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Thread: Speaking of good investments!

  1. #1
    pUMpHEAD SYSOp Thumper's Avatar
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    Speaking of good investments!

    I mentioned here that I attended an estate sale 3-4 weeks ago and bought 4 rusty old axes for $3 apiece. Once I cleaned them up, only two of them had any markings (a Craftsman and a Sager), but the other two were unmarked, although I knew by style, etc, who the manufacturer was. Still, unmarked axes don't bring a premium. I'd list one, once it sold, I'd drag out another one, clean it up and list it. No rush, I just took my time. Well heck, it's been less than a month and all four of them have sold as of today. I just turned $12 worth of rusty old axes into $337.45 in the blink of an eye! I hope this eBay thing remains as fun as it's been so far.
    "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness" - Mark Twain

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    Senior Member (too much time on their hands) Bwana's Avatar
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    Well played sir

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    Administrator BarryBobPosthole's Avatar
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    Just a reminder I have a birthday coming up!

    BKB
    Viva Renaldo!

  4. #4
    pUMpHEAD SYSOp Thumper's Avatar
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    I have a beautiful Collins I've just started cleaning up and plan on listing it this afternoon. It's got a nice 4-1/2 pound Dayton head with the original haft in excellent condition. How much do you generally spend on birthday gifts?
    "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness" - Mark Twain

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    Senior Member (too much time on their hands) Big Skyz's Avatar
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    Your Midas touch for all things ebay never ceases to amaze me! I'm fairly confident that if I tried to do this I would buy low and find out I still paid too much and then be stuck with a bunch of crap I can't move.

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    Senior Member (too much time on their hands) Bwana's Avatar
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    What BS said.

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    pUMpHEAD SYSOp Thumper's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Thumper View Post
    I have a beautiful Collins I've just started cleaning up and plan on listing it this afternoon. It's got a nice 4-1/2 pound Dayton head with the original haft in excellent condition. How much do you generally spend on birthday gifts?
    Poof! Gone. Didn't get around to listing it until yesterday afternoon and it sold last night. In fact, it sold so fast, I figure I must'a underpriced it. Guy paid $94.50 total. Sorry P-hole ... there went your b/d gift.

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    "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness" - Mark Twain

  8. #8
    Administrator BarryBobPosthole's Avatar
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    Thumper’s Axe Murderer Supply! Get yours today!

    BKB
    Viva Renaldo!

  9. #9
    pUMpHEAD SYSOp Thumper's Avatar
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    Ha ha ha! Yeah, it's startin' to look like that. Of course I have a ton of misc. stuff listed, but I have a habit of categorizing some stuff and group things together by category. Then I let the supply build up until the urge hits me to start listing a particular type of item, then I go through the pile. The last couple months of the year, I got the urge to start selling off a pile of old Pyrex mixing bowls I'd let accumulate. Bottom line on old Pyrex bowls for the month of December? $1044.22! I'd acquired a pile of axes and didn't start fooling with them until sometime last month, so I sold a couple in January. For some odd reason (no rhyme or reason really), I only list one at a time. I'll clean one up (minor cleaning, maybe 15-mins. per axe) and list it. When it sells, I'll list another one and so forth. This is what has sold so far just in February, so I'm averaging 1/week. (I guess it's time to clean up another one)

    Bottom line paid by buyers, Total: $413.32 Nice return considering I refuse to pay more than $5/axe. (the small, boy's axe (#3) was badly rusted and extremely pitted)


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    "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness" - Mark Twain

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    Administrator BarryBobPosthole's Avatar
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    Hey, internet axe murderers need to have a good day too sometimes.

    BKB
    Viva Renaldo!

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    pUMpHEAD SYSOp Thumper's Avatar
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    I clean the blood off of 'em before I sell 'em.

    I still have 5-6 axes here, but I'm losing interest and may move on to something else. I really, REALLY need to start dumping some cast iron. I have a couple different piles hanging around that I need to start moving. Most of my primo stuff has been sold, but the piles are rebuilding. Here's ONE pile ... I have another, but haven't taken a pic of it.

    cast iron pile.jpg
    "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness" - Mark Twain

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    Senior Member (too much time on their hands) Big Skyz's Avatar
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    I expect Jack Nicholson will be checking in here soon...

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    Senior Member (too much time on their hands) Chicken Dinner's Avatar
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    You have anything interesting in that pile of iron?


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  14. #14
    Administrator BarryBobPosthole's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chicken Dinner View Post
    You have anything interesting in that pile of iron?


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    I was thinking the exact same thing. I don’t know how I could drag anything else home though, especially something that could potentially be used as a weapon.

    BKB
    Viva Renaldo!

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    Senior Member (too much time on their hands) Bwana's Avatar
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    My missus has fallen in love with her cast iron skillet. I'm sure there is something hiding in your pile that she might like but I have no idea what it would be.

    She's not enough in the know to be interested in only top end stuff, I think it is more about cooking with items her grandmothers used to that piques her interest.

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    Administrator BarryBobPosthole's Avatar
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    I’d jump on a dutch oven with a hammered finish in a NYM.

    BKB
    Viva Renaldo!

  17. #17
    Senior Member (too much time on their hands) Hombre's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BarryBobPosthole View Post
    I’d jump on a dutch oven with a hammered finish in a NYM.

    BKB
    damnit I've been asking Thump about that for years....now you're cutting in line

  18. #18
    Administrator BarryBobPosthole's Avatar
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    I was just establishing my place in line in front of Bwana’s wife!

    BKB
    Viva Renaldo!

  19. #19
    pUMpHEAD SYSOp Thumper's Avatar
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    Been running some elderly (mid-80’s) friends around and now waiting for their 1st Covid shot appts. (4:00 & 4:15), so I figured I’d check in. I haven’t run across any hammered iron in quite a while. That stuff is like gold with the CI collectors. I have that pile pictured above, as well as a smaller pile I’ve started. I don’t even have a clue what all is in there. I pick ‘em up, bring ‘em home, add ‘em to the pile and forget about ‘em for a while. Every once in a while, I’ll get the bug and start digging a few things out to list. Like the Pyrex in Nov -Dec, axes Jan -Feb, etc. No clue why I do that, just one of my idiosyncrasies I guess. I think before the Pyrex, I went through a stage of listing old wood working tools and before that, hand tools (wrenches, etc). In between, I list misc. singular stuff. I guess it keeps me from getting bored when I change things up. I’ve tapped into a HUGE market for vintage (citrus) juicers and sell them year round. I probably have 40-50 of them in inventory at any given time. Oddly, 90% of those sales go to California. I’ll dig through the CI within the next day or two and see if there’s anything interesting in there.
    "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness" - Mark Twain

  20. #20
    Administrator Arty's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BarryBobPosthole View Post
    I was just establishing my place in line in front of Bwana’s wife!

    BKB
    Y’all just got to be faster than CD when it comes to claiming oyster knives. He’s 0-4.


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