Show us your Thrift and/or yard sale finds

[esteban68]

A recent find, a pair of Barrat shoe 'stretchers' c 1930's? in perfect working order, made of aluminium and nickel plated steel and adjustable between 7 1/2-9 UK

 

[Story]

Bet y'all can't top this -

A customer of a local grocery store in the Spanish town of Chiclana de la Frontera, (Cadiz) in southern Spain found inside a bag of potatoes a hand grenade from the Second World War.

http://www.eitb.com/en/news/detail/828212/customer-grocery-store-finds-hand-grenade-hidden-potatoes/

 

[Katinka von K.]

Not sure I´d want to

 

[jamespowers]

Bet y'all can't top this -


http://www.eitb.com/en/news/detail/828212/customer-grocery-store-finds-hand-grenade-hidden-potatoes/

The potato that goes BOOM when you mash it.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

The potato that goes BOOM when you mash it.

Or a potato masher that does the same thing.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

At the monthly diecast collector's show I picked up this original, much sought-after Hot Wheels Classic Cord ('37 Cord) from 1971.
Been looking for one for years

The rest of today's haul (including the two hanging on the wall)

When I saw this one it reminded me of Tom lol

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I do enjoy a fine wagon and the Vista Cruiser sure is one fine wagon!

When I saw this one it reminded me of Tom lol

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Should have seen the one that really had me bummed out: a vintage, tin friction powered '61 Buick police car in mint condition and with original box -- $500! :eeek: :doh:
No matter how well prepared I am for these shows, there's always something I want that's beyond my budget!

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Wow! It is not very often that you see the old toys with the original box. I wouldn't have been able to swing it for that price, either! Still fun to look at though, ain't it?

Should have seen the one that really had me bummed out: a vintage, tin friction powered '61 Buick police car in mint condition and with original box -- $500! :eeek: :doh:
No matter how well prepared I am for these shows, there's always something I want that's beyond my budget!

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Heck, that Classic Cord set me back $150! I'll have to post the pic later but I have a tin, battery operated Blink A Gear Robot in almost mint condition in the original box that's worth between $800-1,000. I've had it since I was a kid!

 

[AtomicEraTom]

They're even better when you've had 'em for years. My dad's given me a couple of his toys he got during his childhood, in the 60's. One day I'll have to post those up, too.

I was at a shop recently, and they had some antique metal toys there, all were priced above 1,500, the most expensive was 5,000. Granted, they were turn-of-the century toys, I still had some sticker-shock.

Heck, that Classic Cord set me back $150! I'll have to post the pic later but I have a tin, battery operated Blink A Gear Robot in almost mint condition in the original box that's worth between $800-1,000. I've had it since I was a kid!

 

[Shangas]

Bought a pair of neat, chain-bar vintage cufflinks on Sunday for just $15. Marked on the back: "9ct FRONT".

I expect that means that the main part of the cufflink is 9ct gold while the rest of it is just standard brass. That's fine by me. They still look grand.

They're square, with neat straight lines running through them, with chain-links on the back connected to barbell-shaped T-bars. If my meagre experience with cufflinks tells me anything, they're about 100 years old.

 

[tonyb]

I figured Atomic Era Tom would appreciate this find.

I bought it from the original owner, who purchased it new sometime back in the late '60s or early '70s, as he recalls. His name and (then) address is on a paper label still affixed to the back. He let it go for 60 bucks, and my assurance it was going to a good home.

Does it work? You bet. Good as new in that regard. The seller even put a new needle on the phonograph arm recently. Sounds great, really. It takes up a whole lotta space (it's six feet long) for something that only plays records and AM and FM radio stations. But we have room for it, and its style is very much in keeping with our other stuff.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

That's a beautiful hi-fi! It reminds me of a big brother version of one I have, a bit.

[/IMG]

You were very fortunate to get one with a new needle and working turntable. So often, I buy one of these and the needle is gone or worn out. Also, the drive belts like to go in these. Yours is a very clean example, too. Any chances of pics of the radio and turntable in it?

 

[tonyb]

... Any chances of pics of the radio and turntable in it?

Okie-dokie.

These things can still be had quite inexpensively, but I'm guessing not for long. When I see the prices being asked for the better ones in SF and LA and Boston and such I can't help but think the resellers will be snatching 'em up from us rubes out in the hinterlands and driving 'em back home to their hip little vintage boutiques along with the other swag they scored along the way.

Thing is, many of them are indeed quite stylish and well-made pieces of furniture, but they take up quite a bit of space so unless a person has the space to spare they just won't do. That goes some ways toward explaining why these large consoles had seen their time come and go by the mid-'70s or so. They just took up too much room.

By the way, Tom, I quite like that rig of yours. Its somewhat smaller dimensions make it considerably more versatile.

Couldn't help but notice the external speakers. This "new" unit of mine has a switch for internal speakers, external speakers, or both. Not that I'd ever use external speakers, but it was apparently a common enough practice that the console hi-fi's came with that feature.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Well, yours is beautiful inside and out. I love that radio tuner! The supply and price is amazing in my parts. It seems I find them quite often. I own about 10-15 radio consoles from the 50's to the 70's and I seldom pay more than 20 bucks. I have many I only paid 5 bucks or less for, and have had many given to me because they 'look like something I'd like.'

 

[jamespowers]

Well, yours is beautiful inside and out. I love that radio tuner! The supply and price is amazing in my parts. It seems I find them quite often. I own about 10-15 radio consoles from the 50's to the 70's and I seldom pay more than 20 bucks. I have many I only paid 5 bucks or less for, and have had many given to me because they 'look like something I'd like.'

They ARE something you like.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

It's the same reason people give me console TV's. I had a friend over one day who's into hi-fi's (I gave him one) I took him into my storage room, which is about the size of a two car garage, and is full of hi-fi's and console televisions. He looks at me and says "you know, if you borrowed your dad's storefront, you could open a 1960's electronics store TONIGHT." lol

They ARE something you like.

 

[tonyb]

You're fortunate to have the space to keep all that stuff, Tom. Count that as another advantage to living in the sticks. In the larger, more densely populated cities, the space you devote to storing old console hi-fi's and TVs just might rent for more than the mortgage payment on a four-bedroom house on a large lot with an outbuilding or three in metropolitan Pardeeville.

 

[jamespowers]

It's the same reason people give me console TV's. I had a friend over one day who's into hi-fi's (I gave him one) I took him into my storage room, which is about the size of a two car garage, and is full of hi-fi's and console televisions. He looks at me and says "you know, if you borrowed your dad's storefront, you could open a 1960's electronics store TONIGHT." lol

I believe it. I also believe you could restock whatever you sold in a few days as well.