yard sale scores

grumpyvette

grumpyvette

Administrator
Staff member
now, I'll tell you, Ive found that yard sales are a great place to find occasional parts for sale or tools
the trick is to always ask if they have tools or automotive related parts, because guys frequently don,t think to place some larger items they want to get rid of or make some money from at those yard sales even if its just taking up room in their yard or garage.


IVE gotten some excellent deals at yard sales, you never know what youll find, I purchased several well used but fully functional timing lights and compression gauges and V.O.M. meters for under $15, boxes full of assorted sockets and wrenches for under $1 for each socket or wrench.
I purchased a 396 BBC that was missing the oil pan and intake for $50
a 429 ford BBF for $100
several 350 sbc engine and partial engines
several Pontiac v8 engines, intakes, oil pans etc.
a car trailer, some engine cranes, engine stands,electrical wiring, drop lights
fender mats, tow straps.
easily 16-20 aluminum intake manifolds, dozens of carburetors,that needed rebuilding,
numerous assorted valve covers for under $4 each
a good fully functioning 230 volt 250 amp arc welder, for $100,
an acetylene torch that looked NEW for $40
a hobart 175 amp 220 volt MIG WELDER for $175
a LINCOLN 110 volt MIG for $250
btw keep your eyes out for used floor jacks at yard sales, and if a friends floor jack fails it might only require minimal maintenance to repair,this is were having a bit of curiosity and mechanical skill helps , one of my friends has a sears jack that he used for 20 years, it eventually started having a problem where it would slowly loose height if not regularly pumped up so he donated it to me and bought a new floor jack, it took me about 45 minutes to figure out how to disassemble and clean it , and replace a couple worn o-rings but for 45-60 minutes work and less than 80 cents in o-ring's, and $7 in hydraulic jack oil, I had a spare functional floor jack.
what have you gentlemen found??
 
sometimes its the cheaper stuff that turns out to be the jewel in disguise, I picked up a shop vacuum for $10 that had an obviously defective power cord back in about 1970 and it lasted until last year, a shop vacuum that easily cost $80 new .
I picked up a set of cast M/T BBC valve covers that looked nasty, for $5 IM sure the guy was going to pitch in the dumpster if they failed to sell, and I cleaned , bead blasted and powder coated, then baked those and they looked great on my 1968 corvette.
I picked up about 400 assorted taps and drill bits from a machinist,s widow who was cleaning out the garage for $40 and Ive used those for 30 plus years.
like I said, always ask if they have tools or car related parts or anything related to lighting, hunting,related fishing,related mechanics tools etc.
you would be amazed at the number of times guys have engine stands, car trailers or assorted engine parts they failed to mention or display

viewtopic.php?f=27&t=4973
 
you never know what you'll find...
I stop by local yard sales, on those rare occasions when I have $15-$20 bucks I can use to buy used tools because Ive found over the years that 90% of the stuff as expected is crap most people would be expected to throw in the nearest land fill but occasionally you'll find good deals, I stopped by a guy who had a (MOVING SALE) seems his LATE father had passed and he was cleaning out the house to sell, well as expected 90% of the crap for sale was furniture, but under a table I found a couple dozen rusted drill bits and a rusted up Lyman lube sizer, the box went for $10, while its true it had a very full coat of rust and filthy grease it was fully functional after about 1 hour of careful cleaning, and a close exam of the drill bits showed most were coated with light powder rust but had never been used, I doubt the seller had a clue what that small mechanical object covered with rust and grease even was let alone any idea as to its potential value, which in its original condition was easily still $50 or more to a re-loader just for minor spare parts

lymansiz.jpg



http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/i ... 0152745880
they go for about $160 PLUS new
 
I've had a discussion with guys before about Florida (and Texas too) about yard/garage sales. On two occasions my wife and I were on vacation in FL and stopped by.many yard sales and the prices were just plain give-always! My wife is from Ft. Worth and she says it's the same thing there. Up here people buy up all the good stuff the day before the sales start or they're out at 6 am. Others buy up everything and have their own yard sale. They would rather put the stuff back in the garage rather then let things go for a reasonable price. People have HF stuff and sell it for the same or more than the new price! People will be spiteful if you come back later and try to snag a better deal, the owner will just raise the price more than he/she originally asked. There are pickers that buy to resell to auctioneers, others are second-hand shop owners looking for inventory and yet others are looking for stuff they can use as returns to certain stores ( they have balls!) Car parts are tires, rims, air filters, sheep or bead car seat covers and speakers - oh, i almost forgot the endless amount of car ramps and frightening scary jack-stands, everything else is for CL. I think a guy could make some really good money with a cube van/truck and just cruse the yard sales in FL then bring the stuff back up north for resale!
 
I am addicted to ebay.
Its like the world's biggest garage sale 24/7/365 a year.
Look at least 3-4 times daily for high performance parts deals used or new.
Vintage Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Chevrolet Corvette Parts.
Also like Nostalgia drag racing items, Magazines, and articles.
Picked up some real nice parts & good deals for the last 6 years.
Ultra rare items show up sometimes too.
Like a 1962-63 Tempest Transaoxle from a A/FX Experimental 421 Super Duty 421.
Mickey Thompson driven.
Lots out of my affordability but I can look & dream.
 

If they had a 48 hour day for sale, now that would be worth some money
and give you more time to shop!

I would be all over it, like stink on shi......! ;)

 
I really like ebay Rick.
It used to be real profitable selling too.
But thier fees have gone up . They get 10-11 % of your sale.
But the worldwide advertisement is outstanding.
If your on for a while you learn all the tricks.
I don't use auction sniper.
Takes away fun winning.
Super desirable items I make an offer behind the scenes.
Most of the time they say yes.
Most Pontiac collectors that sell I recognize. Have a small edge there.
Should maybe start a new thread on ebay finds & purchases.
Or current auctions.
 
I rarely buy on ebay, Ive had less than a good experience more than once, the last time I sold a car part, (a 1976 corvette air compressor) I had it was new in the box, but Id since sold the car, and it had sat on the shelf for about 10 years, so I unloaded it at a significant discount , the buyer received it then claimed it was defective and demanded a refund and said he shipped it back, I got back his old defective compressor and ebay sent him his money back, he paid my pay pal account which was debited and his closed as soon as he got his money.
plus I will never forget waiting in a machine shop locally to pick up a big block I was having machined and while there the machinist came out and told a second customer he could not bore his block as the cylinder walls were already nearly paper thin......his response was....ok, JUST paint it up nice too look good, I'll get my money back on it on EBAY
 
There are problem people Yes on ebay.
We Call Them Liberals Grumpy.
Ones to Avoid. Don't answer back.
Allways check sellers Feedback score for past 1week. 1 month. Goes back 1 year too.
Check potential buyers feedback score. For me must be at least 50 counts or higher.
 
Ebay has resolved buying issues for me twice.
C4 parts purchased & paid. Never shipped. Money returned to paypal wihin 3 business days.
 
I'm with Grumpy about eBay. I bought a Qjet last year from someone that stated it was untouched and off a perfectly good running car. I didn't want a carb that was a commercial rebuild as they are almost always Jerry-rigged and assembled incorrectly and I let the seller know before I bid. I was assured it was not anything less then original. Guess what I was sent! I disputed the sale with eBay and lost because the seller said he bought it at a swap meet and went by what he was told. I had a couple more bad transactions , one I'll take the hit because I failed to open and check the item during the 3 day return policy. I just love the cheep small items that sellers charge outrageous shipping and "handling" fees. I know they're making more on the S&H then on the item it's self! I have had pretty good luck buying on CL - selling is a different story, it's a 50/50 Chance i get someone who is a total waste of time.
 
I only sell high dollar items on ebay.
Starting bid usually $400-500.
Reserve set.
Run auction for 7-9 days.
Rare hard to come by Pontiac Musclecar Parts.
Some single sales have grossed $3k to $4k.

Sold a single 1973 Pontiac Super Duty Cylinder Head.
Real early casting number 16 made July 1972.
One of the 1st ever casted by GM Pontiac Foundry.
Listed auction.
Went back to check 1 minute later.
A Pontiac collector like me bought it & paid in full.
$2k . Checked Paypal. He paid in full + 60.00 shipping.
3 entire minutes passed by.
20 people viewed page in 3 minutes.
8 watchers.
Put up a BUY IT NOW OPTION.
ALSO WROTE....
ALL SALES ARE FINAL.
NO RETURNS.
IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS CYLINDER HEAD IS & RARE GET LOST NOW.
WASTE SOMEONE ELSE'S TIME. NOT MINE.

ALWAYS LIST SIMILAR.
NO SELLING ISSUES.

Brian
 
Brian,

Back in the second half of the 1990s I took a brief position in a hospital as the associate director of pharmacy at Fox Chase Cancer. I had a huge office with loads of book shelves, I got rid of most books as the Internet was a growing source by the minute. So my bright idea was to fill the spaces with apothecary and medical artifacts. I either attended auctions in person, go to the countless "antique" shops or shop on eBay. I learned a bit too slow that the experienced sellers knew just how to spin or play with wording in the descriptions. I learned that if I asked too many questions the deceptive sellers would get bent out of shape and ignor me. Back then eBay had a completely different format/structure and it wasn't long before I discontinued buying anything. I had a bitter taste of online auctions lasting 5 years until I discovered most anything I could ever want could be found between Amazon and eBay (Amazon being my favorite source and I cannot remember when was the last time I paid any shipping charges!). Once I even bought a dozen large live Koi fish for my pond - shipped overnight from CA. That's a story for rolling of your chair!

Btw Brian, my wife and kids will be in your neck of the woods visiting her sister in Naperville in two weeks - need any Quadrajets? :lol:

Oh to keep on the OP's topic, last Sat. There was a yard sale near me. Apparently the homeowner is a Matco dealer and he was trading rare car parts for Matco tools and collateral for buying tools on credit. I have a list and an outrageous price list if anyone is interested. His place is an eyesore full of junk (to me) but I was under the impression he doesn't sell . . . . Looking at the prices that maybe true!
 
Ok Rich.
I like Q-jets.
Ok if some mangled .
I can build a few good Q-jets I am sure from the small lot of them.
Let me know when your in Illinois.

The wife loves garage sales, craigslist, and Amozon.

My friend Bob nearby makes great finds on ebay too.
He is a. diehard Mopar Musclecar guy.
He got me hooked on ebay.
He's loves ebay also.
 
I wont buy on ebay unless its a business, like a ebay store. The private sellers are the ones to be careful about, they will screw ya if given a chance.
 
The only problems I have had with private sales there are shithead dickhead 1984-96 Chevrolet Corvette owners.
I think they are from the original Corvette Forum.

Pontiac, Oldsmoble & Mopar guys are a tightknit group.
Loyal.
I have purchased engines, transmissions, Entire Rearends.
Driven 500 miles 1 way to pickup. No problems.
You can always send a. message on fleabay to a certain person & tell them tour going to knock thier heads off with your Right & Left fists if thy screw you.
I have done that too.
People tend to wise up.
Liberals from New York I avoid 100%.

Brian R.
 
87vette81big said:
The only problems I have had with private sales there are shithead dickhead 1984-96 Chevrolet Corvette owners.
I think they are from the original Corvette Forum.
Brian R.
Click to expand...

:lol: :D it's certainly a strange bunch on that site! I left that site in 06 when I was banned for mentioning a company that was not a paid vendor on CF.
 
chromebumpers said:
87vette81big said:
The only problems I have had with private sales there are shithead dickhead 1984-96 Chevrolet Corvette owners.
I think they are from the original Corvette Forum.
Brian R.
Click to expand...

:lol: :D it's certainly a strange bunch on that site! I left that site in 06 when I was banned for mentioning a company that was not a paid vendor on CF.
Click to expand...

Yes Rich.
I agree
Many, thousands of my posts & a few builds present still there.
I run across by chance on google internet searches.
Helped many there in my time.
 
I stopped at a couple yard sales this week end just, a bit curious, as to what was available and the prices asked.
you never know what youll see, a buddy recently found a near complete hilborn injection system, intake, manifold, pumps, lines etc. that fit a 390-427 ford at a yard sale he got for $1450 (thats a great deal) look what it sells for new!
http://www.hilborninjection.com/product ... &CatId=176
yeah he will need to buy some parts but he still got a killer deal.
You never know, every once in a while you see a great deal. but I had to laugh in this one old ladys face.
honestly I doubt this gal had a clue, theres an old dented drop light on the table with a 5 foot long black cord and the plug on the ends missing, cut clean off! the swinging safety cadge is bent but thats usually the case, and its obviously quite old, now splicing on an extension cords no big chore so I figure for the $1-$2 she will most likely ask I may buy it, so I pick it up showing the plug on the cords missing and ask how much do you want for this...the answer $20, I just put it down and walked away, .....obviously shes NUTS and I had no reason to look further.

dropl.jpg

http://www.harborfreight.com/drop-light-3489.html
 
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