Flea Markets

Variability

Bill Houghton, September summer in Sebastopol, CA


>I gave up on our local flea years ago, when prices exceeded retail and/or antique shop prices. Garage sales are the venue around here, although even those vary. Some people think things are valuable because they're rusty, or they heard from someone that a No. 5 plane is a rare plane, or something.

Yup

Gary B in Central NY


>I've got to laugh, there's an antique store down the road from me that's got a handyman #4 with plastic handles (and might as well be a plastic frog, I think the adjuster is) marked for 20 bucks. In the same place I saw a nice old wooden rebate plane intact for 10...go figure.

Re: Yup

Edward in Vancouver


>I do them about once a month, there's a big one close by that's open every Saturday that I like to check out. I just go in with the attitude of looky-see. Nothing much, lotsa cra*, some guys selling new made in China stuff, East Indian guy selling new jewler's tools though, Saw a nice Sears craftsman copy of a #78, but they wanted $90 for it. Every now and then I hit a little gold, nice set of Record miter clamps, blue paint still very intact for $5.00, brand new Stanley block plane with adj. mouth, still in the package, for $30.00, couple of beat up but very usable 3/4" "Pony" clamp heads and tails, and my "piece de resistance" a 3/4 x 16" tap. This allows me to make as many faceplates I want for my wood lathe from plumbing flanges. The plumbing flanges are 3/4 x16 but tapered, so I use the tap to chase out the threads. I mount discs made from 2 x 8's on the flanges and glue sandpaper on them for a cheap-o sanding table..

Tapped out

Phil Joines Krum, Tx.


>They're also handy for making glue blocks and wood faceplates. Drill and tap a hole in something like hard Maple (some poeple use MDF), screw it on the lathe, face it off, glue on another piece and you have whatever size faceplate you want. I also use them to make blocks to drive the inside of bowls and hollow forms to finish the bottoms.

Re: Flea Markets

Todd Hughes


>Most weeks I go to probably 4 different Flea markets on 4 different days, Most times I do OK, ...somtimes I do VERY well and some times I find about nothing. If you don't go though it is certain you will not find anything. The main thing is to get there early , at least around here and I would bet just about anywhere the competition for tools is very stiff....lots of guys looking for them. To think that a good deal on a common tool is going to be setting on a table for more then a few min. is pretty wishfull and unrealistic thinking. I think this is probably the no. 1 reason people don't do well at flea markets because they get there to late and miss out on stuff that have already been sold.

.....I would certainly hope if you went to a flea market a half hour after I did you wouldn't find anything either ....Todd