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121556 "Sandy Moss" <sushandel@m...> 2003‑09‑06 Brimfield, Day 4 (and LFOD)
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


121557 Anthony Seo <tonyseo@m...> 2003‑09‑06 Re: Brimfield, Day 4 (and LFOD)
At 04:28 PM 9/6/03 -0400, Sandy Moss wrote:

>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,

I will back Sandy up on this one.  Some of the stuff he landed at Mays I 
had in my hands or in my sights, and passed on because of the prices.  As I 
have said before, I don't mind having to clean stuff, as long as the 
purchase price is commensurate with the condition.  And looking at my 
reports for the first 3 days only one time did I mention a price and hey..a 
guy is entitled to a gloat every now and then.

>to Brimfield.  Friday is J&J's day, with one of the oldest fields at

Well we landed at J&J's a tad later than Sandy (around 6:30 or so).  And at 
first it did look like a tool bust.  But a few chisels here and there, 
another pair of early dividers, Stanley 71 OB, and then a decent run of 
stuff off of the one tool dealers blanket at his 10:00 o'clock markdown and 
it was time to hit the road.  Foot sore and just worn out.  But that's 
the  name of the game!

Tony (flea market again tomorrow at 5:30 AM..)

                         Olde River Hard Goods
                             350 West Catawissa Street
                               Nesquehoning PA 18240
                                         570-669-9421
               The best old tool store in Pennsylvania!
                     http://www.oldetoolshop.com  


121559 "Gary Katsanis" <gtgrouch@r...> 2003‑09‑06 Re: Brimfield, Day 4 (and LFOD)
For those newbies(me), or those memory-challenged(me again!),
what is LFOD?  

Thanks, GK

----- Original Message ----- 

Subject: [oldtools] Brimfield, Day 4 (and LFOD)


121561 Jim Cook <jim-cook@c...> 2003‑09‑06 Re: Brimfield, Day 4 (and LFOD)
Gary,

That's "Live Free or Die", which is the New Hampshire state motto.  Martin
Donnelly (mjdtools.com) uses it as a name for his auctions at the Holiday
Inn off of Rt. 3 in Nashua, NH.  The auction venue is the same one Richard
Crane (of "your country auctioneer") used for many years.  He also uses the
same logo for auctions in Hillsboro, NH.  Hillsboro was the other town
Richard Crane used for his auctions, by another not so strange coincidence,
though MJD uses a different, and nicer, site than Richard's auction barn.

Jim Cook
Newton, MA 

on 9/6/03 6:55 PM, Gary Katsanis at gtgrouch@r... wrote:

> For those newbies(me), or those memory-challenged(me again!),
> what is LFOD?  
> 
> Thanks, GK


121562 "Steve from Kokomo" <stjones@k...> 2003‑09‑06 Re: Brimfield, Day 4 (and LFOD)
Jim Cook said:
>
> That's "Live Free or Die", which is the New Hampshire state motto.
> Martin Donnelly (mjdtools.com) uses it as a name for his auctions at the
> Holiday Inn off of Rt. 3 in Nashua, NH.  The auction venue is the same
> one Richard Crane (of "your country auctioneer") used for many years.
> He also uses the same logo for auctions in Hillsboro, NH.

And let's not forget two a year in Indianapolis, with the Fall one coming
up in four weeks.

Steve - another Kokomo galoot


121563 TomPrice@a... 2003‑09‑06 Re: Brimfield, Day 4 (and LFOD)
Sandy wrote:

>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. 

Keep the reports coming Sandy, I always get vicarious enjoyment from your 
field reports and ususally learn something I didn't know. Your (and 
Tony's) Brimfield reports, Phil Koontz's Alaskan adventures, Darrell 
LaRue's project gloats... stuff like this keeps me reading the list.

Thanks for the time you spend in reporting back to the Porch.
****************************
Tom Price (TomPrice@a...)
Will Work For Tools
The Galoot's Progress Old Tools site is at:
http://homepage.mac.com/galoot_9/galtprog.html


121570 "Michael D. Myjak" <mmyjak@v...> 2003‑09‑07 Re: Brimfield, Day 4 (and LFOD)
TomPrice@a... wrote:
> Sandy wrote:
> 
> 
>>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. 
> 
> 
> Keep the reports coming Sandy, I always get vicarious enjoyment from your 
> field reports and ususally learn something I didn't know.  
>  

Hear-Hear!
Its nice to hear folks can _actually_ find some decent stuff. Down here 
in Florida, stuff is either FUBAR, rusted beyond recognition, or "left 
back home" prior to moving here. Permanently. Like, for good. ('tis what 
we kindly refer to as a Damn Yankee! Heck - least they could bring their 
old tools with 'em, eh? :-l)

-- 
All the best -
     _
___|0|_|___  Michael D. Myjak, Vice President R&D and CTO
  | N & W |   The Virtual Workshop, Inc.
= oo---oo =  P.O. Box 98 Titusville Fl 32781


121575 Roger Nixon <oreoblues@y...> 2003‑09‑07 Re: Brimfield, Day 4 (and LFOD)
--- Sandy Moss  wrote:

> 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.

How odd!  At approximately the same time and about 1800 miles away, I
picked up one of these as well.  Mine looks to be nearly unused.  I had to
part with $10 for it but I'm more of a free spender than I used to be.
Shoot, I even went up to $20 for a very crispy Millers Falls bench drill.

=====
Roger Nixon
Out in the Flint Hills of Kansas
www.traditionaltools.com

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