Cool Finds Today

[Rickster]

Cool finds at an estate sale today (all of which will be in the classifieds soon!).

Williams 9/16 1/4 dr 12pt socket.

A Williams Dog Bone marked: 1999 Williams Multi Socket <W>.

Check out the Craftsman 3/8 drive ratchet. First time I've seen one like this. You turn the wheel at the head to change direction and pushing in the head center button is the socket release. It's labeled: Craftsman 43772 EE 7.

 

[drabe]

Man, those are cool!
Don't you just love estate sales?
The wife and I go every weekend, almost always find something we/I can't live without, though I'm beginning to reach my limit on tool boxes.

 

[Rickster]

Yup, I've reached my toolbox limit too! If I add another one something has to leave the garage. I'd never seen the Craftsman ratchet before this one and the dog bone, well it's just too cool a tool!

 

[drabe]

I would've grabbed 'em myself!
I never intented to become a collector, but when stuff like that pops up you gotta get it!

 

[jkeyser14]

Yup, I've reached my toolbox limit too! If I add another one something has to leave the garage. I'd never seen the Craftsman ratchet before this one and the dog bone, well it's just too cool a tool!

My dad has the same style craftsman wrench. It's had a good life, but he's finally got to take it back for replacement because it's missing some teeth and is now a knuckle buster.

 

[hcs1947]

I found a Craftsman ratchet like that today in 1/2", looks like almost no use, just some minor toolbox scratches. Any idea when it was made?

 

[krusty the clown]

80's..........

 

[wrenchr]

Those craftsman ratchets were made by stanley I think.

 

[fatfillup]

Rickster, how early to you get to the estate sales and how do you find them. I signed up for estatesales.com (I think thats the name) and have had no luck. It also seems you have to get there early to get any tools. I have my best luck at auctions (some are estate) and use auctionzip.com. Had a good weekend, thread to follow.

 

[MOPARHOUND!]

Taiwan Craftsman, if I recall correctly. Not the highest quality, but a cool and seldom seen ratchet nonetheless. I sold a Proto Challenger version, before I knew how seldom you come across that style.

 

[Packard V8]

FWIW on estate sales, check the daily paper, the weekly free Nicklesworth, craigslist as well. The pros get there an hour early to get a number, bring coffee, couple of sturdy shopping bags and a flashlight. My pet peeve with these guys is they grab anything and everything which looks promising on the first dash through. Then, they go to the checkout counter and try to negotiate a package price. If they don't get their deal, they put back lots of stuff and everything has to be added up again. By doing it this way, they tie up the check-out line, keep anyone else from being able to look at stuff. Life's too short to try to screw over the widows, orphans and Garage Journal tool conservators.

thnx, jack vines

 

[Rickster]

Rickster, how early to you get to the estate sales and how do you find them. I signed up for estatesales.com (I think thats the name) and have had no luck. It also seems you have to get there early to get any tools. I have my best luck at auctions (some are estate) and use auctionzip.com. Had a good weekend, thread to follow.

OK, I'll give you the scoop.

Where to find them. Estatesales.net is the best for these. Craigs List under garage sales is a close second and finally local newspapers have a garage sale section you can access from the internet. Anytime you get a professional estate sale company name, search if they have a website.

When: Get there early. I have a saying my family is tired of hearing "The early bird gets the Snap-on!" You need to there at least 1 hr before opening to have a shot at getting in the door in the first rush.

Numbers: Usually the first guy there will have whats called "Street Numbers". These are pieces of paper with a number on it. When you pull up get out of your car and ask others either standing around or in their cars who has the numbers and then find that guy right away. This is your place in line and now you can relax in your car. Also, if there are two in the same area, I've gotten numbers from both and then hustled over to the other one right after the first one.

If there are pics on line then identify where the tools are are at. Usually in the garage or in the basement. I'll also ask as I enter the door where the tools are and they'll tell you. Get a canvas shopping bag and have it ready. I've gotten great deals because they just looked in my bag and said Oh... $10. Whereas if they go through each item it starts adding up.

Hope this helps you guys to find good deals!

 

[Rickster]

My pet peeve with these guys is they grab anything and everything which looks promising on the first dash through. Then, they go to the checkout counter and try to negotiate a package price.

It's easy to spot a Snap-on wrench or ratchet, but while you're holding a ratchet looking for the manufacturer's name with your old-man eyes in the poorly lit basement five other guys just grabbed the good stuff. If it looks good at first glance throw it in your bag. Then check it before you leave the area and put back the china stuff.

ALWAYS try to negotiate a package price. When they look in your bag or box they'll start adding things up. Try to head this off and hit them with a "How about $$ for the lot??"

I've had to put things back because the pirces they quoted were too high. By the same token I've gone back for a second look because the prices they quoted were too low.

 

[fatfillup]

Rickster, thanks for the scoop. That's some good advice!!

 

[lauver]

Rickster,

Excellent finds!

The Williams dog bone is a treasure. Williams made the Craftsman branded dog bones for a number of years as well.

The Craftsman ratchet you found was made by Stanley, a variation of the Tri-Wing (the ratchet everyone loves to hate) and was sold by Sears between 1987 and 1988. It has another feature you may not be aware of...quick disassembly. If you push the center button just right and hold it down, the ratchet mechanism will drop out for cleaning and lubing...goes back together the same way. Tool Pants did a post somewhere in this forum that describes how this works and also includes pages from the Craftsman catalog describing it's features. You might want to check his post out.