Show us your Thrift and/or yard sale finds

[countryclubjoe]

Hi Folks
Not GE however Nice Frank Lloyd Wright theme silk ties... Thrift store find for $2
Probably headed to ebay or etsy.
Regards.
CCJ

 

[DNO]

Exciting find at the Salvation Army today (at least for me)! A first edition of Stewart Granger's autobiography "Sparks Fly Upward"....signed by Stewart Granger. In great condition, too.

 

[jamespowers]

Exciting find at the Salvation Army today (at least for me)! A first edition of Stewart Granger's autobiography "Sparks Fly Upward"....signed by Stewart Granger. In great condition, too.

Autographed! Nice.

 

[esteban68]

Great find there DNO!

Here's my weekends finds all time related;

this was the Smiths electric clock as found looking rather rough;

I managed quite easily to clean the chrome up and the wood brushed up nice , the electric movement is however kaput and all the screws on the back well rusted in..... I plan to repaint the inner dial, re finish the wood and install a quartz movement ...I know I could possibly get an original movement but that would mean stripping one out of an existing clock and anyway the clock cost £1 so nothing to lose really.

The two leather wrist straps are for small fob/pocket watches to enable them to be worn on the wrist, cost again £1 each and lastly the Rotary ladies watch is in excellent condition and a really good timekeeper though I had to push the boat out to a whole £3!

 

[esteban68]

here's a few more;

 

[jamespowers]

Great find there DNO!

Here's my weekends finds all time related;

this was the Smiths electric clock as found looking rather rough;

I managed quite easily to clean the chrome up and the wood brushed up nice , the electric movement is however kaput and all the screws on the back well rusted in..... I plan to repaint the inner dial, re finish the wood and install a quartz movement ...I know I could possibly get an original movement but that would mean stripping one out of an existing clock and anyway the clock cost £1 so nothing to lose really.

The two leather wrist straps are for small fob/pocket watches to enable them to be worn on the wrist, cost again £1 each and lastly the Rotary ladies watch is in excellent condition and a really good timekeeper though I had to push the boat out to a whole £3!

I think you could have that movement rebuilt. There are places that rebuild Smith's movements---especially where you are. I have a Smith's mantle clock.

 

[esteban68]

The screws on the back holding the wooden 'backplate' are trashed several heads chewed up or broke off when I tried to undo them, once l get that off l 'll need to 're drill it or make a new one as l don't think l 'll get the old screws out...l 'll know better once l get the back off....happily the wooden case and chrome is ok or will be with some tlc as is the chapter ring and re painting the inner dial is easy apart from 're painting the Smiths logo maybe there's a transfer available?

 

[DNO]

Went to a thrift store in a nearby city. Another great book find. The thrift stores have been kind to me this week.

 

[DNO]

And in a Salvation Army store nearby, we found a lovely Suzy Cooper teapot.

 

[Argee]

From an estate sale this morning:
Gerstner dental case from the mid 1950s.
I intend to use it for fountain pens.

 

[Vera Godfrey]

^^^ That is pretty nifty! I can think of several things I would use it for!

 

[Shangas]

From an estate sale this morning:
Gerstner dental case from the mid 1950s.
I intend to use it for fountain pens.

OMYGOD.

I have wanted one of those for ages!

I too, would use it to store my fountain pens!! Please let us know how that works out!!

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Picked this up today at a collectibles show.

 

[Matt Crunk]

My thrift store find of the week: Picked up this neat old Woodstock typewriter at a local shop I frequent. Guy said it was recently donated by a church that until very recently still used it to type up the church bulletins. Ribbon is broken but I found I can still still order new ones for about $15, which is not much less than I gave for the typewriter. Another great piece for my planned vintage (noir detective) style home office. So, should I restore / repaint it, or just clean it up and leave it as-is?

 

[Shangas]

Dust it. Clean it. Lube it. Flush the typing mechanism. Change the ribbon and use it, if it still works right.

 

[Matt Crunk]

Dust it. Clean it. Lube it. Flush the typing mechanism. Change the ribbon and use it, if it still works right.

Any way to tell the year model/date of manufacture on one of these things? The keys all seem to work OK, but it doesn't advance like it should. An easy fix?

 

[Shangas]

Not-advancing is one of three reasons:

1. Mainspring is jammed/broken.
2. Drawstring is broken.
3. Ratchet is jammed/broken.

Jammed things can be cleaned and lubricated. And drawstrings can be replaced. Most people use shoelaces or strong nylon thread/cord. I've never had to do it myself, though.

 

[Stearmen]

Picked this up today at a collectibles show.

I would like to own every single airplane on there!

 

[Matt Crunk]

I would like to own every single airplane on there!

It'd cost a fortune to hanger them all. Me, I'd take the Cub and the Stearman, and just for fun, the Mustang.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Other weekend finds.