Last Saturday at an estate sale in Columbus the rust holes looked tiny until I filled it with water and it sprayed like a fountain. I tried patching from the inside and it held for two days before popping off, has anyone had luck with actual soldering on these or am I better off just using it as a planter?
I know everyone loves finding those old appliances that last forever, but honestly, I was tired of that thing. It would burn one side and leave the other pale no matter what setting I used. Last Tuesday it just stopped working mid-cycle, smoke puffing out the top. I didn't even try to fix it, just tossed it in the e-waste bin at the dump. Anyone else secretly relieved when a cheap old find finally bites the dust?
I went to this estate sale over in Millbrook last Saturday, the one off Route 22. Some old woodworker's family was just dumping everything. They had a cardboard box with five hand planes just piled in there, all crusted with rust and one missing the blade entirely. The guy running it said $80 FIRM because they're 'collector grade.' I picked one up and the sole was so pitted it would tear up any board you tried to plane. I offered $20 for the lot since I can clean them up but he got all offended. Said he saw similar ones sell for $200 online. Those auctions online show the shiny restored ones after someone put in 10 hours of work. Has anyone else run into people who think rusty junk is worth premium prices just because its old?
I found this beat up old home doctor book from 1923 for three bucks. The wildest thing in there was a treatment for hiccups that said to scare the person by firing a gun near their head. No joke, it was an actual suggestion in the chapter on stomach issues. Has anyone else found old medical advice that makes you glad you live in this century?
She grabbed my arm and whispered that the Rolleiflex I was holding belonged to a wedding photographer who died mid-shot, and now every time I use it I get this weird double exposure on frame 12, has anyone else had a camera that just feels off?
I know everyone gets excited finding them at garage sales for a quarter and thinks they hit the jackpot. But I grabbed a bunch last summer at an estate sale in Dayton. 15 of them. Paid $5 total. After cleaning them up and listing them online, I maybe made $12 back. The rest are sitting in a box under my bed. Honestly, the hype around them just feels like a trap. Maybe it's just me but I think they're more of a dust collector than a treasure. Anyone else think we should let these things retire for real?
I picked up this old spiral-bound cookbook from 1954 for 50 cents and was SHOCKED that every single recipe from cookies to gravy called for at least a half cup of lard, has anyone else run into old recipes that totally change how you see modern cooking?
Started jotting down every weird thing I pick up from garage sales and Goodwill. Hit number 500 last week with a vintage cheese grater shaped like a mouse. Anyone else keep a tally of their junk haul?
Picked up a cracked salt shaker for $3 at a garage sale last month, and now I use it to test if ceramic stuff from thrift stores is actually microwave-safe by filling it with water and heating it up. Has anyone else got a weird cheap item that doubles as a test tool?
I picked up a brass desk lamp from 1963 at a garage sale last weekend for $8, and I keep seeing people online say to use vinegar and salt to clean the tarnish off. But doesn't that actually strip the original patina and damage the value? Has anyone found a gentler method that keeps the character?
I was digging through a beat up roll top desk at the Goodwill over on Elm Street and found a leather photo album stuffed in a hidden drawer. It had about 40 black and white photos from the 1920s, all of the same family at a lake house in Maine. Has anyone else ever found something like this with personal photos, and what did you do with them?
I was putting away a new find from last Saturday an old 1970s ceramic mug with a faded gas station logo. I decided to count all my mugs from garage sales and thrift shops. I hit 80 exactly after just 3 years of casual picking. That number surprised me because I never felt like a collector. Most of them sit in boxes under my bed because my kitchen cabinets are full. I only paid about 50 cents each on average so the whole hoard cost me maybe 40 bucks. But now I'm wondering what you all do with extra finds that don't have a place on the shelf. Do you sell them off or just keep stacking boxes?
He was holding this rusty old floor lamp and told his buddy he could fix it in 15 minutes with parts from the hardware aisle. I laughed at first, then I tried rewiring a $5 lamp I got last weekend. It actually took me 20 minutes and now it works great, has anyone else found lamp wiring to be that simple?
I was at a church rummage sale last Saturday and this lady had a set of the plain blue Snowflake pattern from the 80s marked at $45 per bowl. I tried to tell her those are about as common as dirt and sell for $5 at any thrift store but she got all defensive. I have been collecting Pyrex for about 12 years now and I have seen so many people overprice the common stuff because they saw one eBay listing from a seller who thinks they hit the jackpot. Anyone else run into this kind of thing where folks just assume old equals valuable?
The smell was so bad I couldn't even salvage the old wrenches inside, and now I always crack open any sealed storage piece before handing over cash because that hidden damage is worse than anything you can see on the outside, has anyone else run into a similar surprise with old toolboxes?
Was digging through a box of junk at an estate sale in Tulsa last weekend and found this beat-up Case knife from the 40s. My grandpa used to say the secret to a good blade is letting the steel get a patina, not keeping it shiny. I spent 20 minutes talking to the seller about how modern knives are too soft and it honestly made me question all those $80 knives I've been collecting. Anyone else run into old timers who totally change your mind on gear?
Grabbed an old Royal Quiet Deluxe from a flea market in Austin for $40, plus $20 on new ribbon. Got it home and the carriage lock was seized, the platen was cracked, and three keys were jammed. Took it to a repair shop and the guy quoted me $200 minimum to even look at it. Has anyone else gotten burned by a typewriter that looked good but was beyond saving?
I picked up this cool old brass lamp from a garage sale for $5 last Saturday. It had this fabric shade with a weird pattern on it that I thought was just aged. Got it home and started scrubbing with soap and water for like 2 hours straight. Nothing budged. Then I tried vinegar and baking soda for another hour. Still looked gross. Finally I took it outside in the sun and realized the pattern was actually mold growing through the whole thing. Tossed the shade and now I need to find a replacement that fits. Has anyone else fought with a thrift find that was basically ruined?