Discussion: What do you like to do with your finds besides selling them.

[dejapooh]

Finding a doodad for $1 and selling it for $10,000 is a kick, but that's not all we do with our stuff. I like to find stuff I know friends are looking for. I either give them as gifts. If they insist on buying them, I tell them, "I paid $1, it sells for $50. Pay me whatever you want."

Of course, When I moved out from my ex, I let her keep everything (Except the garage sale stuff), and decorated my new house from Garage Sales. I love finding laundry and dish washing soap. Stuff I can USE. I avoid food, but cases of Soda? I'm all over that.

What is your favorite thing to do with your finds besides selling them?

 

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[Tallone]

My wife buys a lot of New In Box stuff at yard sales that she gives as gifts later. Saves a lot of money that way. I keep a few things for display if they are old and interesting. Not as a serious collection but just conversation pieces.

 

[jochart]

My wife takes what she wants and so do the kids. The rest of the relatives buy direct from my garage and usually pay a few bucks more than I did. My savings comes from the fact that I don't buy them anything for Christmas or birthdays. They get gifts all year.

 

[captain flintlock]

I'm a pretty serious collector of just about anything early American so if I find something not to flip then I usually add it to my collection. I've given a few things away to friends or my kids (which are pretty much grown up now). We live in an early 1970's raised ranch and my wife and I call it a "colonial wannabe" with our collection. I generally buy what I can afford so a lot of things are not the finest quality or roadshow worthy but I have fun with it.

 

[dejapooh]

My wife buys a lot of New In Box stuff at yard sales that she gives as gifts later. Saves a lot of money that way. I keep a few things for display if they are old and interesting. Not as a serious collection but just conversation pieces.

The New in Box stuff are my best sellers. I go for them as much as possible.

 

[trdhrdr007]

I've got a couple collections. Unfortunately I almost never see what I collect at garage sales. That pretty much means if I'm buying something it's for resale or it's something I'll use around the house.

 

[diggummup]

I've got a couple collections. Unfortunately I almost never see what I collect at garage sales. That pretty much means if I'm buying something it's for resale or it's something I'll use around the house.

Ditto

 

[kali_is_my_copilot]

I mostly do jewelry, and even though I'm not really a "jewelry" type of girl I now find myself with a (if I do say so myself) lovely & growing collection, mainly unusual silver stuff. My little niece has more child-friendly costume jewelry than any child could ever need. I also give a ton of it away as gifts, each Christmas we draw names for gift giving in addition to people getting whatever for each other and I keep lucking out & drawing girls lol. Then just "oh I saw this and it reminded me of you" type gifts throughout the year. This practice extends way beyond jewelry at this point since when I have time I shop other stuff too (especially at the flea market). Finally, I take requests for BOLOs from friends and family members since I'm out buying pretty regularly. Lately it's been tools, plumber's stuff for my BF and whatever's well-made, useful & cheap for me. Got what appears to be a hand-forged machete (for landscaping) for ten bucks recently, and hundreds of dollars in Ridgid wrenches etc over the last few weekends.

 

[OWK]

What is your favorite thing to do with your finds besides selling them?

Sometimes I like to rub myself up with peanut butter, and then roll around in them.

 

[G.I.B.]

I'm going to melt down my pull tabs and build a rocket ship.

 

[OWK]

I'm going to melt down my pull tabs and build a rocket ship.

I used to take my pull tabs to the park, and fertilize the grass with them using my pull tab speader...

But if you're building a rocket ship..... I'll save them for you.

 

[Rodbuster209]

I look for PM's mostly, when I find some jewelry my wife gets first pick,what she doesn't take I have been hoarding until the time is right to sell. The sterling items, ie: bowls, candlestick holders etc. I have been putting those on the shelf. I also look for good deals on tools I don't have.

 

[Beachkid23]

I throw it all in a pile until I'm sick of tripping on it, falling on top of it and stepping on it. Or when I can't see my floor anymore. It's bought with the purpose of selling it but never happens. Unless it's sterling, then it goes in a box in the closet. Coins in a stack. And pocket watches get a spot in the display case.

 

[billjustbill]

Finding a doodad for $1 and selling it for $10,000 is a kick, but that's not all we do with our stuff. I like to find stuff I know friends are looking for. I either give them as gifts. If they insist on buying them, I tell them, "I paid $1, it sells for $50. Pay me whatever you want."

Of course, When I moved out from my ex, I let her keep everything (Except the garage sale stuff), and decorated my new house from Garage Sales. I love finding laundry and dish washing soap. Stuff I can USE. I avoid food, but cases of Soda? I'm all over that.

What is your favorite thing to do with your finds besides selling them?

Going to garage sales and estate sales has given me an "Affordable Variety" and volume of things I'd never find and buy in the newspaper classifieds, junk stores, or flea markets. After finding all types of "treasure", I keep the best. Old tools at bargain prices beg for a home with someone that both uses them and takes care of them.

Here's how I display a collection of hand saws in my workshop. Held up with those simple plastic mirror clips there's a few of my German grandfather and father's handsaws supplemented with other Master Carpenter assortment of kinds and smaller sizes, and other tools, I've found at garage sales and flea markets.

I spent an entire year collecting (treasure comes in all types) cheap lumber, plywood, saw blades, cases of Paslode air nailer nails, crown and trim moldings, steel front doors and double pane windows. I found many of the tools, too.

So, I built a 16'x32' two story cabin style storage building for my wife's hobby room on the bottom floor. Small loads at a time adds up. The pic shows an 8'x8'high roll up door opening to give you some scale of all the lumber and supplies I found at bargain prices. Did you know you can haul 16' long lumber in a Ford Expedition if you load one end 1" from the dash's radio knobs and a big red flag tied to the other end?

 

[jerseyben]

Artwork occasionally gets framed and then gets hung up in my house. Tools end up in my garage or toolbox. Jewelry usually goes to my wife. Home furnishings (only antiques) decorate my house. Records go in my massive collection. Stereo equipment becomes spares for my stereo system. Firewood gets hauled home and added to my wood racks. I have friend who collect comics and vintage toys so that stuff gets picked up cheap and given as gifts. I always buy old bottles when I find them cheap and they get given to my Dad or put on a shelf in my garage. Liquor gets picked up cheap and added to my liquor cabinet. Electronics get picked up cheap (sometimes require repairs) and traded in towards newer models. I also pick up vintage video games cheap and trade them with a friend for coins for my collection. I also occasionally pick up random treasure or coin related "junk" for my local coin club just to keep things interesting.

 

[Baltimore]

Most of what I do has been said here. I always pick up mike crates, they're super handy for hauling all kinds of stuff around. I'll buy cleaning supplies and whatnot. Artwork occasionally, although I haven't found anything too great. Gifts of course, people love getting unique stuff if it's thoughtful. I decorate with interesting things I find, 30's fans, 48 star american flags, oil signs etc all go in my apt. I love wooden crates, I tend to keep them whenever I find them. Unfortunately my main business is also what I collect, vintage clothing and hats. I have a bad habit of keeping the best things for my collection, I'd make a lot more money if I was an expert at finding things that I don't want. It's almost a relief when I find something that isn't my size. At this point my collection is big enough that only the occasional hat or t-shirt gets added, most everything else leaves.

Sidenote, the best thing about picking vintage clothing is that I can buy it, wear it regularly for a year, decide I'm done with it and sell it for a profit! It's nice to have a constantly updating wardrobe that makes more money than it loses.

 

[Butter Hat]

Finding a doodad for $1 and selling it for $10,000 is a kick, but that's not all we do with our stuff. I like to find stuff I know friends are looking for. I either give them as gifts. If they insist on buying them, I tell them, "I paid $1, it sells for $50. Pay me whatever you want."

Of course, When I moved out from my ex, I let her keep everything (Except the garage sale stuff), and decorated my new house from Garage Sales. I love finding laundry and dish washing soap. Stuff I can USE. I avoid food, but cases of Soda? I'm all over that.

What is your favorite thing to do with your finds besides selling them?

Pretty similar. Use them, give gifts. I know a few people who are soft for one thing or another, and my eye is always tuned to those, or something that says, 'Hey, this was made just for that friend of yours.'

For ourselves, we look at tools, dishes/cutlery, housewares, small appliances, the occasional surprise piece of furniture, and new-in-box toys. Those toys are for donation.

 

[bigcaddy64]

I actually love to give items away to people that need them. If anybody is familiar with the feeling of needing a very specific tool and having it in the toolbox, its similar to that. More then once ive heard a friend/family lament not having something obscure and i have 2 of them in the garage. I know what i've paid and what i've made so i have no qualms about giving items away.

My dad is a hobby machinist/blacksmith so the range of items hes looking for is vast. Machine tools are very expensive unless you buy cheap import which doesn't make sense. How can you create precise parts with junk tools? I'm happy to hand him excess Starrett/Brown & Sharp/Mitutoyo tools that he's looking for.

The girlfriend used to collect Fire King Jadite and her mother collects old Geology books. If i find them at a sale for cheap, ill pick them up and hand them over.

I tend to buy for profit first at any sale. Once i've completed that list, i switch over to what i need but don't want to pay retail for, either for work or my personal business. Solvents, consumable cutting tools, rags, cleaners and paint are all at the top of that list since i use them the most. I don't think i've ever purchased a bundle of steel wool in a store and i use 2 pads a weekend along with gallons of degreaser, grinder wheels, weld/braze rod and taps/dies.

As for the rare, unique finds i don't immediately sell? I keep them around and enjoy them until i get tired of them. At that point, they will be sold. I have to many collections for my age and need to start paring them down

 

[SEANO]

I/we have replaced almost all of the cheap store bought wall hanging with some attractive looking quality items. For example; signed Neiman Prints, Original Currier and Ives Prints, and nice actual (real) oil and water base paintings. Much nicer for sure, plus they may appreciate. The Walmart type stuff has no chance of any appreciation potential. Also, we have added Oriental rugs and beautiful pottery/glass items scattered as show pieces around the house.

 

[diggummup]

I gave a record to a tnet member once, now that I think about. Another member got some treasure mags from me once. Some of last years finds were given as gifts this past Christmas. I buy tools if I see something I need. The wife buys household goods all the time. I have many things displayed around the house but I wouldn't refrain from selling any of it. The good thing about "finds" is that they have no emotional attachment so, easy in, easy out.