Where to get old stuff these days?????

[willy3486]

Where in the world is all the good old junk these days??? Seriously I can't find stuff anymore. What I like to find is old tools either needing fixing,too old for most people, or rusted up. I like ones I can fix up and restore. I never went to auctions much because usually when I did see something I wanted it would usually go way out of my price range. I had better luck at yard sales. I have had tons of luck at them 10 years or longer ago.Now when I go to yard sales I don't see anything I want. Most of the time it is 80% clothes, old furniture, or kitchy home decor junk none of which I want.

Then I found flea markets, that was great because you could goto one place and see lots of stuff. I got some good stuff years ago. I have bought all kinds of stuff,tools,bolts,other stuff. I went yesterday to a flea market and I was dissapointed for the most part. There was way more china made stuff than I care to see. Then there was hardly anything I was interested in. I did find some I liked but they were packing up to leave. It was only after about 1 pm and it was getting deserted. I for the most part know what stuff runs. I ran across a lot of the chinese made stuff that had been used.I saw one jig saw sold by harbor freight and they wanted 2 bucks less than what a new one costs. It looked to be almost worn out.

Then when I found something like a craftsman sander the guy was too lazy to even come over there. I had cash in hand and probably bought it if he had come over. I got tired of waiting and left. I saw one old metal toy truck just like I had in the 70s. It was sold in Roses for a buck,not even a Tonka. Just a stamped metal and painted on truck. The guy has a sticker on it rare toy truck and priced at over 300 bucks. I know its not woth over 20 and at the most I would expect some upper priced antique store to be 50, but not 300. I was clean and had clean clothes on. If someone that looked and smelled like they didn't have a bath in months the sales people were all over them. I told my wife we didn't look trashy enough.

Ebay,craigslist, and other places don't have much for me either. Ebay to me is more of a pain for most of what I want. In the past I have used it but for things I really needed and couldn't find locally. I used it to find parts for my RV oven that was 30 years old for example. Craigslist is not too bad but I don't see a lot of the smaller cost items. I liked yard sales and flea markets because you could find some old rusted up pliers or hand planes for a couple of bucks. Its not worth the trouble. Then I ran across one ad today that floored me. I get the harbor freight catalogs. I saw a saw in there for 34 bucks. Some guy has one on a sales site locally thats not craigslist for 50 bucks. What is wrong with these people??? If you want to sell new then buy direct and compete in a storefront, don't go to a used for sale web page and sell it marked upp higher than someone can buy in a store.

So I am not really a cheapskate I just don't want to pay more than its worth or more than I can get elsewhere. All I am seeing is marked up chinese stuff I can get elsewhere cheaper. Or I see stuff used,worn out but marked almost as much as new. and the last is just junk stuff,no value to me whatsoever that no one wants. I know times are hard but wht can't you find stuff. Does anyone else know where to find stuff??

 

[forklift man]

not cheap but smart. older is better quality

 

[billymade]

All I can say about my flea market is; consistentcy pays off.... I've gone for a long time and not found anything! THEN, for whatever reason; one weekend I will find all kinds of stuff.... like they popped out of nowhere! You never know; who is going to come and what they will have. I don't know your flea market but I would say keep trying! I tend to find the good tools; from people who DO NOT come every weekend but show up out of the blue! This weekend, I found: all Snap-On, 11 wrenches, 4 hard handle screwdrivers, 2 deep well sockets, 1/2 to 3/4 convertor, Matco impact swivel socket, a/c temp thermometer, craftsman 6" C clamp (broken, swapped it out @ Sears) and a 8" long 3/4" drive impact extension by Apex (this thing is a monster and built like a tank!). I haven't seen much for awhile @ my flea but this weekend, all these things were there! I spent less then $50 for all of it! Keep the faith and keep on trying.... persistance pays off! Good luck!

 

[bonneyman]

All I can say about my flea market is; consistentcy pays off.... I've gone for a long time and not found anything! THEN, for whatever reason; one weekend I will find all kinds of stuff.... like they popped out of nowhere! You never know; who is going to come and what they will have. I don't know your flea market but I would say keep trying! I tend to find the good tools; from people who DO NOT come every weekend but show up out of the blue! This weekend, I found: all Snap-On, 11 wrenches, 4 hard handle screwdrivers, 2 deep well sockets, 1/2 to 3/4 convertor, Matco impact swivel socket, a/c temp thermometer, craftsman 6" C clamp (broken, swapped it out @ Sears) and a 8" long 3/4" drive impact extension by Apex (this thing is a monster and built like a tank!). I haven't seen much for awhile @ my flea but this weekend, all these things were there! I spent less then $50 for all of it! Keep the faith and keep on trying.... persistance pays off! Good luck!

on this advice. Consistency and persistence pay off. Thrift stores, second hand, and pawn shops all pay off if you keep at it. The latest gold mine for me is estate sales. Went to one where the 75-year old mechanic was getting rid of alot of his tools - he can't use them anymore. Great old, American stuff that nobody (but Asia) makes anymore.
Plus, politeness and asking people about their tools makes the day better for everybody.

 

[mrholeshot]

Put an add on craigslist "Want to buy old tools". They will be burning down your phone.

 

[billymade]

I primarily buy Snap-On; I'm consistent enough, that different vendors will actually tell me if they have seen any in their walk around the market, many times I just ask "do you have any Snap-On tools?".... while, sometimes I stay quiet for dealing. This has paid off as well; this works better with vendors that consistently come every week; I let the tool guys know what I am looking for.... USA made pro grade tools; enough said! Speak up! You never know; they may have stuff @ home, they don't bring to the flea... because they don't think it will sell or they haven't decided to sell the "good stuff"! Your inquiry, might just cause them to bring it out to you! Good luck!

 

[nate379]

I don't know how you guys can do the garbage sale/flea market thing.

Walking around for 8hrs to find a "deal" on a couple wrenches isn't my idea of fun.

 

[billymade]

To each his own; I can blow through mine in 20-30 minutes if I need to! Yes, it is the thrill of the chase in many ways.... does it make sense? Probably not but neither does joining a website and talking about tools! Addictions are not logical! Hey why are we on this website, anyway? Hey you! LOL!

 

[willy3486]

As far as not getting into garage sales and flea markets I have to agree you have to like it. I enjoy it even if I don't find anything. I would compare it to the thrill of someone going out on a boat and sitting in it for hours and not catching a fish. Or going up a tree stand and sitting for hours to not see anything to shoot. I am more like a old delta commercial I saw once. The camera panned across these houses the first two had a football game on then the third house someone was in the garage running machines. I enjoy going out and finding stuff.

As far as polite and asking I do that. Back in the 80s I would go out and ask about tools or old radios. I was into radios then. I could usually find a lot of stuff. But now you ask and its nothing or they want new prices. I think these show like Americian pickers, the one at the pawnshop,antiques roadshow has hurt finding and getting stuff. People will find some old tools in a box in the corner where grandpa had stashed them and think they are a gold mine. They never realized those tools were put there because grandpa realized they were **** and didn't want to get them mixed up with his good ones. The good ones got stolen by cousin Johnny and sold as scrap to pay for his addiction. So now you are looking at these tools that are not worth ten bucks because theey were bought for 99 cents about 40 years ago in the back of some magazine and the family are telling you they are rare,valuable and family heirlooms. If they would have actually spent time with grandpa he would have told them to watch his grandson Johnny because he is a crackhead and will steal his good tools for a fix after he is gone. I have actually seen cases like that.

It just seems to me that there is less stuff out there. Maybe there is more out there looking for what i want. But what gets me is this, lets say a drill is 20 bucks new. They use it for a while,scratch it, use it to where its almost worn out and bust the chuck. Then lets say a new chuck is 10 bucks. They will ask 15 for the drill. So for a drill thats 20 new you will spend 25 bucks for it and the parts. They won't come down either because they are giving it away. Another example is lets say a old hand planer is worth 10 in its current shape. Its rusted, and needs a wooden knob. Well I may be willing to spend 10 on it. I enjoy finding them,making a knob,cleaning and such. But when it is restored it would bring only 20. Well the guy who has it saw the American Pickers,antiques roadshow,etc where a original first made Stanley hand planer where only 20 are known to exist is on. The apraiser or whoever decrees its a rare planer and thus worth 1000. Well the planer they have was sold about 30 years ago at ace hardware, and worth in reality only 20 now. But they think they are giving you a deal if you buy it at 700. They really get insulted and think your a thief if you give the history and say they will be lucky if you get 10.

Anyway I just wanted ot get that off my chest. I like to find the old stuff nowbody wants much and fix it up. but it seems I haven't had luck lately. I try to keep that stuff in mnd when I sell as well. If I have something to sell I try to let it go at the going rate. But it gets me some of the stuff buyer will say. I have had two lately that have wanted me to bring the stuff to them. I have a saw for sale. I am wanting about 25 bucks for it and five for the stand. I posted 30 for the saw and ten for the stand but put obo on it. Thats a decent price for them , I keep up with tools and what they sale for. In fact this particular saw goes for about 35 to 40 without a stand. I also put I would trade for other tools. One guy contacted me to trade. He has a few tools to trade and wanted me to pick one. I saw his tools and he had 20 on the highest priced one. But he wanted to trade one only and he wanted me to take it an hour away to him so he can see it.So he expected me to trade a tool with a going rate of 30 to 40 to a tool with a going rate of 15-20 and I had to bring it to him in the deal. I might have traded for one of the saw because he wanted it and I hate to see it sit up. But to expect me to drive it to him, no way. I couldn't get it in my car. I don't get it, if I hear about a deal I go check it out. I don't expect them to bring it to me to see if they want it. That has been hapening a lot in the last year or so. I may have been born in the afternoon but it wasn't yesterday afternoon. But thats fine I will just save it until the spring and have a big yard sale.

 

[kc-steve]

Yeah I gotta agree with you Willy. As we become 'implanted' with more Chinese goods, things will get worse no doubt. I can see a future where ANYTHING that is American made will fetch a substantial amount of money. At the same time, you have to get into the mindset of the younger generation to see what the future holds because they will be "in charge" someday.

The picker shows, the pawn shows, etc, are really letting us have a view of the future.

Steve

 

[Scout Driver]

I have the best luck at farm auctions in remote locations. Tiny towns in the middle of nowhere didn't have a bunch of stores selling cheap, poor quality tools. Anybody from a farm or shop went to the hardware store or the implement dealer to buy their tools.

My saying is that you have to be looking for everything, everywhere and all of the time.

Scott

 

[trebomb]

Shows like Antique Roadshow and American Pickers make people think everything dusty or rusty is worth $$$. I still enjoy the hunt, but only when I can afford to be patient.

 

[Kirbot]

Auctions and flea markets.
But not just any of them.

There is one local market that I always find something at.

But most of them are all new stuff and household junk.


So look around, If it doesn't look promising, try a different one.

 

[fatfillup]

I actually think Pickers and Pawn Stars have helped my buying. i let people know I am buying to resell and there has to be room for profit, and since they hear that on TV they understand.

Like Billymade said, consistency is key, and asking what else do you have for sale?

I have little luck at garage sales, flea markets are hit and miss, CL works great in my area but you have to be quick to jump on the deals and avoid the overpriced ads and auctions, especially estate auctions work for me.

To those guys who think it takes too much time, it just depends on what you like to do. you couldn't pay me to fish, hunt or sit on the beach, but i love going to auctions. That's why there is chocalate and vanilla.

 

[Packard V8]

There are so many bargains out there, I've had to swear off buying until I dig out of the accumulation. I had a huge garage sale myself and sold a truckload, sold some here on Classifieds, some on craigslist, some are going on eBay. I kept some of the better stuff and am selling what I don't need and will break even on what I kept.

As they say, "Your results may vary."

jack vines