First Tool Show -- PATINA 3/12

Re: First Tool Show -- PATINA 3/12

Dennis

>1. Seek out the dealers that got what your looking for

2. Better do your homework before you go about what tools are selling for (try the search at the bay)...........decent user, hard to say but all planes take some work.

3. asking price and offer, well that can be real problem, you can tick them off or get what you want at your price.

4. Me thinks you need to keep money in pocket and look around and learn........but if you see something you just can't live without......go for it and down the slope you go.

good luck

Dennis,who had great day at the garage sales

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PATINA Breakfast Suggestion/Comments

Todd Stock

>Steve:

Some comments:

- If you are coming up from I-495 (DC beltway) via I-270 to make the show, get bagels and coffee at Royal Bagel & Donuts. A garlic bagel with cream cheese should shorten up the negotiating process at the show, and is quite tasty. Take the MD-118 exit (I think Exit 16) towards Germantown; Royal is on the corner of Middlebrook and MD-118 behind the Nation's Bank. A great lunch stop when you're headed back down to home too. Open at 5 AM.

- Shoot to get there early (a hour or so before the doors open) - the tailgate scene is worth it.

- Have an idea on what you want to buy, and whether you will be able to find missing parts - check completed auctions on E-Bay for the range of prices on complete tools and those missing some stuff. Despite some sellers that will part out complete tools on EBay (proof that the sum of the parts is greater than the whole for some tools), most dealers will not even entertain the notion, so looking for that 289 fence will take some time and effort (you might be better off just paying the bucks for a complete tool). That said, there will be at least one parts vendor there with almost everything you'd ever need (except for that 289 fence).

- Don't get upset when the guy behind you snakes a hand in to grab a tool you've just set back on the table. RULE OF DIBS: Don't set it down until you've decided you don't want it.

- If you want to take something apart, as permission first.

- PATINA is a great place to find measuring and marking tools, a nice set of 14" Disston back saws, or a 3/8" edge bead molding plane. I carry a 6" rule and a small square for checking things out, but don't bother pulling them out unless I'm pretty serious about the tool.

- Some items sell for more than on E-Bay (Emmert vises), but most go for less that what you'd pay with shipping. PATINA is a great place to shop for users as well as stuff that collectors are looking for. A few years ago, I was able to find a very complete set of crispy #750s through 1-1/4 for about $6 per tool (I know - guys in Maine stumble over crates of 750's for $2, and find a complete 444 under the two NIB #1's; however, this is MD).

- Ask questions. Many of the dealers are very well informed on use and care. Also recognize that the guys/gals around you will feel free to jump in with opinion, folk lore, etc. at the drop of a WC hat.

- The sale is just a half day now, so if you have to dash out to a cash machine for reinforcements, do it early.

See you there - Damascus is about 4 miles from the house, so a nice short trip for me.

Todd

Re: PATINA Breakfast Suggestion/Comments

William Duffield, on the Cohansey

>So, where do I grab breakfast that early, if I'm coming from the Nawth-East? I'm coming down I-95 to Baltimore, and then taking I-70 West to Exit 68, and taking Route 27 to Damascus. I think that meeting for breakfast is not a good idea with an event organized like this one.

Last time I was there, I was so distracted that I set my coffee cup down, somewhere about dawn. By the time I found it again, in the fog and the rust, ice had formed on the surface.

Check the weather, and dress warm and dry. Current forecast (of course, these woodchucks are renowned for changing their minds in the course of six days) is for 19� and snow on Saturday morning. Of course, the sale and auction are inside, but the tailgating is a different story.

Tailgating usually starts at the crack of dawn. Bring a flashlight.

The dealer sale goes from 9:00 until lunch.

The auction starts right after lunch, and usually goes until about 6:00 p.m.

I may be wearing my WC hat, and you'll be able to recognize me by the well worn wooden tool tote I'll be carrying.

Re: Forgot one thing

William Duffield, on the Cohansey

>Buying and selling from the tailgate, buying at the sale and bidding at the auction are free and open to the public. For $15, you can get admission to the dealer sale and get warm an hour early, at 8:00 a.m.

Bagel place directions

Sandor in Boyds, MD

>If you really did want to get those bagels.....

From 270N you want Exit 15B. Go South on 118 for three lights. Royal Bagel is on your left. You can get to the storefront by making the left onto Wisteria and then the quick left at the Bank. Go past the bank and its on your left.

Then you can take 118 north to 355. Turn left. Then make the right onto 27 and get to the sale.

Sandor(eagerly awaiting this years booty)

Yes, Middlebrook not Wisteria

Sandor in Boyds, MD

>Make the left onto Middlebrook, not Wisteria as previously noted. I don't know what I was thinking....

More on Breakfast

Todd Stock

>Royal bagels are so good that a few wrong turns are worth it...

William: let me know when you'll be there/what you'd prefer via the comcast address, and I'll be happy to deliver. The bacon/egg/cheese on plain or poppy is great, as is the B/E/C on croissant. Garlic/scallion cream cheese is worth $10 off a 605 (at least).

As to other breakfast options, there are a few places in Mt. Airy (I-70 and MD-27), but I'll defer to those that live up that way. Might even consider making the 14 mile round-trip from PATINA site to Royal.

- -If you continue south on MD-27, and cross I-270, you'll be able to take a left on Middlebrook, cross MD-355 (Safeway on left), and make the left into the entry to Royal/Nation's Bank.

- - To return to Damascus, right on Middlebrook from the Royal/Nation's Bank parking lots (no other choices), and continue on Middlebrook until you have to make a right onto at the T intersection with Father Hurley Blvd. Father Hurley changes to MD-27 once past I-270, so just continue until entering Damascus and return to PATINA site.

How good is a Royal bagel? My wife (parents are native to NYC, so she grew up with decent taste in deli/bakeries) still needed her morning bagel at Royal en-route to the hospital - after she had been in labor for 6 hours. Passover was to start at sunrise, so we picked up 2 dozen for the docs/nurses (surprising how many were observant, considering we were at Holy Cross). Kathy ended up in a private room (paid for semi-private) and got way more than her share of attention.

Might have been the bagels...

Chocolate cigars, cherry and cheese danishes, as well as the biscotti are worth it, as are the lunch-time deli sandwiches. There is a Panara (sp?) Bread in the Safeway shopping center (across from Royal) for those that are confused as to what a real bagel should look/taste like - for the real thing, try Royal.

Woodworking Content: Cookie and John use only the best foil-wrapped white pine to support their 6 ft subs.

Re: More on Breakfast

Joe Rogers, Northern Virginia

>Dang Todd...You make me wish that I wasn't on a low carb diet:-)JR

Re: First Tool Show -- PATINA 3/12

Todd Hughes

>Some pointers....bone up now on what are good prices for what you want.Probably best thing to do is check ebay completed auctions and see whats what.At least this will give you an idea.Prices at these tool shows can be all over the place. Is very common to see two exact tools with very different prices.Last year I picked up an excellent plus disston pattern makers saw for about half what a dealer right down the aisle was asking for a rougher one. So pays to look around befor buying. Downside on this is that if you pass by on a good deal to look around there is a good chance it won't be there when you come back. This is where it comes in to know what you are buying and what a good "buy it right now" price is and what a "look around some more" price. If you want a good deal have to get there early and look look look because you will have lots of competition. I hardly ever make an offer to a dealer, what I do is just ask if that is thier best price.If it makes a difference I may make a counter offer if the price is close to what I want to pay.I wouldn't normaly offer $30 on something priced at $40 but might offer $35 if the dealer.The advantage in asking the dealer for his best price is often it is less then what you would have offered and you can always sort of go from there.I go to a show like this to buy tools and not dicker over a few dollars though I know lots of people live for this type of stuff....Another thing, hate to say it but you have to look at what you buy VERY closely at events like this as lots of tools with problims or that have been worked on get sold, or at least tried to get sold! Sad to say but in my experance unless you know the seller don't believe much of what they tell you.Good advice anywhere really and as always best to depend on your own knowledge and judgment and not a sellers.

I'm looking forward to going and i always have fun and buy very well....Todd

Re: More on Breakfast

Todd Stock

>I feel your pain...

I was in Royal when some guy tried to order low-fat mayo on his bagel sandwich (John and Cookie have a 'thing' about phony mayo or phony anything). Cookie's side of the discussion was pretty pointed:

"If you want low-fat go eat a rice cake. If you want low-carb, go chew on a piece of styrofoam - tastes just like the ricecake. Come back and see us when you want some real food....NEXT!"

Re: More on Breakfast

William Duffield, on the Cohansey

>Thanks for the offer, Todd. I'm not really good at this "Early to rise..." concept, so I'll just fend for myself as best I can, and show up whenever I can get my brain and the Moose Slayer and Blackdawg in gear.