Garage sale addicts... what do you hoard?

[jochart]

Coins, clocks, watches, pens, 18k jewelry and loose gemstones.

 

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[Baltimore]

I keep and wear a lot of vintage clothing, also have an unnecessarily large collection of vintage baseball caps that is growing all the time. I try to sell one whenever I add one but that is becoming harder and harder to do.

I also just keep thing that I don't find often but love the look of: Old fans, vintage industrial style lamps, old signs, wooden crates. I'm pretty cheap so it's easy not to hoard that kind of stuff because it's hard to find at a low price

 

[BigWaveDave]

For me....
Bicentennial Memorabilia.....
When I was a kid, 1980's, there was an endless supply of souvenirs from 1976 at yard sales, flea markets... and it was all dirt cheap.
I was fascinated by the Revolutionary War, and in school it was all about history, growing up in New England.....
So I thought it was cool to get coins, stamps, etc that had the 1776-1976 motif.... and if it had a depiction of the three guys, the drummer, the flutist, and the old guy carrying the flag, even better!
So now, after 30 years or so, I got maybe a hundred plates, along with buckles, pins, bells, trays, salt and peppers, advertising pieces, hats, cups, glasses, the list goes on...literally over a thousand different things.
Sadly, all put away in storage, because my wife lives in my house too, and there had to be a compromise.
It is rare for me nowadays to find something that I don't already have...in fact, I do have duplicate items, things I bought, but forgot I already had.
But last Sat am I did find this nifty little bank for a dollar at a yard sale....I was so happy.


..... I know, right?

 

[Rodbuster209]

I collect coins, precious metals and merchant thermometers.

 

[tokameel]

Dont know why, but I always buy marbles and not even a collector...

I'd love to give you mine, but I lost them a long time ago. Just ask my wife.

 

[tokameel]

I hoard fans

I never met a fan fan before. sorry


I ask for old coins, or if they have them but don't want to sell, I tell them that, if they don't know the value of the coins, I can give them an 'amateur appraisal (I've been into coins since 1968) for $15/hr.
I say what coins they can put back under the bed, which coins (if any) should be in a safety-deposit box, and which they can take to the casino and spend.

I also ask if they have a lifetimes worth of pocket change that they have thrown into empty water-cooler jugs or coffee cans that they don't know what to do with. I tell them that I will take the coins to the bank, cash them in and return the check, for the entire amount, if I can just CherryPick them first.
I must look trustworthy because I have done this for 5 of the 50 people that I've asked. And I do think that it is a good percentage.

 

[cyberdan]

Coins, clocks, watches, pens, 18k jewelry and loose gemstones.

I really did not think I hoarded things till I saw your post. But I guess I do. I bought a 100 year old clock ($5.00) last year and rebuilt it. It now looks great (could get $300.00 on ebay) since then I have purchased two more antique clocks. I intend to rebuild them also, someday.

Of course coins too, mostly half dollars. Got them all at my local banks for 50¢ each. Lots of 40% JFK and many Franklins and Standing Liberty too.

My biggest hoard was over one year ago. I bought over 300 lbs of costume jewelry from one family. (It took 3 visits over a one year period to buy it all) I still have about 50-75 lbs. The family had a "cash for gold" company that threw all the "rejects" in many boxes. I think I bought about 75% of what they had. I tried to buy the rest but they refused. Out of that 300 lbs I found MANY ounces of AG & AU. I then sold about 200 lbs on ebay. Five pounds at a time as "artistic" jewelry. A lot of that can be resold on ebay. Al the chains are still balled up into one huge knot. It probably weighs 25 lbs. Some day I will go through that, I am sure there are many gold/silver chains in that mess. It is the size of a volleyball.

 

[mojjax]

I hoard Coleman lanterns .

 

[Beachkid23]

I collect coins, precious metals and merchant thermometers.

I have a thermometer. I don't even know what to do. It has that special metal in it.

 

[Beachkid23]

I really did not think I hoarded things till I saw your post. But I guess I do. I bought a 100 year old clock ($5.00) last year and rebuilt it. It now looks great (could get $300.00 on ebay) since then I have purchased two more antique clocks. I intend to rebuild them also, someday.

Of course coins too, mostly half dollars. Got them all at my local banks for 50¢ each. Lots of 40% JFK and many Franklins and Standing Liberty too.

My biggest hoard was over one year ago. I bought over 300 lbs of costume jewelry from one family. (It took 3 visits over a one year period to buy it all) I still have about 50-75 lbs. The family had a "cash for gold" company that threw all the "rejects" in many boxes. I think I bought about 75% of what they had. I tried to buy the rest but they refused. Out of that 300 lbs I found MANY ounces of AG & AU. I then sold about 200 lbs on ebay. Five pounds at a time as "artistic" jewelry. A lot of that can be resold on ebay. Al the chains are still balled up into one huge knot. It probably weighs 25 lbs. Some day I will go through that, I am sure there are many gold/silver chains in that mess. It is the size of a volleyball.

- I don't think you count anymore. You're retired you're time is sacred!

 

[Oregon Viking]

I have started hoarding (collecting) die cast cars. 1/18 scale. Found a few at garage sales, prices were great.....

 

[cyberdan]

I have a thermometer. I don't even know what to do. It has that special metal in it.

Hey Kid, that special metal is hard to find. It is mercury and if you are a gold prospector (like I am trying to be, new hobby) it sucks up fine gold like a sponge. Problem is it is very expensive and deadly.

 

[BigWaveDave]

So Ijust scored this at my neighbors yard sale....for a buck!

 

[diggummup]

So Ijust scored this at my neighbors yard sale....for a buck!
View attachment 1387569

I have a few Bicentennial pieces. When I find them I'll set them aside for you. They're yours, they have your name on them now. One is a small ceramic piggy bank with the bicentennial logo on the side. I'll locate them during my move in the next few weeks.

 

[BigWaveDave]

Whaaaaaaaaaat?
Wow, thank you so much....I don't know what to say!
There got to be some way for me to reciprocate your generosity......
I will in some way, that's for sure....
Safe travels, and an easy move my friend.