Yard sale treasures: Lots of Olde Stuff.

[Adam Helmer]

I brake HARD for all yard sales hereabouts because these old farmers in rural northcentral PA have lots of good stuff. Last month I found a mint M1898 Krag bayonet with scabbard for $5.00. It fits my December 2008 find of a M1898 Krag Rifle nicely.

Last Saturday I stopped by a nearby farm and found a wooden box of tools. The sign by the box said "Old Tools $1.00." I asked, "Is that $1 per tool?" "No," the lady replied, "That is for all tools." I could not get a buck out of my pocket fast enough! I nearly got a hernia lifting the box into the back my truck.

At home, I backed the truck to my shop and dumped the stuff onto the work bench. I got 65 Craftsman sockets, 5 drivers of assorted sizes, 2 hammers, 4 hacksaw blades and 9 screwdrivers. In addition were 6 rusty bullet moulds. I oiled all the stuff to prevent further deterioriation and read the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook. It said rusty moulds should be cleaned with fine steel wool and may cast bullets just fine. Last Sunday, after church, I fired up my Coleman stove and found out the .58 Minie mould, the .45 Maxi mould and the roundball moulds cast just fine.

This is the "Back In Time" site. I suppose old stuff qualifies. I further am sorry our forefathers did not have Yard Sales back in their Good Olde Days. We sure are finding their stuff these days.

Who else finds good olde stuff these days?

Adam

[Adam Helmer]

My computer is spazzing a bit today and posted this thread 4 times. This explains why I deleted the 3 following duplicate threads.

Adam

[Catfish]

Sounds like you got an itchy trigger finger fireing off 4 post at a time. Around here you have to hit alot of grage sales to find the first gun and then it`s usually priced out of sight. I do seem to find enough bargins to keep me stopping thuogh.

[Adam Helmer]

Catfish,

Today the local church had a big yard sale. I got a pair of old Woolrich red plaid hunting pants with the lace legs for $1.00. My old early PA hunting attire is now complete.

Adam

[Mr. 16 gauge]

Adam;
We look forward to seeing the pictures! All we find at our garage sales are baby clothes and kid's play structures.....

Did find a set of samuri swords at one (really cheap copies!)......

[skeet]

But I did stop at one and got 3 new Bigfoot goose decoys for 5 bucks each...and a new Avery decoy bag for 2 bucks. Then it was off to the skeet shoot..Didn't shoot all that great though. Probably done better yard saleing..

[cordell]

Adam,
I guess the two best "firearm" buys I have had were the following. Many years ago I stopped at a yard sale and there leaning against the garage wall was a muzzle stuffer. I asked the fellow if it was for sale and he said sure but it was broken. The rifle had come with the house and one day fell off the fireplace wall and broke the bolster (hammer bolster) off, and it had been sitting in the closet ever since. I asked if he had the hammer and piece of the bolster and he said it had been lost years ago. I walked away (ran) with an 1863 Tower in about mint condition for $60.00, and after trying 7 bolsters and picking up a hammer it was back in action. The second buy came about 10 years ago, we had stopped at a yard sale on a dead end street and I noticed a man sitting behind a pick-up truck at the back of the house. I asked the lady who was having the sale, if the fellow was having his own sale and she replied "it's my husband and he wanted to be out of the way". I walked across the yard and there in the back of the pick-up was (amongst other things) a Remington 58 Sportsman 16 gauge with an extra barrel. I asked the fellow what he wanted for the shotgun and he said " $225.00 and I already told a guy this morning I won't take less. I handed him the $225.00 and he gave me the 58 that was sporting a IC barrel and the extra Full choke barrel. He then asked me if I had a minute and I said sure! He went into the basement and came out carrying 2 more barrels, one was a vent rib skeet and the other was another Full choke. He handed me both and said these should stay with the gun and gave them to me!! I took the 2nd Full choke and had it shortened, and a set of Remington sights put on it. The bad part (or good ) is this gun fits me perfectly, and has effectively retired my other shotguns......... So Adam don't stop to fast at those yard sales I might be the guy in the car behind you and I am still skidding to a stop. Take care and God bless. P.S. The Tower is gone but I will have the 58 when I head home.... TC&GB...

[Duffy]

Originally Posted by Catfish

Around here you have to hit alot of grage sales to find the first gun and then it`s usually priced out of sight. I do seem to find enough bargins to keep me stopping thuogh.

Sounds like you and I are in the same boat. About the best I've ever found are ammunition boxes, but I have found a lot of old fishing lures which I collect, as well as some tools here and there, some of which are useful. I keep going back, though.

[buckhunter]

Around here they would lock you up if you asked for anything to do with firearms. Adam can vouch for that.

[cordell]

Hello Duffy,
Just finished dropping you a line on the reloading forum! Looks like we do indeed have some things in common! I also collect fishing lures, and just fishing "stuff" in general. Again an awful lot of them came from yard sales! If I could only go back 45 years, good gosh I know I passed up a ton of stuff that would be worth good money today. However 45 years ago I didn't have much $ to spend. We will have to share some pictures soon.

buckhunter,
Sorry to hear that, it's unfortunate that people who do not enjoy a certain hobby/lifestyle/right will aggressively pursue the rights of others that do enjoy that hobby/right. I know that there is documentation that last year and every year before, more people were killed and injured by drunk drivers than by all the guns in the U.S............. I have never seen a ATF agent at a wine tasting festival or sitting outside a bar in the parking lot ................................... Take care and God bless. cordell