Tooling up with estate sales-How to equip your hand-tool shop for pennies on the dollar

planepassion said:

Estate sales

When I first started in woodworking my biggest challenge was putting together a tool kit comprehensive enough to build something. And while the "minimum" tools necessary for a kit would depend to some extent on the types of things you're building, there is a basic assemblage for most projects.

And while I've turned to eBay, Craig's List, antique shops, garage sales and flea markets to buy good tools, I've had great financial success with estate sales.

Estate Sale Benefits
The biggest benefit to picking up tools at an estate sale is that you usually, not always, pay pennies on the dollar for items compared to other sources. Moreover, you can negotiate down prices if you buy multiple items. Frequently, I find good items with occasional gems, including wood.

Here's a sampling of some nice finds on my estate sale hunts.

PS& W Compass Divider-$1.00 on a garage shop table.

Stanley #80 Cabinet Scraper-$3.00 buried under rusty braces in a vintage wood tool box.

Stanley Sweetheart 6" combination square-$2.00 sitting on a table in garage.

SB #18 HA block plane-$10.00 on a garage shelf.

Hand Brace-12"-Millers Falls No. 321-$10.00 on a garage table. 12" size gives great torque.

--------------------------

Another advantage to estate sales is that you can pick up a heavy item, like say a miter box and accompanying saw, locally for a good price. Oh sure. You can get them sometimes for a good price online too, but the shipping adds considerably to the total cost.

Still another benefit is that you can see what you're buying before plopping down money for it. That goes a long way toward assessing a tool's condition. It also puts the odds of avoiding broken, missing and jiggered parts greatly in your favor.

But my favorite part of estate sale rust shopping is the thrill of the hunt. There's a serendipity element to it. Like the time when I picked up a Type 11 Stanley #5 corrugated jack plane for $8.00.

I didn't see it in the pictures online. Nor did I see it in my first sweep of the tools. I was there to look over the handsaws-in poor condition and overpriced. That's when the plane caught my eye. Hello my pretty…

Drawbacks
That said, there are drawbacks to estate sales. You have to take what's there and often, there will be nothing that interests you at all. In my area (Denver,) hand planes are scarce. And the ones I do come across are either:

a) late model planes I have no interest in
b) off-name brands I have no interest in
c) beaten and battered specimens that I have no interest in, or
d) horribly overpriced whatevers that I have no interest in.

Consequently, all but one plane in my collection have come from eBay or the modern manufacturers.

Another thing you have to take into account is that your hunting will cost you both time and fuel.

So to help you make the most of your precious time and reduce the number of times you have to reach into the cookie jar for gas money, I've put together 10 Tips for Successful Estate Sale Tool Hunting. In the next installment, I'll share Tips 1 through 6.

© 2015, Brad Chittim, all rights reserved.

1. End Part 1

Click to expand...

planepassion said:

Estate sales

When I first started in woodworking my biggest challenge was putting together a tool kit comprehensive enough to build something. And while the "minimum" tools necessary for a kit would depend to some extent on the types of things you're building, there is a basic assemblage for most projects.

And while I've turned to eBay, Craig's List, antique shops, garage sales and flea markets to buy good tools, I've had great financial success with estate sales.

Estate Sale Benefits
The biggest benefit to picking up tools at an estate sale is that you usually, not always, pay pennies on the dollar for items compared to other sources. Moreover, you can negotiate down prices if you buy multiple items. Frequently, I find good items with occasional gems, including wood.

Here's a sampling of some nice finds on my estate sale hunts.

PS& W Compass Divider-$1.00 on a garage shop table.

Stanley #80 Cabinet Scraper-$3.00 buried under rusty braces in a vintage wood tool box.

Stanley Sweetheart 6" combination square-$2.00 sitting on a table in garage.

SB #18 HA block plane-$10.00 on a garage shelf.

Hand Brace-12"-Millers Falls No. 321-$10.00 on a garage table. 12" size gives great torque.

--------------------------

Another advantage to estate sales is that you can pick up a heavy item, like say a miter box and accompanying saw, locally for a good price. Oh sure. You can get them sometimes for a good price online too, but the shipping adds considerably to the total cost.

Still another benefit is that you can see what you're buying before plopping down money for it. That goes a long way toward assessing a tool's condition. It also puts the odds of avoiding broken, missing and jiggered parts greatly in your favor.

But my favorite part of estate sale rust shopping is the thrill of the hunt. There's a serendipity element to it. Like the time when I picked up a Type 11 Stanley #5 corrugated jack plane for $8.00.

I didn't see it in the pictures online. Nor did I see it in my first sweep of the tools. I was there to look over the handsaws-in poor condition and overpriced. That's when the plane caught my eye. Hello my pretty…

Drawbacks
That said, there are drawbacks to estate sales. You have to take what's there and often, there will be nothing that interests you at all. In my area (Denver,) hand planes are scarce. And the ones I do come across are either:

a) late model planes I have no interest in
b) off-name brands I have no interest in
c) beaten and battered specimens that I have no interest in, or
d) horribly overpriced whatevers that I have no interest in.

Consequently, all but one plane in my collection have come from eBay or the modern manufacturers.

Another thing you have to take into account is that your hunting will cost you both time and fuel.

So to help you make the most of your precious time and reduce the number of times you have to reach into the cookie jar for gas money, I've put together 10 Tips for Successful Estate Sale Tool Hunting. In the next installment, I'll share Tips 1 through 6.

© 2015, Brad Chittim, all rights reserved.

1. End Part 1

Click to expand...

planepassion said:

Estate sales

When I first started in woodworking my biggest challenge was putting together a tool kit comprehensive enough to build something. And while the "minimum" tools necessary for a kit would depend to some extent on the types of things you're building, there is a basic assemblage for most projects.

And while I've turned to eBay, Craig's List, antique shops, garage sales and flea markets to buy good tools, I've had great financial success with estate sales.

Estate Sale Benefits
The biggest benefit to picking up tools at an estate sale is that you usually, not always, pay pennies on the dollar for items compared to other sources. Moreover, you can negotiate down prices if you buy multiple items. Frequently, I find good items with occasional gems, including wood.

Here's a sampling of some nice finds on my estate sale hunts.

PS& W Compass Divider-$1.00 on a garage shop table.

Stanley #80 Cabinet Scraper-$3.00 buried under rusty braces in a vintage wood tool box.

Stanley Sweetheart 6" combination square-$2.00 sitting on a table in garage.

SB #18 HA block plane-$10.00 on a garage shelf.

Hand Brace-12"-Millers Falls No. 321-$10.00 on a garage table. 12" size gives great torque.

--------------------------

Another advantage to estate sales is that you can pick up a heavy item, like say a miter box and accompanying saw, locally for a good price. Oh sure. You can get them sometimes for a good price online too, but the shipping adds considerably to the total cost.

Still another benefit is that you can see what you're buying before plopping down money for it. That goes a long way toward assessing a tool's condition. It also puts the odds of avoiding broken, missing and jiggered parts greatly in your favor.

But my favorite part of estate sale rust shopping is the thrill of the hunt. There's a serendipity element to it. Like the time when I picked up a Type 11 Stanley #5 corrugated jack plane for $8.00.

I didn't see it in the pictures online. Nor did I see it in my first sweep of the tools. I was there to look over the handsaws-in poor condition and overpriced. That's when the plane caught my eye. Hello my pretty…

Drawbacks
That said, there are drawbacks to estate sales. You have to take what's there and often, there will be nothing that interests you at all. In my area (Denver,) hand planes are scarce. And the ones I do come across are either:

a) late model planes I have no interest in
b) off-name brands I have no interest in
c) beaten and battered specimens that I have no interest in, or
d) horribly overpriced whatevers that I have no interest in.

Consequently, all but one plane in my collection have come from eBay or the modern manufacturers.

Another thing you have to take into account is that your hunting will cost you both time and fuel.

So to help you make the most of your precious time and reduce the number of times you have to reach into the cookie jar for gas money, I've put together 10 Tips for Successful Estate Sale Tool Hunting. In the next installment, I'll share Tips 1 through 6.

© 2015, Brad Chittim, all rights reserved.

1. End Part 1

Click to expand...

planepassion said:

Estate sales

When I first started in woodworking my biggest challenge was putting together a tool kit comprehensive enough to build something. And while the "minimum" tools necessary for a kit would depend to some extent on the types of things you're building, there is a basic assemblage for most projects.

And while I've turned to eBay, Craig's List, antique shops, garage sales and flea markets to buy good tools, I've had great financial success with estate sales.

Estate Sale Benefits
The biggest benefit to picking up tools at an estate sale is that you usually, not always, pay pennies on the dollar for items compared to other sources. Moreover, you can negotiate down prices if you buy multiple items. Frequently, I find good items with occasional gems, including wood.

Here's a sampling of some nice finds on my estate sale hunts.

PS& W Compass Divider-$1.00 on a garage shop table.

Stanley #80 Cabinet Scraper-$3.00 buried under rusty braces in a vintage wood tool box.

Stanley Sweetheart 6" combination square-$2.00 sitting on a table in garage.

SB #18 HA block plane-$10.00 on a garage shelf.

Hand Brace-12"-Millers Falls No. 321-$10.00 on a garage table. 12" size gives great torque.

--------------------------

Another advantage to estate sales is that you can pick up a heavy item, like say a miter box and accompanying saw, locally for a good price. Oh sure. You can get them sometimes for a good price online too, but the shipping adds considerably to the total cost.

Still another benefit is that you can see what you're buying before plopping down money for it. That goes a long way toward assessing a tool's condition. It also puts the odds of avoiding broken, missing and jiggered parts greatly in your favor.

But my favorite part of estate sale rust shopping is the thrill of the hunt. There's a serendipity element to it. Like the time when I picked up a Type 11 Stanley #5 corrugated jack plane for $8.00.

I didn't see it in the pictures online. Nor did I see it in my first sweep of the tools. I was there to look over the handsaws-in poor condition and overpriced. That's when the plane caught my eye. Hello my pretty…

Drawbacks
That said, there are drawbacks to estate sales. You have to take what's there and often, there will be nothing that interests you at all. In my area (Denver,) hand planes are scarce. And the ones I do come across are either:

a) late model planes I have no interest in
b) off-name brands I have no interest in
c) beaten and battered specimens that I have no interest in, or
d) horribly overpriced whatevers that I have no interest in.

Consequently, all but one plane in my collection have come from eBay or the modern manufacturers.

Another thing you have to take into account is that your hunting will cost you both time and fuel.

So to help you make the most of your precious time and reduce the number of times you have to reach into the cookie jar for gas money, I've put together 10 Tips for Successful Estate Sale Tool Hunting. In the next installment, I'll share Tips 1 through 6.

© 2015, Brad Chittim, all rights reserved.

1. End Part 1

Click to expand...

planepassion said:

Estate sales

When I first started in woodworking my biggest challenge was putting together a tool kit comprehensive enough to build something. And while the "minimum" tools necessary for a kit would depend to some extent on the types of things you're building, there is a basic assemblage for most projects.

And while I've turned to eBay, Craig's List, antique shops, garage sales and flea markets to buy good tools, I've had great financial success with estate sales.

Estate Sale Benefits
The biggest benefit to picking up tools at an estate sale is that you usually, not always, pay pennies on the dollar for items compared to other sources. Moreover, you can negotiate down prices if you buy multiple items. Frequently, I find good items with occasional gems, including wood.

Here's a sampling of some nice finds on my estate sale hunts.

PS& W Compass Divider-$1.00 on a garage shop table.

Stanley #80 Cabinet Scraper-$3.00 buried under rusty braces in a vintage wood tool box.

Stanley Sweetheart 6" combination square-$2.00 sitting on a table in garage.

SB #18 HA block plane-$10.00 on a garage shelf.

Hand Brace-12"-Millers Falls No. 321-$10.00 on a garage table. 12" size gives great torque.

--------------------------

Another advantage to estate sales is that you can pick up a heavy item, like say a miter box and accompanying saw, locally for a good price. Oh sure. You can get them sometimes for a good price online too, but the shipping adds considerably to the total cost.

Still another benefit is that you can see what you're buying before plopping down money for it. That goes a long way toward assessing a tool's condition. It also puts the odds of avoiding broken, missing and jiggered parts greatly in your favor.

But my favorite part of estate sale rust shopping is the thrill of the hunt. There's a serendipity element to it. Like the time when I picked up a Type 11 Stanley #5 corrugated jack plane for $8.00.

I didn't see it in the pictures online. Nor did I see it in my first sweep of the tools. I was there to look over the handsaws-in poor condition and overpriced. That's when the plane caught my eye. Hello my pretty…

Drawbacks
That said, there are drawbacks to estate sales. You have to take what's there and often, there will be nothing that interests you at all. In my area (Denver,) hand planes are scarce. And the ones I do come across are either:

a) late model planes I have no interest in
b) off-name brands I have no interest in
c) beaten and battered specimens that I have no interest in, or
d) horribly overpriced whatevers that I have no interest in.

Consequently, all but one plane in my collection have come from eBay or the modern manufacturers.

Another thing you have to take into account is that your hunting will cost you both time and fuel.

So to help you make the most of your precious time and reduce the number of times you have to reach into the cookie jar for gas money, I've put together 10 Tips for Successful Estate Sale Tool Hunting. In the next installment, I'll share Tips 1 through 6.

© 2015, Brad Chittim, all rights reserved.

1. End Part 1

Click to expand...

planepassion said:

Estate sales

When I first started in woodworking my biggest challenge was putting together a tool kit comprehensive enough to build something. And while the "minimum" tools necessary for a kit would depend to some extent on the types of things you're building, there is a basic assemblage for most projects.

And while I've turned to eBay, Craig's List, antique shops, garage sales and flea markets to buy good tools, I've had great financial success with estate sales.

Estate Sale Benefits
The biggest benefit to picking up tools at an estate sale is that you usually, not always, pay pennies on the dollar for items compared to other sources. Moreover, you can negotiate down prices if you buy multiple items. Frequently, I find good items with occasional gems, including wood.

Here's a sampling of some nice finds on my estate sale hunts.

PS& W Compass Divider-$1.00 on a garage shop table.

Stanley #80 Cabinet Scraper-$3.00 buried under rusty braces in a vintage wood tool box.

Stanley Sweetheart 6" combination square-$2.00 sitting on a table in garage.

SB #18 HA block plane-$10.00 on a garage shelf.

Hand Brace-12"-Millers Falls No. 321-$10.00 on a garage table. 12" size gives great torque.

--------------------------

Another advantage to estate sales is that you can pick up a heavy item, like say a miter box and accompanying saw, locally for a good price. Oh sure. You can get them sometimes for a good price online too, but the shipping adds considerably to the total cost.

Still another benefit is that you can see what you're buying before plopping down money for it. That goes a long way toward assessing a tool's condition. It also puts the odds of avoiding broken, missing and jiggered parts greatly in your favor.

But my favorite part of estate sale rust shopping is the thrill of the hunt. There's a serendipity element to it. Like the time when I picked up a Type 11 Stanley #5 corrugated jack plane for $8.00.

I didn't see it in the pictures online. Nor did I see it in my first sweep of the tools. I was there to look over the handsaws-in poor condition and overpriced. That's when the plane caught my eye. Hello my pretty…

Drawbacks
That said, there are drawbacks to estate sales. You have to take what's there and often, there will be nothing that interests you at all. In my area (Denver,) hand planes are scarce. And the ones I do come across are either:

a) late model planes I have no interest in
b) off-name brands I have no interest in
c) beaten and battered specimens that I have no interest in, or
d) horribly overpriced whatevers that I have no interest in.

Consequently, all but one plane in my collection have come from eBay or the modern manufacturers.

Another thing you have to take into account is that your hunting will cost you both time and fuel.

So to help you make the most of your precious time and reduce the number of times you have to reach into the cookie jar for gas money, I've put together 10 Tips for Successful Estate Sale Tool Hunting. In the next installment, I'll share Tips 1 through 6.

© 2015, Brad Chittim, all rights reserved.

1. End Part 1

Click to expand...

planepassion said:

Estate sales

When I first started in woodworking my biggest challenge was putting together a tool kit comprehensive enough to build something. And while the "minimum" tools necessary for a kit would depend to some extent on the types of things you're building, there is a basic assemblage for most projects.

And while I've turned to eBay, Craig's List, antique shops, garage sales and flea markets to buy good tools, I've had great financial success with estate sales.

Estate Sale Benefits
The biggest benefit to picking up tools at an estate sale is that you usually, not always, pay pennies on the dollar for items compared to other sources. Moreover, you can negotiate down prices if you buy multiple items. Frequently, I find good items with occasional gems, including wood.

Here's a sampling of some nice finds on my estate sale hunts.

PS& W Compass Divider-$1.00 on a garage shop table.

Stanley #80 Cabinet Scraper-$3.00 buried under rusty braces in a vintage wood tool box.

Stanley Sweetheart 6" combination square-$2.00 sitting on a table in garage.

SB #18 HA block plane-$10.00 on a garage shelf.

Hand Brace-12"-Millers Falls No. 321-$10.00 on a garage table. 12" size gives great torque.

--------------------------

Another advantage to estate sales is that you can pick up a heavy item, like say a miter box and accompanying saw, locally for a good price. Oh sure. You can get them sometimes for a good price online too, but the shipping adds considerably to the total cost.

Still another benefit is that you can see what you're buying before plopping down money for it. That goes a long way toward assessing a tool's condition. It also puts the odds of avoiding broken, missing and jiggered parts greatly in your favor.

But my favorite part of estate sale rust shopping is the thrill of the hunt. There's a serendipity element to it. Like the time when I picked up a Type 11 Stanley #5 corrugated jack plane for $8.00.

I didn't see it in the pictures online. Nor did I see it in my first sweep of the tools. I was there to look over the handsaws-in poor condition and overpriced. That's when the plane caught my eye. Hello my pretty…

Drawbacks
That said, there are drawbacks to estate sales. You have to take what's there and often, there will be nothing that interests you at all. In my area (Denver,) hand planes are scarce. And the ones I do come across are either:

a) late model planes I have no interest in
b) off-name brands I have no interest in
c) beaten and battered specimens that I have no interest in, or
d) horribly overpriced whatevers that I have no interest in.

Consequently, all but one plane in my collection have come from eBay or the modern manufacturers.

Another thing you have to take into account is that your hunting will cost you both time and fuel.

So to help you make the most of your precious time and reduce the number of times you have to reach into the cookie jar for gas money, I've put together 10 Tips for Successful Estate Sale Tool Hunting. In the next installment, I'll share Tips 1 through 6.

© 2015, Brad Chittim, all rights reserved.

1. End Part 1

Click to expand...

planepassion said:

Estate sales

When I first started in woodworking my biggest challenge was putting together a tool kit comprehensive enough to build something. And while the "minimum" tools necessary for a kit would depend to some extent on the types of things you're building, there is a basic assemblage for most projects.

And while I've turned to eBay, Craig's List, antique shops, garage sales and flea markets to buy good tools, I've had great financial success with estate sales.

Estate Sale Benefits
The biggest benefit to picking up tools at an estate sale is that you usually, not always, pay pennies on the dollar for items compared to other sources. Moreover, you can negotiate down prices if you buy multiple items. Frequently, I find good items with occasional gems, including wood.

Here's a sampling of some nice finds on my estate sale hunts.

PS& W Compass Divider-$1.00 on a garage shop table.

Stanley #80 Cabinet Scraper-$3.00 buried under rusty braces in a vintage wood tool box.

Stanley Sweetheart 6" combination square-$2.00 sitting on a table in garage.

SB #18 HA block plane-$10.00 on a garage shelf.

Hand Brace-12"-Millers Falls No. 321-$10.00 on a garage table. 12" size gives great torque.

--------------------------

Another advantage to estate sales is that you can pick up a heavy item, like say a miter box and accompanying saw, locally for a good price. Oh sure. You can get them sometimes for a good price online too, but the shipping adds considerably to the total cost.

Still another benefit is that you can see what you're buying before plopping down money for it. That goes a long way toward assessing a tool's condition. It also puts the odds of avoiding broken, missing and jiggered parts greatly in your favor.

But my favorite part of estate sale rust shopping is the thrill of the hunt. There's a serendipity element to it. Like the time when I picked up a Type 11 Stanley #5 corrugated jack plane for $8.00.

I didn't see it in the pictures online. Nor did I see it in my first sweep of the tools. I was there to look over the handsaws-in poor condition and overpriced. That's when the plane caught my eye. Hello my pretty…

Drawbacks
That said, there are drawbacks to estate sales. You have to take what's there and often, there will be nothing that interests you at all. In my area (Denver,) hand planes are scarce. And the ones I do come across are either:

a) late model planes I have no interest in
b) off-name brands I have no interest in
c) beaten and battered specimens that I have no interest in, or
d) horribly overpriced whatevers that I have no interest in.

Consequently, all but one plane in my collection have come from eBay or the modern manufacturers.

Another thing you have to take into account is that your hunting will cost you both time and fuel.

So to help you make the most of your precious time and reduce the number of times you have to reach into the cookie jar for gas money, I've put together 10 Tips for Successful Estate Sale Tool Hunting. In the next installment, I'll share Tips 1 through 6.

© 2015, Brad Chittim, all rights reserved.

1. End Part 1

Click to expand...

planepassion said:

Tips #1-#6

Tip #1: Optimize your time by scouting out good possibilities
I primarily go to estate sales listed on http://www.estatesales.net. I also scour Craig's List for tool-laden estate and garage sales. If you were to plot my estate sale finds on a map you would notice some commonalities. The good tools came from older, blue-collar neighborhoods. Picture in your mind the areas in your city where older woodworkers might have situated themselves.

Yes, there have been an estate sale or two located in well-to-do neighborhoods. But I've found the prices tend to match the surroundings and have only picked up a good late-model tool or two (clamps, tweezers, sharpening stones) at places like that.

Tip #2: Look for key words in the ad that say "woodworking tools" to you
After going to a few estate sales and coming up snake eyes, I started to pay closer attention to ads. When searching online I use keywords such as "woodworking…" or "vintage tools" or "Disston." I also read the ads to get a feel for the type of work the person did. A machinist's vintage tools will be very different from a woodworker's workshop.

Sometimes an ad will give me a sniff that smells like "hand tools." Now a sniff alone isn't enough to dedicate two hours of to and fro driving, so I'll follow up with the estate sale proprietors via email.

Here's an exchange I had regarding one sale. "Your ad mentioned hand tools, what kinds of tools do you have?" Answer: "Some power hand tools, axes and a Stanley #60 miter box"

Now wait a minute. That miter box wasn't in any of the pictures…nor any descriptions…but it is now in my garage.

Turned out that it was in phenomenal shape. Price? $15.00 for the saw and box. No shipping. Just me lugging the heavy, dusty thing a half-block to my car wearing a big smile.

Tip #3: Study pre-sale pictures to evaluate the opportunity
I rely heavily on pictures and have gotten adept at deciphering them. The panoply of tools can say "I was a woodworker," or "I was a serious/tinkerer or occasional woodworker."

Online pictures are typically bad, so consider copying and pasting them into PowerPoint so that you can enlarge and study them. What brand names do you see? Are the tools late-model examples? Recent Chinese junk? And of course, do you see any specific items that you want to pick up?

Recently I saw a picture of a tool cabinet in a man's small shop. I saw planes (I'm pretty stocked up on those,) handsaws (I'm good there too,) chisels and, whoa! Chisels?! They looked vintage to be sure and there were five of them. They even could have been Stanley 750s. The reason I say "looked" and "could have been" is because by the time I got to the garage, moments after the estate sale opened, they had mysteriously disappeared. My gut tells me that a family member may have picked them up before the sale, or even someone working the sale. But my point is, that by zeroing in on what you want, you'll increase the odds that you'll be the one to buy it.

Tip #4: Go early or don't go at all.
This is absolutely critical. In this age where armies of retirees are combing estate sales to find stuff to put up for sale on EBay or in their antique mall booth, you simply must show up on the first day of an estate sale, preferably within the first half hour of it opening.

I showed up at one estate sale 25 minutes late. When I walked in, I saw people standing in line to buy a 5lb sledgehammer (on my want list) and a nice ax. After going directly to the garage, I saw another galoot with the only decent chisel in the lot firmly grasped in his hand.

When I left at 10:40, I was holding a Millers Falls 321 12" brace, plus some other goodies. So if you showed up at 11:00 (one hour after opening) your selection would have been severely limited.

Remember the eBay/antique booth scavengers I mentioned above? I was at another estate sale, 15th in line to enter the home, and by the time I got to the garage, one guy had all 10-that's T E N-of the sale's handsaws already in his "to keep" box. So much for the pictures showing plenty of "inventory."

Tip #5: Your estate sale "tool kit"
You need to tool up to go vintage tool hunting. Bring a sturdy bag (more on that later), a ruler, a magnifying glass or loop, a flashlight, handy wipes and of course cash. It doesn't hurt to bring a friendly attitude either. Making nice with the estate sale staff will serve you well in your negotiations.

Tip # 6: Go to the garage first.
When you get in, go immediately to where the tools are. Usually, that's the garage. Now listen carefully. The moment you see specific tools that you want pick them all up and place them in your bag. Then keep looking around. Carefully look over the room, tables and shelves for any other items that interest you. As you find them, place them in your bag. And don't forget to look above you. Sometimes woodworkers keep their wood supply up there. After you've scavenged the garage, go to secondary areas: sheds, basements (sometimes there's workshops down there) and such.

Once you're satisfied that you've got all the "possibles" secured, find a quiet place and sit down.

Next time we'll cover Tips 7-Inspecting for success, 8-Stretching your tool-buying budget by picking up and selling quality duplicates, and 9-Making friends with estate sale purveyors.

© 2015, Brad Chittim, all rights reserved.

End of Part 2

Click to expand...

planepassion said:

Tips #1-#6

Tip #1: Optimize your time by scouting out good possibilities
I primarily go to estate sales listed on http://www.estatesales.net. I also scour Craig's List for tool-laden estate and garage sales. If you were to plot my estate sale finds on a map you would notice some commonalities. The good tools came from older, blue-collar neighborhoods. Picture in your mind the areas in your city where older woodworkers might have situated themselves.

Yes, there have been an estate sale or two located in well-to-do neighborhoods. But I've found the prices tend to match the surroundings and have only picked up a good late-model tool or two (clamps, tweezers, sharpening stones) at places like that.

Tip #2: Look for key words in the ad that say "woodworking tools" to you
After going to a few estate sales and coming up snake eyes, I started to pay closer attention to ads. When searching online I use keywords such as "woodworking…" or "vintage tools" or "Disston." I also read the ads to get a feel for the type of work the person did. A machinist's vintage tools will be very different from a woodworker's workshop.

Sometimes an ad will give me a sniff that smells like "hand tools." Now a sniff alone isn't enough to dedicate two hours of to and fro driving, so I'll follow up with the estate sale proprietors via email.

Here's an exchange I had regarding one sale. "Your ad mentioned hand tools, what kinds of tools do you have?" Answer: "Some power hand tools, axes and a Stanley #60 miter box"

Now wait a minute. That miter box wasn't in any of the pictures…nor any descriptions…but it is now in my garage.

Turned out that it was in phenomenal shape. Price? $15.00 for the saw and box. No shipping. Just me lugging the heavy, dusty thing a half-block to my car wearing a big smile.

Tip #3: Study pre-sale pictures to evaluate the opportunity
I rely heavily on pictures and have gotten adept at deciphering them. The panoply of tools can say "I was a woodworker," or "I was a serious/tinkerer or occasional woodworker."

Online pictures are typically bad, so consider copying and pasting them into PowerPoint so that you can enlarge and study them. What brand names do you see? Are the tools late-model examples? Recent Chinese junk? And of course, do you see any specific items that you want to pick up?

Recently I saw a picture of a tool cabinet in a man's small shop. I saw planes (I'm pretty stocked up on those,) handsaws (I'm good there too,) chisels and, whoa! Chisels?! They looked vintage to be sure and there were five of them. They even could have been Stanley 750s. The reason I say "looked" and "could have been" is because by the time I got to the garage, moments after the estate sale opened, they had mysteriously disappeared. My gut tells me that a family member may have picked them up before the sale, or even someone working the sale. But my point is, that by zeroing in on what you want, you'll increase the odds that you'll be the one to buy it.

Tip #4: Go early or don't go at all.
This is absolutely critical. In this age where armies of retirees are combing estate sales to find stuff to put up for sale on EBay or in their antique mall booth, you simply must show up on the first day of an estate sale, preferably within the first half hour of it opening.

I showed up at one estate sale 25 minutes late. When I walked in, I saw people standing in line to buy a 5lb sledgehammer (on my want list) and a nice ax. After going directly to the garage, I saw another galoot with the only decent chisel in the lot firmly grasped in his hand.

When I left at 10:40, I was holding a Millers Falls 321 12" brace, plus some other goodies. So if you showed up at 11:00 (one hour after opening) your selection would have been severely limited.

Remember the eBay/antique booth scavengers I mentioned above? I was at another estate sale, 15th in line to enter the home, and by the time I got to the garage, one guy had all 10-that's T E N-of the sale's handsaws already in his "to keep" box. So much for the pictures showing plenty of "inventory."

Tip #5: Your estate sale "tool kit"
You need to tool up to go vintage tool hunting. Bring a sturdy bag (more on that later), a ruler, a magnifying glass or loop, a flashlight, handy wipes and of course cash. It doesn't hurt to bring a friendly attitude either. Making nice with the estate sale staff will serve you well in your negotiations.

Tip # 6: Go to the garage first.
When you get in, go immediately to where the tools are. Usually, that's the garage. Now listen carefully. The moment you see specific tools that you want pick them all up and place them in your bag. Then keep looking around. Carefully look over the room, tables and shelves for any other items that interest you. As you find them, place them in your bag. And don't forget to look above you. Sometimes woodworkers keep their wood supply up there. After you've scavenged the garage, go to secondary areas: sheds, basements (sometimes there's workshops down there) and such.

Once you're satisfied that you've got all the "possibles" secured, find a quiet place and sit down.

Next time we'll cover Tips 7-Inspecting for success, 8-Stretching your tool-buying budget by picking up and selling quality duplicates, and 9-Making friends with estate sale purveyors.

© 2015, Brad Chittim, all rights reserved.

End of Part 2

Click to expand...

planepassion said:

Tips #1-#6

Tip #1: Optimize your time by scouting out good possibilities
I primarily go to estate sales listed on http://www.estatesales.net. I also scour Craig's List for tool-laden estate and garage sales. If you were to plot my estate sale finds on a map you would notice some commonalities. The good tools came from older, blue-collar neighborhoods. Picture in your mind the areas in your city where older woodworkers might have situated themselves.

Yes, there have been an estate sale or two located in well-to-do neighborhoods. But I've found the prices tend to match the surroundings and have only picked up a good late-model tool or two (clamps, tweezers, sharpening stones) at places like that.

Tip #2: Look for key words in the ad that say "woodworking tools" to you
After going to a few estate sales and coming up snake eyes, I started to pay closer attention to ads. When searching online I use keywords such as "woodworking…" or "vintage tools" or "Disston." I also read the ads to get a feel for the type of work the person did. A machinist's vintage tools will be very different from a woodworker's workshop.

Sometimes an ad will give me a sniff that smells like "hand tools." Now a sniff alone isn't enough to dedicate two hours of to and fro driving, so I'll follow up with the estate sale proprietors via email.

Here's an exchange I had regarding one sale. "Your ad mentioned hand tools, what kinds of tools do you have?" Answer: "Some power hand tools, axes and a Stanley #60 miter box"

Now wait a minute. That miter box wasn't in any of the pictures…nor any descriptions…but it is now in my garage.

Turned out that it was in phenomenal shape. Price? $15.00 for the saw and box. No shipping. Just me lugging the heavy, dusty thing a half-block to my car wearing a big smile.

Tip #3: Study pre-sale pictures to evaluate the opportunity
I rely heavily on pictures and have gotten adept at deciphering them. The panoply of tools can say "I was a woodworker," or "I was a serious/tinkerer or occasional woodworker."

Online pictures are typically bad, so consider copying and pasting them into PowerPoint so that you can enlarge and study them. What brand names do you see? Are the tools late-model examples? Recent Chinese junk? And of course, do you see any specific items that you want to pick up?

Recently I saw a picture of a tool cabinet in a man's small shop. I saw planes (I'm pretty stocked up on those,) handsaws (I'm good there too,) chisels and, whoa! Chisels?! They looked vintage to be sure and there were five of them. They even could have been Stanley 750s. The reason I say "looked" and "could have been" is because by the time I got to the garage, moments after the estate sale opened, they had mysteriously disappeared. My gut tells me that a family member may have picked them up before the sale, or even someone working the sale. But my point is, that by zeroing in on what you want, you'll increase the odds that you'll be the one to buy it.

Tip #4: Go early or don't go at all.
This is absolutely critical. In this age where armies of retirees are combing estate sales to find stuff to put up for sale on EBay or in their antique mall booth, you simply must show up on the first day of an estate sale, preferably within the first half hour of it opening.

I showed up at one estate sale 25 minutes late. When I walked in, I saw people standing in line to buy a 5lb sledgehammer (on my want list) and a nice ax. After going directly to the garage, I saw another galoot with the only decent chisel in the lot firmly grasped in his hand.

When I left at 10:40, I was holding a Millers Falls 321 12" brace, plus some other goodies. So if you showed up at 11:00 (one hour after opening) your selection would have been severely limited.

Remember the eBay/antique booth scavengers I mentioned above? I was at another estate sale, 15th in line to enter the home, and by the time I got to the garage, one guy had all 10-that's T E N-of the sale's handsaws already in his "to keep" box. So much for the pictures showing plenty of "inventory."

Tip #5: Your estate sale "tool kit"
You need to tool up to go vintage tool hunting. Bring a sturdy bag (more on that later), a ruler, a magnifying glass or loop, a flashlight, handy wipes and of course cash. It doesn't hurt to bring a friendly attitude either. Making nice with the estate sale staff will serve you well in your negotiations.

Tip # 6: Go to the garage first.
When you get in, go immediately to where the tools are. Usually, that's the garage. Now listen carefully. The moment you see specific tools that you want pick them all up and place them in your bag. Then keep looking around. Carefully look over the room, tables and shelves for any other items that interest you. As you find them, place them in your bag. And don't forget to look above you. Sometimes woodworkers keep their wood supply up there. After you've scavenged the garage, go to secondary areas: sheds, basements (sometimes there's workshops down there) and such.

Once you're satisfied that you've got all the "possibles" secured, find a quiet place and sit down.

Next time we'll cover Tips 7-Inspecting for success, 8-Stretching your tool-buying budget by picking up and selling quality duplicates, and 9-Making friends with estate sale purveyors.

© 2015, Brad Chittim, all rights reserved.

End of Part 2

Click to expand...

planepassion said:

Tips #1-#6

Tip #1: Optimize your time by scouting out good possibilities
I primarily go to estate sales listed on http://www.estatesales.net. I also scour Craig's List for tool-laden estate and garage sales. If you were to plot my estate sale finds on a map you would notice some commonalities. The good tools came from older, blue-collar neighborhoods. Picture in your mind the areas in your city where older woodworkers might have situated themselves.

Yes, there have been an estate sale or two located in well-to-do neighborhoods. But I've found the prices tend to match the surroundings and have only picked up a good late-model tool or two (clamps, tweezers, sharpening stones) at places like that.

Tip #2: Look for key words in the ad that say "woodworking tools" to you
After going to a few estate sales and coming up snake eyes, I started to pay closer attention to ads. When searching online I use keywords such as "woodworking…" or "vintage tools" or "Disston." I also read the ads to get a feel for the type of work the person did. A machinist's vintage tools will be very different from a woodworker's workshop.

Sometimes an ad will give me a sniff that smells like "hand tools." Now a sniff alone isn't enough to dedicate two hours of to and fro driving, so I'll follow up with the estate sale proprietors via email.

Here's an exchange I had regarding one sale. "Your ad mentioned hand tools, what kinds of tools do you have?" Answer: "Some power hand tools, axes and a Stanley #60 miter box"

Now wait a minute. That miter box wasn't in any of the pictures…nor any descriptions…but it is now in my garage.

Turned out that it was in phenomenal shape. Price? $15.00 for the saw and box. No shipping. Just me lugging the heavy, dusty thing a half-block to my car wearing a big smile.

Tip #3: Study pre-sale pictures to evaluate the opportunity
I rely heavily on pictures and have gotten adept at deciphering them. The panoply of tools can say "I was a woodworker," or "I was a serious/tinkerer or occasional woodworker."

Online pictures are typically bad, so consider copying and pasting them into PowerPoint so that you can enlarge and study them. What brand names do you see? Are the tools late-model examples? Recent Chinese junk? And of course, do you see any specific items that you want to pick up?

Recently I saw a picture of a tool cabinet in a man's small shop. I saw planes (I'm pretty stocked up on those,) handsaws (I'm good there too,) chisels and, whoa! Chisels?! They looked vintage to be sure and there were five of them. They even could have been Stanley 750s. The reason I say "looked" and "could have been" is because by the time I got to the garage, moments after the estate sale opened, they had mysteriously disappeared. My gut tells me that a family member may have picked them up before the sale, or even someone working the sale. But my point is, that by zeroing in on what you want, you'll increase the odds that you'll be the one to buy it.

Tip #4: Go early or don't go at all.
This is absolutely critical. In this age where armies of retirees are combing estate sales to find stuff to put up for sale on EBay or in their antique mall booth, you simply must show up on the first day of an estate sale, preferably within the first half hour of it opening.

I showed up at one estate sale 25 minutes late. When I walked in, I saw people standing in line to buy a 5lb sledgehammer (on my want list) and a nice ax. After going directly to the garage, I saw another galoot with the only decent chisel in the lot firmly grasped in his hand.

When I left at 10:40, I was holding a Millers Falls 321 12" brace, plus some other goodies. So if you showed up at 11:00 (one hour after opening) your selection would have been severely limited.

Remember the eBay/antique booth scavengers I mentioned above? I was at another estate sale, 15th in line to enter the home, and by the time I got to the garage, one guy had all 10-that's T E N-of the sale's handsaws already in his "to keep" box. So much for the pictures showing plenty of "inventory."

Tip #5: Your estate sale "tool kit"
You need to tool up to go vintage tool hunting. Bring a sturdy bag (more on that later), a ruler, a magnifying glass or loop, a flashlight, handy wipes and of course cash. It doesn't hurt to bring a friendly attitude either. Making nice with the estate sale staff will serve you well in your negotiations.

Tip # 6: Go to the garage first.
When you get in, go immediately to where the tools are. Usually, that's the garage. Now listen carefully. The moment you see specific tools that you want pick them all up and place them in your bag. Then keep looking around. Carefully look over the room, tables and shelves for any other items that interest you. As you find them, place them in your bag. And don't forget to look above you. Sometimes woodworkers keep their wood supply up there. After you've scavenged the garage, go to secondary areas: sheds, basements (sometimes there's workshops down there) and such.

Once you're satisfied that you've got all the "possibles" secured, find a quiet place and sit down.

Next time we'll cover Tips 7-Inspecting for success, 8-Stretching your tool-buying budget by picking up and selling quality duplicates, and 9-Making friends with estate sale purveyors.

© 2015, Brad Chittim, all rights reserved.

End of Part 2

Click to expand...

planepassion said:

Tips #1-#6

Tip #1: Optimize your time by scouting out good possibilities
I primarily go to estate sales listed on http://www.estatesales.net. I also scour Craig's List for tool-laden estate and garage sales. If you were to plot my estate sale finds on a map you would notice some commonalities. The good tools came from older, blue-collar neighborhoods. Picture in your mind the areas in your city where older woodworkers might have situated themselves.

Yes, there have been an estate sale or two located in well-to-do neighborhoods. But I've found the prices tend to match the surroundings and have only picked up a good late-model tool or two (clamps, tweezers, sharpening stones) at places like that.

Tip #2: Look for key words in the ad that say "woodworking tools" to you
After going to a few estate sales and coming up snake eyes, I started to pay closer attention to ads. When searching online I use keywords such as "woodworking…" or "vintage tools" or "Disston." I also read the ads to get a feel for the type of work the person did. A machinist's vintage tools will be very different from a woodworker's workshop.

Sometimes an ad will give me a sniff that smells like "hand tools." Now a sniff alone isn't enough to dedicate two hours of to and fro driving, so I'll follow up with the estate sale proprietors via email.

Here's an exchange I had regarding one sale. "Your ad mentioned hand tools, what kinds of tools do you have?" Answer: "Some power hand tools, axes and a Stanley #60 miter box"

Now wait a minute. That miter box wasn't in any of the pictures…nor any descriptions…but it is now in my garage.

Turned out that it was in phenomenal shape. Price? $15.00 for the saw and box. No shipping. Just me lugging the heavy, dusty thing a half-block to my car wearing a big smile.

Tip #3: Study pre-sale pictures to evaluate the opportunity
I rely heavily on pictures and have gotten adept at deciphering them. The panoply of tools can say "I was a woodworker," or "I was a serious/tinkerer or occasional woodworker."

Online pictures are typically bad, so consider copying and pasting them into PowerPoint so that you can enlarge and study them. What brand names do you see? Are the tools late-model examples? Recent Chinese junk? And of course, do you see any specific items that you want to pick up?

Recently I saw a picture of a tool cabinet in a man's small shop. I saw planes (I'm pretty stocked up on those,) handsaws (I'm good there too,) chisels and, whoa! Chisels?! They looked vintage to be sure and there were five of them. They even could have been Stanley 750s. The reason I say "looked" and "could have been" is because by the time I got to the garage, moments after the estate sale opened, they had mysteriously disappeared. My gut tells me that a family member may have picked them up before the sale, or even someone working the sale. But my point is, that by zeroing in on what you want, you'll increase the odds that you'll be the one to buy it.

Tip #4: Go early or don't go at all.
This is absolutely critical. In this age where armies of retirees are combing estate sales to find stuff to put up for sale on EBay or in their antique mall booth, you simply must show up on the first day of an estate sale, preferably within the first half hour of it opening.

I showed up at one estate sale 25 minutes late. When I walked in, I saw people standing in line to buy a 5lb sledgehammer (on my want list) and a nice ax. After going directly to the garage, I saw another galoot with the only decent chisel in the lot firmly grasped in his hand.

When I left at 10:40, I was holding a Millers Falls 321 12" brace, plus some other goodies. So if you showed up at 11:00 (one hour after opening) your selection would have been severely limited.

Remember the eBay/antique booth scavengers I mentioned above? I was at another estate sale, 15th in line to enter the home, and by the time I got to the garage, one guy had all 10-that's T E N-of the sale's handsaws already in his "to keep" box. So much for the pictures showing plenty of "inventory."

Tip #5: Your estate sale "tool kit"
You need to tool up to go vintage tool hunting. Bring a sturdy bag (more on that later), a ruler, a magnifying glass or loop, a flashlight, handy wipes and of course cash. It doesn't hurt to bring a friendly attitude either. Making nice with the estate sale staff will serve you well in your negotiations.

Tip # 6: Go to the garage first.
When you get in, go immediately to where the tools are. Usually, that's the garage. Now listen carefully. The moment you see specific tools that you want pick them all up and place them in your bag. Then keep looking around. Carefully look over the room, tables and shelves for any other items that interest you. As you find them, place them in your bag. And don't forget to look above you. Sometimes woodworkers keep their wood supply up there. After you've scavenged the garage, go to secondary areas: sheds, basements (sometimes there's workshops down there) and such.

Once you're satisfied that you've got all the "possibles" secured, find a quiet place and sit down.

Next time we'll cover Tips 7-Inspecting for success, 8-Stretching your tool-buying budget by picking up and selling quality duplicates, and 9-Making friends with estate sale purveyors.

© 2015, Brad Chittim, all rights reserved.

End of Part 2

Click to expand...

planepassion said:

Tips #7-#9

Tip #7: Inspect each item.
I know that sounds silly. "Of course I'll inspect it," you're thinking. Yeah well, in the heat of the moment, when you think you've found a gem, and your heart is pumping, the birds are singing and you are SO in LOVE with that tool, well, it's easy to overlook that one detail that renders a tool useless. And the last thing you need is to spend money on a tool that is unserviceable. Not only is that money that could have gone to another good user, now you've got a heavy paper weight taking up space in your workshop.

So select the first tool out of your bag and carefully inspect it. Are all the parts there? Is anything broken? Is the rust manageable? Take a pair of dividers for example. I've found that many of them have lost their original locking nut over the years and owners have screwed in a bolt that doesn't quite fit because their threads are not compatible with modern standards. For a plane, is the sole flat (you did bring your ruler didn't you?) Are there any cracks? Is the tote in working order?

Remember that if an item has a missing or broken part, don't just blow that off, saying to yourself "I can pick one of those up on eBay." You sure can…in exchange for a whole lot of money. Alas, I'm speaking from personal experience on this issue.

Take this handsaw for instance.

She's a beaut now and she cuts well too. But when I brought her home, I found that when I unwrapped her (I violated my own rule by not inspecting it!) that she was missing a saw nut.

The saw cost me $2.00-a fantastic bargain for a vintage, top-of-the-line Disston No. 12 user. But get this: the saw nut I tracked down cost me $15.00. Now I know that what I should have done was buy another, it's-wheezing-its-last-breath beater of a saw and salvaged the brass from that. But I wasn't savvy about stuff like that at the time.

Still, the lesson holds. Vintage replacement parts are so expensive as to make the purchase of a jiggered tool hardly worthwhile in the overwhelming majority of cases. And if you can't make a replacement plane tote or knob, be ready to spend $40.00 or more to buy a vintage or modern equivalent.

Tip #8: Stretch your budget by buying quality duplicates.
Whenever I see a good tool in great condition, I buy it even if I already have one. Then I clean it up and put it up on eBay. When you buy something for a few bucks it's easy to triple your money or more. And that cash can be recycled into your tool-acquisition fund.

To keep from getting burned with this tactic, I would strongly suggest that you stick to tools/vintages/types that you know very well. At the very least, look it up on eBay before you buy something you're not sure about. And remember, condition makes a huge difference on eBay. So don't explain away scratches, dents and other imperfections when you're weighing your should-I-buy-it-and-resell-it decision, because I swear by all that's holy that your prospective buyers sure won't.

Tip #9: Make friends with estate sale people.
When you tour the estate sale circuit you'll bump into the same people over and over. I suggest you treat them fairly and don't beat them up during your price negotiations. Better to make friends with them so that when you do have a really great tool, you can negotiate a great price to go with it. Now that you're "friends" with the estate sale proprietors, they're more likely to cut you some slack.

Secondly, by giving them your card and asking them to call you if they come across some good woodworking tools, you'd be amazed at what you could pick up before the sale even starts.

In the next installment, I'll discuss tip #10, Don't leave before fishing out the other good deals

© 2015, Brad Chittim, all rights reserved.

Click to expand...

planepassion said:

Tips #7-#9

Tip #7: Inspect each item.
I know that sounds silly. "Of course I'll inspect it," you're thinking. Yeah well, in the heat of the moment, when you think you've found a gem, and your heart is pumping, the birds are singing and you are SO in LOVE with that tool, well, it's easy to overlook that one detail that renders a tool useless. And the last thing you need is to spend money on a tool that is unserviceable. Not only is that money that could have gone to another good user, now you've got a heavy paper weight taking up space in your workshop.

So select the first tool out of your bag and carefully inspect it. Are all the parts there? Is anything broken? Is the rust manageable? Take a pair of dividers for example. I've found that many of them have lost their original locking nut over the years and owners have screwed in a bolt that doesn't quite fit because their threads are not compatible with modern standards. For a plane, is the sole flat (you did bring your ruler didn't you?) Are there any cracks? Is the tote in working order?

Remember that if an item has a missing or broken part, don't just blow that off, saying to yourself "I can pick one of those up on eBay." You sure can…in exchange for a whole lot of money. Alas, I'm speaking from personal experience on this issue.

Take this handsaw for instance.

She's a beaut now and she cuts well too. But when I brought her home, I found that when I unwrapped her (I violated my own rule by not inspecting it!) that she was missing a saw nut.

The saw cost me $2.00-a fantastic bargain for a vintage, top-of-the-line Disston No. 12 user. But get this: the saw nut I tracked down cost me $15.00. Now I know that what I should have done was buy another, it's-wheezing-its-last-breath beater of a saw and salvaged the brass from that. But I wasn't savvy about stuff like that at the time.

Still, the lesson holds. Vintage replacement parts are so expensive as to make the purchase of a jiggered tool hardly worthwhile in the overwhelming majority of cases. And if you can't make a replacement plane tote or knob, be ready to spend $40.00 or more to buy a vintage or modern equivalent.

Tip #8: Stretch your budget by buying quality duplicates.
Whenever I see a good tool in great condition, I buy it even if I already have one. Then I clean it up and put it up on eBay. When you buy something for a few bucks it's easy to triple your money or more. And that cash can be recycled into your tool-acquisition fund.

To keep from getting burned with this tactic, I would strongly suggest that you stick to tools/vintages/types that you know very well. At the very least, look it up on eBay before you buy something you're not sure about. And remember, condition makes a huge difference on eBay. So don't explain away scratches, dents and other imperfections when you're weighing your should-I-buy-it-and-resell-it decision, because I swear by all that's holy that your prospective buyers sure won't.

Tip #9: Make friends with estate sale people.
When you tour the estate sale circuit you'll bump into the same people over and over. I suggest you treat them fairly and don't beat them up during your price negotiations. Better to make friends with them so that when you do have a really great tool, you can negotiate a great price to go with it. Now that you're "friends" with the estate sale proprietors, they're more likely to cut you some slack.

Secondly, by giving them your card and asking them to call you if they come across some good woodworking tools, you'd be amazed at what you could pick up before the sale even starts.

In the next installment, I'll discuss tip #10, Don't leave before fishing out the other good deals

© 2015, Brad Chittim, all rights reserved.

Click to expand...