Flea Market Finds

[tuscarora dave]

I am one for going to flea markets. Just for kicks usually because you'll never know what can turn up. Usually junk that I like to collect but occasionally I find some useful items. I started this thread because I am interested to see what others have found and purchased from flea markets. Here's something that interested me enough to pick it up today at the local flea market. Whether it works or not is yet to be seen.




I'm about to plug it in to a 12 volt power supply that I have here at the house and see if it works and how much power it has if it does in fact work.

I also snatched up a few items for the shop like a 14 inch push broom and fox tail dust brush at $5 for both and these MAC and Blue Point tools.

[tuscarora dave]

This thing works and actually has a ton of power. It will be my new tire scrubber and I'm sure it will be useful for carpets and a few other areas too.

[BobbyG]

I used to like going to the local flea market but most around these parts have dried up.

Most flea markets are comprised of a lot of junk. It doesn't mean everything's junk you just have to look harder and dig deeper. I've brought home some incredible finds for next to nothing. I sort of look at it as dumpster diving in rows!!

Nice haul Dave!!

[langman37]

"Hey Frank, that's a nice piece"

[tuscarora dave]

This thing works and actually has a ton of power. It will be my new tire scrubber and I'm sure it will be useful for carpets and a few other areas too.

Looking a little closer at the brushes, I think the one will make a perfect lug nut brush.

"Hey Frank, that's a nice piece"

Who's Frank?

[Tundra_10]

Tuscarora Dave, you brought a little more sunshine into my day with this post. Not necessarily what you found, but where you went.

When my siblings and I were younger my dad would take us to the flea market after we went to catholic school on sundays. We went to this place that was about 30 min away or so from where we lived and it was an indoor place so rain or shine, it was always packed. They had everything thing you could possibly imagine there. Some vendors just had junk or just absolutely worthless stuff, some seemed to have treasure. Some had stuff piled on top of one another and you were afraid to move one thing just to allow a dozen to fall on top of you like a jenga game then others were meticulously kept and organized.

He always wanted to make sure we left there with something, candy from one of the vendors that had homemade sweets or maybe a Nintendo game that he would haggle the seller for the best price.

It was always a welcoming experience, especially for me (I think my sisters could have cared less to be honest) and now thinking about it almost makes me tear up just thinking about how happy those trips made me.

Thank you for the reminder of how special those stupid trips to the flea market made me feel!

[tuscarora dave]

Tuscarora Dave, you brought a little more sunshine into my day with this post. Not necessarily what you found, but where you went.

When my siblings and I were younger my dad would take us to the flea market after we went to catholic school on sundays. We went to this place that was about 30 min away or so from where we lived and it was an indoor place so rain or shine, it was always packed. They had everything thing you could possibly imagine there. Some vendors just had junk or just absolutely worthless stuff, some seemed to have treasure. Some had stuff piled on top of one another and you were afraid to move one thing just to allow a dozen to fall on top of you like a jenga game then others were meticulously kept and organized.

He always wanted to make sure we left there with something, candy from one of the vendors that had homemade sweets or maybe a Nintendo game that he would haggle the seller for the best price.

It was always a welcoming experience, especially for me (I think my sisters could have cared less to be honest) and now thinking about it almost makes me tear up just thinking about how happy those trips made me.

Thank you for the reminder of how special those stupid trips to the flea market made me feel!

Mike, I'm glad to have enabled you to have that bright memory today. I have some time here at the house to spend with my dad. At 71 years old I cherish every moment we can spend together.

[art72]

Guess I need to start checking out some local flea markets here - haven't been to one in 4-5 years, used to go out to the Swap Shop in Fort Lauderdale all the time when my kids were little. They had a mini circus, tons of tools & goodies (cheap), and a bunch of drive-in movies at night. -Loved that place.

Most of my tools for my mobile van so far have been from pawn shops or Craig's List. Scored a brand new in-the-box 3550 Troy-Bilt generator a couple months ago on CL for $125, and just 2 days ago landed a Ridgid 4.5 gallon air compressor for $110 (out the door) at a local Pawn shop. Still paying off a MyTee Lite II found for $350 +tax at another pawn shop... and I bought my first DA, a Dewalt I picked up last week with a 6" foam pad for $60 - also at a pawn shop.

Naturally, I doubt I'll find a decent PC7424XP... but I've been hunting for one. Probably buy a new one here at AG next month anyway, along with a few other things.

Definitely a big fan of treasure hunting, especially for tools.

[Spiney]

I had that very same scrubber and think I lost or my wife tossed it during our last move. It was great for wheels, tires, floormatts. I hope mine shows up. You enjoy yours. Do you ever go to Saturdays Market?

[timaishu]

I have two swap meets near me. One that is just 3 or so minutes away and the other I hop on the freeway for 10 minutes to get to.

I like looking, but I rarely ever leave with anything. I don't have a job so that makes it hard to buy, but I enjoy looking. I am always hoping I'll find something really cool or some gem that the seller has no idea they own.