GGs,
After getting to Nashua, and settling down on Thursday, Dave Caudill and I
enjoyed a filling supper in the pub and wandered in to preview the first of
the LFOD auctions that was to start the next morning at 9am. With 900 lots,
many of which were box lots, there didn't seem too much to interest
me--especially since I was heading to Brimfield, rather than the auction.
It was nice to see some old friends, though.
I have to report that one guy, who apparently is a lurker on this list,
thoroughly offended me by coming up and berating me for posting these
reports of my Brimfield experiences to Oldtools. Apparently his beef was
that by telling folks what prices I pay for things at Brimfield, I was
making life difficult for other dealers, whose customers might figure out
how much they were getting screwed. Of course, he was in complete error.
Never have I mentioned a price that I've paid at Brimfield. That is
personal. And, even if I did, the effect would be exactly the opposite of
what he imagined. With very few exceptions the things I buy cost more money
than many folks would guess. Good tools cost. For the most part, rusty,
broken tools are cheap--but worth it to folks who have the time to fix them
up. I don't have time to fix them up. I presume from this guy's attitude
that he is in the business of greatly inflating his prices. But, believe
me, he is an abberation. The tool dealers that I know and respect set fair
prices, based on the cost of their stock, their considerable time spent
searching and researching, and their very real expenses.
End of rant.
At 4:00am I headed the old truck (just turned over 215,000 miles) back down
to Brimfield. Friday is J&J's day, with one of the oldest fields at
Brimfield opening up at 6:00 am. Waiting in line you could see stars in the
pre-dawn sky for the first time all week. No rain today. By the way,
waiting for a field to open is always a pleasant experience. It gives you a
chance to meet and chat with folks who deal or collect a wide variety of
stuff. Today it was a lady camera collector and a guy who deals in wrist
watches. Yesterday a musical instruments (mostly banjo) guy, and so forth.
You can learn a lot just by standing in line and being sociable.
While J&J's is usually a good field for me, today looked like a bust. After
a lot of walking a decent Stanley 12" brace finally showed up. This was
followed by a nice old MF#2 drill (but not old enough to shiver George
Langford's timbers). Then I picked up a really nifty trammel. It is
craftsman-made, but old and very nice. That dealer pointed out a small
quick adjustable wrench that he had, which also went into the bag. One of
my favorite J&J dealers (sadly, I've watched his health steadily decline for
the past few years) had a nice New Bedford smooth plane. It was fairly
expensive, but from close to home. This was followed by an interesting
hand-crafted inclinometer, and a couple of other baubles. Finally, I melted
at the sight of a monstrous hand crank grinder. This one has an open gear
wheel that is 13" in diameter, and has a robust tilt adjustment mechanism,
wheel brake, and is signed by the Cheney Co. of Manlius, NY. I couldn't
leave it on the field.
By now it is 8:00 am and time to head back to Nashua (90 miles to the
north). So, by 10am I recovered my reserved spot in the parking lot, and
went back to distributing tools to the folks. Sales weren't brisk, but I
did manage to divest myself of some higher priced things that have been with
me too long--as well as pick up some goodies from other dealers, and glean
good information from some collectors. And I can tell you that galoot Dave
Tardiff has a son, Peter, who is going to be, heck is, a tool collector.
Great youngster, David!
Friday evening at LFOD features both the dealer's show, and the preview of
the fancy Saturday auction. After Dave and I shared a nice meal with a
couple of Maine dealer friends, we went into the show. If you want to see
an array of super high end tools, this is the place to go. Prices at this
one topped out at $30,000.00 for one spectacular plane. My wants are more
simple, and I was happy to find an original 1911 P.S.&W. catalogue among Don
& Anne Wing's offerings, plus I bought a signed copy of Tom Elliot's newest
book on wooden planes; a synopsis of all of the imprints he's
recorded--with 500 more than in AWP IV (no Turnbull, by the way Josh).
The only item in the auction that really grabbed my attention was the 6" No.
2101 Yankee brace (lot #139). MJD had that one pegged at a range of $250 -
$500. It is a rare brace, as the 6" sweep was never offered in any North
Bros catalogue. The condition wasn't quite what I'd call "excellent" (MJD's
term), but it was certainly acceptable.
Well, it was a long day, and to bed by 8pm. Oops, the fire alarm goes off
at 2:54 am! Fire trucks arrive, Dave investigates, I pack bags. False
alarm. Back to bed. An hour later--another fire alarm. Is Jack Zimmerman
drinking again? Nope. It's the Nashua water department flushing water
mains and the pressure fluctuations are triggering the fire alarms. There
are lots of grumpy customers in the Nashua Holiday Inn!
Dawn finally comes and it's time to sell some tools (and buy some tools) in
the parking lot. Some steady sales, and then at 9:00 am the auction opens.
I'm tired by now, so the truck is packed, the room bill is paid, and when
lot 139 comes up I grab it for $70. A good Brimfield, a good LFOD, and it
is good to see SWMBO again!
Sandy
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