Bartering And Horse Trading (Part Duh)

[Spectrism]

Wow Agnut- that was a steal away day.

I got a few good deals but nothing like your steals.

I picked up 2 brand new army butt packs and a 30 rd 3-mag carry pouch for $15. My daughter looked these up and showed me the cost was about $30 each.

Copper wire....maybe 30 feet long. 14 AWG- about 15 pounds for $5.

a box of old heavy duty wrenches... maybe 30 wrenches and some other tools, including a unique old brass pliers for $10.

I just missed getting an older Husquvarna chain saw. The people were not available and some gooky guy came up after I had arrived and got the attention first. I didn't notice the name but saw it was an older style chainsaw so I disregarded it for the first pass. It looked like it had little use. Gooky got it for $30. I should have grabbed it when I first got there and held it. Lesson learned.

In another place I had bypassed dozens of brass figurines. I used to buy any brass I could find. I should have gone for this one. The owner let them all go to a scrapper for $20. That was probably 40 pounds of brass and some cool little figurines. The wife was mad he let a scrapper take them.

[agnut]

Hi Spectrism. Sounds like you got some good deals as well. Not buying an item fast enough can be disheartening . That is why the first thing I do is look at the items for sale and then immediately ask the seller if they will give me a discount for a pile of items I want. I set out an area nearby and begin gathering the items that are most obvious bargains. Only then will I begin to take my time in looking over the items which may be bargains. I need to have a “SOLD” sign to put on my pile because other buyers often want these items too and it can be distracting to both look at items and at the same time guard other buyers from raiding my pile.

Your Husquvarna chainsaw, a quality brand, would have been a good deal. I have 6 Stihl chainsaws and believe that they are the best I have ever seen. They are not offered used for less than $60 to $100 but are worth the extra cost in performance and maintenance. Get familiar with all the model numbers before buying one and you will know if a particular model will suit your needs.

Spectrism, all the little items we pick up will amount to a huge pile in time. That is what I have been doing for years and you would be astounded if you saw all I have collected. It would take you a day just to see it all.

Garage sailing is like dredging for gold in a river. Sometimes the vacuum fits in a tight crevice and sucks out a small fortune. Then, moving on to other areas, the effort yields little. It is a hit and miss venture wherein we need to maintain a positive perspective and active imagination. There are no failures in garage, estate or moving sales (GEM). Sometimes I may buy nothing but meet new people or learn something new.

That last garage sale I attended was the kind I have experienced before. They come along from time to time, some large strikes and some small strikes. You will never know if you don’t get out there and discover for yourself.

Waiting for silver and gold to take off into the heavens can be frustrating if one has the wrong attitude about their purpose. They are an insurance policy. I have no gold and little silver because for the last several years I have been buying and putting away a multitude of items that I may personally need someday as well as items I have immediate need for. That said, I have more heavily weighed toward buying items that I believe will be more valuable to others in the future. For example, I have been collecting canning jars for the last 5 or so years. Buying them for as little as 5 cents each. A lady I call Saint Mary who has 8 adopted children has a problem; too much month left at the end of the money. Since I have been dropping off fruits and veggies to her three times a week, I discovered that she is well experienced in canning. A real country mama. So I gave her 200 jars and the additional 25 jars I got at my last garage sale. I still have 600 more jars in the barn if she needs them as I drop off more fruits and veggies. She is very smart and sees where the food prices are going and having hundreds of free canned foods will help tremendously in the future. She knows that even if she were to can up a thousand jars, the time will come when she and her 8 ravenous teenagers will run out when they cannot replenish their canning stockpile. At the very least, this prepping will provide a cushion against the times to come. The ant and the grasshopper story comes to mind.

The 5 pairs of rubber boots I also got will go to my niece and nephew and sons.

The two rolls of 4’ wire fencing will go to friends nearby. We trade all the time; work, items and chicken eggs.

The tap and die set may go to a friend who had lost all of his tools in a huge fire. A fantastic mechanic who can do just about anything. I know, because I have been a professional mechanic for over 40 years, have employed many mechanics and can quickly spot what I call a “natural”. They are like an unsung genius, whom I have a hard time in getting them to do anything for me because they are always in high demand, no matter what the economy is doing at the time.

A couple of years ago I was at a garage sale and had picked up a Milwaukee Sawzall in a metal case. I was carrying it around before paying for it and a man with his wife spotted it in my hand and the man said, “I was looking for that but you got it first.” He was very nice about it; no anger, just sadness. So I told him that he could have it; I had another one at home. You should have seen the look on his face when he heard this. I gave it to him and he paid the $50 price taped on the box. Actually I had lied; I did have an inferior quality Ryobi brand saw which was on its last legs. That deal that day was one I recall from time to time to remind myself that dealing is with others who are always more important than the deal itself.

I had always wanted a Milwaukee Sawzall but it was obvious that this nice stranger needed it far more than I did. Pay it forward, goodwill; call it what you will, it is a win-win situation. So the Milwaukee Sawzall I got last Friday was a sort of cosmic karma coming home. Besides, the $30 price I paid with the additional 62 blades was a far better deal for me.

I wish that I could better convey all the wonderful peripheral things that occur along with bartering and horse trading. Most important is that I have found new friends at these garage sales. People who I can share with.

There are swap meets going on every weekend somewhere, however I haven’t ever made friends through them. Why ? Because GEM sales are up close and personal; many of them are your neighbors. Think about that and let it sink in.

I have always felt that we Americans have isolated ourselves with the TV, internet and phone. GEM sales are an excellent way to meet people and make friends if you are so inclined. With money being tight lately, it should be a no brainer to get out there and find what you need. And not just for yourself but items for your friends and family. And you never know, you might even pick up a new friend along the way. They are free for the taking but the most valuable treasures out there.

Best wishes,

Agnut

A man is most complete when he is his own insurance policy.

[govcheetos]

Been real busy lately. Did a few garage clean outs that yeilded a bunch of old tools. Some I will keep, some sell, and some pass on to others who need them. Done a few boat deals that have been profitable and turned the money into a few trailers that will help me in the future. Always trying to double triple or quadruple and then put the funds into something that earns it's keep. Picked up on a tip in a bar that reminds me of old pirate lore. A couple was going through a nasty divorce and the husband was pissed she was getting off with a bunch of stuff he had paid for. He took all the silver ware and her jewelery and threw them off their dock before the house was sold. Said she wasn't going to have it. Me and a buddy gonna do a little underwater re con in the river. Supposedly the stuff has been down there about 6 years now.

Keep it up everyone!!

[Dogman]

Been real busy lately. Did a few garage clean outs that yeilded a bunch of old tools. Some I will keep, some sell, and some pass on to others who need them. Done a few boat deals that have been profitable and turned the money into a few trailers that will help me in the future. Always trying to double triple or quadruple and then put the funds into something that earns it's keep. Picked up on a tip in a bar that reminds me of old pirate lore. A couple was going through a nasty divorce and the husband was pissed she was getting off with a bunch of stuff he had paid for. He took all the silver ware and her jewelery and threw them off their dock before the house was sold. Said she wasn't going to have it. Me and a buddy gonna do a little underwater re con in the river. Supposedly the stuff has been down there about 6 years now.

Keep it up everyone!!

Total immersion metal detectors do have their places. Have story's of divorces, south Louisianan (coon ass) brands are a hoot!

[agnut]

Hi govcheetos. IF we were to add up all the little items we got at GEM (garage, estate, moving) sales, I think we would be amazed at how much we have saved in relation to their store price. These small items such as oil, cleaning chemicals, furniture stain and polish, hose clamps, chain and a million other items that would cost many multiples at retail. Also we should add in the cost of NOT having these items and having to take the time, travel and cost at a store. You see, if you were to add these hidden costs to our GEM purchases we would have a more accurate picture of the power of GEM buying. Also, don’t forget to add in the sales tax since there is generally none in GEM transactions.

I tell you (like you don’t already know. Snort of derision here), the more I look at GEM buying, the more I feel that it is financially suicidal to do otherwise. If Ponce’s prediction that America will resemble Cuba’s scarcity of most everything, anyone with the foresight to have lots of useful items will be like a trading post. Of course it would best be operated with charity and fair trading with our neighbors, for the profit was already baked in the cake as a result of our having planned well in advance. Who knows what a pipe wrench or a garden hose or electric wiring or a hoe or nails will be worth if America becomes isolated and marginalized ? My barn and storage buildings are packed with items I have picked up over the years. Anything from hundreds of books to cooking equipment to candle wax to pipe fittings to spare bicycles. I can’t remember where everything is but I believe that it all will find a home someday.

Govcheetos, you have a better plan that I do with your buying and then either using, selling or storing away items. I have to admit that I have mostly been putting away items for the hopefully not too distant future. Perhaps I should be selling more items I acquire for profit and then pyramiding that into a fortune. I just have a hard time in letting go of a bargain, thinking that it will be more valuable in the future. However, I do sell and trade some of the larger items such as cars, boats, bicycles, brake lathe, compressors, etc.

I have been trading some items and giving away some items. Giving away ? Am I nuts ? Nope, because everything comes back one way or another. We can’t and should not think only of dollar profit; the dollar is a false indicator of success in dealings. Let me explain.

A couple of weeks ago a friend was rebuilding a 6 cylinder Volvo cylinder head and he had replaced the valve guides but he couldn’t find the right size reamer. He couldn’t find this particular reamer in the surrounding 40 miles. He called me and I recalled that I had bought a box of reamers a couple of years ago. I checked and found that I did have just the size he needed. He came over and used it and could finish with the job. Now I didn’t charge anything for the help; that is just goodwill and will pay off in the future in some way. Not necessarily for me but when we put good vibes out there, they resonate outward throughout mankind. Generosity is its own reward.

I have been planning to be there for my family, friends and neighbors. I want to be like the trading post I mentioned above. This has been going on for years here and when the wheels fall off the economy/dollar I expect an increased need for what I have collected. Instead of buying gold and silver I have been putting my efforts into what I believe will be needed in the future.

I just talked with Ponce and he gave me a great idea. All the clothing we buy for the future could be put into suitcases and labeled. I can get suitcases from the local thrift store for free if they have some flaw which does not affect my usage. These suitcases will adequately protect the contents which could be almost anything that would fit inside. In fact, I have several empty suitcases in the barn. I have seen many suitcases at garage sales and up until now didn’t recognize their usefulness. Most of them could be stacked as well as put in storage most conveniently. So in the future I will be collecting them in my travels. I recommend putting the items in a plastic bag first to protect against humidity. Maybe throw in a mothball for good luck.

Your diving for the silverware and gold jewelry has me wishing I could be there, just to see how it turns out. Ponce told me that the immersion metal detectors are very expensive. If so, could you use a long extension cord to the coil and a to a boat where someone could signal the diver that he had hit pay dirt ? Just a thought. Good luck on that and want to hear from you.

Your success is everyone’s success; any positive action is uplifting and therefore adds to humanity. I wish that more people could see it that way. I never understood greed or envy; they are both such a waste.

Gotta go. Loading a truck and trailer full of boxes to go to a friend who enjoys burning them. Whoops, got put off till tomorrow. So I had some time to take apart the Falcon 4 wheel cart to replace the 8 bearings. I only paid $5 for the cart 5 years ago but am still too much of a cheap bastard to buy the bearings. If I had one of my metal lathes set up I could make the bushings from some scrap pipe. So the hardware store will be an extra stop in town.

My son and I have been given an extra day today to pick up fruits and veggies at the local supermarket. Yesterday we got boxes of strawberries; I gave most away and kept about 30 pounds which we prepped and dumped in the freezer. I tell ya, life is better than good. We’re livin’ large on a small budget. At 67 I’ve finally learned to use my head for something better than a hat rack !

Best wishes,

Agnut

This was a post over at Timebomb 2000 :

“It's good to keep spare parts for things you really like for that reason. We had an old maid here who ran the library for over 50 years. She drove a 1952 Plymouth she bought new. My uncle owned a garage for decades and she would always bring it in for oil changes and such. One day she called him saying she couldn't get her car to move. He towed it in and the transmission was out of it. This was about 2005 or so. She asked him if he could fix it and he said yes if he could find a good transmission. She said, "No problem. I've got 2 brand new ones in the corner behind my bed I bought for spares when I bought the car. She was still driving it when she died at age 98.”

Another testament to buy used quality American and some foreign items :

Vent - Things don't work!!!
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/showt...don-t-work!!!&

[Hitch]

I scored up a brand new Schott pea jacket today, for $25, from a coworker. Brand new tag still on it. Now's the time to get deals for the winter. I've never owned a jacket this nice before.

This is the jacket.

http://www.schottnyc.com/products/cl...elton-wool.htm

[Spectrism]

I had some good success today. My first stop- and I was the first there.... a family was clearing out the parents' house and just wanted it empty. Anything they could make for it was a distant second. They were pushing stuff because they just wanted it all gone. I picked up a box of assorted old and new tools for $10. This has about a dozen screw drivers, a dozen nice wrenches, 2 boxes of allen keys, vice grips, all purpose tool, etc. I haven't finished going through this.

I got some cobbler mounts and a bunch of cast iron baking frames for $5. For an additional $2 I got a Skil saw and a power drill.

I saw on a table some metal things. Silver draws me like a magnet.

I found a little Sterling silver goblet about 2.5 inches tall and a glass inkwell surrounded by Sterling leaf. There were a couple other things that I couldn't make out so I threw them in the group. They took $5 for this. The goblet weighed about an ounce.

Another location had lots of tools but nothing I desperately needed. They told me to look at the free pile. There I grabbed a box of stainless flatware and a box of old style rubber sealed jars. The jars are great for sealing things that might rust... small tools, nails, etc.

At another location a grabbed a box of copper and brass components weighing about 20 pounds... for $20.

At another location I picked up free some plastic milk carton style bins. I find these useful for organizing and stacking things.

There was a town-wide yard sale thing happening. This made it possible to get to things before others since there were so many sellers. Gotta be early at these and move fast.

[agnut]

Good to hear from you Hitch. I did pop up the Schott website and looked at the quality merchandise. This is high end which the general public mostly is unaware of since they buy less expensive jackets never realizing that the highest quality is a better value because it is so well made in both materials and workmanship. And it will last years beyond the mass manufactured merchandise. I still wear a London Fog jacket that I bought new over 25 years ago; the leather collar is shot but the rest of the jacket and zip out liner are still in good working order. I wear it around our property when I am working in cold weather. I am sentimental, I suppose, like the Peanuts character Linus and his security blanket. I do have six or seven other London Fog jackets and coats that I have picked up at GEM sales over the past years. But I only wear two of them; the others are held in reserve along with about ten other quality jacket brands I also have. Trading material as well as a lifetime of winter jackets. What could go wrong ?

Since silver and gold are intermediaries between buyer and seller, I have bypassed their necessity and will be bartering and horse trading directly with what others have, whether in labor or items they have that I may want or need. I have already been doing this for some time and it works out well. It is a good sideline now but good practice.

Picture a time in the future when many items may not be available, either through international isolation or increased price relative to income. What will be the value of a quality jacket when there are none around or the price becomes prohibitive ? A quality jacket that was purchased now for $5 may well be the best potential for purchasing power increase in the future. We should be aware that people will change their perceptions of value when the dollar/economy goes south. I think that the only reason that prices of used items are so cheap now is that pride of buying a new item is still standing in the way of the sensibility of obtaining good used items at a mere pittance. And nobody factors in that the dollars they are paying for a new item were after taxes paid dollars. Also, used items almost always do not have a state sales tax added on. Some people may think I’m nuts buying almost exclusively used items but who is the crazy one here with huge credit card debts ? Not me !

Always remember that you are a sane person living in an insane world; learn how to deal with it to your advantage because it ain’t gonna get better in the future. Many millions of people are deeply in debt and it won’t take much to send them over the precipice. I pulled back even more years ago and now can sit and watch the world go by (hopefully not bye-bye).

Best wishes,

Agnut

Confuseus say : Life like lovemaking; if it hurts, you are doing something wrong.

[agnut]

Hi Spectrism. You got some real steals there. And I can see from your post that you are at the top of your game. I bet that you are always open and listening for opportunities. That’s how we grow; it never ends.

Your tool box buy is the kind of thing I absolutely love to find. Sometimes there can be a thousand dollars worth of tools if bought new and few realize that $50 is a screaming bargain. Around here the farm and ranch estate sales can be a goldmine. I once got a Snap-On ¼ inch drive torque wrench for a quarter. A quarter for a quarter. Tell me that God is not a comedian playing to an audience that is too afraid to laugh !

Funny how we collect the small useful items as we wade through the enormous number of items for sale. I still have bags of small items I had purchased years ago that I thought would be smart to have. I’m using some of these items and the others are spares or trading material. I don’t know what will happen or how it will play out but I have oodles of good items and clothing and believe that they will come in very handy in the future.

Much of the fun in going to GEM sales is that we can find things for our family and friends that they may never find for themselves. It is a most satisfying feeling to give an item to someone and watch their face light up. Young kid or old kid; they both love getting surprises. And not the kind of items you find in a store but an item you or they would never see in a store. Could be foreign, could be antique, could be from an era when they were growing up or wished they had. I still yearn for a toy ferry boat that I had when a child. Perhaps the reason I am still attached to that memory is that I was in a hospital having eye surgery and some other parent took the toy and I never saw it again. I only had it for a day. So you see, the heart of finding items that others will treasure requires us to know that person well. Everybody gives clues of what they yearn for; you just have to be listening. I’ve given away some of my enamel on copper painting collection. I know where the pieces are going and that they will be loved and cared for. I gave one away tonight and will enjoy seeing it in her home; I’ve had my pleasure with these pieces and hope that someone else will get as much pleasure as I have. Besides, there are many, many things to collect and enjoy until it is time to move on. No guilt, no shame, no alimony. Just sharing something that has touched our heart.

I have to share a fuzzy story. The other night I was looking at one of my enamel on copper paintings; it was an early 1900s French Limoges era piece of a wooded area with a stream running through the middle. There were rocks in the stream but some caught my eye; they didn’t look quite right. Mind you, this enamel measures only 3 ½ by 5 ¼ inches but is highly detailed. I had to get out a magnifier to see these “rocks” which turned out to be three wolves fording the stream. I’ve had this enamel on copper for ten years and had never noticed the humorous message from the artist, speaking to me through the decades. He is saying, “Look closer or you‘ll miss out”. I also believe that the artist was showcasing his skill at extreme control. I was awestruck when I first discovered the minute details.

Sounds like you prize the old American made items like I do. Sometimes I will buy an item just because I want to see how it is made and how well it works. A blast from the past.

Here is an article showing that the older gas cans are becoming desirable because the new bureaucrat mandated gas cans must have been designed by someone who couldn‘t change a tire. I have many of the old 5 gallon cans that I bought for a dollar or two. The new ones at Walmart are about $14. This is just another example that it is wise to seek all kinds of older, well made items.

Five Years of Gas-Can Hell!

http://tucker.liberty.me/2014/06/10/...efer=libertyme


Your Skil saw and power drill buy was another steal. Nothing like having a backup too. The future is more uncertain than it has ever been with internationalization of items we need. A drill made in China can work for a long time but if it fails in a month or year, what is your recourse ? Buy another one ? Can you see the insanity ?

Millions of people are deeply in debt because they believed that they had to buy everything new. For many decades we were the engine for industry but are no longer employed and therefore not able to afford new items, especially with their prices being so high. And when you throw in the lack of quality, it should be a no brainer to seek a wiser purchase.

Have you seen the photos of the millions of new cars around the world that they are not able to sell ? My one ton 1990 Dodge diesel truck cost $2,600 when I bought it seven years ago and a new Dodge diesel is over $52,000 now. That is 20 times what I paid for my Dodge and it has been working satisfactorily for years. Besides, I am an old school mechanic and appreciate the simplicity of the pre 1998 mechanical fuel injection. A friend was visiting yesterday with his 2006 Ford diesel. He looked under the hood of my Dodge and was aghast at the lack of wiring and plumbing. However, under the hood of later vehicles looks like a nest of snakes. KISS; keep it simple, stupid. Yeah, that should be on the desk of every bureaucrat and engineer.

Sure, I drive an older vehicle but I have no debt. Debt is the downfall for millions of good folks, particularly in a downward spiraling economy such as we have been, are and will continue to experience.

My saying is that “the filthiest four letter word in the English language is debt“.

The world seems to be Hell bent for leather in going stark raving mad.

So what’s it going to be ?
A debt jubilee or WWIII ?

Best wishes,

Agnut

Those without a moral compass can still be highly magnetic. However, not to gold, silver or lead. Non nefarious metals.

[Spectrism]

I like the older stuff that is heavier gage- better quality. Can't stand the cheap stuff from China.

Did a bathroom project 18 months ago and put in new under-sink valves. 6 months ago I discovered a puddle under the new sink and caught it before it could do damage tot he new cabinet. The leak came from the actual sweat fitting. There were two pieces assembled- the sweat/solder side and the threaded side. The leak came from between them. A few days ago, the second of the 4 valves started leaking. I discovered that by a puddle int he basement.
So I replaced 3 of the 4 so far, with made in USA valves that are single piece.

Agnut- I like your way of looking out for things that others will value. I will take that concept in my travels. I have found books for my daughter and I let family pick through my finds for anything they want. There is much pleasure in giving things away.... to the right people. Thanks for your wise ideas.