Hot Rods Estate sales , yard sale buys

Let’s hear your stories on purchases from estate sales , garage sales scores . Wether it turned into a win , loss or a nightmare(especially purchasing a vehicle) . Anything related to our 1965 and older context.

 

I've bought very few car parts at yard or estate sales. I have picked up a lot of tools and shop equipment over the years though.
Best story I can tell is that years ago a long time body man had retired and was selling off his tools and supplies in a big carport yard sale. I think I went back three different times and had to go to the bank once and get more cash. I picked up about 50 sticks of lead there, around a hundred new large diameter 36 grit disks and a bunch of 7 inch disks that I still use plus several body tools. The man had all nice high quality tools and a lot of guys hit the jackpot at that sale. Prices on the tools weren't cheap but were still very friendly for the quality that they were.

I bought a bunch of equipment for my shop from an online auction last year that I had to drive 50 miles to pick the stuff up. I got two work benches with 5/8 steel plate tops that are seriously heavy. I came back with a pickup load of stuff that I had bought from that auction mostly great deals..

 

One time, years ago.. 60 Corvette 2-4 setup. 50 Chevy Spider steering wheel, a bunch of 57 Caddy hubcaps and some other assorted cool parts. Enough to fill the back of a 90's Caprice wagon. All for less than $600. Sold the 2-4 set up a week later at a car show for $1200 and the steering wheel for $150. Another time a Suburban load of NOS tail lights from 50's to 70's. For about $250. Went to a small car show the next day and sold enough to be in profit. The 59 Cadillacs were originally priced for $2.50 on the boxes, Is was selling them for $5. Thought I was doing good until the next day I looked in Hemmings and found out they were worth $20. All The above were pre-internet purchases.

 

a few years ago there was a garage sale here that was a whole machine shop minus the machines. the story is, a developer guy bought an old building with the contents inside. machinist had died and the family didnt bother to try and sell anything, just sold the building as is. the real estate guy didnt know what anything was so it was cheap. i missed the first day and was still amazed at how much stuff they had, all cheap, went back twice! dont know what happened to the machines

 

Went to a garage sale one time and ended up buying the garage and the house it was attached to. That count? Made nothing but money on that deal. Did find some tools in the basement too.

 

Bought my 50 3100 at a yard sale. The wife spotted in the garage with a for sale sign on it. I was busy looking over the tools in the driveway, never saw it. Kind of like not seeing the Forest because of the trees deal.

 

$5.00 for this fluid filled, spider encased gear shift knob for my 1931 DB coupe....

 

$5.00 Denver estate sale find.

 

Cleaning out his garage, my son sold a pair of polished '69 Z-28 valve covers I had given him at his yard sale for $3.00. He did not realize what they were until I told him a few days later........oops!! Some one got a great deal.....

 

On my way to work one morning 2 yrs. ago. I spotted a garage sale with a sign listing tools and car parts.
unfortunately a car guy had passed and his daughter put it all a
in a yard sale.
I was the 3rd person there and of coarse didn't have much loot, but I picked up a set of chrome corvette rally's with caps $50 sbc mickey thompson valve covers $5 bbc valve covers with the nicest thickest chrome I've ever seen $5.
While loading up the stash I spotted a small pile off to the side with a "FREE" sign. Found a nice leather working kit and a box containing a disassembled holley carb.
When I ran the numbers on the carb. it turned out that is was stock for a '68 SCJ. Local Mustang guy gave me $600 for it. Cha-Ching

 

I never use the term "OMG"...but OMG!

 

"This one time at band camp..."

 

When I moved to Lubbock I saw an acreage on a corner with at least 60 old cars. No real fence, but I was reluctant to go on someone else's property. I walked around perimeter. There was a big pile of obvious scrap metal and in it was an art deco headlight aimer minus the box/eye, but still very cool. Came back several times n still nobody around. My adult son (car nut too) n I decided to walk to building in center and knock on door. We were almost there when I spotted doghouse. Just as I alerted son a large dog when berserk n started chasing us. We ran like crazy n got away without a bite. Few more times checking the owner Jack was there. He laughed when I told him about the dog. Turned out dog was old n blind. Lol. He wanted $100 for headlight Aimer in scrap metal pile so I passed on it. Less than a year later Jack passed on. When I heard his daughter was clearing everything off I went back and bought art deco headlight Aimee for $50. then She said hang on n went into shop n gave me mint condition box/eye for it. Couple days later she called to say she found another one just like it in the shop. Second one was same n complete in mint condition for $50. Nice pair in my old Signal Gas Station collection. I ended up buying a pink 61 Imperial and a 1955 pink n white Hemi Chrysler at that estate sale. There must have been 4 or 5 pickup loads of stainless steal trim but none of it marked.

1 more car I promise, Rex Winter
Dry n windy Lubbock TX

 

Dover Drag Strip trophy from the 1960's at one and four chromed Caddy wire wheels from the 1950's at another. Best ever was last year, showed up at a really busy Estate Sale with about six bucks. Found some tractor manuals and asked how much they were. "Oh we stopped selling things, everything except the Bridgeport is free!" Filled a 1998 Lincoln Town car with books, timing as they say is everything. Bob

 

Paid $10 in a frame for this Larry Watson poster, signed by Larry & Steve Sandford!

 

My best ever was 10-years ago this past June. I was returning from getting one of my last radiation trteatment for cancer and felt like crap. My wife tried to cheer me up by stopping at a barn sale on our way home. I didn't care one way or the other at that point.

There was a 16-drawer MAC tool cart up for sale, loaded with S&K, MAC and other USA made tools, that a GM mechanic had used on the job. Every drawer was filled, like he just quit for the day. They were asking $500.00 for it and I felt so lousy, I didn't want it. My wife pipes up and says we'll take it, but that in my condition I couldn't load it. The woman holdng the sale says "I'll deliver it". She & her husband did and after my recovery, I was one happy camper !!

BigMAC by TagMan, on Flickr

 

I rarely go to garage sales, but did score once about 20 years ago when I bought a mid-year Corvette front bumper for $20. Found out later that was a smoking deal and ended up still selling it pretty cheap to the next guy at a swap meet for $200 if I remember right.

 

Havent scored many car related items, I do hit them when theyre close. Ive never bought a new shovel or rake, theyre usually $5 and better than most of the new ones. Pick up a lot of tools.

When I moved out on my own, I went to an estate sale and bought about everything they had, i needed it all, mower, yard tools, hose reel, hoses, fertilzer, shelves, bush trimmer, weed eater, saws, drills, grill, patio set.

I did get burnt, my fault, jig saw from an estate sale been on the shelf a few years, had a good blade, used it to cut a pocket door latch recess. Not being too familiar with the tool, didnt realize it was set up for about 10 degree angle that I didnt see until after I cut the notch. SOB.

Oh, I did buy my stud welder and lot of body hammers from an auction where the guy was retiring. Very nice stuff.

 

Very cool .

 

Many many estate/garbage sales...

But one Estate sale had car parts galore.. One part in particular was a 302 air cleaner assembly that I had previewed before auction start. As things was rolling the chevy guys was bidding on chevy stuff , the Dodge guys and the ford guys etc etc.. time for that air cleaner NO ONE bidding, Auction dude said who give me $2.50 My hand went up.. And won it with that.. A little time went on and was talking to this one dude that was bidding on chevy stuff next to me and asked him why he didnt bid on that air cleaner being a chevy guy?
He stated he didnt need a Ford air cleaner, I looked at him and said it wasnt a 302 Ford.. His eyes got real big and said REALLY ! I said YUP it is DZ 302,,
Listed it on fleebay got $1200 for it YAY ME..

 

I rarely stop at garage sales, but on day I saw one at a machine shed that looked like a car guy would own. Sure enough, it had a variety of intakes, some blocks and heads. I really didn't see anything great until I started to leave, a set of 2 magnesium torque thrust wheels, but no price, so I asked. He asked if I would do $20, I couldn't dig it out fast enough.

 

An advertised farm sale had some construction materials I could use, so I took the afternoon off and drove over. As we were loading I noticed a 5 gallon plastic bucket with some body tools. I asked "how much?" he said $10 dollars each. I asked, "How much for the whole bucket?" He emptied the bucket, counting and said $100. Sold. Him and his dad had been body men. Most of the tools were dollies and a vixen file. When I looked on that auction site most of the plain dollies were going for $45-60 and the Porter-Ferguson fender dollies were $150.

 

Went to a "business closing" sale today and scored this for $50. I haven't plugged it in to see if it works yet or not. Mostly because it's heavy and I don't feel like unloading it and dragging it into the shop.

 

I don't do many estate or garage sales, usually around here people always seem to bid the prices way up. When an old wore out welder with missing parts is bringing a higher price then a new Miller, I figure I'm wasting my time. Very few times have I purchased much, I just don't bother going .

Several years ago I did attend one where the guy was retiring. Around 4 pm, the high bidders pretty much cleared out, after all the "good stuff" sold for ridiculously high prices. The thing was, the auction wasn't over yet. I bought a nice welding table for $10, and several other smaller items because no one else was bidding. I think I spent $100 that day, after almost everyone had left. A couple things I do remember was two 2 lbs coffee cans full of new self tapping screws, each can holding a different size. I think I paid $2 for each can. 20 years later, one can is still almost 1/2 full, and the other can has slightly more then 1/2 of the can full. I've used a lot of screws out of those 2 cans, they were the best $4 I ever spent. Gene

 

Dang

 

Recent deal was a good pair of 16" wire wheels with tires for $10 at a auction. Same auction I got 2 2 bbl intake for a 302 ford and a 4 bbl intake with a 600 Holley for a 302 for $5. At a yard sale that was advertised as having model A parts, my son placed somethings in a box and asked for a price. Got the box for $20. he sold the model A shocks for $500. Same sale a couple weeks later I asked about a 28/29 model A hood..Guy said I could have it for $100. As I was putting in my truck i noticed how it was covered evenly with surface rust. It was a brand new reproduction hood.

 

I have have a few of those cans as well. I was lucky at one yard sale where the guy had old , old boxes of new bolts ,washers and nuts from 1/4” through 1/2” and boxes of machine screws. Like twenty two boxes in total. $1 a box.

 

(might have posted this before..........)
I usually scour local CL for tools, etc. An ad for this tool box & roller cabinet for $80 caught my eye.
He said that he couldn't find the keys.



About 15 mins away. Didn't try to dicker with the guy. And, he had found the keys in the meantime. Just rolled out the cash, and while loading it into the pickup, I think the guy got like 3 more calls
With a little cleaning up, it was in great shape.
A problem was that one of the lower drawers wouldn't catch the lock bar in the back.
Just a piece of padding had slipped up out of the drawer and prevented the lock bar from engaging the tab on the back. Cut a piece of belt from a treadmill for the cabinet top.
Gave it to SIL; he was very pleased with it.

 

To much to list.....think I'll bring up my paper route Studie.......tomorrow.......

 

I have to admit, I am a yard sale and estate sale junkie. I have had some great finds over the last 50 some years. I always hit the World's Longest Yard Sale the first week end of August, it runs from Michigan to Alabama on route 127. Over the years my wife and I have now covered the whole 600+ miles. Some of the best things that come to mind are a box of nos 50's Chevy horn buttons and misc. chrome trim, $35.00, a like new 54 Lincoln steering wheel $50.00 (sold for $950.00) a set of nice used 60 Cadillac Eldorado wheel covers $40.00 (sold for $1,200) a Grancor 3X2 intake with rebuilt 94's and 2 sets of Sharp flathead heads $75.00( sold for $650.00) a 57 Chevy dual four manifold with correct matching carbs $250 (sold for 1500.00) and the list goes on. I might add that when I ask a price or one is marked that I think is a good deal I never try to beat the seller down, that way they can never say I cheated them out of something if they see it sells for more than I paid them for their stuff. My wheeling and dealing is the only way I have any money to spend on my old cars, guns, booze etc. The plus side is I enjoy the hunt! I tend to be like a gambler, I talk about the wins but most times forget about the many times I have been burnt!