Estate sales, old tools, and being a vulture

[wecsoger]

At least that's how I feel going through someone's house or garage, pawing through their stuff they've accumulated in life

I'm on a e-mailing list for a local estate sales group, they have one in my area about every two three months

this month:
5 rectangular size milk crates - use them to wrangle my propane tanks
Craftsman stainless fractional drill bit guide
Craftsman drill adjustable hole cutter
Apex hex bit holder screwdriver (Apex company just up the road in Dayton OH)
Coleman 413g 'suitcase white gas stove - rusty, marked at $1, may clean up or use for parts, date stamped '771'
21/32" reduced shank drill bit
Starrett 8' tape measure
Black and Decker 7301 7 1/4" circular saw. metal case, 1971 vintage, excellent shape, weighs a ton. could use as a battle weapon, and then build a porch

total spent $25 USD and some change

I'm a sucker for anything in tools that are made in USA.

I have plans for using all of this, so it's not like I'm out scooping stuff up to sell on ebay or craigslist, as I've heard some folk discuss

[Bill in Oregon]

The Coleman stoves are always a temptation for me. Dunno why.

[HawkCreek]

I try to make one now and again but around here the crafters and hipster/vintage crowd hit them up also. I just like using old (often forgotten and neglected) tools as they are often better than what's available new but the crowd has driven the prices up to where you really have to hunt to get a deal.

[Pitchy]

Cool, my wife goes to garage sales in the summer a lot , she knows what I like so she surprises me with neat stuff.

[wecsoger]

Garage sales are always hit-or-miss.

My rule of thumb, in a newer house or newer subdivision you'll rarely find much other than clothes, badly put together furniture, and always a mystery tub of outdated computer parts.

Older homes, always possibilities. Ditto for farmhouses out in the county and the like.

Estate sales for older homes so far for me has always guaranteed a couple of made in U.S.A. tools, Craftsman and otherwise.

Last six months I've got and old Echophone EC-1 tube shortwave radio ($17), big handful of Nicholson files at fifty cents to a dollar, Stanley tools (still U.S.A.), and other very nice classic items.

I'll need to make a point of selling the good stuff off on ebay or craigslist later on, so some total stranger won't be going through my estate later on. (grin)

[Pitchy]

We live in the country so there are some good finds now and then.

[Pete44ru]

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I have a 3-burner & a 2-burner (both Coleman's) that I bought at separate yard sales over 40 years ago, for $2 each - they were in pretty good condition, even today.

Although my home is serviced by a gas pipeline, I kept them handy from before I bought this house, when I was renting a place with an electric stove (in case of a power outage).

One of the more dependable things I've ever had - as long as the leather pump seal was kept oiled so it didn't dry out............


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