What's the greatest piece of "junk" you've ever picked up? :P

[Carols Clucks]

Quote:
Please tell me that vintage 3 burner stove was in rough condition...Cause I got one to sell!

 

[fuzziebutt]

We have recently built a bedroom, and everything in this room I have bought at yard sales, and have gotten exactly what I want, just had to wait. Got Battenburg lace curtains, 2 windows worth for $4, an antique chennille bedspread for $3, the HUGE computer desk was given to me, the antique bedroom suite costs $100. Looking for an area rug, now.

 

[Tam'ra of Rainbow Vortex]

That is a hard one!
I found the perfect door to fit my chicken coop (which I had just framed the night before!) on freecycle. And a whole pickup load of chicken wire. I also found a portable dishwasher that worked great there. And about 300 pots for planting. And the door to my wood shop, and my coat rack. And SOOO much more. I love freecycle!!!! (I also gave away a ton of stuff I didn't need anymore including dozens of surplus tomato starts, some furniture, and a graphing calculator)
My neighbor gave me a windblown (slightly banged up) portable garage frame. I used it to build my breeding pen (total cost of coop and run = $1.35)
At a yard sale I found a 30" conversion loom for $100, and 2 bolts of fabric for $5 each. And about 8 wigs for $5 total.
Its hard to say what was the best find... I know i am missing so much!

 

[conny63malies]

i think a vintage moped from the 50s back in germany. It said in the trash. I also got a complete saltwater tank with stand. Leather couches.... picking in militay housing is awesome.

 

[mississippifarmboy]

Best deal I ever found was a vase. An ugly green vase about 12" tall. I just had a feeling about it.

I was at a local auction and bought it for 5 bucks. When the seller finished selling, I asked him to give me my 5 bucks back and just consign it into our next antique auction. I told him I had a feeling I'd make plenty just on commission. He said no way! You bought it, it's yours! I tried to explain to him that I had a feeling it was very valuable and that I didn't want to take advantage of him. He said I don't care if you get a thousand bucks for it, I never want to see it again.

The next month we listed it in our auction, it brought around 900 in a live bid, but my wife had put a reserve on it of 1 grand. (I think she was just being silly, but with her you never know) She pulled it, I told her she was a certified lunatic, and threatened to have her commited to the loony bin.

I wasn't sure though, and was very busy at the time, so I just sat it on the desk in my office where it sat for several years. My wife finally got around to looking at it seriously, noticed a partial signiture on the bottom. After researching it, she found out it was an unlisted Grueby vase, value unknown. Since it was ours and it's just bad business practice to appraise your own items, she hired a fellow appraiser in Memphis to do a written appraisal. It just so happened this lady was going to Boston that next week and took it along on her flight and took it by a Grueby museum there.

It's mate was on display and listed as one of a kind.

It appraised for tons of money, but I sorta liked it and figured it wouldn't bring much because it had two tiny chips and a small hairline crack. But eventually, I sold it to a collector who had helped me out when I was in a bind years before......



for 3 grand.

 

[kareninthesun]

Love thrift stores! I bought a new Kitchen Aide and all the attachments for 34 bucks! A beat to death over painted victrola cabinet with mirrored wooden doors for 5 bucks then took it down to the original wood, was offered 200 dollars for it. Bought a stand up piano player for 110 dollars and was priced later at over 1,800 dollars. (saving it for my son in law). bought a child's wicker buggy for 15 bucks, and as I was walking out the door was offered 200 dollars immediatly by competitors whom I run into whom sell such items. Keeping it for a while as back up funds. ALWAYS by hand crank pasta machines like Atlas. Most thrift stores nearly give them away, and I use them for group get togethers to teach how to make pasta and save a ton of money. Sometimes give them away. Snow suits used to be good deals, but not anymore. Sometimes old toys. Old Avon bottles WITH their original boxes, you can group like together and sell them pretty quickly and make a profit on the internet. Same goes with unopened children's puzzles. Nostalgia guarantees quick sales, if purchased for like, 10-15 cents, you can sell them easily on ebay for a lot of money. My sister once bought a Sonny Bono doll, (like Barbie) and sold it to the folks whom made the movie about Sonny after his death. She picked it up at a garage sale with a bunch of much used Barbies, the whole box for 5 dollars, and sold the Sonny doll for $250. ANYTHING you can find regarding Star Wars in the larger sized action figures, or any of the well-known figures of GI Joe's (like Bob Hope, Ernie Pyle) or any of the female counterparts, STILL IN THEIR BOXES are worth money.

 

[sourland]

This spring for free I 'picked' up a four year old male beagle who had already passed through 5 other owners. I wormed and cleaned him up, gave him to my 'dog' partner, but kept him here at my place for training. This season we ran him in 25 field trials, placed him 15 times, and he is just points from his championship. Poor Richard has found a forever home.

 

[Attila the Hen]

I can't resist picking something up alongside the road if I need it. Years back I was in London off Baker St and they were renovating an old house. Near the dumpster were two strange looking chairs with weaved seats. I asked if they were throwing them out and they were. They are prayer chairs from a church. One has a date 1891 on it and the other a famiy name of Van Den Vaero. I need to look up the name. Anyway, I don't know what value they have but I enjoy them and the fact they were free.

 

[Randy]

Quote:
Please tell me that vintage 3 burner stove was in rough condition...Cause I got one to sell!

It was okay condition, not new by far. I just looked on ebay and only found one in completed. It seems like they aren't bringing as much as they use to but nothing really does these days. I pass up a lot of items now because I know they just won't bring what they use to on ebay. That was probably 7 or 8 years ago.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-Vintag...895?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item336e0806d7

 

[Carols Clucks]

Quote:
Please tell me that vintage 3 burner stove was in rough condition...Cause I got one to sell!

It was okay condition, not new by far. I just looked on ebay and only found one in completed. It seems like they aren't bringing as much as they use to but nothing really does these days. I pass up a lot of items now because I know they just won't bring what they use to on ebay. That was probably 7 or 8 years ago.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-Vintag...895?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item336e0806d7

Glad to see yours looks better and you got some real cash for it.

Ours looks a tad worse than this one http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Lar...ltDomain_0&hash=item588f6ea97b#ht_3988wt_1344