"Restored" Snap On tools at Auburn swap meet

[Lump]

Last Friday I went to the R&M Auctions Classic Automotive Auction and swap meet event in Auburn, Indiana, to promote my own swap meet coming up this weekend in Ohio.

Here is a link, in case you are wondering...www.ohioswapmeet.com

Anyway, I have already posted pix of some of the tools I bought while there. But now I want to show you some pix of some "restored" Snap On tools and equipment which were on display for sale there. There were several displays of signs, tools, and equipment from vintage garages. And lots of wealthy people come to this event to buy such things to stock their fabulous "garages", with equipment, signs, etc, which guys like me can only drool over. And you can imagine what their "garages" must look like!

I use the word "restored" loosely, because these items were WAY too beautiful to have ever looked like that when they were new. Check out these photos.

Look at the gloss and hand lettering! If you're old enough to remember seeing brake bleeders like this one sitting around in shops back in the day...did you ever see one looking THIS nice?

Not to worry, you can just buy this one. It was for sale, and absolutely gorgeous. ----No, I did NOT buy it.

How about a Snap On Magnaflux machine? No home shop is complete without one. I've seen worse paint jobs on trophy winners in a car show! Hey Chad and/or Shaun...did they look like that when they were new???

This gentleman had a lot of restored automotive equipment for sale, plus candy machines, etc, etc, etc.

Let me guess...this Snap On tire-balancing machine is just like the one in your garage at home...in the same condition, right?
You gotta admit, the guy is good. I wish I could get all the junk in my shop looking something close to that...especially my SS Chevelle!

 

[rsanter]

its the same thing with cars. generally a truly restored car will be far better than it ever was from the factory

bob

 

[FoMoCoPower]

wow.......

 

[IndyGarage]

I probably walked by you on Friday. I saw that tent with some of that stuff - the stuff looked great but the prices were sky high.

Did you see the guy with down on the end near the water with the giant old signs? I really wanted those Mobil flying horses but he wanted $3800 apiece!!! I asked about the Neon Pontiac and Cadillac signs and he wanted around $20K for each of them.

I also really liked the vertical neon Pontiac in the main building next to the auction stage - I was trying to figure out how to slip it out of there along with one of those Duesenbergs on the other side of the auction stages....

I guess I'll have to find my signs hanging in an old building someplace.

I did pick up a couple SK tool sets.

 

[Packard V8]

Those who buy from that guy and those like him don't bother to look at the price tags. If they even bother to come themselves, see it, want it, they know without looking they can afford it. Much of that stuff is bought by agents. The bucks-up wanting a garage furnished most often sends his man out to round up the best available period furnishings.

A bit OT, but I know a Ferrari agent who was given $25k of unused Snap-on tools and boxes. Seems someone came into the Ritchie-Rich Hollywood's garage to look at his Ferrari collection and saw the Snap-on boxes. The snooty type said, "Well, you know, Ferrari team uses Facom." The numb-nuts owner told his man to get rid of the Snap-on and get all new Facom.

jack vines

 

[shotgunfatcat]

Did you see the guy with down on the end near the water with the giant old signs? I really wanted those Mobil flying horses but he wanted $3800 apiece!!!
I did pick up a couple SK tool sets.

Flying horses are normally called Pegasuses, Just an FYI

I wish I Could get my hands on some new old stock like that!

 

[Freeborn John]

You find this a lot with classic motorcycles, people mirror chrome parts which were originally nickel plated or polish casting marks out of crankcases, the results are very pretty but plain wrong, like sanding the brush marks off an oil painting.
A great restoration job looks like it was quickly and cheaply mass produced...just this morning.
Getting that look is a fine art.

 

[Bruce Lancaster]

Yeah, wrong is the word. The pictures cause me to fondly remember repair places run by old codgers in the early '60's, full of neat stuff like that, battered and worn from decades of daily use but clean and functional. That's the stuff my house and garage would be stuffed with if I had the time and money to hunt it down.
Restored like this is just painfully wrong, and I think this guy achieved the look he wanted, too. A REAL restoration to what the devices looked like when they were actually new would probably be pretty hard to achieve, with cruder finish, stenciling, shelf-wear, etc. I used to drool over the real stuff in parts store, back when my budget wouldn't even swing a new screwdriver.
Now, if I were filthy rich, I would buy this guy out, THEN R&R all fasteners and fittings, toss the things into a truck bed on their sides, and let them age for considerable mileage and time. I would probably LOVE them then.

 

[Lump]

its the same thing with cars. generally a truly restored car will be far better than it ever was from the factory

bob

You're right, Bob. And indeed, twas ever thus!

These days you hear lots of comments about "over-restored" Corvettes, Camaros, Mustangs, and Roadrunners. But, even back when I was a little kid in the 1950's, I remember my parents sitting in AACA judging meetings, listening to heated arguments about over-restored Model T's with polished rear end housings, and too-perfect paint jobs.

I really admired this guy's workmanship, no doubt. The items were beautiful. But for me, too nice to look "right" in my shop.

As far as I'm concerned, the coolest vintage vehicles, tools, or equipment are the unrestored-but-still-very-nice original-condition ones.

 

[sselander]

like this on craigslist ...

http://images.craigslist.org/3k13m33lc5V15U25S2a95aefe31a767e71617.jpg

 

[Lump]

like this on craigslist ...

http://images.craigslist.org/3k13m33lc5V15U25S2a95aefe31a767e71617.jpg

OH yeah.... Now there is a piece of diagnostic equipment which I actually (used to) know how to use! Not like those computerized thingies those bright young technicians use today.

 

[woody 73]

Darn My wife would skin me alive if I went,I was just in springfield on wednesday of this week.

Looks like you are going to have a great time,wish I could stop by.