Free Pile at the Estate Sale

[pete501]

You got to love it when they put out a box full of Handloader Magazines into the Free Pile at the local Estate Sale. About 50 issues from 1997 to 2006.

It's going to take some time to go through these with all the articles I want to read.

I was fortunate to be driving my truck as 10 pieces of 8' metal roofing were also free.

[Winger Ed.]

Cool.

If you look in the classified ads in the back, you might find the ad. for that $50. Army Jeep we have all
heard about but have never been able to get our hands on.

No, wait. I think it always only ran in 'Field & Stream'.

[Hodagtrapper]

The end of auctions, rummage sales and estate sales are often worth hanging around until the official end. Most folks leave early and if the weather is bad the deals can really be had!

Chris

[pete501]

No joke, my uncle had old army jeeps. He bought pallets of jeep parts, put together a few. That was in Lacrosse WI +55 years ago.

[higgins]

Went to an estate sale a few years ago and stayed till the end (through a couple of rain showers) and got a box lot including a Kuhnhausen Ruger SA manual and a Japanese Tasco 3x9 and some others stuff for $5. I bid on it for the manual and one of the helpers tossed in the scope just as it was going-going-sold

[poppy42]

One of the few times I let the wife talk me into having a yard sale. I had some guy haggling with me over an item I wanted a dollar for. He offered me a quarter and I told him to take a hike. After the sale was over some of the items that made their way out for the trash I noticed the same SOB pull up and getting ready to go through the things he was unwilling to spend a dollar for in my trash. I ran him off with a ball bat! From that time on anything and heading to the trash got thoroughly destroyed first! Sometimes it’s just the principle of the matter!

[5Shot]

One of the few times I let the wife talk me into having a yard sale. I had some guy haggling with me over an item I wanted a dollar for. He offered me a quarter and I told him to take a hike. After the sale was over some of the items that made their way out for the trash I noticed the same SOB pull up and getting ready to go through the things he was unwilling to spend a dollar for in my trash. I ran him off with a ball bat! From that time on anything and heading to the trash got thoroughly destroyed first! Sometimes it’s just the principle of the matter!

Yep...cheap SOBs don't get nothing. After haggling over something that is at give away prices anyway, I won't sell them anything.

[dverna]

We had stacks of dishes in a moving sale and one guy offered us a pittance. As we were ending the sale he shows up with a **** eating smile and asks if we are ready to sell them.

I was ticked off...told him we were taking them to the Salvation Army Thrift store and he could buy them there. He got rather irritated...then argumentative. Told him to get off the property or I was calling the police.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

You might also find an ad for a Jivaro blowgun. Came from Provo Utah and were a must have item for the well equipped boy.

[pete501]

Well its not going to take me as long as I thought. I have gone through about ten issues. Not reading every article but plenty of interest features.

Moly coating had been offered in a commercial cast bullet. From the (1998) article moly coating seemed the answer lubeing and barrel leading. I even attempted to mix moly grease into my lube recipe. The moly coating kind of fell away of powder coating.

I havent seen the Jivaro blowgun, but I see many small gun related business card sized ads from across America. I wonder how many ae still in business today..

[Keyman]

I had a down sizing sale before covid. 35 years plus of treasures, and the bottom feeders were trying. When they gave me a low ball, I went over to the active burn barrel and in it went. Also told them the local thrift store got this weekends treasures, and new items would be out next week." Do not wait to buy was my cry!"

[Char-Gar]

You might also find an ad for a Jivaro blowgun. Came from Provo Utah and were a must have item for the well equipped boy.

I have an 8" Auca blowgun I brought out of the jungle in Ecuador. I flew and out on a grass strip in a Helio Courier. To get it out we had to tape it to the side of the airplane with strapping tape. I traded it's owner a good Swiss Army knife for it.

[Bloodman14]

I actually had 2 of those Jivaro blowguns! Great for lung development, and scary accurate. Used to make 'stunners' by mounting the orange ball on one end and the cone on the other. Neighborhood cats learned to stay away real fast!

[dale2242]

I thought low balling at yard sales was standard procedure.
If you want to pay full price you can always shop at a retail store.
I never was offended by a low ball offer.
Just give them your lowest price.
$.25 for a $1 item is better than tossing it in the trash.
I though the idea of a yard sale was to get rid of unwanted items.
I never stop at what I know is an ongoing yard sale.
People that run them are not just trying to get rid of unwanted items but are, in a way, attempting to retail in the name of a yard sale.
These people are the ones that seem to be most offended by low ball offers.

[oley55]

I thought low balling at yard sales was standard procedure.
If you want to pay full price you can always shop at a retail store.
I never was offended by a low ball offer.
Just give them your lowest price.
$.25 for a $1 item is better than tossing it in the trash.
I though the idea of a yard sale was to get rid of unwanted items.
I never stop at what I know is an ongoing yard sale.
People that run them are not just trying to get rid of unwanted items but are, in a way, attempting to retail in the name of a yard sale.
These people are the ones that seem to be most offended by low ball offers.

I'm not entirely on board with the whole low balling thing. When I hit the sales, it's pretty obvious when good folks have priced their stuff to sell and those that are in the retail business. If the price asked is priced at a few pennies on a dollar value, I will not insult them or myself by being a jerk and throwing a low ball at them. Sure I'll offer a bit less than asked, but not ridiculously so.

The same is true when I have the rare sale of my own. If I have already priced my items for way less than dirt cheap and some wanker comes up with some ridiculous low ball offer, I'm more likely to break the item in two and toss it in the schiff-can right there in front of them. Sure some dickering is expected, but there are limits to civilized commerce.

I guess it figures why I don't often have garage sales....

[shooter bob]

Yep you guys who break the item or throw it in a burn barrel really show them low ball offers a thing or two.It’s called cutting off your nose to spite your face

[David2011]

Out of respect for myself and the seller, I can’t try to weasel someone down on an already fair price. It would embarrass me.

[Gator 45/70]

Went to an estate sale about 2 months ago and was able to pick up a Stihl leaf blower and weedeater for 60 bucks.
Turned around and sold just the weedeater for 150.00 to a gent in the grass cutting business. He was happy to get it for that price.

[PhatForrest]

My best deal was a dillon square deal b in 9mm, at the estate sale of a friend of a friend, for $50. I had gone to pick up a very nice customized remington 700 in 243 for $600, and my friend asked the seller for the press to be throw in for an extra 50 bucks.

It's been about 5 years now, and I still use both the rifle and the press all the time.

[Ithaca Gunner]

I've gotten some free goodies from gun shows, late on Sundays. A stack of old Dixie Gun Works catalogs from the 60's once. I was mindlessly leafing through them while my brother was looking at a gun. The guy turns to me and asks, ''Ya want those? Get em out of here, I don't want to load em up and deal with em again!'' I was happy to get them!

[jonp]

Last estate sale I remember going to had a few things I wanted including a nice lever 30 WCF Win. Waited and waited then told the girlfriend I had to go to the bathroom and to bid on that gun up to a certain amount. When I got back I saw it was sold for less than I told her to bid. I asked her why she didn't bid and she said the guy yelled out it was a 3030.

I did end up with a popcorn machine from a local theatre that had been torn down. The big commercial one with the center unit thing. Nice prop to plug in with the lights in my dining room.