2026 Garage Sale Thread (15th Annual)
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When I got back to the house yesterday and started unloading the truck and organizing stuff from the yard sale yesterday only 5 blocks away something seemed to be missing. I checked the truck again but I knew there was something off. Unloading stuff this morning and I found it, this black cordless tool holder was hiding against the back of the black seat back. It can be used free standing, mount to a wall or hang on the side of a tool box.
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Yesterday I had to go back to the Estate Sale 6 miles away to drop off some personal family papers that were in the Kennedy toolbox 
. That's my excuse anyways.
The sale was now 50% off so I reluctantly went and did some more digging LOL. The C-clamps had been way overpriced yesterday, they had drastically dropped the price and then 50% off of that. Armstrong, JH Williams and a lone Cincinnati. The welding bottle tops were on a high shelf and needed for the bottles I just picked up. The 3/4" drive stuff is Proto and Thorsen. I like the little garage sale apron from the local newspapers. The animal calls are a Cajun Crow Call from Baton Rouge and Black Canyon Calls, they will go on my new antique store bookshelf. I spent $42 total.
. That's my excuse anyways. The sale was now 50% off so I reluctantly went and did some more digging LOL. The C-clamps had been way overpriced yesterday, they had drastically dropped the price and then 50% off of that. Armstrong, JH Williams and a lone Cincinnati. The welding bottle tops were on a high shelf and needed for the bottles I just picked up. The 3/4" drive stuff is Proto and Thorsen. I like the little garage sale apron from the local newspapers. The animal calls are a Cajun Crow Call from Baton Rouge and Black Canyon Calls, they will go on my new antique store bookshelf. I spent $42 total.
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Yesterday I went to a new event, Fairgrounds Finds at the Louisiana State Fairgrounds in Shreveport Louisiana. I got there late at 2 PM because I had Marketplace Buyers coming by in the morning.
The main reason I went is because I now have a "handle guy" who does handles for hammers, axes, shovels and so forth. He came by a couple of weeks ago to buy a bunch of NOS welding hammers
from me and a few other axe and hammer heads.
I gave him some sledge hammer heads and handles to hang. Warran-Teed USA 12 pound, unknown 12 pound (anyone recognize the mark in the photo?) and Stanley USA 8 pound. He only charged me $5 per hammer to clean up the heads and put them on.
I did get a couple of things there, working fan for $4 and a brush and scraper kit for reciprocating saws for $2.
The main reason I went is because I now have a "handle guy" who does handles for hammers, axes, shovels and so forth. He came by a couple of weeks ago to buy a bunch of NOS welding hammers
from me and a few other axe and hammer heads.I gave him some sledge hammer heads and handles to hang. Warran-Teed USA 12 pound, unknown 12 pound (anyone recognize the mark in the photo?) and Stanley USA 8 pound. He only charged me $5 per hammer to clean up the heads and put them on.
I did get a couple of things there, working fan for $4 and a brush and scraper kit for reciprocating saws for $2.
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alinc100
Well-known member
One sale today as part of a local city-wide sale. Seller had my best interest at heart by posting tools. I made contact got the address and then drove 20 minutes, crossing my fingers that no-one swept the rug. Seller knew I was on the way and would have brushed off a buyer I believe after chatting while buying. Anyhow I got:
Kennedy Kits K20 Tray
Thorsen 1/2" "Red Box Special"
Chromium Vanadium 1/4" set
Craftsman 44146 Metric 3/8" drive set( not sure if the red is original, it's really clean)
2@Craftsman 4395 3/8" drive sets with crossbars
Misc hex drive sockets ( the 1/4" Chromium Vanadium was in the small green box)
Craftsman metal storage box with 3 digit combination lock...only 999 possible combinations LOL
Kennedy Kits K20 Tray
Thorsen 1/2" "Red Box Special"
Chromium Vanadium 1/4" set
Craftsman 44146 Metric 3/8" drive set( not sure if the red is original, it's really clean)
2@Craftsman 4395 3/8" drive sets with crossbars
Misc hex drive sockets ( the 1/4" Chromium Vanadium was in the small green box)
Craftsman metal storage box with 3 digit combination lock...only 999 possible combinations LOL
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Here is a quick post sale preview of my $50 tool bucket from a large tool sale this morning a bit over an hour from me. Somehow this sale had eluded my past searches but since my first morning sale 30 minutes away was a bust I guess this sale was within my search radius so I really lucked into finding something worthwhile. This was the last day of the sale and this is what I found after it had been picked clean after a couple days of the sale. Several $100 fill a bucket deals had been sold the day prior and I think today was basically half off and any tool was $1. I really had to work for this, digging in the nasty mice infested places that others did not dare venture. There was still a ton of machinist tools and materials and it's crazy to thing about some of the left behind stuff. Eventually I got tired and the generator power cut off and lost my motivation.
This large machinist hoard was purchased as a lot from a retired machinist (who never threw anything away and likely acquired much more from others who retired) to support a local machine shop / tool maker so it had already been picked through significantly prior to the sale. It really must have been something to see.
I found not one but 3 10mm Snap On impact sockets that look brand new. Heavy duty Wright square sockets (almost a complete 1/2" set plus a couple huge impacts), lots of snap ring pliers, Fairmont/Martin angle head and service wrenches, hook and pin spanners, a few Kobalt USA / Snap On wrenches and sockets, etc that I can’t remember it all. Oh and at least a 10 lb piece of brass. It all needs cleaned and disinfected though. I never felt so dirty before and had no way to clean my hands. I might have some kind of deadly and contagious virus so I will quarantine myself. I have no idea how I'm going to clean half of this stuff. The darn mice had been through most of the tool box drawers.
This large machinist hoard was purchased as a lot from a retired machinist (who never threw anything away and likely acquired much more from others who retired) to support a local machine shop / tool maker so it had already been picked through significantly prior to the sale. It really must have been something to see.
I found not one but 3 10mm Snap On impact sockets that look brand new. Heavy duty Wright square sockets (almost a complete 1/2" set plus a couple huge impacts), lots of snap ring pliers, Fairmont/Martin angle head and service wrenches, hook and pin spanners, a few Kobalt USA / Snap On wrenches and sockets, etc that I can’t remember it all. Oh and at least a 10 lb piece of brass. It all needs cleaned and disinfected though. I never felt so dirty before and had no way to clean my hands. I might have some kind of deadly and contagious virus so I will quarantine myself. I have no idea how I'm going to clean half of this stuff. The darn mice had been through most of the tool box drawers.
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Outlawmws
Well-known member
Always suckworthy!
I really like those and cloud use a couple more. one to "complete" my stack, and another to be made portable for Coleman parts.
That's very cool!
Beerhippie
Well-known member
What are those?
Patrickm82
Well-known member
After getting skunked last weekend, this weekend started off the same. A bunch of sales and nothing worth taking. But I persisted and ended up getting a few cool things. Here’s my haul for the weekend.
First was a TOO,
2 craftsman *********** C-clamps
Irwin adjustable auger with original box
$5
Next was a planned stop about 5 mins from home. I got some great condition socket sets and crimper set and a spoke wrench $50
Williams 1/2” drive 330s set missing one for the set but an extra Williams 1-1/8”
SK Wayne 1/4-3/8” drive set; the only socket that looks used was 7/16. Zero rust
Burndy hylug crimper set, all the cans are full of different size stakons
Dudly tool co. Spoke wrench
Last stop was a guy moving down south getting rid of stuff. $10
Herbrand Vanchrome 7/16” combo
Bluepoint double box 1/2-9/16
Well corp double open end
Plomb U.S.N 7/8” 6 point deep
Bonney chrome vanadium 3/4 deep 12 point
Proto 1” 1/2” drive 12 point
Brand new knotted wire cup
Pack of stripping disks
Last was a $2 gas can
First was a TOO,
2 craftsman *********** C-clamps
Irwin adjustable auger with original box
$5
Next was a planned stop about 5 mins from home. I got some great condition socket sets and crimper set and a spoke wrench $50
Williams 1/2” drive 330s set missing one for the set but an extra Williams 1-1/8”
SK Wayne 1/4-3/8” drive set; the only socket that looks used was 7/16. Zero rust
Burndy hylug crimper set, all the cans are full of different size stakons
Dudly tool co. Spoke wrench
Last stop was a guy moving down south getting rid of stuff. $10
Herbrand Vanchrome 7/16” combo
Bluepoint double box 1/2-9/16
Well corp double open end
Plomb U.S.N 7/8” 6 point deep
Bonney chrome vanadium 3/4 deep 12 point
Proto 1” 1/2” drive 12 point
Brand new knotted wire cup
Pack of stripping disks
Last was a $2 gas can
alinc100
Well-known member
Hand sanitizer and Tub o Towels goes a long way. I keep them in my truck at all times.Here is a quick post sale preview of my $50 tool bucket from a large tool sale this morning a bit over an hour from me. Somehow this sale had eluded my past searches but since my first morning sale 30 minutes away was a bust I guess this sale was within my search radius so I really lucked into finding something worthwhile. This was the last day of the sale and this is what I found after it had been picked clean after a couple days of the sale. Several $100 fill a bucket deals had been sold the day prior and I think today was basically half off and any tool was $1. I really had to work for this, digging in the nasty mice infested places that others did not dare venture. There was still a ton of machinist tools and materials and it's crazy to thing about some of the left behind stuff. Eventually I got tired and the generator power cut off and lost my motivation.
This large machinist hoard was purchased as a lot from a retired machinist (who never threw anything away and likely acquired much more from others who retired) to support a local machine shop / tool maker so it had already been picked through significantly prior to the sale. It really must have been something to see.
I found not one but 3 10mm Snap On impact sockets that look brand new. Heavy duty Wright square sockets (almost a complete 1/2" set plus a couple huge impacts), lots of snap ring pliers, Fairmont/Martin angle head and service wrenches, hook and pin spanners, a few Kobalt USA / Snap On wrenches and sockets, etc that I can’t remember it all. Oh and at least a 10 lb piece of brass. It all needs cleaned and disinfected though. I never felt so dirty before and had no way to clean my hands. I might have some kind of deadly and contagious virus so I will quarantine myself. I have no idea how I'm going to clean half of this stuff. The darn mice had been through most of the tool box drawers.
Patrickm82
Well-known member
Same here; tub ‘o’ towels for the win!!
Outlawmws
Well-known member
An ancient form of communicating. it was a step up from throwing rocks with words on them, but still sometimes led to broken windows.
Beerhippie
Well-known member
Not our local rag--it was some five pages long. The Safeway ad insert was longer. $0.25, came out on Wednesday. I actually miss it--especially the FREE YS ads!
Outlawmws
Well-known member
Sounds like what used to be called The Pennysaver, back when I was in school. it died before the big newspapers I think. mostly personal ads for things for sale.
After getting skunked last weekend, this weekend started off the same. A bunch of sales and nothing worth taking. But I persisted and ended up getting a few cool things. Here’s my haul for the weekend.
First was a TOO,
2 craftsman *********** C-clamps
Irwin adjustable auger with original box
$5
Next was a planned stop about 5 mins from home. I got some great condition socket sets and crimper set and a spoke wrench $50
Williams 1/2” drive 330s set missing one for the set but an extra Williams 1-1/8”
SK Wayne 1/4-3/8” drive set; the only socket that looks used was 7/16. Zero rust
Burndy hylug crimper set, all the cans are full of different size stakons
Dudly tool co. Spoke wrench
Last stop was a guy moving down south getting rid of stuff. $10
Herbrand Vanchrome 7/16” combo
Bluepoint double box 1/2-9/16
Well corp double open end
Plomb U.S.N 7/8” 6 point deep
Bonney chrome vanadium 3/4 deep 12 point
Proto 1” 1/2” drive 12 point
Brand new knotted wire cup
Pack of stripping disks
Last was a $2 gas can
You ****, especially the $10 score with that SK set
Beerhippie
Well-known member
Nah, that was The Nickel, which was regional. The Chieftain was our local rag and it was a real local newspaper, with a little national, a little more regional and a LOT of local news--and gossip.
The letters to the editor were often extremely amusing... as was the local police report, AKA the barking dog/crazy neighbor report.
Déjà vu! Saturday at Jacktown, I spotted a label exactly like that one, flopping sadly in the dewy grass. I picked it up, thinking I could affix it to a wood box I have somewhere. Then I saw a red box exactly like that one, with a pale smudge where the label should have been. I tucked the label into the box with the expansive bit, hoping some other buyer, who actually needs it, would find it inside. The vendor had pretty high prices, so I wasn’t going to pay for it myself.2 craftsman *********** C-clamps
Irwin adjustable auger with original box
$5
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Outlawmws
Well-known member
Are these mini CL Nutbusters?
The 9.5" 410's
I didn't find these in 2026 but in about 2013 I didn't know about this site. My wife and I stopped at a farm house with a yard sale sign and I began looking at tools. Most was junk but I found a couple of Snap On combo wrenches in a pile and started searching. I found a set of long combo wrenches from 3/8" to 1 1/4" missing a 9/16" and a 3/4" and a full set of short combo wrenches from 5/16" to 3/4".
I think I gave the lady $20 bucks but they are all really tarnished like these two:
At first I thought it was old grease but it doesn't wipe off. The people who owned the place said they'd been in the garage for the 40 years they owned the place and were there when they moved in.
I asked the Snap On guy about the finish and he thought they may have been through a fire. I've used them a couple times and they don't really seem soft like they have lost their temper but they aren't in my using sets.
Anyone have any idea what may have happened to the finish? Fire, acid, some type of corrosive material?
I think I gave the lady $20 bucks but they are all really tarnished like these two:
At first I thought it was old grease but it doesn't wipe off. The people who owned the place said they'd been in the garage for the 40 years they owned the place and were there when they moved in.
I asked the Snap On guy about the finish and he thought they may have been through a fire. I've used them a couple times and they don't really seem soft like they have lost their temper but they aren't in my using sets.
Anyone have any idea what may have happened to the finish? Fire, acid, some type of corrosive material?
Attachments
I didn't find these in 2026 but in about 2013 I didn't know about this site. My wife and I stopped at a farm house with a yard sale sign and I began looking at tools. Most was junk but I found a couple of Snap On combo wrenches in a pile and started searching. I found a set of long combo wrenches from 3/8" to 1 1/4" missing a 9/16" and a 3/4" and a full set of short combo wrenches from 5/16" to 3/4".
I think I gave the lady $20 bucks but they are all really tarnished like these two:
At first I thought it was old grease but it doesn't wipe off. The people who owned the place said they'd been in the garage for the 40 years they owned the place and were there when they moved in.
I asked the Snap On guy about the finish and he thought they may have been through a fire. I've used them a couple times and they don't really seem soft like they have lost their temper but they aren't in my using sets.
Anyone have any idea what may have happened to the finish? Fire, acid, some type of corrosive material?
I would get both of these warrantied for new. They look very worn out. Just say they are slipping.
RTM
Well-known member
I have always carried a bottle of hand sanitizer even before COVID, and a mask for really nasty jobs. I was once at a sale where some guy picked up a board, and then dropped it from height, filling the basement with nasty dust. Wish I'd had goggles too that day.
The sanitizer allows getting the smell of rust off my hands as well.
3baygarage
Well-known member
Hard to say but they could have been in a fire. I looked through a mess of chrome wrenches for sale that were from a fire and they ranged from similar to that to much worse.
bmwrd0
Well-known member
I don’t have Snap-on combos to check, so some of my questions are uninformed.I didn't find these in 2026 but in about 2013 I didn't know about this site. My wife and I stopped at a farm house with a yard sale sign and I began looking at tools. Most was junk but I found a couple of Snap On combo wrenches in a pile and started searching. I found a set of long combo wrenches from 3/8" to 1 1/4" missing a 9/16" and a 3/4" and a full set of short combo wrenches from 5/16" to 3/4".
I think I gave the lady $20 bucks but they are all really tarnished like these two:
At first I thought it was old grease but it doesn't wipe off. The people who owned the place said they'd been in the garage for the 40 years they owned the place and were there when they moved in.
I asked the Snap On guy about the finish and he thought they may have been through a fire. I've used them a couple times and they don't really seem soft like they have lost their temper but they aren't in my using sets.
Anyone have any idea what may have happened to the finish? Fire, acid, some type of corrosive material?
They are certainly more than forty years old - I think more than twice that. But don’t any of them have date codes stamped on them? A single, stylized number - maybe on the other side than you’re showing?
Related to their age is the finish. Shiny finishes could be cadmium, nickel, or chrome. Cad and nickel dull over time, and can look like yours from other causes than fire. You say you wiped them - with what?
Maybe most importantly, do you like that they are old, or would you prefer new?
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A small haul of tools from yesterdays Sunday Boot sale (Flea market). Currently its $1.34 to a British £ you get to do the math!
Starting at a solitary pound £, I secured the Stanley pin hammer (Toffee hammer over here, because of the little hammers that came bundled with hard toffee!) another £ bought the purple Guys flat tip screwdriver, another £ for the 20mm armoured cable gland kit and half a £ got the unloved green bolster. The wooden box was free!
The pack of pencils and the drawer of tacks/panel pins/detris/ clips were £2 each and The box of pins will amuse a confused 50 something (me!) this afternoon sorting them into there new homes for half an hour
Last up a £1 Fuller 329 is unusual find over here - I‘ve not encountered one outside this forum - and its a hefty heavy old thing, into my user drawer it goes. Next up into the user drawer is this Beta 1377/450 ball pein hammer for a paltry £3 - these seem to be expensive (x10 my price) but it seems a nice tool, though I’m not sure I’d pay retail.
Starting at a solitary pound £, I secured the Stanley pin hammer (Toffee hammer over here, because of the little hammers that came bundled with hard toffee!) another £ bought the purple Guys flat tip screwdriver, another £ for the 20mm armoured cable gland kit and half a £ got the unloved green bolster. The wooden box was free!
The pack of pencils and the drawer of tacks/panel pins/detris/ clips were £2 each and The box of pins will amuse a confused 50 something (me!) this afternoon sorting them into there new homes for half an hour
Last up a £1 Fuller 329 is unusual find over here - I‘ve not encountered one outside this forum - and its a hefty heavy old thing, into my user drawer it goes. Next up into the user drawer is this Beta 1377/450 ball pein hammer for a paltry £3 - these seem to be expensive (x10 my price) but it seems a nice tool, though I’m not sure I’d pay retail.
Here are pics of the two with the questionable finish along with another wrench that has been used hard. I used some brake cleaner on a rag and yesterday tried some carb cleaner on a rag. Neither removed the discoloration.
d42jeep
Well-known member
I’ve run across quite a few discolored Snap-on combos over time that I believe were originally chrome plated. Although they can be polished and made to look better they never look like new. The ones I have seem perfectly functional but when I find ones in better condition they become spares.I didn't find these in 2026 but in about 2013 I didn't know about this site. My wife and I stopped at a farm house with a yard sale sign and I began looking at tools. Most was junk but I found a couple of Snap On combo wrenches in a pile and started searching. I found a set of long combo wrenches from 3/8" to 1 1/4" missing a 9/16" and a 3/4" and a full set of short combo wrenches from 5/16" to 3/4".
I think I gave the lady $20 bucks but they are all really tarnished like these two:
At first I thought it was old grease but it doesn't wipe off. The people who owned the place said they'd been in the garage for the 40 years they owned the place and were there when they moved in.
I asked the Snap On guy about the finish and he thought they may have been through a fire. I've used them a couple times and they don't really seem soft like they have lost their temper but they aren't in my using sets.
Anyone have any idea what may have happened to the finish? Fire, acid, some type of corrosive material?
-Don
Outlawmws
Well-known member
1953 and 1955 respectively, so 70+ year old.
That bottom 5/16" looks just like mine. So do the finishes just degrade over time with exposure and use?I’ve run across quite a few discolored Snap-on combos over time that I believe were originally chrome plated. Although they can be polished and made to look better they never look like new. The ones I have seem perfectly functional but when I find ones in better condition they become spares.
-Don
DetailSeeker
Well-known member
I delivered that thing when I was a kid. Make me feel old.
Anyway! Found at a garage sale for $29:
- A soldering-iron--looking thing that I was told is used for sealing windows (may be misremembering some details)
- A vise, marked no. 88 and with a <G> logo
- A little carborundum sharpener
- A Butler gasoline blowtorch, early WWII
- Two adjustable wrenches (Proto and Mibro)
- A Hoppe socket set that appears to have minimal substitutions
- A box of sockets (mostly Husky, but I saw a New Britain and a Herbrand)
- Three C-clamps (two Brink & Cotton, one just marked STP)
- Fifteen sockets-etc. (one Snap-On), three tire lock nut keys, a tap wrench, and a weird thing l will examine more closely once I unscrew the brass bit.
Beerhippie
Well-known member
I'm pretty sure the soldering-iron-looking thing is actually a soldering iron. May have been used for soldering stained/cut glass windows.
very nice!coachwash
Well-known member
This is part 1. I separated out the non USA sockets first. Then I cleaned up the impact sockets they were pretty rusty so I would know what I got. Took a bit. Here they are:Bought this Kennedy top and bottom box full of tools today off of marketplace today. Got it picked up and back home around dark. I will inventory the contents in the next few days to see what treasures await.
Some SO 1/2 drive deep sockets SAE and a MAC 1/2 deep socket 15/16
Proto Professional 1/2 drive deep sockets and a couple of universals.
Proto Professional 1/2 drive shallow sockets 1 1/18 to 1/2.
Albertsons & Co Sioux 1/2 drive sockets. Never seen these before. And a couple S-K 1/2 drive sockets.
Cornwell 3/8 drive metric sockets 19mm to 9 mm. Also a 1/2.
Wright 3/8 drive SAE sockets. And a couple of MAC 1/4
APEX pieces.
coachwash
Well-known member
Part 2. Here are the rest of the sockets.Bought this Kennedy top and bottom box full of tools today off of marketplace today. Got it picked up and back home around dark. I will inventory the contents in the next few days to see what treasures await.
MAC sockets and Crows feet. Also one Snap-on socket.
Bonney hex bit sockets. Two are missing hex keys.
Misc brands of sockets. Thorsen, Cornwell, etc.
S-K sockets. 1/4 drive set with spinner. 3/8 drive in the middle. 1/2 deep socket set. 7/8 to 1/2.
Craftsman sockets. 1/2 drive, 3/8 drive 1/4 drive SAE and Metric. 1/2 extension. Crows feet, 1/4 breaker, 1/4 sliding T handle and a 1/4 Thorsen breaker.
coachwash
Well-known member
Final. Part 3. The rest of the tools from the box. I did remove all of the non USA wrenches. I have a bucket for donation or GS.Bought this Kennedy top and bottom box full of tools today off of marketplace today. Got it picked up and back home around dark. I will inventory the contents in the next few days to see what treasures await.
From the top box.
From the bottom box:
