339439 ??

Yes and yes pretty clean too

 

[Patrickm82]

I like those full handle stubbies. Have several of them.
I’ve only seen them from CMan and Husky.

Yeah I’ve wanted one for a bit but wasn’t paying eBay prices for one, i knew I’d find one eventually. She’s a little nasty but will clean up

 

[Private Lugnutz]

ahhhh... a pair of dice and some fake money?

HAHA! No, but this is on the right track! (Not like me to give a hint so early! I must be getting soft.) [18 Questions Remaining.]

 

[Patrickm82]

Nobody wants to know what's inside the yellow box?!

Time for the latest installment of.... LUGZ'S GAME TIME!

Twenty Questions.

Go!

A government IOU!

 

[Old Radar]

Time for the latest installment of.... LUGZ'S GAME TIME!

It contains everything you need except a cardboard sign. Sorry Lugz--that's my hint to the rest of the crowd.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

A government IOU!

No, but funny! [18]

It contains everything you need except a cardboard sign. Sorry Lugz--that's my hint to the rest of the crowd.

Dude, you might as well have opened the lid! [17]

 

[VolksWomble]

- The blades with the hooked cutters are for some type of utility knife I don't think I have, 'MADE IN ENGLAND', branded Stanley..

the blades fit either fixed or sliding utility knife, always known to me as a Stanley knife, for obvious reasons. Infinitely copied and cloned, blades and handles are pretty ubiquitous now.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

the blades fit either fixed or sliding utility knife, always known to me as a Stanley knife, for obvious reasons.

Thanks. As soon as @four.cycle mentioned it, it made perfect sense to me. The hook was throwing me, but the basic shape is the same. They are much thicker than the blade that came with my original, vintage No. 99, though. I don't know if that's because they are simply newer, or because they were made in England, offshore production I was not aware of. Either way, it's problematic for the handy dandy guards I picked up at the flea market a few years ago, so I can store them with the blades in.

Infinitely copied and cloned, blades and handles are pretty ubiquitous now.

I am with you on the proliferation of copies as well as some better mousetraps, although I have a fondness for the nuances. If you really want to nerd out, I devoted a "Curator's Corner" to the topic of Utility Knives on the Lugzsonian thread a few years ago, examining variations of a theme from several different examples in my collection, linked here.

 

[Old Radar]

Well, I was finally able to join the Gerstner Club!

I've wanted one for a long time but they come up so rarely at ES around here--and when they do, they're either broken down from neglect or outrageously expensive or both.
I was scanning ES.net during breakfast yesterday to see if anything new had come up. When I saw it, I beat feet to the sale and was surprised there was no line to get in.
Did a quick scan of the area until I found it in a corner and immediately planted myself in front of it to give it a good going-over. It was mostly in great shape, but with some issues. The outer leather layer of the handle is gone. Water damage to the lower rear of the box has caused some de-lamination. Felt on the front door is all but gone.
I called the company owner over and asked the price. He showed me the $160 price tag. I showed him the aforementioned issues and asked if he would accept $100. After some cajolery and some gnashing of teeth, he accepted. Woohoo!!

So, after closer examination and some research, I've concluded that this box is a model O42 and based on the hardware, was built between 1942 and 1948. I also theorize due to the general weathering of the wood, it spent a good portion of its life in front of a window--which seems to have occasionally been left open during rains, causing the de-lamination on the back and to a lesser extent on the lid. Due to the excessive fading of the felt, I'm sure the lid was almost always open.
Otherwise, it's in pretty great shape for a box that's 75-81 years old!

I plan to glue down the veneer, clean the wood and possibly apply a quick/light stain and varnish to combat the weathering. The felt in the drawers is in great shape so I will leave it alone. I will have to replace the felt on the door and possibly the lid, but I would rather have the lid honorably faded instead of glaringly new. The screwed-on hardware will take a swim in EvapOrust while the riveted latch and hinges will be worked in place. The handle is also riveted so that may be a problem with recovering it.




Yours truly in cameo.

Slight bulge and de-lam in lower right

The unwrapped handle supports the theory it was repeatedly exposed to wet/dry cycles most likely by an open window.

Unknown if this plastic ruler was made in 1936, but it was tacked to the inner lid with the reverse-side decimal equivalents displayed.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Wow. You done good! I love your assessment and conclusions. Other than retarding further delamination, and maybe that drop front felt, I would be tempted to do absolutely nothing to that except re-wrap the handle with leather.

 

[bmwrd0]

It was a fun day, and I don't say that lightly. Good sales, didn't spend too much money, pleasant people to deal with, and so on. I wish more days were like this. Anyway:

First stop was a family clearing out a relatives house, and I picked up a Decatur coffin driver, Chrome Vanadium (Duro) breaker bar, Crosman pellets, Herbrand and Blue Point brake tools, WF breaker bar, Proto impact socket and two screwdriver sockets, Plomb combo and a small driver that people seem to love. $2

Next stop was a bust, and after that got a burrito and coffee. Third stop:

Some of these weird Craftsman ratcheting hard handle SBE wrench thingys. Dunno, they seem to go for some money on eBay...

Then I stopped at a Restore and spent a few bucks:

Chisel handle, some little hammer thing I though was kinda cute, and three half full packets of drill bits. $5

The next stop was a bit to weird even for me, so I hightailed it out of there. After that I was planning to head home, and maybe stop at a Restore on the way. But, it is one of the least productive Restores, so, not wanting to go straight back yet, I headed off to a sale that was on the final day of a three day sale. And, boy, am I glad I did!

There was an old shop in the back of the property, with drawers, cans and shelves of junk. I could see it had been picked through, but mostly by people without the refined taste of a seasoned Garage Journaler! And so I found: an old tobacco tin full of copper rivets, an old rotary light(?) switch that tells you if it is on or off, part of a machinists protractor, some army trucks for model RR's, a wooden dovetail box, an inside corner tape measure, chisel handle, scraper, metal handled beehive screwdriver, Duro socket, pebble combo, Plomb 1/4 breaker, Long C raised panel combo, 4" Diamond calk adjustable, Proto LA combo, Blue Point combo, pipe cleaners, and an aligator wrench. $5 for all of that. And, while I was walking out, I threw a low ball offer at this:

a Victorian era Morris chair. It needs some work, and I need another project like a whole in my head, but I got it cheap enough and had so much fun the last one I restored I couldn't resist.

Like I said, I love days like this.

 

[alinc100]

Nobody wants to know what's inside the yellow box?!

Time for the latest installment of.... LUGZ'S GAME TIME!

Twenty Questions.

Go!

Is it a pyramid scheme?

Just catching up, it was a busy day here . I went back to Thursday's overpriced estate sale,the Wilton was gone, but I picked up a Fleet socket set(quite shiny) and recumbent exercise bike I plan to hop on here in a few minutes. Had the company Christmas party today which I parlayed a pick up at an Estate auction I won 3 lots on, some S-K and Craftsman wrenches and a couple socket lots including Craftsman and Williams. I'll get that out of the car tomorrow and photo/inventory,but for now I'm gonna go pedal off the very delicious beef tenderloin and mashed potatoes.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Is it a pyramid scheme?

Nope. That is a clever guess, though. [16]

...a Victorian era Morris chair.

I've lost count!

 

[jeffmoss26]

found some good stuff at a sale today! not pictured, 2 glass insulators for a buddy and some Cat 5e cable

 

[seber]

Tent and fire barrel.

 

[Outlawmws]

Well, I was finally able to join the Gerstner Club!

Nice score! Looking forward to the restore1


A cold windy day, lots of things getting knocked over at the Col Flea. at least one time I heard glass/poetry breaking... A fair number of vendors, but many were not my type of vendor...

Differnt vendors:
$5 Elf, Tree (Christmas deco) Craftsman Chisel holder (Actually a "fathers day" adjustable, but these make great chisel holders.) Buck Bros 1" wood chisel, Plvmb combo;
$2 London Bobby Police whistle;
$3 Green wire bundle (for making Xmas decorations for the ladies), Oregon chain saw file handle, red valve knob



$5 3 small books on Mt Lassen - 1952, 1956, and 1966;



Post Flea Yardsale:
$5 2 long Whia #1/#2 Philips, Brass/SS knurled wire nuts 20 250MB Mem Sticks

 

[Callelle]

FB Marketplace find, but saw this 3/4" split beam and got it and the regular ratchet handle for $380.

 

[MisterEd]

Camping scene or more printing?

Camp Scene. Empty spare flint "magazine". Still sparks.

 

[Outlawmws]

Camp Scene. Empty spare flint "magazine". Still sparks.

Cool!

You can put the plated end in Evaporust and it will clean up nice, Keep the green handle out of it however, or only for a short period (ask me how I know).

6 varieties of these that i'm aware of"

With and without the camp scene,

And red, green and blue handles.

 

[bbbarracuda]

Nope. That is a clever guess, though. [16]

I've lost count!

A tin cup for donations?

 

[Old Radar]

Beemer ***** for his thrifty multi-stop haul and Jeff ***** for his thrift store haul that included a Wise-Lock with key!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

A tin cup for donations?

Ringy-ding-dingy-dingy-ding-dong-ding!

Well done, 'Cuda!

A tin cup, indeed, and a few other things I don't think I get the joke about!

Seriously. The tin cup is obvious. I suppose the glasses are supposed to enhance the begging with feigned blindness (I have some Ray-Bans that would work better!) But WTF is the pencil for? And is that a little noose to end it all or what?

I'm sending this to my "little" brother as a gag gift. Can't believe it's still sealed (hard to see, but it's still shrink-wrapped in plastic), although I am not sure how vintage it is. We are both eligible, both pseudo-retired, both bemoaning we can't really retire yet.

 

[bmwrd0]

I blind mans glasses, and a pencil to sell. I am surprised you don't recognize those, Lugz. They are classic parts of a blind mans costume.

 

[Old Man Roger]

I blind mans glasses, and a pencil to sell. I am surprised you don't recognize those, Lugz. They are classic parts of a blind mans costume.

Yup, and maybe the rope is for making a one of those sign boards?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

blind mans glasses, and a pencil to sell. I am surprised you don't recognize those, Lugz.

I got the glasses. Selling pencil(s), no.

maybe the rope is for making a one of those sign boards?

Hmm. Maybe.

 

[VolksWomble]

I am with you on the proliferation of copies as well as some better mousetraps, although I have a fondness for the nuances. If you really want to nerd out, I devoted a "Curator's Corner" to the topic of Utility Knives on the Lugzsonian thread a few years ago, examining variations of a theme from several different examples in my collection, linked here.

That sounds like exactly the sort of thing I'd nerd out on...