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Fri Feb 01, 2008 5:54 pm

My ex, or whatever our relationship is goes to garage sales and flea markets all the time. This morning we were out and she scored the usual junk she on sells online - Children's clothes, toys and crap to fill up any spare space on the property.

I scored a NOS retro (mid/late 80's) one piece fluro Rossignol ski suit, still with tags for $3 - I'll get $50 for that easily.

One of my first jobs was working for an antique store, I'd strip paint off old furniture, do garage sales and flea markets. We have inorganic rubbish collections once a year here as well, people will chuck out old oak china cabinets with lead light etc. I picked an old kauri school desk out of one pile, complete with silver rimmed ink well set into the desk - I took the paint off, applied some wax and sold it for $600.

Fri Feb 01, 2008 6:31 pm

Yard sales, Estate sales, Flea markets, Antique stores, Garbage piles, Dumpsters... I hit em ALL!!!

My house is jam packed with all manner of cool stuff from said places.

I collect vintage bicycles and 2 of my favorites were laying on top of garbage piles! I constantly find "treasures" in dumpsters!
I REALLY enjoy the purchases for $0.05 that you find out are worth 1000 times what you paid for them!!!
I also collect Art, antique toys, vintage advertising memorabilia, stained glass, and several other eccentric items.

One time I passed a garbage pile that had a couple velvet paintings on it so I stopped to get them only to find out that I HAD to load about 80% of the pile into the car because somebody cleaned out an attic and threw away antique christmas ornaments, old local brewery advertising platters, a giant ceramic federal eagle and 5 jewelry boxes FULL of antique costume jewerly!!!! $ :shock: $ :D $$$ :shock: :D $

Fri Feb 01, 2008 7:31 pm

It just keeps getting passed on from one person to the next, over and over and over again.

Fri Feb 01, 2008 10:05 pm

I hit just about any sale that looks even remotely appealing from the street. I've found some good Hot Wheels and other "goodies" that were way too small to see from the street (drive by). My best score was an auction years ago. I bought a toy lot (which happen to include a complete, vintage slot car set) for $7. I sold the one set for $200+. Gotta love return on investment :D

Sat Feb 02, 2008 4:57 am

i get suckered into going to a flea market on the way to the Litchfield/Harwinton and Terryville VW shows every year. We get there a little after 7am and comb the grounds for a while and then head to the show, which i sometimes get to before noon. We like to check out the furniture and i like looking at toys, car stuff obviously and music related stuff. Of course the wife like foo-foo crap but... We usually do a "drive-by" when it comes to garage sales. Kids stuff we keep going(no kids yet) older furniture and other crap-we'll stop.

Sat Feb 02, 2008 7:35 pm

Hey Obus you can get into the Trunk at 5 am. Yes it cost more but there are some great deals before 7. The joy I have is as a seller there I get to shop early for no more. The bad thing is some dealers don't set up till almost 7 as they are to bust buying (yes I have seen sell more than once there).

Sat Feb 02, 2008 8:55 pm

Does any one live where the city charges for a permit for garage sales?

Sun Feb 03, 2008 2:53 am

Some of the Cleveland suburbs require that you buy a permit for yard sales, and limit how many you can have during the year.

Sun Feb 03, 2008 5:51 am

WM971252 wrote: Hey Obus you can get into the Trunk at 5 am. Yes it cost more but there are some great deals before 7. The joy I have is as a seller there I get to shop early for no more. The bad thing is some dealers don't set up till almost 7 as they are to bust buying (yes I have seen sell more than once there).

yeah thanks i know. the lady/owner? at the gate said it is like 20 bucks. coming from NJ means we would have to leave REALLY early though! I think we may try and stay over one weekend and go at 5am once i get something roadworthy enough to buy something big. we always see large pieces of furniture there but not small enough to fit inthe hon-duh accord. Perhaps my bus may be ready in the near future? :cry:

the italian ice and chili dogs there are really good too!

Sun Feb 03, 2008 5:52 am

tatersgravy wrote: Does any one live where the city charges for a permit for garage sales?

in my town you are allowed to have 2 garage sales a year but also there is one extra day where it is a townwide garage sale. that night is the best time to go "curbside" hunting!

Sun Feb 03, 2008 6:23 am

Some burbs also restrict "junk picking". "They" say that treelawns are the "City's Property", and anything on it belongs to them. Fine- then "they" can come shovel the snow off my sidewalk and mow my treelawn for me, too! :twisted:
On "Recycling Days" I get up early to get ahead of the recycling truck and pick aluminum cans or whatever looks good. A few times I have seen the recycling truck sneak up behind me, and they get pissed off because I'm taking "their stuff". I've had to split to another part of town to avoid the cops on occasion, but in my "Soccer Mom" Astro van, I look like any normal suburbanite, and not Joe Junkman in his rusted out 1978 Chevy Cheyanne pickup truck.
Over the years I have found that junk pickers are Territorial and can be quite mean as well.

Sun Feb 03, 2008 8:41 am

I collect vintage furniture from the 50s-70s. and old skate boards. I have had to cut back in the last couple years from estate sales and yard-garage sales because I am running out of room. I don't buy to sell this stuff. I once found an unopened (NOS) 78 of michael jackson's Bad at a sale for real cheap .05 cents. I got some other good deals too.

don't forget to check goodwill and salvation army. lots of good junk there too.

Sun Feb 03, 2008 10:51 am

i've got an un-opened can of Billy beer :roll:

and a j.r. ewing beer also :lol:

Sun Feb 03, 2008 11:04 am

Mosparx wrote: Some burbs also restrict "junk picking". "They" say that treelawns are the "City's Property", and anything on it belongs to them. Fine- then "they" can come shovel the snow off my sidewalk and mow my treelawn for me, too! :twisted:
On "Recycling Days" I get up early to get ahead of the recycling truck and pick aluminum cans or whatever looks good. A few times I have seen the recycling truck sneak up behind me, and they get pissed off because I'm taking "their stuff". I've had to split to another part of town to avoid the cops on occasion, but in my "Soccer Mom" Astro van, I look like any normal suburbanite, and not Joe Junkman in his rusted out 1978 Chevy Cheyanne pickup truck.
Over the years I have found that junk pickers are Territorial and can be quite mean as well.

My town has anti-scavenging laws. the recyclables in the city-provided containers are off limits. Nice little fine if you are caught. A lot of towns in Cali are this way. Check into your towns laws as that could explain why the recycling truck workers are pissed.

Sun Feb 03, 2008 6:45 pm

E Haddam CT has a zoning provision specifically about tag sales- all because one property owner had a tag sale once- and it ran for years.

I dont thing we've ever bought new furniture- except for mattresses. I think the best score was the 5$ Handel chandelier. Only new stuff we look at is artwork.

Sun Feb 03, 2008 7:07 pm

I'm an E-bayer. :oops: mostly a seller. Come-on, I work in Government. I have to subsidize my income to pay for my nasty habits. V-Dubs and property.

I hit up auctions and garage sales.

Sun Feb 03, 2008 8:29 pm

I dig antique electrical stuff ... besides insulators explained in this thread...

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2...;start=180

I like antique stuff like this ...

a carbon arc street lamp from 1901.. it still works!

Mon Feb 04, 2008 8:18 am

Obus, Yea it is $20 but I have seen the same buyers in line each time we go. BTW that is not the owner, He is a miserable grump. There is jokes between the dealers of the Trunk Cops. If I came in with you instead on Mary he would charge me $20 more as He remembers Mary is with me. If you screw up once you aren't allowed back.

The other idea is a space is only $40 and you get 2 people in on that price. You could set up too....

Mon Feb 04, 2008 8:28 am

Mike Spadafora is on here??? Remember Howie from Crown Jewels Magazine & insulator collecting? I saw your insulator stuff in that pic, then saw your name and went WOW! I never knew you were a VW guy! Looks like you are still collecting "Mud"! I haven't collected in years, but I have all my old glass still. Good to see a familiar face on here! :D

Mon Feb 04, 2008 11:11 am

Our city has "Spring Cleanup". You should see the traffic coming through all night long. Sometimes we get our lawnchairs out, sit in the driveway and keep track of how many times a certain car will drive-by a pile before they finally stop. The ones driving trucks and vans will stop right away but the ones in Lexus' and BMWs will make about ten passes before they stop. It is fun to watch.