Guidance on Finding Tools

[jafern14]

Hey all I've pretty recently started to post after a few years of lurking here and have really started to gain an interest in restoring old tools back to their former glory. I don't necessarily know if I'd like to keep the tools for myself or move them on (depends really on the tool), but I'd like to learn more about the history behind these tools and the progression of the internals up until now. I want to know more about the different metals that were used, why the didn't work so well, and what different techniques were used for manufacturing after the fact.

The one thing that I've been trying to figure out on my own to get my foot in the door is how to go about finding these vintage tools at a reasonable price. I live in the Washington DC metro area and it doesn't appear to be a very great area to look for vintage tools. Craigslist comes up pretty dry on a pretty frequent basis and eBay is eBay... far too expensive and competitive for me to actually go for it.

Does anybody here have any guidance/tips/suggestions on where to go about looking or some experience you can share to help point me in the right direction? I'd love to pick something up to start posting my own projects here and share what I've learned with all of you the same you've been doing with each other for so much time already.

 

[Shelbylex]

Try garage and estate sales, flee markets, Facebook marketplace, etsy (never tried the last one), etc

 

[thehorse13]

Not great? The DC metro area is full of treasures. I'm always racing Twertsy to the next treasure pile around here.

But if you want easy pickings, just take a day trip up 270 and follow 15 into PA. You can hit barn sales, antique stores, search LetGo and OfferUp locally, Craigslist, etc.

If you talk to people at sales about what you're looking for, many times they know someone or someplace where you can find what you're after.

We used to have the Tool Archive site but Twertsy took it offline sometime ago. It was an awesome resource. The only one left like it is Alloy Artifacts. Be careful though. Some info isn't quite right.

 

[d42jeep]

One of the most valuable resources on the GJ is this thread.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=411194
I personally go to a lot of estate sales and frequent the local flea market most weekends in the summertime. Check out where the frequent posters on the garage sale thread that live close to you are finding tools. They are out there to be found.
-Don

 

[twertsy]

Hey all I've pretty recently started to post after a few years of lurking here and have really started to gain an interest in restoring old tools back to their former glory. I don't necessarily know if I'd like to keep the tools for myself or move them on (depends really on the tool), but I'd like to learn more about the history behind these tools and the progression of the internals up until now. I want to know more about the different metals that were used, why the didn't work so well, and what different techniques were used for manufacturing after the fact.

The one thing that I've been trying to figure out on my own to get my foot in the door is how to go about finding these vintage tools at a reasonable price. I live in the Washington DC metro area and it doesn't appear to be a very great area to look for vintage tools. Craigslist comes up pretty dry on a pretty frequent basis and eBay is eBay... far too expensive and competitive for me to actually go for it.

Does anybody here have any guidance/tips/suggestions on where to go about looking or some experience you can share to help point me in the right direction? I'd love to pick something up to start posting my own projects here and share what I've learned with all of you the same you've been doing with each other for so much time already.

Well, given that you are located directly in Horse, My, and several other's hunting grounds, my recommendations are to give up now and go away.

I'm kidding of course. Around here you will need to drive about an hour to get into decent old tool hunting grounds. Baltimore, Eastern Shore, Fredericksburg and south, Gainesville, Winchester, York, etc. Sure, I've found some good stuff more local than that but very, very rarely.

Given all that, you should just give up..............

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I only have one thing to add to what others have said: It ain't easy. It may look easy, but it ain't.

The first thing you need is persistence. For every gem found, every big haul, every major score you see here, there are many, many more ho-hum finds, small hauls, and empty trunks, back seats, and truck beds. Empty tanks, too. All the tips in the book - secret flea market locations, the tricks of the trade (scouring the Estate Sale ads and making phone calls ahead of time...), saved list of CL searches, etc etc etc will only get you so far. I am strictly a flea market guy, I am very fortunate to live in an industrial state rich in old stuff where the only two days without a flea market open within 40 minutes of me are Mondays and Tuesdays, and even I have days when I come home with only a couple things, and sometimes with nothing. Even though I am a very selective picker by choice, it wears on you.

The second thing you need to do is read. Read, read, and read, and when you think you're done reading, read some more. Knowledge is everything in this hobby. It will save you money. It will make you a better picker. And it will put more collecting money in your pocket.

I have lost track of the newbies who come on here, express an interest, and then disappear. They want everything collectors have taken years to learn handed to them for nothing. One find at a time. 'What's this? Who made this? And how much is it worth?' gets old when you show zero interest in picking up just a little information on your own. This site is a wealth of friendly and helpful information for those who show a little initiative on their own. It can get surly, and rightfully so, when it feels it's being abused.

Welcome and good luck.

EDIT: The site search tool isn't the greatest, but it is helpful. As you can see, pages are listed in order of activity. Subjects move quickly to page 2 if there is no recent activity. Even though you don't see them all, there are dozens of threads on each and every manufacturer you can imagine. Search by name or subject (type of tool), etc, use Advanced Search, and select Vintage Forum. Once you find a thread, if you have a particular subject (a brand name, a model number, etc), you can use the Thread Search tool to search only that thread. That will return a list of posts from that thread with your search term in it.

 

[woody 73]

I still think it is easy like finding gold laying in the streets as they say but...(always a but), I have been at it for a very long time plus I know what to look for.

Start by reading everything you can about old vintage tools, so that when you do see them you can recognize what to buy. Mistakes happen and I will be the first to admit even I stumble from time to time, just keep at it.

Don't shoot the moon as they say in other words specialize in something that you enjoy. I love all tools but my pockets are not filled with much cash so instead I hunt for tools that bring me enjoyment like old hammers and screwdrivers.


Know what to pay oh sure ebay is a good source but never get caught up in the moment when buying tools. just because someone lists a tool at $45.00 dollars and it is a more common tool keep hunting for a cheaper one. On the other hand if there are not many out there then $45.00 dollars might just be a great deal.


As someone said above garage sales, CL, flea places, ebay, Brick & morter stores, placing your own buy ads, auction houses, estate sales, etc.


Best of luck and remember knowledge is power...

 

[thehorse13]

...EDIT: The site search tool isn't the greatest, but it is helpful...

Agreed, so what I do instead is go to Google and put in my search term followed by site:garagejournal.com

This will force Google to only return indexed results from this site. Much better experience.

 

[Man of Many Vices]

When getting started,...

...Buy what you will use. You will then have a set of tools that are both vintage/antique/classic and useful/necessary, and probably a lot cheaper than modern store-bought tools.

...Don't buy a bunch of oddball tools unless they really interest you. You don't need to fill up your limited storage and display space with a bunch of stuff that you don't really care about, or won't ever use, display, or show off.

Some people like to collect stuff dated around the time they were curious youngsters, teenagers or young adults. Or tools that were popular during their father's or grandfather's generation.

Others collect tools manufactured in a city or region that has some special meaning to them, whether it is a great industrial center or a small rural community. What vintage tools were made in the town you were raised or in which you now reside?

You might want to go heavy on a particular brand or type of tool, or focus on a particular function.

Once you have narrowed down you search parameters, you can quickly gather all the information about history, patents, materials and manufacturing methods, marketplace, scarcity and collectibility,

Your expertise will develop, you will become acquainted with others who share your interests, and your collection will - over time - become a source of pride.

Or you can be like me and grab all the stuff that everybody else seems to be talking about until you have a pile of vises and anvils, boxes of hand tools of every description from every manufacturer from pre-1900 to present, saws, axes and hatchets, hammers up the ying-yang. Duplicates upon duplicates. Small, medium, large and extra large. Piles of tools that would have been long forgotten if not located in the bedroom, living room, kitchen, every cubic foot of the garage, and hanging from trees and fences, and stashed under and inside non-functional vehicles.

 

[LNKMK8]

Your area appears to be very strong for Estate Sales... this is my best source by far.

https://www.estatesales.net/DC/Washington-DC

 

[Shiftless]

manofmany vices said...

“Or you can be like me and grab all the stuff that everybody else seems to be talking about until you have a pile of vises and anvils, boxes of hand tools of every description from every manufacturer from pre-1900 to present, saws, axes and hatchets, hammers up the ying-yang. Duplicates upon duplicates. Small, medium, large and extra large. Piles of tools that would have been long forgotten if not located in the bedroom, living room, kitchen, every cubic foot of the garage, and hanging from trees and fences, and stashed under and inside non-functional vehicles.”



That is the risk of starting down the rabbit hole of collecting.
My advice is to decide on what you enjoy looking at and/or using and stick to that. Learn everything you can about it and dive in. Go to sales, haunt eBay mostly for the education and not to buy everything you see. Check completed sales on eBay to see what the top price value might be. Realize that many times eBay will bring inflated prices to to the competitive nature of online bidding. Guys sometimes get carried away and pay too much.

If you have too many vises and anvils and want to thin the herd to raise $$ to spend at flea markets, post in the Classifieds.

I’d be happy to fly out and relieve you of the burden of maintaining your stash of Prentiss jewelers vises, Bugattis or Wilton SJ’s

 

[Private Lugnutz]

MMV,
Haha. Best thing I've read in a long time. The "Or" was perfectly paced and placed.

 

[jafern14]

Twertsy and thehorse thanks for the local input from you guys. I most certainly don't plan to compete in any shape or form! I mentioned that it seems pretty dry around this area, but I stated that incorrectly. I only said it because I don't know where to look past the few places I know where to search. Thanks for the responses... especially now that the weather is getting really nice I'm going to start looking around for early drives on the weekends to flea markets to start learning.

On that note to everybody else: the big takeaway that I've gotten from here is a couple of things. I don't know anything for the time being compared to you guys and I'm likely to make mistakes when purchasing items at the beginning, but hey that's pretty much how I've learned everything I know up to this point so I might as well make them and keep chugging along. First step for me seems to simply do a couple of things: narrow down what I'm interested in and read up everything the internet has to offer (some good suggestions on how to filter through GJ). Go find some flea markets and look around to learn... never pull the trigger too quickly and just keep absorbing content. And last but not least talk to people. Seems like a lot of you have gotten your tools from talking to someone who knows someone about whatever it is you're looking for.

Really appreciate all the quick responses. I'm already starting to look at estate sales and flea markets for this weekend (I'm supposed to be working! ). Hopefully I pop up again sometime soon with a tool to share my work and progress.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I most certainly don't plan to compete in any shape or form!

That's what they - and we - all say! It's all BS. Of course you're going to compete! Hey, I share all kinds of information and knowledge on here - to a certain extent. He who doesn't guard his favorite fishing holes and tree stands, finds other people fishing and hunting in them right quick!

And last but not least talk to people.

See above. Be careful. It does help to have friends. Conflicts of interest are unavoidable when you have the same interests though! It's best when you can tip people off to things you don't collect, and vice versa. Also, and this will seem counter-intuitive to what you just heard from me and a few others in echo - sometimes it's best to play dumb, not smart.

 

[bmwrd0]

Everyone here gives great advice, so I will add just one thing: The Hunt. It needs to be in your blood. For whatever reason just the idea of getting up at the ***-crack of dawn feels like you are going to miss all the deals and curiosities that are out there is a necessary component to all this. Read the link in Lugz's signature Rust Never Sleeps and let that warm your heart. I am 48 and have been doing this since I was about four, with my dad taking me to the swap every Sunday. You may come home empty-handed, but to quote my father, if you don't look, you don't find.

Good luck.

 

[Magnum440d100]

ALL excellent posts above.

I will add one more place to look though.

Pawn shops.

You’d be surprised at what people hock. Around here, the tweekers pawn anything and everything. My best and cheapest scores have been pawn shops.... Except snap on tools. Pawn shops charge too much for snap on tools...

Happy hunting!

 

[NickTheGreat]

I've gotten a fair amount of tools from estate sales and garage sales.

They might be dirty and/or greasy and not look as fun and shiny as the new ones at the store. But odds are they are a higher quality tool at a fraction of the cost.

This goes for lawn tools also. Not nearly as much plastic in my garden shed since I started going to estate sales.

 

[Shiftless]

ALL excellent posts above.

I will add one more place to look though.

Pawn shops.

You’d be surprised at what people hock. Around here, the tweekers pawn anything and everything. My best and cheapest scores have been pawn shops.... Except snap on tools. Pawn shops charge too much for snap on tools...

Happy hunting!

Here’s a true story.
While visiting relatives in Nevada, I dropped into a pawnshop. There was an overpriced stack with drawers of worn out Craftsman, various Chinese tools and a bunch of rusty junk. I rummaged around in a few drawers and found an early Snap-On 3/8 Drive ratchet that I knew I could resell for at least $25.
So I took it up to the counter and offered $10. He seemed surprised that such a thing was even in that crappy box. He countered at $20. I said I’d split the difference for $15 but he wanted to flip for it. I win, it’s $10. He wins, it’s $20
I called it in the air and when his silver dollar hit the floor, I lost.
I suppose I could have just walked away at that point but in fairness, I walked out with a decent deal.
Yes, I did later flip it for a small profit.

So moral of the story...don’t ignore pawnshops!

 

[humber2]

My advise is to avoid getting too excited with a treasure find and end up paying too much.

 

[Packard V8]

The advice of how to have a nice fruit orchard, "Well, twenty years ago, you plant some trees."

jack vines, who's got fifty years of tools, one piece at a time.

 

[bmwrd0]

Another thing.

You will pay to much at some point. You will buy something that was not what you thought it was. No one is immune to this. It is part of the learning process. But something to remember. If it doesn't say it's ** then it isn't **. Sellers are trying to sell. They will say anything to get a sale. Very few of them have any idea of what you are looking at. People will have heard all sorts of outlandish tales and they will repeat them, ad nauseum. Just stick to what you know and you will be fine.

 

[zkling]

Just don't become another one of those hack "restorers".

 

[Man of Many Vices]

I’d be happy to fly out and relieve you of the burden of maintaining your stash of Prentiss jewelers vises, Bugattis or Wilton SJ’s

None of my jeweler vises are Prentiss. I have a Bugatti IN MY DREAMS. Back on Earth I have a 7-inch wide jaw Athol, a 6-inch wide Wilton bullet, 6-inch Yost, and a three-headed monster Emmert pattern maker. These four probably weigh close to 600 lb.

I won't ever need them, will unlikely ever mount 'em, let alone use them. I got them when I was in the grip of disillusionment, hoping for a cure that was cheaper than psychological counseling. Instead I became afflicted with accumulitus.

 

[elidas]

Or you can be like me and grab all the stuff that everybody else seems to be talking about until you have a pile of vises and anvils, boxes of hand tools of every description from every manufacturer from pre-1900 to present, saws, axes and hatchets, hammers up the ying-yang. Duplicates upon duplicates. Small, medium, large and extra large. Piles of tools that would have been long forgotten if not located in the bedroom, living room, kitchen, every cubic foot of the garage, and hanging from trees and fences, and stashed under and inside non-functional vehicles.[/QUOTE]

My long lost twin!!

 

[bmwrd0]

Speaking of which, I was at an estate sale yesterday and as I was paying, I casually make a lowball offer on a top box. And since they accepted, I felt I had to pay! Now I have a horribly repainted Herbrand box sitting in my garage because I just can't pass up a deal!

 

[bonneyman]

Can't add a thing to what's already been said^^^^^^