[Shop-talk] changing times...

[Pat Horne]

I’m getting old, turning 75 this year. About 15 years ago I went to an auction locally at a shop where a guy restored tube radios. He had stuff from Atwater Kent’s into the late 50s. I bought a bunch of analog bench meters not realizing that there wasn’t much of a market for them. I’d used this kind of test gear when I started doing TV repair in the mid 60s. I was finally able to sell them on eBay but it took some time. I’ll bet most ended up on display rather than being used. 

On the bright side, after digital cameras took over, all my 1960s Nikon gear was worthless & was just gathering dust. My granddaughter loved collecting old photo equipment so I gave her my 2 bodies, 4 lenses & a light meter. Turns out she had been buying film & using this gear! Not all history is lost on the young. 

Pat Horne 
We support Habitat for Humanity


On Apr 18, 2022, at 6:46 PM, Jack Brooks <JIBrooks at live.com> wrote:

Pat,

I have a friend who supplements his income by visiting the local Salvation Army, Deseret Store, etc., at the time when they put out the new stuff.  He then resell the stuff he just bought on ebay on a regular basis usually making an 2-10x markup.  

If you have some niche product knowledge, it can be a very profitable.

Jack 

-----Original Message-----
From: Shop-talk <shop-talk-bounces at autox.team.net> On Behalf Of Pat Horne
Sent: Monday, April 18, 2022 3:38 PM
To: David Scheidt <dmscheidt at gmail.com>
Cc: shop-talk <shop-talk at autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: [Shop-talk] changing times...

Great story. I wish our Habitat Restore got that kind of thing in. 

Estate sales can be great places to find nostalgia. My dad was at one about 20 years back & noticed something behind the check out that looked a bit like a pepper mill. He asked what it was & the person said they didn’t know but thought it was a kid’s toy. They sold it to him for $25 including the case. It was a Curta calculator. Sold it on eBay for $900 they are going for over $2000 now!

Peace,
Pat

Pat Horne 
We support Habitat for Humanity


On Apr 18, 2022, at 5:05 PM, David Scheidt <dmscheidt at gmail.com> wrote:

The other day, I was at my local habitat restore, browsing tools. It's
very close to me, I pop in once a week or two, to look.
They clearly have gotten the estate of an old car guy, as various bits
of old test equipment and speciality automotive tools have been there
(when they get a bunch of stuff like that, they tend to parcel it out,
instead of putting it all out at once) over the last couple months.
The other day, there was a twenty something year old looking at a
tachometer/dwell engine analyzer.   he asked if I knew what it was.  I
attempted to explain.  I'm pretty sure he had no idea what a
distributor was, and the idea of points baffled him.   I'd said old
cars had them, he said 'like from the 80s?'.

-- 
David Scheidt
dmscheidt at gmail.com
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