A bit out of the way but...

Tallone

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... I think it was worth the trip. There was a family run estate sale (love those) happening last Friday but it was about 30 minutes from here. I usually won't travel that far but, even though the ad didn't provide much to go on, I thought it would be worth the trip. I needed a day off from work anyway so I went for it. I spent a total of $95 on the following:

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Two old wooden carpentry planes. They were really dusty and I cleaned them up before taking these pics. Disappointed in the value which is maybe $10 each. I put them in my "antique room" just because I think they look cool.

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Two old Smith-Victor photographic floodlights. A bit disappointed in these as well as neither one works. They probably would have brought about $30 each had they worked. Not sure what I might get for them as is.

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A Kisco hassock-style fan. Works great but needs to be cleaned up. Might get $40 for it.

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This is a Bell & Howell 8 mm movie projector. It was being used as a shelf support in the guy's workshop! With the cover on and in a dark corner it looked like a big black brick. I probably looked at it 3 times before I realized it was a piece of equipment. Sold as a projector it might bring $20 - $30 as this model is rather common. However, I was very pleased to discover that the bulb works. The bulb all by itself should bring at least $30.

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Sheaffer "Snorkel" pen and pencil set in the original case. Unfortunately, this isn't a gold nib pen. The case has some flaws but I don't think the pen or pencil has ever been used. There are quite a few similar sets on eBay and they sell well but prices are all over the place so it's hard to predict what it might sell for but I'm thinking at least $40.

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Back in the corner of an upstairs closet was this luggage. The smaller of the two rectangular suitcases was inside the bigger one (I didn't know that until I got home!) and there was a price tag that said $25 for 3 piece set. So, I thought I was getting the big suitcase, the little satchel (I have the shoulder strap for this piece, BTW), and the makeup kit. I recognized the style immediately as possibly Hartmann and a closer look revealed this to be true. Turns out the makeup kit is a different brand but the two suitcases and the little satchel are all Hartmann. The set was filthy but it cleans up nicely (see pic below). There are a few minor flaws but I think I should get around $300 for the 3 Hartmann pieces if I can get the damn musty smell out of the liner!! The Towncraft bag isn't worth much.

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In the suitcases was a bunch of miscellaneous paper stuff (receipts, business cards, etc.). There was also the Barnett Bank card. Believe it or not, there is a thriving collector market for old credit cards and the like and some items go for ridiculously large sums. I have no idea what this card might bring. Maybe nothing at all. But if you come across old credit card or bank plastic like this for cheap - buy it!
 

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GibH

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For the musty smell you could either try Febreze, or throw a dryer sheet in them and keep them closed for a few days.
 

frankendime

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That Hartmann luggage is very well made. I lived in Lebanon, Tennessee about 10 blocks away from Hartmann Luggage for a few years. Good quality luggage. I keep my eye out always for it...
 

desertmoons

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For the musty smell you could either try Febreze, or throw a dryer sheet in them and keep them closed for a few days.


You might try opening it and letting it sit in the sun a few days or longer. Those uv rays may kill it.
 

diggummup

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Nice score on the luggage. I sold a few vintage credit cards last year. I think I made close to $40 or $50 on the lot of them. Not bad for a freebie. I guess i'll take the bulbs out of the 4 or 5 old projectors I have before tossing them out. I'm still looking for a decent one that actually works like it's supposed to. Cool fan and I haven't found any decent wood planes myself either. I have a box full but no high dollar ones.
 

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Tallone

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If they work, old specialty light bulbs bring good money. I suspect they are sought after by people who restore old equipment.

Regarding the musty smell in the luggage... inside both pieces was a detachable pocket. They were filthy. I took those out, hand-washed them in Woolite, and left them in the sun to dry. Those came out great. No smell at all. Unfortunately, the fabric liner is not detachable. I have Fabrezed the hell out of them and had them open and exposed to direct sunlight for the last 3 days. The musty smell is about 95% gone but I can't seem to get rid of that last 5%. My wife suggested putting some potpourri in them for a few days. I don't have any potpourri but I think we do have some of those dryer sheets. Thanks for tip, GibH.

I have also put the pen & pencil case out in the sun for the past few days and the stains on the satin liner are almost gone. The sun is an excellent and gentle bleaching agent.

I think I'm going to keep the fan. I love the style, it works great, and I have the perfect place for it. I'm going to disassemble it, clean it up, and re-paint it to match the color scheme on our covered terrace out back.

Oh, one more thing... Here is a little teaser you. I also bought, for very little money, another item that will almost certainly sell for good (and maybe VERY good) money. I don't want to identify this item just yet for reasons I will explain after I sell it. I will report back after completing the sale.
 

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batcap

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I like the pens best! The white dot used to mean "lifetime guarantee". I think later it came to mean a guarantee of quality. I bet that's your winner for most value in the smallest package. Personally I'd rather pay $5 for a pen and sell it for $40 than buy a big speaker for $5 and sell it for $80.
It's concentrated wealth that's easy to store and ship.
 

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Tallone

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Measured in dollars/pound or dollars/cubic inch, I think you are right, batcap. I love small stuff that brings a few tens of dollars (or more). Unfortunately, stuff like that doesn't show up very often.
 

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