Bartering And Horse Trading (Part Duh)

Hi MNeagle and thanks. Tn…Andy and RichG were great hosts; it was like we were sitting around a country store’s pot belly stove, discussing the problems of OUR country. That’s what my grandfather did and what my father grew up seeing. That was their world then and this is our world now; so different.

After the show I realized that with our mass media, a speaker can give opinions to large numbers of listeners and we have lost the one on one personal back and forth conversations of our forefathers. What I mean to say is that opinions are much easier to impress on others while not demanding responses. And therefore listeners are not required to think deeply about what is going on. And personal involvement is diminished. Something gained but I feel that something greater has been lost. Perhaps this is why Americans appear to be doing nothing about the many things which are besieging their personal lives such as finance, crime, housing, employment, Wall Street, politics, banking and so on.

I really enjoyed doing the show and the hour flew by too fast; so much to talk about.

Best wishes,

Agnut

Shopping at tag sales is a numbers game. I get many misses for one good hit.

Last week I stopped at a place where it looked like someone was moving. I picked up a box of assorted knives for $3. Besides the long-life diamond seraded edge kitchen knives, I got 6 or 7 pocket & switchblade knives. At that kind of price, you don't worry about losing them.... and one might be a life-saver one day.

These sales are a prepper's dream store.

Not a super successful hunt this weekend. I did manage to pick up a TASCO 3-9 x40 scope with mounts for $10. A pair of candle holders with glass chimneys for $1. Two 10-speed bikes for $4 each.

One cheery older fellow thought he had some sterling silver for me and brought me into his basement to look at it. It was all plated.... but a very nice effort. Keep hunting!

I hit up some sales here recently and it's all crap. Just complete junk. I was lucky on the first hit found a bunch of gun stuff for sale. I picked up a cheap red-dot, a less cheap red-green dot, a pistol 7*32 illuminated scope (I have a neos it's now mounted on), a sks piccatiny rail cover, and a nice outdoor connection websling with swivels for $50. I actually wanted all this stuff but didn't want to pay full price. Internet tells me this stuff was worth about 230-270 if I had bought "new". Red-dot sights are awesome by the way. My first experience with them :)

Hi again Spectrism. Good deal on the knives. I pick up kitchen knives that are US made and the German and Swedish steel quality whenever I find them.

Your two posts show that there are times when you strike out and other times when you make a killing. So patience and steadfastness are the key. By the way, have you ever calculated the percentage of buying times that are great against the times when you struck out ? I seem to have about a 80-90 percent success rate.

I have written a long post but have to type it up and post it when time permits.

I’ve done so much buying in the last few weeks here that I am still catching up with putting it all away.

We are anxiously waiting for 24 black copper chicks being hatched. I could hold 5 in the palm of my hand; they are so tiny when we get them. We’ll be raising them in the house like we did the last ones. This breed of chickens lay a dark brown egg that is considered by chefs to be gourmet (and I hear that they charge accordingly). Oh well, I’m not a connoisseur. More like a kind-of-sewer; everything goes down me.

Will post as soon as I have time. Not only have I been buying lots of stuff but have been learning valuable lessons along the way.

Best wishes,

Agnut

Black Copper Marans in the U.S.

The Black Copper Marans is one of the rarest breeds of chicken in the United States. It is a fascinating breed of laying chicken; producing one of the darkest chocolate-brown eggs known. It is one of the rarest breeds in this country due to the import ban on fowl in the US. They are quite common in France.
Black Copper Marans eggs are prized by French chefs. They are also the favorite egg of James Bond. Using them for eating in the United States is almost unheard of, as they are so rare and prized. A three-egg omlet would cost more than $30; wholesale.
One of the difficulties faced by breeders of the Black Copper Marans in the US is the lack of genetic diversity. Much of the breeding stock left in this country 10 years ago was of the English variety; with smooth, unfeathered legs. The French standard calls for lightly feathered legs. There are only a few breeders that have been able to produce Marans stock that comes close to the French standard.
This site is dedicated to encouraging the pursuit of the French standard in US Black Copper Marans stock.
Keep in mind that the overarching goal of this pursuit is the production of a gourmet egg. Eventually, the cost for birds and eggs of the black copper marans breed will be closer to that of less rare heritage breeds. This isn’t something to fear or hurry to beat, it is inevitable. Don’t enter the breeding market of marans with the thought of making big money on these now-valuable birds. Get involved with the eventual thought of more valuable eggs for sale to discrimitating buyers such as chefs and higher income consumers. Rushing as many birds and eggs to the breeding market before the values drop will only futher the downfall of the breed rather than the building of it.




http://blackcoppermarans.org/

Good to hear from you Agnut.

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Originally Posted by agnut

Hi again Spectrism. Good deal on the knives. I pick up kitchen knives that are US made and the German and Swedish steel quality whenever I find them.

Your two posts show that there are times when you strike out and other times when you make a killing. So patience and steadfastness are the key. By the way, have you ever calculated the percentage of buying times that are great against the times when you struck out ? I seem to have about a 80-90 percent success rate.

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Yes- it is good to look for quality and sometimes that means older items that are being discarded due to estate sale, a move or just house-cleaning.

It is hard to judge a success rate because it is subjective. I consider this past weekend a non-success, but I was able to pick up some interesting things. An old clock for $2, brass candleabra for $10, free tennis rackets & basketball. I consider it a failure because I used 4 hours in my search and went to about a dozen sales. The weather was not the best, so the sales were spread out.

Overall, I would say that I need to visit 20 sales to find a real treasure. But I usually find some decent value in less than 5. So, I guess I would say my success rate is typically around 20% per visit... but I usually find something good every Saturday morning.

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I have written a long post but have to type it up and post it when time permits.

I’ve done so much buying in the last few weeks here that I am still catching up with putting it all away.

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I'd love to hear what you bought.

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We are anxiously waiting for 24 black copper chicks being hatched. I could hold 5 in the palm of my hand; they are so tiny when we get them. We’ll be raising them in the house like we did the last ones. This breed of chickens lay a dark brown egg that is considered by chefs to be gourmet (and I hear that they charge accordingly). Oh well, I’m not a connoisseur. More like a kind-of-sewer; everything goes down me.

Will post as soon as I have time. Not only have I been buying lots of stuff but have been learning valuable lessons along the way.

Best wishes,

Agnut

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Are the eggs smaller from these chicks? I had an unfortunate event this week with my new chicks..... see "Hawk Attack" in livestock thread/subforum. I lost 17 birds.... have 20 new ones left. A new breed I have (some still left) are the dark cornish chicks. I had high hopes for these... and attempting a mixed breed.

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Hi Mouse; good to hear from you. Yeah, a lot of crap out there but at least it works as a distraction to the nondiscriminating eyes. I don’t waste time with the junk but treat a sale like you would be at a Chinese buffet. I pick out what I want, pile it in a corner and when my plate is full I call over the seller for a group price.

Looks like you got a 5 bagger with the gun accessories. That’s what I’m talking about !

I have to thank Dogman for his post and then am off to writing about the recent deals I’ve found.

Best wishes,

Agnut

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Originally Posted by Spectrism

Good to hear from you Agnut.



Yes- it is good to look for quality and sometimes that means older items that are being discarded due to estate sale, a move or just house-cleaning.

It is hard to judge a success rate because it is subjective. I consider this past weekend a non-success, but I was able to pick up some interesting things. An old clock for $2, brass candleabra for $10, free tennis rackets & basketball. I consider it a failure because I used 4 hours in my search and went to about a dozen sales. The weather was not the best, so the sales were spread out.

Overall, I would say that I need to visit 20 sales to find a real treasure. But I usually find some decent value in less than 5. So, I guess I would say my success rate is typically around 20% per visit... but I usually find something good every Saturday morning.




I'd love to hear what you bought.




Are the eggs smaller from these chicks? I had an unfortunate event this week with my new chicks..... see "Hawk Attack" in livestock thread/subforum. I lost 17 birds.... have 20 new ones left. A new breed I have (some still left) are the dark cornish chicks. I had high hopes for these... and attempting a mixed breed.

Attachment 146

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Hi again spectrism. You are well aware that each of us is unique and sees everything through our own eyes and mind filter. Some of the things I pick up would be passed by others. Perhaps that is why I can attend a sale hours after it had begun and still be able to acquire some bargains.

A seemingly small purchase had a lesson attached which I didn’t think of until it was all over. There was a man buying a 5 gallon pail of tools for $20. But there was oil in the bottom of the bucket. This man took most of the tools out and put them in a clean bucket, leaving the oil at the bottom. After he had left I went over to the bucket and tilted it to see what was left in the oil. I asked the seller what he would want for what was left and he said $2. So I emptied the bucket of its contents and found 15 brand new American punches and drifts, 2 ½”drive sockets, needle nose pliers, a chain saw file, large Allen wrenches and a long drill bit.

Doesn’t sound like much but if I had to buy the above items new, they would have cost many times the $2 I paid. And American punches don’t come cheap; because they last longer that the pot metal Asian crap !

I got a roll of galvanized wire (about 80 pounds) for $20. More than I wanted to pay but we need it and there was no sales tax.

A huge pressure cooker for $2. The aluminum scrap is worth more than that.

2 bronze propellers for a Mercury outboard for $30. Don’t know what they are worth but we have a couple of Mercs in the family.

96 Ball and Kerr canning jars for $40.

A flight suit with a zillion zippers all over it. A buck.

A couple hundred pounds of heavy chain for $5. Probably $2-300 if new.

A 5 gallon bucket full of clevises and other fittings for $15.

A hay bale moisture checker for $50 for my son. Still had the receipt from new and was over $400. It made me proud when the first thing my son said was that not only can we check our hay but can also check others’ hay bale stacks. Fire hazard, ya know.

Several sets of new hinges and latches for free.

A Hallicraffter shortwave radio for $5. It made a static sound and I got it on the chance I could make it work.

The next garage sale had a riding mower that needed the shifter fixed. It ran and cut well. He wanted $50 and I got it for $40. The Briggs and Stratton engine was worth more than I was paying so if I couldn’t get it running economically I could at least get value from the engine. Who knows, maybe this or some other engine will be set up to run on gasified wood for recharging the 24 batteries I recently connected for off the grid power.

When I got it home my son repaired the shifter in a short while and now we have a backup riding mower. When my other riding mower broke a drive housing a few weeks ago, it was down for several days and I wasn’t looking forward to having to mow all of our grass with a walk behind mower. So this $40 riding mower will give me some peace of mind. I suppose I could sell it for a profit but I need it more than I need the money.

By the way, the electrical cable double ends were over $10 each from a supplier I found on the internet. However, a local NAPA parts house had two singles which would serve the same purpose for $4.36. So I saved over $100 by buying locally. I know, usually its cheaper to buy from the internet. But not this time.

The spare riding mower is like Ponce’s advice to have a plan behind a plan behind a plan. This advice is not to be taken lightly and as more time passes I am becoming more mindful of this when out there buying. Thanks again Ponce.

While I was at the riding mower sale I spied a motorcycle in the corner of the garage with a not for sale sign. I asked the seller and his wife about it and he said that it was found in a field of high weeds and th4e owner gave it to him for free. The seller had been lugging it around for years and dreamed of restoring it but hadn’t the time. By the way, it was a 1965 BMW R60/2; I don’t know if I will get it but am illustrating here that persistence can pay off in a big way. Our conversation had made him consider selling the bike and I have his phone number to call later. A couple of important points here to note. First, he paid nothing for the bike so I knew that his only attachment was sentimental and actually this worked in my favor since all he saw was a pure cash income deal. And since I had learned that they were moving soon, he and his wife may be motivated to leave it behind, aka sell it to me. His asking price should be low also since he has nothing invested. Second point is this type of deal gives me the time to look up the model and year to see what it is worth and if it is worth the investment.

Got a nice Panasonic microwave for $5. Just in case our other microwave craps out.

Got a 1987 VW Scirocco that I had originally acquired for free a few years earlier. I sold it to my son a few months ago for $300 and now that I had the rebuilt diesel engine and rebuilt special ratio transmission, I had a very special need for the aerodynamic Scirocco. I bought it back for $500 but since I had netted $300 earlier, I really had only $200 out of pocket cost. Straight body and nice interior. I would be happy to talk about car deals if anyone is interested. After all, they loom large in the average budget and shouldn’t be ignored.

Take away from the above deal what you may. There is a method to my madness; it is just part of my ever changing needs within a floating valuation environment. Point is, I am very happy with the deal and my son has more money in his pocket. Who knows; this could lead to diesel conversions of more Sciroccos in the future. As far as I know, the VW factory never offered a diesel engine in the Scirocco.

I must add that I recently bought another Scirocco; it was a series I type and extremely hard to find. It is just sitting there waiting until I have the time. Funny but at my age I am still like a kid when it comes to fixing up cars.

Best wishes,

Agnut

P.S. Spectrism, I believe that the black copper Moran eggs are full sized. Won’t know for sure for a long time. Sorry to hear of your hawk attack. We recently lost a Rhode Island Red to a hawk.

Enjoyable read Agnut.

Your galvanized wire reminded me of a deal I encountered. A fella was selling old tools that were really beaten and too high of a price.... and there was nothing I particularly needed. I saw a large roll of 3-conductor exterior grade(insulated) copper wire. I did not know the value. He was asking $30. I hemmed and hawwed... trying to figure if this was a good deal. He said it was almost a full roll- I think 200 feet was the length, and he said it cost more than $50 new. I learned not to trust what they say values are.

In a circumstance like this, I think of two things: practical uses and scrap value. My mind went blank on copper value and I could not exactly weigh the wire either. I figured I might use the wire more effectively than scrap it.... so I bought it.

It is a little more than 23 pounds. Copper is just over $4/pound. So the scrap value alone is more than $90. So now I feel silly even questioning the buy.

At another location, I found a guy selling copper .999 bars. I actually paid about $5/pound for these, and broke even on a whole shoebox full of copper pennies.


You are right.... everyone sees things differently - and that makes this fun. Everyone can win- in their own minds.

Not much this past week. I did pick up another flat Wagner cast iron pan. $2. The surface is very smooth on these old pans unlike the gritty cheap casts made now.

When I see candles at bargain prices, I snap them up. I got about 5 pounds of candles for a buck. Found a gram-kilogram scale in good working order $15. And some 3/8" plastic reinforced pressure hose- very long roll... maybe 100feet, for $10.

I stopped at a place on my way home... saw a yard sale sign. Old man had junk on tables in his garage. I asked him if he had any old coins or silverware for sale. He said he had some Eisenhower coins, but he couldn't get to them. I asked if he had a silver server set. He said he did have a sterling 24pc set. But again- couldn't get to them. His plan is to sell the junk from his front rooms and work his way back. Holy-moley. He must have so much junk piled into the rooms that you can't even get into the good stuff. Same thing for his barn and many old tools. Guess where I am stopping by every weekend. At some point he has got to make some headway... and the early bird gets the silver.

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Originally Posted by Spectrism

Enjoyable read Agnut.

Your galvanized wire reminded me of a deal I encountered. A fella was selling old tools that were really beaten and too high of a price.... and there was nothing I particularly needed. I saw a large roll of 3-conductor exterior grade(insulated) copper wire. I did not know the value. He was asking $30. I hemmed and hawwed... trying to figure if this was a good deal. He said it was almost a full roll- I think 200 feet was the length, and he said it cost more than $50 new. I learned not to trust what they say values are.

In a circumstance like this, I think of two things: practical uses and scrap value. My mind went blank on copper value and I could not exactly weigh the wire either. I figured I might use the wire more effectively than scrap it.... so I bought it.

It is a little more than 23 pounds. Copper is just over $4/pound. So the scrap value alone is more than $90. So now I feel silly even questioning the buy.

At another location, I found a guy selling copper .999 bars. I actually paid about $5/pound for these, and broke even on a whole shoebox full of copper pennies.


You are right.... everyone sees things differently - and that makes this fun. Everyone can win- in their own minds.

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Hi Spectrism. I have also bought copper wiring and didn’t know exactly what it was worth but made a best guess at the stripped copper weight. However, I only buy it if it is so cheap that I can’t lose. If too high, I bargain it down until it is a steal or I won‘t buy it. It is almost embarrassing to relate how little I paid sometimes. I suspect that those days may come to an end as the economy gets tighter/worse. Don’t miss acquiring scrap aluminum either Spectrism. Old barbecues are usually made of it and when the steel rusts out, they are thrown or given away. We get 75 cents a pound for clean scrap aluminum.

People are waking up to values of things that they had thrown away in the past. For instance I went to a garage sale yesterday that was in a upper price neighborhood; the seller had books for $5 and $7 each. I usually pay from 25 cents to no more than a dollar. I ended up buying nothing and went home empty. That was a first for me. Three weeks ago I was at a garage sale and picked up about 15 hardbound books for free. There was about 200 books there but I got to pick out some I great stuff for my overflowing library. My library; what a joke. Hundreds of books are in boxes and on shelves in the barn and I can’t even get to many of them.

That same afternoon I had to go to town to pick up boxes of fruits and veggies out back of the local supermarket. On the way home I saw a couple of garage sale signs and followed them to where I got ;

A 72” projection TV screen for $20; still in the box and never used. I don’t have a projection TV but one will probably turn up one of these days. Hopefully before my Samsung DLP TV gives up the ghost.

A set of 4 mag wheels for $5 total and a spare rim and tire for a Honda for $1.

A cold weather outfit from a US submarine for a couple of bucks. Ponce says that they cost $150; new or used I don’t know.

A cold weather jacket from the same sub for a couple of bucks (for me).

A pair of stereo speakers for $5.

A car theft lock for the emergency brake for $1

That was it for just a few minutes while I was already in town.

Last weekend I got several items but the two compound bows I got for $7.50 each was about the best score. I could sell them but this is one of the advantages of bartering and horse trading; my son and I have been talking about setting up an archery range but didn’t want to spend the bucks for all the equipment. So last week these two bows come up out of nowhere. The only expense now is to find a set of arrows; I’m sorry to say that I may to have to buy them new because I’ve never seen any arrows for sale at any garage sales. Oh well, I guess I’ll have to change my motto; “the only thing I buy new is socks and underwear”.

Last week one of my sons was with me garage sailing and he spotted a couple of water tanks with a for sale sign beside the road we were traveling. I jotted down the number and later called the seller. He said they were 3,200 gallons each and wanted $2,000 for them. I haggled him down on the phone no less and we agreed on $1,200. I checked out the prices of the two tanks and they cost $3,500 each new so $1,200 for the pair wasn’t too bad a deal.

But here’s the kicker; he said that I could have everything in the adjoining well house for free. There was a pair of ozone generators which retail for $1,000 each and three bladder tanks which retail for $864 each. There was also a booster pump which must cost at least a few hundred dollars. And outside there was a 300 gallon heavy wall steel tank for diesel fuel or whatever I may need. Also lots of fittings, piping and several relay boxes and controllers I haven’t yet identified. Now I don’t know what I can sell the well equipment for but it was there, as they say, for the taking.

My only problem now is getting the two water tanks moved. They are 10 foot in diameter and weigh about 800 pounds each.

As I look back at my last few posts I may sound like I’m bragging. But I’m not; I’m showing what can be found out there with a bit of initiative. A sort of friendly kick in the ass, if you will.

Tonight we had the parents of a friend visit. Some great country folks and real characters. My favorite kind of people. We loaded them up with a couple of boxes of fruits and veggies. I mentioned that we were looking for some railroad ties. They said that they knew someone who had a pile of them for free and promised to call us later. They also have decades of experience in canning and will help us in the future. We must have talked continuously for a couple of hours as it grew dark. So much to share.

Starting to see how networking grows exponentially ? I’m living it and having the time of my life. I wish the same for all of you who are reading this.

On a serious note, we know (or should know by now) that we are heading into some rough times. These connections we make will benefit us as well as others. I believe that we are doing what our parents, grandparents and generations before them did with each other. It was a sense of community; of being there for each other. And I hope and believe that we will have that again someday in the not too distant future. Funny thing is, it is so easy to do and natural.

Best wishes,

agnut

Children are what parents watched before there was television.

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Originally Posted by agnut

People are waking up to values of things that they had thrown away in the past .

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another quote for my GSUS quotes file


while i always have time for garage sales, i've never been one to buy clothes
but this weekend i picked up two 100% wool tops for a total of $5
couldn't let those two pass buy, even in 90 degree heat

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Originally Posted by Spectrism

Not much this past week. I did pick up another flat Wagner cast iron pan. $2. The surface is very smooth on these old pans unlike the gritty cheap casts made now.

When I see candles at bargain prices, I snap them up. I got about 5 pounds of candles for a buck. Found a gram-kilogram scale in good working order $15. And some 3/8" plastic reinforced pressure hose- very long roll... maybe 100feet, for $10.

I stopped at a place on my way home... saw a yard sale sign. Old man had junk on tables in his garage. I asked him if he had any old coins or silverware for sale. He said he had some Eisenhower coins, but he couldn't get to them. I asked if he had a silver server set. He said he did have a sterling 24pc set. But again- couldn't get to them. His plan is to sell the junk from his front rooms and work his way back. Holy-moley. He must have so much junk piled into the rooms that you can't even get into the good stuff. Same thing for his barn and many old tools. Guess where I am stopping by every weekend. At some point he has got to make some headway... and the early bird gets the silver.

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HaHa Spectrism; I have been collecting Wagner cast iron cookware for years. Also have been collecting wax candles by the pound. Have you seen the prices for candles in the stores lately ?

Thanks for writing about your old man with a pile he couldn’t get to. Your patience is critical to bartering and horse trading; a sort of force multiplier. Also remember to have a notebook in which to list dates with phone numbers and what happened that day. Who, what, where, when, why and how are foundational to good journalism and will also apply to wise deal making. This notebook will prove to be invaluable for some deals that need to mature for a time. Not every deal is made on the spot but due to finances and circumstances with either buyer or seller, deals can be made even months later when the time is right. Very, very important.

Off topic but Ponce and I were discussing storing salt and sugar and Ponce made me realize that sugar was a better prep item to accumulate. Why ? Because salt is relatively easy to make while sugar requires a lengthy operation of growing and processing. We do need salt but sugar is needed in so many cooking recipes that to not have sugar would put such a halt to so many of the foods we eat. White gold ? Maybe someday; but I am planning to get at least a couple hundred more pounds to put away into the 4 gallon square buckets I get from a local bakery for 50 cents each. Is there a lesson here ? I hope so.

I have to tell you that when I got the first 60 plastic buckets with lids that I thought that I had too many buckets. But on further reflection, I decided to get all of the buckets I could find. Two reasons; first, I am using the heck out of these buckets. Food storage and many, many other uses. And second, at 50 cents each they are a screaming steal. They are a petroleum product and with peak oil production and a coming devaluation/collapse of the dollar, these plastic buckets will only rise in price. In a few years, what will be the price of a plastic storage bucket ? They cost about $6-7 retail right now but again ask yourself what they will be worth as trading material. Starting to get the picture of how we may be bartering and horse trading in the future ? Also realize that right now, these plastic buckets are a great deal. So, where is the downside of accumulating as many as you can find ? Except for the room needed to stack them, I see none. I would love to have over a thousand buckets 9 have about 250 now) but they are being used almost as fast as they are being replaced.

By the way, I’m also getting steel buckets with lids from the same source. At first I didn’t know what I would do with them but realized that I can use them for food storage in the barn which has mice/rats that cannot chew through steel. They already chewed through a plastic container so I had a dilemma with my garage already packed with food preps. So my problem solved itself. My point here is that sometimes we get items that we don’t know what to do with and only later an epiphany (brain fart really) hits us upside the head.

In my area there are a lot of old timers with acreage ( I’ve unwittingly become one too !) who sometimes have barns full of items packed away that I bet they haven’t looked at for decades. When they either decide to get rid of their lifetime accumulations or their heirs sell them at an estate sale, it is only a matter of time. So I watch the local paper classified ads and have my feelers out. I feel like a Moray eel relaxing in my cave, waiting for appetizing morsels to drift by. But as I wrote in the past, it is not wise to bite off more than you can chew. So far I have been able to buy whatever bargains I found. The aforementioned two 3,200 water storage tanks were about as much as I can take on at this time. I have to get on the phone and find someone willing to move them for me. Wide load signs and a moving permit ? I don’t know yet. Wish me luck. HaHa. Hey ! Maybe I can turn them on their side and roll them home. Definitely a brain fart there.

Best wishes,

agnut



"When a man is aware, and by aware I mean honest with himself, he inevitably suffers the pain of being certain while the rest of the world enjoys the bliss of false assumptions." - Brandon Smith

Thanks for more insights Agnut!

I will check in with local bakeries and see if they dispose of containers/buckets.

I stored up some sugar. My wife says we have enough. Not even close. Sugar can also be used to make ethanol. The best deal I found was buying sugar at the local Mormon distribution center. I heard that some won't sell to non-members, but I did not have any problem.

Another thing to get is baking soda. Walmart sells large plastic bags for swimming pools. It increases the pH. This stuff is very useful for many things.

BTW- I haven't priced candles in the stores. I have been buying them on instinct. If there is no electric power, I see a week's worth of candles for $1 to be a good bargain.

Oh... just remembered another bargain I found. A case of sterno cans- 32 in a milk crate, for $10. I don't know the store cost, but I figured 50 cents each is decent value. Food & fuel are good targets to hunt.

Scored a couple little things today.

First, I got a box of candles for $2. To buy these new in the store would be in the $20 range.

Next, I happened to see some silverware spoons in a bag. Seller didn't even know they were there. I pulled them out and notice "COIN" stamped on one and my finger silver sensor alerted. (my fingers twitch around silver) I have never found coin silverware before. I asked what she wanted.... $1. Sold! When I got home, there were about 10 of these... total more than 5 tozs. Metal value- $180.

Then I found a little moving sale... nothing good on display. So I asked. Ended up with 4 sterling silver spoons for $2. Sold.
I weighed those at 3 tozs. Metal value- $111.

So $3 bought me $291 worth of silver. Almost a 100 bagger.


At one stop, as I looked over the barbeque tools, I listened to the conversation between a shopper and sellers. The shopper was educating the sheep on silver values. One thing he said that got my BS detector up for a moment was that junk silver will have increased numismatic value because so much is being melted down. I never heard that before. He did tell them that silver was around $40 per ounce and the value of junk silver coins.

The smart man said that he only had 16 of the Kenedy halfs left and did not want to sell them. He followed that with: "If I had 100 of them I would sell them."
And then the woman talks about how she took all her silver spoons to a local (rip-off) joint and got 16 whole dollars for them. No dealer would buy plated spoons so they had to be sterling. To verify her good move she said 16 dollars is better than throwing the spoons out. LOL... sure. Some sheep should not be educated... it will hurt their feelings. I bought the new barbeque utensils for $1 and kept my mouth shut.


Getting there first is VERY important most of the time. I have had numerous failures too. One place I went to- about an hour too late, I saw an antique dealer loading up what he just bought. He had a lot of junk... real junk that I would never touch. But amidst the junk was a silver kettle or creamer. Nothing fancy, but had to be about 10 tozs. Everything there that the sheeple was selling was around a dollar. So I learned a lesson on prioritizing visits.

Best places to hit first and early: estate sales, house contents sales.
Then- moving sales... and always ask for the goos stuff. It is usually hidden away.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Canadian-guerilla

another quote for my GSUS quotes file


while i always have time for garage sales, i've never been one to buy clothes
but this weekend i picked up two 100% wool tops for a total of $5
couldn't let those two pass buy, even in 90 degree heat

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Hi Canadian-guerilla, good to hear from you. Ponce has always said that the trash dumps of today will be the goldmines of tomorrow.

Out of season clothing buying is smart and soooo easy. The hotter the weather the more are for sale and cheaper. You’d think that people hadn’t learned that the seasons return with regularity.

You have jogged my memory of something that I have been wanting to write about for a long time.

These screaming bargains that we find can be perceived in more than one way.

First, they are money saved for the things we need. No duh.

Second, they can be held for the future and used for bartering material.

Third, they can be an investment which increases in value through time. The plastic buckets in my last post are a good example. Quality tools such as power drills, saws - as well as boxes of nails and screws, chains, etc. ; these items and many others may not be available in a few years. Building material and clothing are a couple more that come to mind.

Fourth, and here is my main point. Some bargain items bought now have the capacity to increase as much as or even more that gold and silver at current prices. Now let me explain before I get banned as a shill for the fiat money crowd. This is a complex situation and not to be entered into without deeply considering all the ramifications.

An example might best be provided to show the sequence of events in order to understand the need for this change in perception.

Say Joe has 10,000 ounces of physical silver. And he has preps for a couple years. His home is fully paid for and he has social security, stocks, Treasury bonds and a 401K account coming in that is sufficient to pay all of his bills including property taxes. Looking pretty good, isn’t he ?

Yes, he is well prepared. FOR THE PRESENT, THAT IS.

However, within a couple of years the financial and social landscape will have radically transformed into a war scenario; a financial war, that is. Civil rights have been trampled and when society fell apart due to the collapse of the dollar, social security lost relevance; worthless. Most all stocks and bonds also became borderline worthless. The 401K accounts had earlier been confiscated by the government with broken promises to continue payouts (remember Social Security and what they did ?). Besides, the dollar itself had become practically worthless; no matter if the payouts continued if the currency was only good for toilet paper. Ironic as well as tragic that almost all citizens had believed the government all the way to their bitter end.

So now Joe, a couple of years later, finds himself and his family with no means to pay bills except his 10,000 ounces of physical silver. Silver, their salvation in a desperate situation ? Not hardly, because the government had ordered high taxation on precious metal “profits”. What a sick joke since purchasing power of precious metals had increased half of most folks thought through the years. Why ? Because the dollar had fallen in purchasing power.

Additionally, there was confiscation of all gold and silver bullion with a huge fine and 5 years prison sentence. Sound familiar ? Well, most folks who would remember the lesser Depression are either dead or in rest homes. They would remember; they lived through it.

Property rights fly out the window when government is against the wall. They will forcibly take anything you have in order to continue their power position. This has been true throughout history and I can see no reason that it won’t happen again. Do you really believe that those in power will relinquish their power willingly ? When have you ever seen this happen ? Sorry but my squashing old misconceptions is the only way to get through to changing to this different way of thinking.

Now this scenario didn’t unfold all at once but rather through a gradual process of tightening the noose upon the unsuspecting public. Alternate thinking might perceive that we have already been in a collapse for some years; it is a process through time rather than a head on collision. Alternate thinkers have learned to foresee trends’ end game. They also prepare in anticipation of where they want to be in this Slave New World.

Next is Don and his family. Don also had 10,000 ounces of silver. I said HAD, as in he sold 1,000 of his silver at an intermediate peak price. He had bought silver long ago at $5 per ounce and sold some at $40 per ounce, an 8 time increase. An incredible profit, wouldn’t you say ? Well, this 8 times increase must be viewed in the context of the relative values of the dollar between when Don bought his silver and when he sold it. The fiat dollar, actually any fiat currency, is dropped into the bowl and floats around until flushed by good sense and an operational olfactory system. But it has not really flushed yet. Why, you ask ? Because those who have their hands on the lever are still in control. Or think they are. With the European Union unraveling, the dollar is looking relatively strong. But its been said that fiat currencies don’t float but rather sink at different rates.

Now Don has $40,000 in fiat dollars and 10% less physical silver. What to do, what to do. You’d think that he had a sort of delicious dilemma of what “toys” to buy. But not Don; for he has been reading on the internet for several years and like Saint Nick, making a list and checking it twice, gonna find out who’s been naughty or nice. Or rather foolish or wise.

If Don had bought his silver about 10 years ago at $5 per ounce and recently sold some at $40 per ounce with the fiat dollar losing say, half of its purchasing power, Don really “only” increased the value of his silver four times rather than the eight times many assume.

So what could be bought now that would keep up with silver’s price rise in the same time period ?

Tough question; one I have been pondering for some time.

In Don’s case, he had decided that he was too heavy in precious metals and too light in preps and other physical investments. A rebalancing of his portfolio was in order.

More preps was the first thing Don did. And not just food but also backup equipment for what he already had. This is where estate and garage sales comes in. A $30- $40 deluxe toaster may be bought for a dollar or two at a garage sale. I know, I have done it a few times myself. I have one toaster in my kitchen and three backups in storage, all used but in working condition. Extra shovels, rakes, tools, lumber, nails and a myriad of other items that Don may need himself as well as desirable bartering material for the future. Granted, these are small items which can be bought for a pittance at estate and garage sales and therefore would take time to accumulate. However, there are some large items that can quickly gobble up most of Don’s $40,000 cash wad.

Things like cars. People need to get around and with gasoline becoming more expensive through time, a small high mile per gallon backup car seems like a good idea. In fact, I just bought a Chevrolet Sprint. Don’t laugh but it has a three cylinder Suzuki engine and is only 1,000 ccs, as in a one liter engine. However, it gets over 50 MPG and is cheap to maintain. A friend had one and modified it to run lean; he was getting over 100 MPG until he burned up the motor. Went a but too far with the leaning of the fuel while not water injecting it to keep it running cool. I don’t intend to go this far but hope to tweak the carburetor a bit to get 70 MPG. By the way, this little car has a 30,000 mile engine just installed and I only paid $100 for the car ! I did pay a $50 finder’s fee and another $50 to have it towed to my place. To me, finder’s fees are a financial thank you and a happy circumstance where both parties win. I recommend it highly. The $50 towing I didn’t have to pay since the friend was doing it for free. It came as a surprise to him and was an investment of sorts for future dealings. Generosity and fairness rules here in bartering and horse trading.

By the way, I’m in the middle of converting a 1987 VW Scirocco gas car into a diesel for higher miles per gallon ( the gas version gets about 30-35 MPG). I thought I was the first to do so but recently talked to a man who has done just that. He is getting 65 MPG and this is without a modified gear ratio transmission which I have built for my own car. I think 70 MPG will be easily attainable without any engine modifications. I chose the VW Scirocco because it is far more aerodynamic that other Volkswagens of the same vintage.

So what am I going to do with this diesel VW Scirocco ? Drive it for a while and then perhaps put it on Ebay at a high price to see how much demand there may be out there. If this were to pan out, I would find other VW Sciroccos to convert. Could be quite profitable. I just don’t know at this time; especially feeling that we are at the threshold of a collapse of the dollar. And even if the dollar were to not collapse, I would still have an extremely high MPG car for the future. A win-win in my eyes.

These VW Sciroccos are getting scarce and I have been reluctant to write about their potential since I don’t want others to read what I’m doing and scoop the ones that are still out there. It is more important to share this in particular as an example of the way I think than to keep silent in order for future gain. Besides, not many people read this thread and even fewer will actually buy one of these cars and convert it. A while ago I saw a VW diesel pickup truck sell for $12,000 on Ebay. It was cosmetically excellent with a new paint job and interior but neither the engine nor the 5 speed transmission were rebuilt. The person who bought it could well have found himself in a few months on the side of the road with a blown engine. But he would still have a pristine car - hanging at the end of the hook of the tow truck !

People buy the sizzle without realizing the sound of that sizzle is their own fat frying.

As I have written many times, we as a society are moving from form to function. In other words, getting to work in a Mercedes is no better than arriving in a high MPG car. It takes about the same time but one is far, far more expensive than the other. And expensive can no longer be continued. Here is a great article that explains a great part of why and how we are in the current predicament :

Peacock Syndrome - America’s Fatal Disease

http://www.theburningplatform.com/?p=18895

There are almost 100 commentaries that follow which will give you some idea of what intelligent folks are thinking.

Everybody talks about how much money they are making but nobody talks about how much they are saving for their future. Oh yeah, some talk about how much money they have in their 401K, their pension, stocks, bonds and bank accounts. But can’t you see the fatal flaw here ? Yep, it is all paper and electronic promises. And they don’t physically hold it either. If that doesn’t scare the Hell out of you, I don’t know what will.

The Social Security checks are being used as the carrot and stick by those wanting to further increase government spending. Disgusting beyond description. These are the same guys who robbed the SS trust fund of over 2 trillion dollars and put in its place a nonnegotiable promissory note. And who is responsible for that promissory note ? Us, the same ones who paid into the SS fund in the first place. In some bizarre world, doesn’t this mean that we are paying twice for the same thing ?

So what do you think they will do in the near future with your other paper and electronic promises ?

If you didn’t really hold it, do you think you really ever owned it ? Something we will hear in the future.

"Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one."
John MacKay “Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds”

So please, please think of where you are and how you want to be living in the future. Sure, it is uncertain but at least we can see the trends of the last few decades and where we are heading.

Enough of my tirade for now. I have more to post as soon as I can type it all up. Yesterday was a totally unexpected wild day at garage sales.

Best wishes,

Agnut

“America is living off the fiat of the land”

Wow Spectrism, those are some great posts and deals . Lots to learn here.

I have to realize that those reading the bartering and horse trading thread who have never actively gone out seeking steal deals at garage and estate sales, well, they are probably skeptical that we are telling the truth. After all, I am sometimes amazed at the deals I have found. Even today I look at my commercial Stihl weed whacker that costs about $400 new and I got it at a garage sale for $5 and am stilh amazed.

Your almost 100 bagger in sterling silver is …. What can I say but AMAZING ? I have never had such a silver deal… EVER. I don’t get jealous of other’s success but you have pushed me to the edge. HaHa

Moving on to the candles you got. Well, I got that topped as of last Saturday. I’ll post the gory details below.

I’m also adding to my sugar preps. Have a couple of hundred pounds now and feel horribly naked in that area. I don’t know if 500 pounds would be enough. Costco seems to have the best prices but I rarely get over to where they are located.

Now it’s my turn; tell me what you think.

Last Saturday I awoke at 8:30, not realizing at first that it was Saturday. My only thing on my to do list was to get a couple of cartridges for my HP printer. I was still fuzzy headed when I pulled up my local paper’s garage sale ads. I looked through 10 or so ads and spied one that was a community yearly garage sale. It was only 3 miles away in a fancy neighborhood that I had been to a few times. I called my nephew to see if he was interested in going. He was at my house in a few minutes and we headed out. On the way there I noticed a sign that said there was also a community garage sale going on a couple of miles further.

We hit about 10 garage sales in fast order, the first few were discouraging. At that point I wondered if people were running out of good items to sell but the next few sales allayed my fears. It just kept getting better the more we looked.

By now we had the SUV half loaded and hadn’t even gotten over to the next area. I had been there several times over the years and knew its potential. Houses ranged from $300,000 and up. An older quality neighborhood with lots of toys, big boy toys, that is.

Knowing your neighborhoods and allocating your time accordingly is crucial to increasing your success. I can’t emphasize this enough.

Here is a list of what I got, prices and why I bought them :

2 VW hubcaps for 25 cents each. I have several VWs and am a VW nut anyhow; been working on them for almost 40 years…so far.

A board game called Therapy for 75 cents. My sister has a degree in psychology and it might be fun to psych her out.

A brand new veggie steamer for $2. I already have a couple of them but you will find a common thread with me in that I am always looking for backups in multiples. What is enough ? I really don’t know.

A fruit dehydrator for $2. One of ours recently went south so a replacement was in order.

Two berry juice extractors for 25 cents each. One was a wooden handled antique. Couldn’t pass them up at that price.

A Craftsman wood splitter maul with fiberglass handle for $2. Probably costs over $30 new and it was like new. Also, the fiberglass handle types don’t break as far as I’ve seen.

A plastic gas can for $1. Can’t seem to get enough of these.

A long tree branch lopper with cutting blade attachment for $2. They rarely ever show up at garage sales and we have a new orchard.

A power orange juicer for $1. They cost about $33 new with tax. I already have 2 but a friend who picks up our fruits and veggies had asked me to keep my eyes peeled for one. And he had asked only a couple of weeks ago. Can’t wait till he shows up.

A power can opener for $1. Hey, I’m a bit lazy and someday I’ll be able to tell the young ’uns I had a can opener that works on e-lektricity.

A brand spanking new Black and Decker 14 piece drill bit set for $1.

A mixmaster with bowl and stand for $1

A set of like new heavy duty jumper cables for $2. This type lasts almost forever and can handle heavy amperage like for my Dodge diesel truck.

A Remington power nail driver with shot loads and nails for $2. Costs about $40 at Home Depot. Also a backup.

Large Vise Grips brand for 50 cents. Can’t get enough of this top quality tool.

A French made cork installer for 50 cents. Ya never know when I’ll want to make a couple of cases of wine since I bought a wine making outfit at another garage sale a few years back.

31 patio candles for 50 cents. Not such a hot deal but I was there and they were there and…

A Bushnell rifle scope for $1. Too cheap to pass up.

75 pounds of candle wax with 2 large boxes of candle making molds, aromas, dyes, other equipment, loads of wicks for $20. I’ve been picking up cheap wax for a long time and now this whole candle making setup shows up. What could I do ? I was helpless.

For future reference, I just now found prices for candle wax. Straight paraffin would cost $99.15 for 75 pounds and wax blend would cost $116.75 for 75 pounds. Plus shipping. YMMV.

That candle equipment and wax deal is looking better all the time.

A Craftsman floor model radial arm saw with several attachments still in their boxes, radial arm saw books, a carbide blade, a dado cutter still in the package and it all looks almost new. All for $50.

And I’ve saved the best for last. I spied a couple of HP printer cartridges sitting on a HP Photosmart 1100 copier. I started to ask the seller what he wanted for the two cartridges and before I could get the whole question out of my mouth, my nephew interrupted me and said to look at the price tag on the copier. I couldn’t believe it. It said $1! The seller was selling the two cartridges still in their sealed boxes WITH the copier for a buck. And there were two used cartridges already in the machine (Don’t know if they work, just a bonus).

Remember at the beginning of this post I wrote that the only thing on my to do list was to get a couple of cartridges ? Do you know how many types of cartridges there are out there ? And to find the exact two that I was going to buy anyway ? And new ones at a garage sale for crying out loud ? What are the odds ?

Voltaire said “God is a comedian playing to an audience that is too afraid to laugh.” Well, I’m laughing.

Those cartridges alone would have cost me $100 with tax. My total for all of the garage sailing was $102.50. Do you see where I’m going with this ? Yeah, as Mae West said “I can resist most anything but temptation.” So did I spend only $3.50 ($2.50 out of pocket plus $1 for the copier machine and two cartridges) for all of the aforementioned items ? I guess that’s one way of looking at it. I like that way.

Looking back on that Saturday outing, we had a lot of fun, a lot of laughs and saved a lot of money. By the way, what are you doing next Saturday ?

Best wishes,

Agnut

Excellent! Thanks for the adventure. It is always a special joy to find just an item you were thinking about buying anyway... and getting it at bargain basement pricing. Yes- there are hundreds of printer cartridges... and they are costly.

The idea about neighborhoods.... yes some are so down and out that you are not likely to find anything good unless its stolen. It was a very nice neighborhood where I got the sterling silverware set last year for $30. Most of my finds are in average neighborhoods.... just because that's where the sales are.

Yeah- I can see how someone might think these are just fish stories. I will try to upload a couple pics.

Attachment 505
Attachment 506

The 4 spoons on the left are the Sterling. Another red flag for silver is its make. Some are very high end quality silversmithery, but some are rather thin. If you find a silverbowl, it might even be dented or out of round because it is made with as little silver as possible. The thick stuff I usually find is plated. When I see something "soft" or thin, then I get interested quick. It is cheap and easy to plate thick base metal, so a silver thin bowl (or utensil) is not likely plated.

I have actually thought about not telling what I learn, but we are so spread apart and there are so many opportunities, I would rather see like-minded people here gain the advantage. We are all looking for different things. It is funny what you see some people buy like it is the best treasure, yet you wouldn't want it for free. I am sure others think that about my finds. The variety at these sales is tremendous.

A couple weeks ago I bought some OLD wheat cutting tools.... don't even know what you call them. Large scythes? I got three of them for $2 each. Very sharp and cut cleanly. Wood is a bit weathered but I could replace that with formed maple if needed.

I have been drawn to candles, fuels, storage tools (dehydrators/ canning jars), cast iron pots/pans, jewelry (gold/ silver/ stones-SP), hand tools, hoses, scrap metals and wire... and more things. The quality wool clothing is a smart thing to grab. BTW- thanks for the valuation on parafin wax... it gives me an idea of what I should be looking for in these deals.

This thread should be the most popular one on this forum.
There are treasures in your neighborhood.

Hi again Spectrism. The last thing you stated was “This thread should be the most popular one on this forum. “ I had to laugh; for you see, the fact that so many do not look at this thread is an indication that most would rather read of events than make events. It seems that you and I are currently carrying the bartering and horse trading thread. Welcome.

I am glad to hear that you are willing to share your knowledge and experiences. They accumulate over time and hopefully build a repertoire of abilities which aren’t found elsewhere. Deal making can become a fine art and after so many years of doing so, I’m still continually learning.

Funny that you mentioned the OLD wheat cutting tools. Coincidentally, last Friday I found a very old scythe for $20. Wooden handles and shaft. It was in such good condition for its age that I had to buy it. It will go with my one horse plow as yard decorations. Your scythes sound like a screaming bargaining in comparison to mine.

A week ago I was out with my son and ran across a set of the four seasons done in mother of pearl. They were made in China about 25 years ago but could be older. They are exquisite and will hang in my bedroom. There are different gradations in quality of workmanship and these are the highest, done in 3-D and therefore delicate and under glass. If you appreciate fine art and workmanship, these are the top quality I can envision. I’m no art expert but probably because of my love of art of all types, I have always been successful in what art I do acquire.

I looked on Ebay and saw one similar mother of pearl piece that was being offered for $1,000. It was only 1 panel and not as well done as mine. I liked it but wouldn’t have paid more than a couple of hundred for it. So what did I pay for all of the four seasons panels. Try $50 total at a garage sale. I still can’t believe it. They aren’t for sale now; I have to get to know them. Maybe it’s love.

Yesterday I got a cement mixer for $50 (hmmm… from love to a cement mixer; quite a jump). Anyway, it was an older type with a steel tumbler and belt driven electric motor. Perfect for when we put in the patio out back.

Picked up 20 or so 33 1/3 record albums for 50 cents each. In the group there was a Lenny Bruce album cataloging at $100. Maybe no big deal but this tells me that it is relatively scarce. And I collect humor of all types. Picked up 10 or 12 British humor DVDs and videotapes for 50 cents each. Hard to find here in the U.S., at least at garage sales. Almost forgot; the record seller gave me a box of over 100 45 records for free. Many are out of the 50s and early 60s.

Got a convection oven for $15. Will do a small turkey, I’m told. Well, I’ve wanted to play with one for a while and this fell in my lap. I love art but only like appliances. Sorry.

Funny thing happened with that convection oven. The seller wanted $15 and I offered $10 which she accepted. I paid and put it in the truck when I looked closely at it; she said that it costs $35 new and was worth more than the $15 she was asking. It was a heavy unit made of glass mostly and had the manual with it. Didn’t look like a $35 machine new, looked a lot more expensive. So for some reason, not guilt, I went back to her and gave her the extra $5 and told her that I had looked it over more closely and realized what I had. She smiled like I had made her day. Ya never know.


Some things I buy are for reselling later, some are for use around the home, some are for fun until I tire of them and some are just curiosity items. When buying them I always have in mind what they are worth and what I may have to resell them for someday. Why ? Because I’m just passing through….

The other day my son pulled out a couple of RC helicopters that I had given him last Christmas. They are small and not sophisticated like the big ones but they are amazing for what they can do. We chased each other around as the cows and dog watched with rapt fascination. It was almost as much fun watching the animals as the choppers.

Toys, toys and more toys. This is an important sideline of bartering and horse trading. Gotta have fun with what we buy; otherwise we may begin to feel that we are working (ugh). Keep it light, keep it fun and you won’t grow tired of bartering and horse trading.

Orson Wells said, “If I had a hobby that didn’t bring me money, I would find another hobby“. I would add that if I didn’t have a hobby that was fun also, I would look elsewhere. I’m not in it just for the money, ya know.

Best wishes,

Agnut

P.S. I am beginning to suspect that these screaming deals at garage and estate sales will not in the future be so easily available. It is a process that we are in the middle of right now. I would guess that the prices will firm up sometime next summer. Have you ever been to a garage sale that had prices so high that you wondered if these prices were what they cost new ? I have been to a couple and this may be a sign of firming prices; don’t know but will be watching for more signs.

You have but to sit back and imagine a scenario from what you have been reading about the last few years here on the internet. Go ahead; let your imagination run wild. There are several possible ways for the cards to fall. I have my ideas and others have theirs, perhaps most are valid at this time; that is as it should be. But the future picks the winner.

The world is rapidly changing. We can only hope for the best while we prepare for the worst. Einstein said that a simple, unassuming life was the best. I agree but I can’t seem to follow his advice at this time in history.

We can own nothing in this world but only have use of it for a time, for we are mortal.

In other words, don’t get attached to things; get attached to people.

What we will someday call money and how we will feel about it is not central to deal making. Money is only an intermediary which facilitates the speed of an agreement being made. In our modern high speed world with over 6 billion souls we absolutely must have money that has a reliable value over time. The dollar has lost something like 96% of its purchasing power since the Federal Reserve was established in 1913. Is this 96% loss the price we must pay for an intermediary, a facilitator ?

This past week was almost a total bust. I did pick up an army hip plastic canteen in case and on a web belt for $5. I really was more interested in the web belt.

I also found out I have a sharpshooter in my area. I stopped at one place right at 8:30am... and asked about coins & silver. She said someone came through 2 hours before asking the same thing.

One place, the guy was expecting his brother to bring 2 silverware sets from his grandmother's things. He got cold feet.

Another place, a girl was to sell me some silver dollars for $25 each and about 20 old quarters for $7 each. She had them at home... and she never called me. We will see if that ever happens.

Some places I find do have high prices. I see them as semi-professionals, trying to get the most for their wares. They buy & sell. I have never found any good bargains at those places. As I get to know who is "in the biz" I avoid returning to those. An ignorant seller is my best bargain source. If I don't get the deal on impulse immediately, they never follow up.... as if they begin to educate themselves and learn what value they have.... or go to a coin dealer and give their stuff away there. I think that whoever has the cash in front of them, while they have there items in hand, will get the deal. I have given my phone number out about 10 times and NEVER got a good call "when they found" the item. One place I returned to said that they sold it the next week on a tag sale instead of calling me. This shows the mentality of the ignorant seller.

In trading, most times you don't give away your hard-earned education.

Future- assets will be the value traded. I wonder if anyone will have cash to be able to buy things. If we go to a full blown depression without the fake system, bartering will be the way to aquire things. Whether a bucket or a shovel is more valuable to you today, will determine how good of a deal you got.

I was at an auction to see a trencher sell. I noticed that a local machinery manufacturer had brought some surplus stuff. I have some machines from that company so I went over to see what they had. Turns out they had several pallets of press wheels for my planter - all new. The bearings on these press wheels go out routinely and they are $20 each. I bought 97 press wheels with new bearings for $150. If I use 8 of them - and I will - I will come out ahead. As an added bonus, I don't have to disassemble the press wheel and replace the bearing, I can just bolt on a new assembly and go. Saves time and money.

10 Dos and Don’ts of a Successful Garage Sale

http://www.rd.com/wp-content/uploads...ge-sale-pa.jpg

Who doesn’t want to get rid of clutter and make some money at the same time? A garage sale (aka estate sale, tag sale, or yard sale, depending on where you live and how great your stuff is) could be just the thing to do both. Here are ten tips you may not know — from J. D. Roth (who writes for Time’s Moneyland blog), yardsalequeen.com, and blog.movebuilder.com:
Dos

• A group sale will draw more lookers than a one-family sale.

• “Are you selling things to make money or to get rid of them?” asks Roth. Price items accordingly.

• Go to yardsalequeen.com for ideas about lettering, sign placement, and free ways to advertise your sale. (The site suggests using a brown paper bag, filling it with rocks, and taping it shut. But use big, fat, thick lettering — definitely no wispy ballpoint pen.)
• Non-holiday weekends after local paydays are the best time to schedule a sale.

• Put the nice stuff closer to the road. Place tools and gadgets out front, too, to draw men who might otherwise try to overrule their wives about stopping at your sale.

• In general, ask for 25 to 33 percent of the item’s original cost. Be less flexible about price at the beginning of the sale and more flexible at the end.

Don’ts

• Don’t let strangers into your house to try on clothes or use the restroom.

• Don’t keep money in a shoebox. Wear a fanny pack. Keep all the money in it, along with a cell phone just in case.

• No helpful calculations from customers, thanks just the same. You tote up the prices on what they’re buying.

• Don’t take your eyes off of your customers. Beware of people who switch tags. Beware of people who tell you they gave you a $20 bill when they gave you a $10. Beware of people who take things out of boxes, put them under their clothes, and leave the empty boxes behind.

http://www.rd.com/home/the-10-dos-an...l-garage-sale/

I was a little bummed out today with only about 5 tag sales listed. On my start, I saw a sign for a barn sale. Well, it wasn't really a barn sale- more like garage. Nothing I could use.... but got talking with the people about solar energy and got some good tips. They had a "free" pile.... picked up a nice big tarp and electricl standards book.

At another place I got an electric smoker for $1.

Another place- I got a box of maybe 100 polished rocks for $1.

Then I saw a little sign- a place not advertised. I had been there before and there was mostly junk there, but now the sign said: everything must go. Those are the key words to look for bargains: EVERYTHING MUST GO or MOVING SALE.

Nothing I could use out there. There was some furniture inside. I walked the house and saw kind of a trash and untouched area with some old canned foods in the basement. Checking dates, I saw that most expired over the last 3-5 years. I asked what they were doing with the canned foods. Answer: pitching it. I took it for free... about 200 pounds of it. 3 bins, one milk crate and one cardboard box. Good emergency supply. Some I will keep and some goes out. They were just glad they did not have to haul it out the the trash themselves.

Anyway- I found almost nothing that I was looking for (just one Sterling-handled knife for $1), and a few things I had no intention of directly seeking.

Hi Spectrism; I haven’t been up to posting lately. So many things to do that I have slowed down considerably; so this is what burnout feels like. And tons of garage and estate sales tugging at me and my wallet.

I have been fortunate to have been to some estate sales at which I cleaned up. But about you and your ventures first.

Your recent experiences with sterling silver and 90% silver coins has been similar with me too. Take it a sign of the times. People are wising up as to the values of things, particularly gold and silver .

I seldom give out my phone number for a future buy. However, I do take their number for something they want to sell. This works only sometimes. You are right; if the deal can’t be made on the spot, it most likely won’t be made later. They almost never call. Also, I usually carry more cash than I need on the chance that I will come across a big deal.

You wrote that in the future “assets will be the value traded”. This is one reason that I have been buying multiples of some items such as cooking gear, gardening tools, 4 gallon buckets and Tupperware to name a few. Someday these items will be expensive and/or unavailable. Just the other day I bought a set of Wolfgang Puck cooking ware. They are expensive and look it; I paid $10 and put them away into long term storage. The Tupperware lasts forever and is dirt cheap in relation to its usefulness. Also, it is expensive if bought new. I picked up about 20 pieces with lids for a total of about $3.

And as you wrote, the deals we make now will be judged in the future whether they were wisely made or not. A smart observation there, Spectrism.

In your second post you wrote about free items at garage sales. I have found it 10 times better at estate and moving sales; the sellers are motivated by not wanting to have to haul their junk to the dump or their next home. Fencing, aluminum, copper wiring and 4’X8’ new sheets of pressed board are but a few of the free items I have picked up lately.

Your 200 pounds of free canned food was a great catch. Of course, it will need to be put first in line for consumption. Hey, did you or anybody try the free produce pickups ? I am still getting about a ton per week and I only pickup three times per week. Easy work and it saves at least a couple thousand dollars per year off the old food bill. Our four steers love it and stand by the fence like hungry puppies. Not to mention all the wonderful connections we have made in giving out this produce. This is something I had not anticipated.

It still feels strange to go into our local supermarket and totally bypass the produce section.

I am wondering just how long we will be able to find these under priced items at estate and garage sales. Remember that as time passes, the extra items folks have to sell will diminish as they are sold and worn out. So if folks can’t afford new items from the stores and used items are being bought up, where will the future items come from ? I would guess that we have maybe a year or two until many prices of used items increase significantly, perhaps approaching the new prices. Its all supply-demand dynamics. In fact, I was at two or three garage sales where the prices were almost as high as the prices in the stores. Heck, maybe it is already beginning to happen.

Picked up a set of thee four seasons Chinese mother of pearl artworks. They are three dimensional and under glass frames. Saw a single one on Ebay for a buy it now price of $1,000. I didn’t like it as much as the four I have. Value ? I don’t know but a gut feeling caused me to buy them. Price ? How about $50 total for all four ?

This was a month ago and buying this Chinese art has opened my eyes to other art bargains. Last week I found another Chinese piece of art measuring 33” X 54”, including frame. Hard to describe; it is extremely fine embriodery on white silk. An incredibly detailed grouping of about 100 exotic birds. The oriental lady who sold it to me said that she had bought it in Asia 25 years ago and had paid $500 for it then. It was so artistic and labor intensive in creation that $100 seemed a bargain. But with all art, the beauty is in the eye (and pocketbook) of the beholder.

In past years I have written about other art that I bought and later sold for a higher price. Sometimes double or triple. I hadn’t originally bought with this intention but by not getting overly emotional when buying, the later selling usually comes out well. Art that was $500 some 25 years ago and is now being offered for $100 may turn out to have been a great investment someday. It is the “someday” that I am concerned about; what if the currency collapses and/or we have a greater depression ? What is the value of art then ? This is why I buy hardly any art any more. The $150 I spent on art in the last months will not put a burden on my future finances. It is all a matter of proportions to our total financial picture.

An Asian lady told me to collect Chinese and Japanese art. I think that their economies have changed to such a great extent in the last couple of decades that much of their older fine art is no longer being made like it once was. Also the older arts are not being taught to the younger generations as in the past.

The highest quality older art is not being created today. I learned this through years of collecting Italian micro mosaic and pietra dura pieces. Later I collected enamel on copper paintings and learned the same rule applies. Better to have one high quality piece than ten mediocre pieces.

It may sound like rationalization but buying art or an item that pleases can be beyond monetary gain. A sort of backdoor rule applies here; If someone bought an item because they loved it, there will most probably be another who will also love it. And buy it.

Quality art and other items have the capacity to be handed from one owner to another many, many times. They are a currency of sorts in that that are valued by the perception of the buyer.

I have been to many garage sales and a few estate sales lately. The estate sales are spoiling me; there is so much to choose from and all at one location too. And prices can be dirt cheap. I picked up 189 towels, washcloths and hand towels for a total price of $5 ! They were all washed and folded. They are to be stored away for a future in which they may not be cheap or available.

There was a lady holding the estate sale and she twisted her ankle and was on crutches, My son and I helped her and she thanked us and gave us four rolls of fencing and a couple of camper kits still in their original boxes. I did have to buy a Coleman two burner stove for $10 however. She also gave us two 4X8 sheets of pressed board. Don’t know what I will use them for but I’m sure they will find a place in time. Also given a roll around cart for hauling stuff from the barn to the house.

I recently picked up 170 canning jars for a total price of $5. I don’t think I will need this many additional jars but at this price and with the storage room I have, it seems like a good idea.

I almost got a player piano for free but the mover was there and wanted $220 to haul it to my house. It needed work but was cosmetically in excellent ( originally typed excrement; damn spellchecker) condition. I turned it down. Why ? Well, I would be $220 in the hole. It is bulky. It would need work and therefore more expense. I don’t know what it would sell for in our depressed market. Too many negatives.

Lately I got a complete pipe thread cutting setup with vise. I don’t need it right now but equipment that can be used in different trades in order to have something to offer others. A small part time business; who knows. It cost me $100 and still seems like a bargain.

My son got a forge with two antique hand cranked blowers; practically a giveaway. When do you ever see a forge for sale ? This is the first one I have ever seen and I found it in the local newspaper garage sale. My son had been asking about a forge and this showed up a few weeks later. I know, it sounds unbelievable but this has been happening enough that it is almost spooky.

Okay, another surprise was finding a pair of new oak handles that fit an antique plow. Mine were original and had broken a few weeks ago. Just one coincidence after another.

And another thing. Don’t bypass the little items. A Swing-A-Way can opener can cost $7 or $8 bucks new plus tax. I have 3 and paid only a total of 50 cents; the first one was 50 cents and the others were free. So about $24 to $28 after tax money would be about $32 to $36 before taxes someone would have to earn. It doesn’t take many little items together to make a big deal.

Best wishes,
Agnut

P.S. I saw a chart yesterday comparing discretionary income with wages. This discretionary income disappeared in 2007-8, about the same time I wrote that I had seen it disappear in my dealings. And from 2007-8, the discretionary spending line went under the wages line. This means that deficit spending was becoming common nationwide. Can’t run a country or business this way and can’t run personal finances this way either. There will be an end to this deficit spending soon and when it happens, millions will discover that they have met their own financial event horizon.

The uncertainty of how this will all play out shouldn’t dissuade us from acting to protect and prepare ourselves for this future. Diversification is required here.

“A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.”
Robert A. Heinlein

I would add the skill of bartering and horse trading.

Sounds like you have been doing very well Agnut!

All those towels for a few bucks! Nice.... and the canning jars...

The ability to buy fine art when it is out of season is not to be shunned- I agree. Fine workmanship will only be neglected for a while.


The old canned food I found was sorted. There were some questionable things I pitched out. I also got to see how canned items age. In all of our stores, we need to watch for discoloration of the labels at the seams. Also, any seam that has rust, even rust from the outside, needs to be questioned. Be in the habit of checking all canned items you open. My best guess is: first do a visual and sniff test. If it smells "off", throw it out. Empty the contents and look at the condition inside the can. If corrosion is seen, throw it out. Cooking the canned item to a boil with the heat thoroughly mixed through all the contents should be considered.


Yes- it seems that those trying to move are giving away what they don't want to carry with them. Those are excellent deal places. Estate sales often are the children just trying to clean out the house for a sale.

Also, my experience of leaving a phone number has been confirmed again. NO CALLS. The sale must be immediate... impulse sales. If you don't get it on sight, it will go to the next person who is there with cash.

A few little bargains-

-a 1.7oz Sterling fork for $1.
-a box of light bulbs, 2 spools of 14AWG wire, 2 spools of lead solder for $10.
-a grape crusher for wine-making for free.

Hi Spectrism. I’ve been busy getting ready for hunkering down this winter and not only for inclement weather. Cars to fix, shelves and platforms to build, summer and fall garage and estate items to box up and store away. Oh, and I almost forgot. I still have two 3,500 gallon water containers that I have to clean out, have moved, set up and filled. But before they can be moved, I have to design a hopper and connection to remove the many gallons of earth in the bottom. This is something we should consider before buying a large item. I feel like Br’er Rabbit stuck in the tarbaby. So I am still learning and making mistakes; it goes with the territory.

There is another reason for us to get set up for the months ahead; things could deteriorate greatly, thus disrupting normal commerce as we know and expect it. This Occupy Wall Street movement is so far a relatively peaceful situation which could turn violent at any time. The people have said ‘Enough is enough. Straighten things out or else”. I don’t think TPTB could straighten things out even if they wanted to. So I believe that we will come to a day of reckoning.

But I digress. On to some of the items I’ve picked up in the last few weeks. By the way I give these with prices in order to give readers some reference as to what they should be paying. The prices can vary greatly; it is each of our own decision as to the item’s value to your own lifestyle. Me ? I am a hopeless art lover and sometimes pick up something just because it has touched me somehow. Not a for profit deal but some things draw me to them. I know; I shouldn’t overdo it but who is to say what the “profit” is in an item acquired ? Profits come in different ways. Could be a piece of incredible art. Could be for a profitable sale later. Could be a gift for a loved one. Could be for a donation to a homeless shelter. There must be other reasons; that’s for all of us to discover.

I’m going to take a minute here and write about something that has been on my mind lately.

There has been a great increase in garage sale and estate sale attendance since the economy has degraded in the last couple of years. Actually I noticed it in July 2007 while holding a garage sale at my sister’s home. Several people coming by but almost no one buying anything except items for a dollar or less. The only item I sold was a collector fishing reel for $100. It was beautiful and came in a hard case. I didn’t even have it displayed but a man asked me if I had any fishing gear. He bought it on the spot with no haggling; it may have been worth a lot more but I couldn’t find a relative value in searching the internet. I had acquired it as a thank you for helping someone with an estate sale. The son who was holding the sale talked with me and I brought the conversation around to precious metals and I told him the silver story. I gave him a silver round which I was in the habit of carrying around. He had this amazed look on his face while looking at the silver round in his hand; it was like a new world opening up to him. Afterwards he took out this fishing reel and gave it to me as a thanks for the help and silver round. That was about 9 years ago and I had been carrying this reel around for some time. Point is, when selling some things that have a personal attachment, take your time before parting with these things. You may never be able to replace them.

On the other hand, there is a time to part with personal items. And it is just that; personal. Just like when we buy items for resale and calculate their resale value, items with a personal attachment should be weighed against their loss of possession with a partial consideration of what we may be able to do with the money. For instance, I have a French Limoges enamel on copper painting which measures only 4 ½ “ by 3”. I’ve had it for about 10 years and am still amazed at its quality. It is one of the only enamels that is so detailed that from 2 foot away appears to be a photograph. And with this perfectionism I can feel some connection to the artist and the times in which he lived, almost 100 years ago in Limoges France. A different world indeed and to have something from that era is a treasure beyond what money it may fetch. I suppose there is a price I would part with it but it is far beyond for what I could sell it right now.

So I felt I should make you aware of some of the emotional feeling you may have while out there buying in a world of different items, many of which you may have never before seen or even knew existed. Things like toasters out of the 1950s or a juicer from the 1960s or a piece of art or even music from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. I can’t help but be grateful for all of the fascinating encounters with the people selling as well as some of their items for sale. It has been a rich education like no other.

I’ll close here and write of the items recently found in my next post.

Best wishes (and happy hunting),

Agnut

Okay, here’s some of the recent finds :

Craftsman router $25
19 new router bits $25
2 French fry slicers $2 each
Weber charcoal BBQ $5
Pool pump with hoses $10
Ethan Allen maple dining room table with 4 chairs and 2 leaves $60
Black and Decker cut saw $5
4 new stereo speakers $20
Stihl chain saw with hard case $25
2 2’X2” floor fans $1 each
Stant cooling system pressure tester $5
Proto ½ “ ratchet with ¾ Craftsman socket $1
Proto compression gauge with detachable flex hose $2
Sioux ½ “ drill $2
50 foot extension cord $2
100 foot extension cord $5
Huge collection Mother Earth News free
25 drawer bin rack with over 500 electrical connectors $5
50 drawer bin rack full of misc bolts, washers, etc. $10
50 Disney videotapes 25 cents each
Shovel $2
25 DVD movies 50 cents each
Italian leather sport jacket, brand new $2

There is also a lot more odds and ends that I have been picking up for 5 to 10 cents on the dollar compared to store prices.

Best wishes,

Agnut

P.S. Thanks Mneagle for your post #103. I had missed responding to it in my confused state.

That is some really wise advice when you are holding a garage sale. In the last year I have been noticing more “professional” garage sale buyers who are reselling at their own garage sales. A big sigh of the times.

I am curious Agnut,

if you ever have sales yourself; or are you just stocking these items (screaming deals I'll admit!).

AND, if you do have some sales, do you agree to haggling on prices?

I need 2 French fry slicers... ::)

Hi Mneagle. For now I’m accumulating items that I will need in the future AND items that will become good trading/selling material.

I will haggle on price but with the knowledge of what I paid for the item and its value at that time as well as an estimate of its value in the future. Sounds a bit complicated but after so many years of bartering and horse trading, it comes naturally.

Here is a list of items I bought at the last estate sale. By the way, this was the only sale I have attended in the last few weeks and it was so huge that I am still absorbing its impact.

3 - 100 foot extension cords for $1, $2, $3. Light to heavy
2 large carpentry squares 10 cents each
Toilet plunger free
Tow receiver $1
Tow chain with big hooks at the ends $1
Backpacking foam sleeping pad free
40 hose clamps - used American made. In stainless steel container $1
Dorcy rear bicycle rack with reflector. Looks to be old and collectable $1
3 soldering guns with 9 rolls solder and flux in metal box $2
6 nylon tie down straps in bucket $1
Sears airless paint spray compressor $2
Paint gun - new $2
2 grease guns with 5 tubes grease, 5 oil filter removal tools, 7 funnels, 2 sandpaper holders, small misc. $5
New Craftsman scroller saw with 32 blades in hard case $2
3 aluminum levels $1 total
172 sheets sandpaper $1
Plumbing box . Shower heads sink basket, etc. electric timer, 100 pieces $1
2 Straitline chalk reels, 100’ Stanley tape measure, 2 small carpenter’s squares, roofer’s hatchet, steel wool $1 total
New Craftsman heavy duty staple gun with 5,000 staples $2
Swingline staple gun with 8,000 staples $1
Milwaukee electric drill $2
Skil reversible electric drill $1
1 7/8 “ Draw-Tite trailer ball new free
Box of used candles 10 cents
Hacksaw - Stanley 10 cents
3 new sets rawhide 72” shoestrings free
50’ 3/8 new nylon rope free
100’ 3/16 new nylon rope free
Huge Igloo cooler chest $1
CD, FM, Casetts portable player $1
3 tire pressure gauges free
300’ Stihl nylon trimmer line $1
Box with hundreds of nuts, bolts, screws $1
Hammer with wooden handle, hammer and hatchet with steel handles $1 total
Large suitcase free
Aluminum 6’ easel $1
5 gallon propane tank $1
8 kitchen floor mats in huge plastic container $1
5 adjustable workshop lamps with clamping bases $4
1 high intensity reading lamp $1

6 horsepower Craftsman air compressor, looks brand new $125. I was willing to pay this much because I need a backup and it would have cost $400 at the Sears store.

The first thing you may notice is that the prices are far below what a normal garage sale may ask. There is a reason that we should focus upon this. This was an ESTATE SALE; big difference from a garage sale or even a moving sale. You see, with a garage sale, the seller is getting rid of things he doesn’t need. And a moving sale has items that the seller doesn’t want to take with him.

However, an estate sale implies several characteristics we should never forget.

First, an estate sale means that the seller is not the one who owned the items for sale. The saying that “You can’t take it with you” should be obvious. The widow or children are selling the items and therefore have no or little personal attachment to the items. There may be sentimental value and there may be utility value but nowhere near what the deceased had for the items now for sale.

Second, an estate sale usually precedes the selling of the house and therefore implies that the estate sale items are small hindrances in the way of selling the big asset, the house. You will find all kinds of variables on this theme but here you will find tremendous motivation behind divesting of the items for sale.

Third, at estate sales you will find items for sale at prices far below normal garage sale prices and the prices can be more flexible.

Fourth, estate sales occur throughout the year. Unlike garage sales or moving sales, which mainly occur during the months of May through October.

With the fall season upon us and winter ahead, the volume of regular garage sales has dropped immensely. I felt that this is a good time to redirect your attention to where to find the bargains in the months ahead. Not to be insensitive but estate sales occur because someone died. And folks dieing is not as seasonal as the weather. So their possessions still have to be sold come rain or shine or hot or snow. Always remember that the main purpose of an estate sale is usually to clear out the property which is to be sold next. These items are really in the way of the biggest item to be sold, the real estate. Think like your seller and you will gain some insight as to how to deal with them.

This estate sale was a bit unusual in that the wife is remaining in the house until the spring. Her son said that he will sell me the Stihl weed whacker and log splitter in the spring when they no longer need them. I have their address and phone number and they have mine when the time is appropriate.

The son also said that there would be a huge sale in the spring when the 6000 square foot house contents would be sold. He said that it is full of antiques, fine art and household goods. These are wealthy and prominent people and a sheer pleasure to deal with.

So where will we find estate sales ? Local newspapers, estate auctioneers, Craig’s List. That’s all I know right now and it is more that I can handle.

Another deal came up since the above estate sale and I’ll write about it soon. Small in $ comparison but big in learning.

Best wishes,

Agnut

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ximmy

I need 2 French fry slicers... ::)

---

Hi ximmy, sorry the French fry slicers are not for sale. Only have one for use and one for backup. I hope that you are also getting out there finding the bargains.

Sometimes I wonder just how low prices will get before either used items will dry up or prices due to high inflation rise dramatically. Seems that right now items are dirt cheap with hardly anyone having money to buy with. Could prices fall in the coming months ? I don’t see how since some items are close to free in price. I get the feeling that I’m buying items right in the middle of a depression. A couple of sellers told me that I had been their biggest buyer all day and they thanked me. I got a chill running down my spine, wondering if we could fall to a state where desirable items now could be thrown away in a much worse scenario. And I was wasting money now when I should be saving for better buying in the future. On the other hand, what am I doing valuing fiat paper dollars against desirable items ? I tell you, it’s a madhouse out there with a world of bargains amidst a shaky currency. Remember, the trillions of relief money did not go to the people but to Wall Street and the bankers. Probably why few have any discretionary money to spend right now.

I know that I had just posted that I would be focusing on estate sales and then a few hours later on the way home from picking up a load of free fruits and veggies I saw a sign for a garage sale. So being the consummate bargain hunter, I was helpless. My son and I dropped by since it was only a couple of minutes out of the way. Glad we did too. He said that he had forgotten to take down the signs and was closed but would let us look. He also said that there was a lot more for sale when he had opened in the morning.

Got :
AM FM Cassette CD stereo with speakers (everything works)
New in the bag factory floor mats for my Dodge Truck
Tupperware
5 DVD movies
Plastic tool box
Fluorescent light with spare bulb
All for $3

Also a AM FM CD/DVD 5 disc player with 5 speakers, surround sound system with remote and manuals for $10

Total spent $13. I wonder what I had missed by only showing up at his closing time. Oh well, I’ll never know. The early bird gets the worm but the second mouse gets the cheese.

His wife came out and I gave her a bag of grapes and a couple of cantaloupes. Our cows will never know the difference anyway although they are like pigs with horns. Also seller and I exchanged phone numbers. His father has a record collection from the 40s, 50s and 60s he wants to sell. I should hear back soon.

Best wishes,

Agnut

Agnut,
I love reading these write ups on screaming deals. I never get to go to "prime" yard sale time due to work (I can only go on saturdays because of work...seems like everyone opens up on thursdays). I feel that I always miss the deals, but I have gotten some stuff I was pleased with. I have posted some of the deals I got in my own thread here on GSUS.

I can't help but picture your house like something out of hoarders though....sorry! haha, Where do you put all of this stuff you buy?

Also, I have found that if you stumble upon a "hoaders" yard sale you might as well just turn around and leave. There will be NO deals, they seem to be only able to let things go if they are really making a lot of money on the items. They have too much emotional attachment to their stuff to sell it. I found one sale where I could barely walk through the aisles of the house...I asked about 10 or so items and he wanted retail minus $5 or so for the items. For example, Wrist Rocket slingshot he said he wanted $20 for it, VHS tapes @ $8 each, Large trailer mounted come along (rusty, but functional...needed work) he wanted $70 for it, used Stihl chainsaw (WELL used, needed a new muffler) asking $150 for...The only thing I bought there was a bag of Lincoln Logs for my children for $5. I asked if they had any real silverware and he said yes but he didn't know where it was in his stuff, he said he would sell it if I could find it (yeah right!). I asked about guns and he said he had some but none were for sale...

I tried to haggle him on the comealong down but he wouldn't move. He had a story about every item, he recounted how he bought it for $150 and used it all the time when he was reselling cars (to get the on the trailer I presume) and that it had done so much work that it was "worth" his price. Too much emotional attachment...

Alaska Man Cited For Illegal Bartering: “I Need Some Firewood and I’m Willing to Trade Some Moose Meat”

http://www.shtfplan.com/headline-new...-meat_01202012

Interesting precedent here that we all need to know how to deal with. The last part of the article makes good sense.

“The lesson here is that if you plan on bartering, illegal or not, keep it a private matter. Government minions, whether on the Federal level, or local law enforcement, have nothing better to do than to interfere in the business of private individuals.”

The reader comments are revealing as to how folks are unhappy with all the laws and regulations.

Best wishes,

Agnut

Hi Agnut,
Great to see you revive this classic thread, I for one, enjoy each & every post and all the wisdom you so graciously offer!

I've been trying to find neighborhood kids to pass along clothes that have been outgrown. I can't believe how tough it is!

While out on errands today, I remembered the local "Once Upon A Child" shop (like a Goodwill for kids clothing & toys) was having their semi-annual clearance sale. All clearance items were $1!!

We weren't there until about noon, & I thought for sure it would be picked clean. Wrong. A lot of clothes and choices/sizes still left. I'm trying to find jeans & basic tops in a few 'upcoming' sizes for future use. I was especially happy to find heavy-quality demin jeans, in the very basic timeless style. So many of the new jeans are thin, junky & 'distressed' looking on purpose, with an astronimical price tag. They are a total waste of money, & the knees wear out almost immediately.

Iron-on patches are easily $4 for two, so it's not even cost-effective to repair them. I just save those for cut off shorts.

Please keep adding your insights as you can!

Not to side track this, but are you the Trans American Trail agut?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MNeagle

Hi Agnut,
Great to see you revive this classic thread, I for one, enjoy each & every post and all the wisdom you so graciously offer!

I've been trying to find neighborhood kids to pass along clothes that have been outgrown. I can't believe how tough it is!

While out on errands today, I remembered the local "Once Upon A Child" shop (like a Goodwill for kids clothing & toys) was having their semi-annual clearance sale. All clearance items were $1!!

We weren't there until about noon, & I thought for sure it would be picked clean. Wrong. A lot of clothes and choices/sizes still left. I'm trying to find jeans & basic tops in a few 'upcoming' sizes for future use. I was especially happy to find heavy-quality demin jeans, in the very basic timeless style. So many of the new jeans are thin, junky & 'distressed' looking on purpose, with an astronimical price tag. They are a total waste of money, & the knees wear out almost immediately.

Iron-on patches are easily $4 for two, so it's not even cost-effective to repair them. I just save those for cut off shorts.

Please keep adding your insights as you can!

---

You can hardly ever go wrong buying denim, it is so rewarding when a person finds the deals. I love second hand, nearly all of my clothing is second hand. We live so far out of town that we can't drive special for a sale but whenever I go I hit those places and every now and then I find like you did $1 racks!!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by big country

Agnut,
I love reading these write ups on screaming deals. I never get to go to "prime" yard sale time due to work (I can only go on saturdays because of work...seems like everyone opens up on thursdays). I feel that I always miss the deals, but I have gotten some stuff I was pleased with. I have posted some of the deals I got in my own thread here on GSUS.

I can't help but picture your house like something out of hoarders though....sorry! haha, Where do you put all of this stuff you buy?

Also, I have found that if you stumble upon a "hoaders" yard sale you might as well just turn around and leave. There will be NO deals, they seem to be only able to let things go if they are really making a lot of money on the items. They have too much emotional attachment to their stuff to sell it. I found one sale where I could barely walk through the aisles of the house...I asked about 10 or so items and he wanted retail minus $5 or so for the items. For example, Wrist Rocket slingshot he said he wanted $20 for it, VHS tapes @ $8 each, Large trailer mounted come along (rusty, but functional...needed work) he wanted $70 for it, used Stihl chainsaw (WELL used, needed a new muffler) asking $150 for...The only thing I bought there was a bag of Lincoln Logs for my children for $5. I asked if they had any real silverware and he said yes but he didn't know where it was in his stuff, he said he would sell it if I could find it (yeah right!). I asked about guns and he said he had some but none were for sale...

I tried to haggle him on the comealong down but he wouldn't move. He had a story about every item, he recounted how he bought it for $150 and used it all the time when he was reselling cars (to get the on the trailer I presume) and that it had done so much work that it was "worth" his price. Too much emotional attachment...

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Hi Big Country, sorry to not respond for so long. Your inability to attend garage sales on first days can be an advantage in that the last day of a sale may be the best time to bargain for lower prices. I’m sometimes surprised at good deals overlooked until the last hour of the last day of a sale.

Do you have anyone who may be able to attend sales while you are at work ? They could call you and describe what is available. I have seen other buyers taking photos and sending them to someone else for evaluation. Maybe this could work for you too.

I probably do look like a hoarder but my motivation is to collect things that my family and I will need as well as for future trading material. For example, last Friday I got a mix of 5 gallon steel and 4 gallon plastic food grade containers. There were 63 in total, each one had a lid too. I paid 50 cents each delivered to my door. We use them for many things and stockpile the rest for future use or trading. Bakeries either sell them or give them away.

As you stated, buying from hoarders is frustrating. Their attachment to items may be sentimental and that is hard to overcome; they will sell only when they are ready to sell and not one minute sooner. I went to such a sale a few weeks ago. All of the items were priced at nearly what they could be bought in a store. There must have been over 60 people at this sale and by the time I left, no one had bought anything !

Best wishes,

agnut

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MNeagle

Hi Agnut,
Great to see you revive this classic thread, I for one, enjoy each & every post and all the wisdom you so graciously offer!

I've been trying to find neighborhood kids to pass along clothes that have been outgrown. I can't believe how tough it is!

While out on errands today, I remembered the local "Once Upon A Child" shop (like a Goodwill for kids clothing & toys) was having their semi-annual clearance sale. All clearance items were $1!!

We weren't there until about noon, & I thought for sure it would be picked clean. Wrong. A lot of clothes and choices/sizes still left. I'm trying to find jeans & basic tops in a few 'upcoming' sizes for future use. I was especially happy to find heavy-quality demin jeans, in the very basic timeless style. So many of the new jeans are thin, junky & 'distressed' looking on purpose, with an astronimical price tag. They are a total waste of money, & the knees wear out almost immediately.

Iron-on patches are easily $4 for two, so it's not even cost-effective to repair them. I just save those for cut off shorts.

Please keep adding your insights as you can!

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Thanks Mneagle. Here is a listing of recent buys in the last couple of months. This is posted to give prices and availability although I never know what I will find until I actually get out there and to paraphrase Ponce’s famous saying, “If you don’t hold it, you may never own it”. So bartering and horse trading is not for the lazy, uncourageous or unimaginative.

10 piece Thorsen metric wrench set $2
Vise Grip welder’s style $1
Set of horseshoes $4
20 jigsaw blades 25 cents total
30 drill bits $5
Hammer with fiberglass handle $1
Large (as in, you could kill a bull with this monster) Stilson wrench $1
KAL brand ½ inch ratchet
Shovel with fiberglass handle $1
Proto brand crescent wrench $1
New Britain crescent wrench $1
2 filet knives, 1 paring knife $1total
Trowel $1
Craftsman radial saw manual 10 cents
3 ½ gallons of 80-90 weight transmission fluid $3 total
1 gallon of hydraulic fluid $1
4 Craftsman screwdrivers $1total

Next sale :

Set of Craftsman tools in plastic travel case $5
Baking pan (new), cookie tray, rolling pin $1total

I needed the tool kit for my truck and it has sockets, wrenches and screwdrivers that I would most commonly need for simple repairs if stuck on the road. By the way, Ponce just reminded me that he has spare belts and water hoses that he carries in his vehicles. That is besides tools and an extensive bug out bag. I don’t do all of this myself now but know that I should.

The last purchase came from a Craigslist ad. It was for a Lister 12K diesel generator. It is a three cylinder unit and with the accessories would cost about $7,000 new. He was asking $2,000 which I gladly paid. My son and I had to travel over 80 miles each way over twisting roads with a small trailer. The whole unit is mounted on I beams, adding greatly to the total weight. Included is a 100 gallon fuel tank. The seller was a most fascinating person with a second home (bugout home) in south Alaska. We were there for hours as he shared his experiences. He even gave us some canned chicken that his wife had recently put up. It was delicious. I can’t begin to tell of all the things we learned that day but as I have said, getting out there and meeting people and communicating with them is often fascinating and highly educational.

Let me back up and share something that made this diesel generator possible because I know that many deals fail to come true if the first contact isn’t handled with forethought. And I definitely do NOT mean that I am manipulating sellers or others. Your communications must come from within; You are “on stage“, as Shakespeare said.

I called this man and began talking with him about the diesel generator first. Our conversation led to other topics and we must have talked for an hour. I gave him my name and phone number. I then asked him to hold the generator until I could get over there and I would pay the price he was asking in cash. He agreed and I called him as the time to meet him approached. See, this communication is very important in that almost all potential buyers do not talk to the seller as time passes. This communication tells the seller that I am a genuine buyer and will reliably show up as I have promised. If you have sold items in the past you can quickly recognize that someone was unsure or flaky. In such circumstances, particularly larger deals, the above method of dealing will put you ahead of other potential buyers.

Another point is that I tell the seller that I have cash and do not appreciate dealing with flaky buyers when I am selling my own items. This does two things. One, it should relieve the seller regarding my reliability and honesty. And secondly, it puts the seller in a bind to wait for my appearance; if he has agreed to wait for me and hold off other potential buyers until I am done dealing with him. I even tell this seller that he perhaps should take the phone numbers of other callers and tell them that he is dealing with a cash buyer right now and will call them if the dealing with me falls through. By now, the seller is intrigued with my buying approach and waiting in anticipation. You see, most people aren’t deeply experienced in selling items and can be easily dealt with by setting the stage for imminent negotiations.

I have even told buyers that I would pay more than the asking price if they would hold the item until I could get there to look at it. This puts me ahead of all other potential buyers who may be closer to the seller. Do you now see how this can put you in control of the situation ? Who cares if a seller is asking $500 for an item and I were to offer to pay $550 if the seller will let me have first chance ? Of course, this is a particular situation where I know that the item in question is something that I really need/want and the asking price is already a bargain.

By the way, the seller of this diesel generator told me that he had several people waiting to buy the generator of I did not. So he was holding off other buyers while my son and I were in transit. I had been looking for this particular diesel generator for years and it was well worth the wait. It is a 12K size and the largest one I had previously seen for sale was an 8K.

An old saying is “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush”. Well, the above is a way of obtaining the “two in the bush” by merely going one step further by offering a bit more than the seller is asking.

I haven’t posted for a long time. I could say that I have been busy but that would be a lie as an excuse. Granted, I have been busy but I could have taken the time to have at least respond to recent posts. I don’t know why I didn’t post; not laziness or lack of concern. I just don’t know myself. I didn’t have much of significance to offer. Maybe it was my subconscious demanding a much needed vacation. Writer’s block ? Yeah, that must have been it.

It is now the 19th of February and only a couple of months until the spring moving sales. The winter estate sales have been happening but they are few and far between. I did attend an estate sale and two garage sales yesterday and will post about them soon.

Best wishes,

agnut