Like so many others I have become a fan of that TV show “American Pickers.” You’ll might have seen the show where a couple of good ole boys drive around the country looking for people with lots of junk to sell and look for treasures. They find some cool stuff like old gas station signs and carnival rides. Those boys are a trip to watch not to mention just a little bit inspirational so when my wife said there was an estate sale she was interested in going to I thought I might try a little pickin’ myself. Besides, it is too darned cold to get out on the river or climb a tree so off to town we went. I even cleared out the van so we could have room for the bargains.
Having a estate sale in the middle of the week and during a cold snap turned out good for us. There wasn’t as many people as if the weather was good but there was still quite a few. Lots of out buildings at this sale and stuff in the house so the little woman went inside and I checked out the outside.
What a sight! My shop just isn’t big enough for all the stuff I wanted. The old boy was a wood worker because he had every kind of wood working tool imaginable. The lumber was incredible. Cedar, oak, pecky cypress, just to name a few kinds, piled up and heading out. Big lathes, drills, hammers and mallets of every size, and tool boxes every where. The old boy was a fisherman, too, who kept his old fishing lures in a special place in one of the out buildings. There was old wooden ones in excellent condition. What caught my eye was an aerator. Not the kind for the fish tank, the kind you pull behind a tractor to aerate the soil, hence the name (had to explain it to my wife. She thought I was buying another fish tank). Also found some things I need for welding.
Then the wife came out to the out buildings. “Baby, what’d you find?” she asked and before I could tell her she started snooping through the buildings herself. Found a couple of bird house gourds,
old jars of nails (I think she just wanted the jars)
fishing lures, and a beer mug made from a Schaeffer beer can. Looks like an advertising thing.
The funny thing is she doesn’t drink!
Then she spied an old lamp with the coolest base. The base is cast iron, no rust just sawdust.
“The old organizer would be great for a jeweler’s tools” she said when she piled it in my arms.
She piled me full of stuff, then she went back to the house to get her treasures. Dolls, sewing patterns, antique bottles, and a raccoon cookie jar were just a few things she found.
In all, I think I did pretty good. Might not be the caliber of those boys on American Pickers but then I new at this. Give me a little time and I’ll give them a run for their money. I might even arm wrestle once or twice.
Post by Dan Patterson of MetalWoodsnWater
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