Thrift Store Score

@eonfifty
https://www.shopgoodwill.com/

@mfladd Wow, I totally associated online auctions with just one company, like how Kleenex became synonymous with “facial tissue.” Thanks to your reply, I was able to delete the post in time
That’s a neat site, but it doesn’t work for me, just:

<H1>Error.</H1>

<H2>An error occurred while processing your request.</H2>
/Listings
AA00031
/giphy generic error message

The site works now.
/image website functionality restored cats

@eonfifty What was the issue? I clicked the link and it worked fine on my chromebook.

@mfladd Every link from the main page resulted in a message like this:

@eonfifty @mfladd I was trying with a Surface Pro converted over to Linux. I should have used my Chromebook.

@mfladd I’m sitting at 60.9 pounds already. I have a problem.

@mfladd Just don’t buy items from Tacoma Goodwill on the auction site. I worked for them for a couple of years (finding the good stuff and putting it online, actually) and they’re evil. One of the special needs workers was killed on the job and they totally tried to hush it up. There were other bad things about them too, but that was the worst.

@eonfifty @mfladd - I completely understand – as a dedicated pair of AFOLs, over the years the hubby & I have amassed a LEGO “stash” that would boggle the imagination in size; and most of it has come from Goodwill. That fine line between “collecting” and “hoarding”? We may have crossed that …… I’m just sayin’ – but it sure is fun.

@Pony woah, that is horrible. Yikes! is it specifically just the Tacoma location or do you think other Goodwills are as bad?

@scfd0766 any recommendations on how to collect minifigs without breaking the bank? Even through the Goodwill auctions they cull those out and sell everything else for cheap (at least in all but one of the lots that I’ve purchased so far). I really don’t want to spend $60 on 40 minifigs… but that’s really all I don’t have yet, and I know that’s going to be the thing that will be the tipping point for my 4 and 2 year old to really get into Lego.

@mfladd Shit. I had no idea Goodwill had auctions. Thanks!

@luvche21 @scfd0766 I have just received my second load of lego, so I have 28lbs. Good Lord, that is enough for the kids. It’s a lot. The 11 lb box has produced at least 15 minifigs so far The second, bigger box, only two - I think most were removed because I am finding parts for them. But the second did produce a set with a medieval castle and working catapult! Also, some vehicles that are lego, but with many non-traditional lego parts. One is a ninjago vehicle and others I think are from the bionic line.
And luvche21, I did see one of those big minifig lots you spoke of - 15lbs of them that went for just over $1000! Minifigs alone lots are going to cost ya

@moonhat Tacoma Goodwill Industries has apparently changed their name to Goodwill olympics & rainier region. Each Goodwill company has its own region, run by different people. Not all are bad, but not all are good either. And many of their CEOs and upper management make HUGE salaries.

@mfladd I remember my brother having a set in the 80s that was maybe Robin Hood themed or something. Lots of trees and green clothed mini figs. I’d love to find a set like that.

@mfladd yeah those lots of mini figs go for wild prices. It would be interesting to know what those guys do with them. I’m guessing most people that buy resell immediately for higher.

Lot #4 for me looks like it has maybe 8 or 10 mini figs, so that will at least be a good start.

@mfladd @luvche21 How do y’all wash your bulk used legos? I reckon some can arrive pretty nasty. I have around 14 pounds coming.

@medz @mfladd I was just going to ask you guys the same thing! My first 16 pound box arrived yesterday (3 more on the way!!!). Most of mine were pretty clean though. The worst so far is a few hairs that are pinched between connected bricks.

I’m considering putting them in a laundry net, then maybe even put them in the dishwasher on a super light load. Or just toss it in the tub (probably still in a laundry net) with some dish soap and shake it around. I fear though that it’s going to take ages for all the water to truly dry off.

16 pounds is A LOT of bricks. It filled a 12 x 12 x 12 box full, and pictures don’t do it justice for just how much 16 pounds is.

I have a feeling that this is still a little known secret that they can be purchased this cheap and that it won’t last very long. So I’m considering spending a couple hundred bucks more and having a nice backlog of Christmas gifts for the kids for the next decade!

@luvche21 @medz @mfladd Put them into one of those zipped delicate-laundry bags, then run it thru dishwasher and/or front-load washing machine.

@therealjrn " I was trying with a Surface Pro converted over to Linux."

Do we not like MS Windows?

I just got a Surface Pro myself last week, I hell of a deal too as my buddy works at a company that sets up computers and registers for other companies and they had a bunch of Surface Pros come off lease and offered them to employees for $160. It was a version 3 but it was still under the 3 year year extended warranty and it ran a little hot so I initiated a warranty repair and Microsoft replaced it with a new Surface Pro 4. It’s actually the best deal I’ve gotten in a few years.

@luvche21 @medz I just filled the tub with hot water, added some bleach - not too much - and let them soak for a bit (occasionally stirring them around). They came out fine, and gave me that disinfected peace of mind.
I don’t think you can be too aggressive with the cleaning process due to stickers, faces, etc.
You can remove them from the tub with a strainer to shake off excess water. I then just put them in a tub and put them out in the sun. Drying does take a couple days - move them around, and dump the tub occasionally to remove any water.

@reg036

I just got a Surface Pro myself last week, I hell of a deal too as my buddy works at a company that sets up computers and registers for other companies and they had a bunch of Surface Pros come off lease and offered them to employees for $160. It was a version 3 but it was still under the 3 year year extended warranty and it ran a little hot so I initiated a warranty repair and Microsoft replaced it with a new Surface Pro 4. It’s actually the best deal I’ve gotten in a few years.

Cool! What I posted was a lame joke from the Chromebook thread. Like all stupid jokes, it loses a lot when you have to explain it a week later. Sorry for the confusion. Glad you like your Surface Pro!

@therealjrn
No worries, not like we are referencing obscure podcast jingles.

I got ants!
I Got Ants

@compunaut Do you think putting the lego blocks in a pillow case (tied in a knot) in a front-load washer would work ok?

@compunaut @medz I think they recommended a dishwasher.

@sammydog01 “They” (Lego) recommend hand-washing only.

@medz I bought a Harry Potter set at Goodwill and hand washed them but remember looking it up online and seeing that people put them in the dishwasher.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯

@sammydog01 dishwasher is ok as long as you don’t run the “dry” setting. (that might melt them and disfigure them a bit) It also doesn’t tumble them which could be easier on the pieces. I plan on putting in the front load washer in a pillow case with some towels in there too.

@medz @sammydog01
Depends on how dirty the blocks are. If it’s simply for ‘sanitation’, then the gentler, low-heat methods are probably fine. I had a load of blocks that had dried dirt in the hollows (likely played with outside; I think they built a retaining wall LOL) and it needed more agitation to come clean.

@compunaut I’m worried…in doing research, I read stories about people buying used and finding mouse poop mixed in… I haven’t went through mine that closely yet…

@medz Mouse poop is a little gross (really tho, dog poop is worse), but the likelihood that it’s actually dangerous is low. Just wash via conventional means and all will be well.
Note: bricks should be good to at least 150-175F; melting point of ABS is 221F (105C)

@medz I checked out ultrasonic cleaners on ebay - 2L volume for around $50. Much more gentle than washing machine
¯\_(ツ)_/¯

@compunaut @medz My LEGO set from Goodwill had broken glass and a live spider.

@compunaut @sammydog01 just got done going through them. The smaller bag was great condition; no random crap. All broken apart and everything. The big box had misc stuff in there like hair ties, dominos, Jenga blocks, carpet fuzz, etc. Not terrible, though. Only tossed a few blocks that had gunk on them. There were some toy bugs that have me a start. I have them double bagged in pillow cases ready to run through the washer when I have time to lay them all out to dry.

@medz @sammydog01

toy bugs

Like realistic fake insects, or ?
/image hexbugs

@medz @sammydog01 Let us know how your wash method works…

@compunaut @sammydog01 Like realistic looking (and sized) rubber spiders and beetles.

@compunaut @sammydog01
@compunaut @sammydog01 seemed to go ok. I put them all in a pillow case closed with a knot inside another pillowcase tied with a knot. Ran the delicate cycle with a couple towels in there. Next time, I’d probably split them into two separate cases to help with the spin cycle balance.
I couldn’t untie the inside knot because it was wet and tight, so I just cut it off. These were pretty clean to start with, mind you. I’ve had them drying for a couple days now.

I taped the inside box flaps to prevent pieces from getting under there. Figured a box would make it easier to pour into final storage container.

@mfladd @medz @luvche21
There’s a pallet-sized load of Legos on the GW auction site (it’s being sold by my local outlet): 480 pounds!!

@compunaut @luvche21 @medz Holy Crap. I just got finished cleaning all mine. 28lbs is enough. I’m done. Can’t wait to see what that pallet goes for.

Does your local outlet happen to be Fort Worth? They have some of the most expensive shipping prices that I have seen.

@luvche21 @medz @mfladd I’m in FtW, but I’ve seen high prices for shipping all over that site.
FtW Goodwill allows local pickup of auction items; location is pretty convenient for me. Let me know if I can help with that.

@compunaut @medz @mfladd This is my dream to score a lot like that. Sadly don’t have enough cash for that right now (assuming it goes for a couple grand) and no way to get it from FtW. But if the price was right, I would jump on that in a heartbeat.

Update since the last time we chatted here: I have since scored a total of 8 lots, totaling 113.9 pounds, for $336.86 (that’s only $2.96/pound on average!!!). You guys just found my new hobby. I’ve been spending an hour or two almost every night organizing and cleaning (but come one, it’s mostly just playing) after my boys go down for bed and while my wife is working from home. It’s been a blast.

I’m currently organizing and pulling out pieces (and all of the minifigs) that I want to keep for myself (and for my kids… I have to keep reminding myself this is really for my kids). I’m planning on selling extras locally and maybe on eBay so that I can keep buying nicer lots with more minifigs and better base plates.

The cheapest I’ve seen Lego in bulk on eBay is $10 to $12 per pound, so I can even turn a small profit if I sell it for much less than that. That profit of course is only going back into more Lego.

Sadly, the price per pound has suddenly risen by about $1 already in the last couple weeks. So I’m trying to get a good enough stash right now assuming it’s going to keep rising. Thank heavens my wife is super supportive of this - she sees how happy it’s made me.

Although my kids are kind of too young for serious Lego-ing, they’re going to have the best Christmas ever. After I do some more organizing, my wife and I are going to build some massive structures to set out for them from Santa.

Has anyone looked into storage options yet? I’m really leaning towards this Ikea option so that I can pull out one bin at a time:

By the way @mikibell you’re totally on the hook for first sharing the link to the Goodwill auctions. I blame you for the countless hours of fun that I’ve already had and for the years of creativity this is going to give my kids. Thanks!

@compunaut @luvche21 @medz @mikibell The lego price will probably continue to climb until Xmas. You might want to wait until after the New Year when people have less disposable income, and not such a need for them. That is of course, unless some sweet deal rears it’s ugly head at ya.

@compunaut @luvche21 @medz @mfladd @mikibell I organized mine by size and shape into plastic tubs with lids that latch. I need to go do it again.

@mfladd Good point. I was assuming the prices were rising because more people were learning that that site exists and that they’re so cheap there. There seem to be a handful of return bidders that nab almost everything.

I also owe you thanks for finding times that lots were selling cheaper. Basically since then I’ve been checking every single lot

@luvche21 I just saw there is there are two approx. 41lb lego lots at $45 with 30 min to go.

@luvche21 @mfladd I am totally innocent here!! Didn’t even join this thread until this moment hahahahahahahah
P.S. I wanna come play with all those legos!! you both have impressive quantities now.

@compunaut how serious are you about being willing to help with that pallet? If you can help in any way, I think I’ll seriously bid in it! I’m going to start looking at places that can ship pallets, but might need a hand making sure it gets on the truck.

@mfladd I got your message with just a minute left to go, and then they hiked up in price quite a bit right before they sold. But, I got 43 pounds total the same night for under $3 per pound! And now I’m considering getting that pallet if I can work it out.

@mikibell I don’t know about innocent… But I’ve added another 50 pounds to my stash since my last post here! Come play!

@luvche21 I suspect you are wwaaayyy to far away or I would!! We all know I am gaaaggga about babies…legos just sweeten the deal.

@luvche21 @mfladd welllllll? Did the kiddos like the tons of legos? Was Christmas spectacular?

@luvche21 @mikibell It was. He loved the legos, but was super thrilled at the 3DS. My daughter was very happy Santa brought her a hair brush/straightener kit - and straightened her hair tonight - thanks for that!!!
She also liked the Kate Spade wristlet I somehow won a raffle for.
Hope your family had a wonderful Xmas too!!!

@mfladd @mikibell Sorry for the late response, we’ve all been super sick (the cold, stomach bug, and ear infections going around just between the 4 of us, and I’ve been sleeping most of the week).

The kids LOVED Christmas! I did a great job of getting them both excited for it well in advance, and got them asking Santa for Legos early on. I ended up with some sweet baseplates and a great little building table, so I created a city for them to get some ideas flowing. They’ve been playing with it and adding to it almost non stop.

This was by far the most I’ve looked forward to Christmas since I was a kid, and it was awesome. All they can talk about is Legos right now and how cool Santa is

@luvche21 @mikibell That is fucking a sweeeet! I love the Kong set-up!

@luvche21 @mfladd we have had the plague in our house too… so sorry to hear that!!

OMG… LOVE the Merry Christmas sign… your santa is awesome!!

my kid loves his hoverboard, and surprisingly, the other loves her Harry Potter great hall Legos!

@luvche21 I am so ridiculously jealous.

@mfladd Thanks! I’m setting up a live King Kong performance from the original score while the film is being played on screen, so I was very excited to find the Kong in one of the boxes!

@RiotDemon Ha, thanks! I know how to get Legos for cheap now, so anyone can do it!

@mikibell Finally the plague has mostly left, but it really put a damper on last week, which I had been looking forward to for AGES. Glad yours left too!

@luvche21 @mfladd @mikibell That is awesome!

@compunaut @medz @sammydog01 Cool! I haven’t gotten broken glass since the last Bag of Crap from Woot. (It was a piece of a shot glass, I guess someone else got the rest of it.)

@therealjrn I didn’t see any cat shirts at the place I went to, but I did buy a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles t-shirt that will be a comfy undershirt in colder weather, just like the Meh shirt I bought.
/image heroes in a half shell turtle power

@narfcake That’s a lot of t-shirts!
/image pile of tshirts

@compunaut Yes. There is one in my area, but I haven’t been there yet. I’ve heard good things about it.
/image habitat for humanity restore

@compunaut Thanks for mentioning these - I didn’t know they existed but there’s one not far from me, and I’m off to check it out this weekend!

@eonfifty @stolicat That image makes it looks as nice as a regular retail store! The ReStore closest to me is a dive, but still has great bargains. Occasionally something unique will be donated, so stop by often.

@compunaut Used to go there all the time up in Seattle. My mom still texts me whenever she scores something cool. She recently got a sink for like $10 that was normally a few hundred. They have some great deals.

@melonscoop Nice!

@melonscoop Don’t forget to reconnect that drain pipe before you use it!

@OldCatLady Luv

@OldCatLady fun!

@OldCatLady
/image that’s cool

@daveinwarsh Those look like they would be fun to play with drumsticks
/giphy frying pan drums

@daveinwarsh For years I checked out every Goodwill or similar store I drove past (time permitting) looking for cast iron. Only ever found crappy new chinese stuff. Then my F.I.L. gave me a beautiful 8" Griswold and I’m a happy camper.

Seriously, rarely find anything nice and worth buying at the Goodwill stores near us (the nicest things are often the items we donated to that store earlier…)

@PooltoyWolf Also, one I’m proud of was a very beat up and forlorn pair of Pioneer HPM-700 stereo speakers I saved for $25. This was back when I had money to spare, so I fully restored them, and they have been my main system’s speakers for several years now.

/image Pioneer HPM-700

@PooltoyWolf I’ve read great things about Marantz but haven’t owned one yet. I did find this Fisher tuner for $9.

Unfortunately, it’s a piece of a larger system and requires 19VAC, which I don’t have a source of yet, so I don’t know if it even works. @mfladd But, Goodwill’s action site has a nice looking variac I’m considering bidding on.

@PooltoyWolf Wow!
I dream of finding an old Marantz receiver someday!
Or maybe a pair of AR3a’s…

@eonfifty @mfladd Ah yes, the Fisher ‘Studio Standard’ line…notorious for much of the equipment requiring a proprietary connector between matching components. This was meant to simplify connecting the sets together (which it did!) but at the expense of incompatibility with equipment from other manufacturers. Even if you can get the correct power to the device, it’s likely the audio connector is also proprietary. Quality-wise, the Studio Standard stuff is what I’d consider mid-fi, with the older gear in the series being better. Fisher is one of those companies that started out with good stuff in the 50s and 60s, and sort of fell off by the 1980s. It’s not bad stuff by any means, though!

@PooltoyWolf It does have a proprietary plug. You can see it in the middle left of the picture. There is also a space and mounting holes for a transformer inside the unit, so I think it was just a cost cutting design.
Fortunately, I have a soldering iron
/image soldering iron

@eonfifty Oh good, so you’re no stranger to voiding warranties :B

@PooltoyWolf I’ve voided many warranties.
/giphy how to void warranty cats

@eonfifty That GIF, though…

@daveinwarsh There’s been a ragged pair of AR3as in a local antique store forever, but the owner refuses to sell them. Meh.

@PooltoyWolf I ran out of editing time.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯

@eonfifty I got really screwed over by that a little while ago

@PooltoyWolf This just sold.
Marantz Automatic Turntable TT-432

@eonfifty @PooltoyWolf From ThinkGeek:

Also:

@blaineg @eonfifty I want the one that says ‘I’m here because you broke something’.

@eonfifty @PooltoyWolf I’ve got that one too. I’ve earned it!

@Euniceandrich I have a Raleigh bicycle that was saved from a dumpster. It just needed air in the tires and the chain lubed before I rode it home.
/image Raleigh horizon bicycle

@eonfifty @Euniceandrich A little bit of lube does the trick sometimes…

@therealjrn
/giphy that’s what she said

@eonfifty @Euniceandrich My local thrift stores absolutely suck when it comes to bikes. A Trek or Specialized is like $150 minimum, anything is a “suspension” is a mountain bike and like $100, and used big box bikes for more than they are new.

@narfcake That sucks, but maybe it’s just the current market. Used bicycles seem to be a thing now around here, and people and businesses tend to hoard them.
/image yard full of bicycles

@eonfifty @narfcake This looks just like a parking lot for bicycles I saw when I was in Ghent, Belgium in June. It amazed me how bike-centric society is over there; it was refreshing and fun!

@eonfifty So nice that you gave it a second chance at a productive life.

@PooltoyWolf Are we friends on Pokemon Go? This one was hatched from a egg I received in a gift from Belgium.

@eonfifty The folks pricing them simply have no idea – nor do the folks buying them. Someone probably thought a clean $200 full suspension bike is a great deal at half price. Only thing is that it’s a Next Avalon, which is $99 brand new at Walmart.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯

@narfcake That’s crazy. Do you ever offer a fair price with the research to back your valuation?

@eonfifty Nope. I couldn’t care that much.

Keep in mind that Kev paid $31 new for his Pacific:

@eonfifty Not a thrift store, but Amazon and more so Amazon Warehouse has been a good for buying parts cheap. But first:

That’s because the 2x crankset I bought is for a BB30, but there’s really like a dozen varieties of 30mm bottom bracket “standards”. Nevermind that there’s Shimano’s 24mm “standard”, SRAM’s GXP 24/22 “standard”, and their new Dub “standard” that’s 28.99mm.

My goal is under $100 total for a full 2x10 drivetrain upgrade. Parts acquired so far are friction shifters, X9 front derailleur and X5 crankset. I have $67 left for the wide(r) range cassette, long cage rear derailleur, and chain.

@eonfifty @narfcake Are you searching for specific items @ Amazon Warehouse? Or finding random bargains by browsing? I haven’t had much luck with Warehouse

@compunaut @eonfifty Browsing. And in desktop or desktop mode. Their search is still shit.

Once you select a department, you can search by price.

@narfcake I understood most of what you typed. You seem to have gotten a lot for $33. Your bargain hunting is impressive!
/image impressive bargain Hunter bicycle cats

@eonfifty Just timing, really. The crankset itself is about $100.
https://www.sram.com/sram/mountain/products/x5-crankset

Of course, there’s always the option of reselling it for $$ because it’s not like I “need” to upgrade.

@narfcake I do need to upgrade. This is my winter project (because I no longer feel safe riding it)

I’ve got 10 broken spokes on the rear tire, and the brake cables, chain and crank set are 20-30 years old. The chain slips under high torque, and the brakes are super soft.

@eonfifty @Euniceandrich That Raleigh dumpster save is a nice bike!

@tngrannyd Who? Why?

@tngrannyd @pony said at least one is pretty bad, above. good to know!

@moonhat @Pony @tngrannyd Different chapters operate differently. At least they’re not a FOR profit operator that tries to make themselves look as if they’re a charitable operation.

@moonhat @narfcake @Pony @tngrannyd The for-profit fakers really get my chin out! Big fat, fake fakers!

@tngrannyd But… I find great stuff there!
Yard sales are all baby clothes and glass trinkets.
The St Vinnys rarely has anything worthwhile & they stack their record albums on their sides.
Goodwill has gotten me dozens of PERFECT condition albums, amazing cast iron, great tools including working antiques from the 30’s and so much more.
Most of the stuff I get is not available anywhere else but maybe Ebay (for lots of $$).
I guess it’s OK if someone makes some money, though I know the local Goodwill here has programs that help people.

@moonhat @Pony @therealjrn @tngrannyd Value Village/Savers was sued in multiple states over their deception. The partner charities were only paid for clothing – in Washington, it was as low as 13 4 cents per pound. The charities received zero for everything else.

https://www.sos.wa.gov/_assets/charities/01_complaint.pdf

@tngrannyd The Goodwill stores in DFW area have been very transparent about their expenses, jobs programs, and local/community involvement (can’t find the link I once had).

@tngrannyd At least they aren’t the Salvation Army, with their well known discrimination practices -shrug- I know the feeling, though. Deciding not to buy something I really want because I know where the money is (or isn’t) going can be tough.

@moonhat @narfcake @tngrannyd They sure profit the CEOs and upper management. Not all of them, but many of them. https://dataomaha.com/bigstory/news/goodwills-face-few-limits-on-ceo-pay

@daveinwarsh What is your favorite record found at Goodwill?

@tngrannyd I did some research, and I see why you won’t shop there.
I was surprised Goodwill isn’t a chain of thrift stores but instead an educational entity that uses thrift stores to train people how to work in them. Goodwill could be any business they want to train people in. They could swap out the thrift stores for gas stations, or construction work, or computer programming, or any business fields that need workers.
/giphy the more you know

@hoosier Hmmm…
Maybe the mono Dylan- Times are achangin’
or… A nice Buddy Miles album- Those changes (or something like that).
Just last week I got a like new Jerry Jeff Walker record.
I found a pretty good Deep Purple, Book of Talisyn
also a Humble pie- Smokin’ like new.
Oh, a pretty good Lee Michaels album- his hard to find 1969 one (I forget the title)
Also a good Marty Robbins album.
That’s all I remember now…
ps… A really nice Firesign Theatre record!

@sammydog01 I saw a wowwee MiP robot in the box for 9.99 last night, on GWA. It didn’t sell.

@mfladd The minion version was $20 at Best Buy and he sings about bananas.
/giphy minion mip

@daveinwarsh You seem like an expert: I thought different phono needles were needed for 78 records relative to 33 & 45s? Or is this machine just really hard on the vinyl?

@compunaut The cartridge at the end of the arm flips over. It has a 78 side (with the wider needle) and the 16/33/45 side. Kinda cool! I had to work on that system a bit, but it’s great now.
Also… This was just a fun project. I doubt if I’ll use it very often. It’s designed for teenagers in the 50-60’s to listen to their records or to take to their parties…

@daveinwarsh I remember having one in our house as a kid until we were responsible enough to use the real turntable. That woulda been, say '70-'75ish

@compunaut I’d love to know the actual date of this record player. For some unknown reason, there seems to be no information on the Birch Model 205. As it has a tube and had old leaking paper capacitors, I’m assuming it’s 1960’s or before…

@daveinwarsh Thought this Philco Vintage 1946 Radio Phonograph might pique your interest…

@compunaut Cool. Looks exactly like one of my record players! I’ve owned it for decades & it works perfectly.

It takes a weird ‘knee-bend’ needle that was so hard to find!

@Everbody wow. Super jealous.

@Everbody I used to watch that show. It can’t be 50 years old. Please tell me it’s not 50 years old?

@Everbody @sammydog01 The movie 2001: A Space Odyssey was released in 1968. Are you thinking of Space: 1999 (1975-1977)?
/image Space: 1999

@compunaut Yes! I’m having a dumb day. Sorry.

@Everbody Awesome! You going to sell it?

@mfladd I love that!

@sammydog01 Thanks, so did I. $23 bucks and shipping. And that’s only because someone ran it up on me at the end. Way cheaper than eBay for Coke stuff.

@sammydog01 I also bought an old mixer on eBay since for some reason there were no bids on it. My mom use to have an old 1950’s white Sunbeam mixer that for some reason I remember all too well. This wasn’t exact, but I loved it and the price was right at $29.99. It has all the parts and works

@compunaut That’s pretty cool.
I have plenty test equipment & parts.
Someone could use it.

@compunaut Ohhh that’s neat!

@mfladd
/giphy STOP BUYING STUFF!

But make sure to post photos if you do so it’s almost like I’m buying stuff but it’s free.

@sammydog01 I’m scared. I have at least two more things I am going to bid on. I wait like stalker to sneak in at the end of each auction. If I win one of them I am screwed, and will post my dilemma to you for your own entertainment purposes.

I did get my mixer - crazy fast - I just bought it! It was one of nicest packing jobs I have ever seen from eBay - still unpacking to try it out.

@mfladd The variac I was watching went for big bucks, but there are many quality items on the site. It’s fun to browse, and keyword search results aren’t cluttered.
/giphy uncluttered database

@eonfifty @mfladd Gulp…
There’s a Stratasys 3-D printer available. It’s a hefty commercial unit (about 3ft cube & 300lb), worth > $500 in working condition. I’ve been dreaming about having such a machine to build scale models since I first saw one maybe 10yr ago.
I don’t know how I’d move it, I don’t have a place for it, I don’t know how to run it, and I don’t know how to fix it if it’s broken – BUT I WANT IT!!

@compunaut @eonfifty I checked it out. Damn, that thing is big. But, it also looks super cool!

@mfladd Shipping kills it.

@medz @mfladd Well, it’s ‘Pickup Only’; but I live in Ft Worth!

@compunaut In general, the goodwill auctions have like $12 shipping making them less appealing for used junk.

@compunaut @medz But often the going prices for many items make them appealing, even with the shipping. Especially when compared to eBay prices. I could never have scored my coke clock for 23 bucks on eBay. The $11.00 shipping would have been applicable on either site.
Matters what you are looking for. There are many things I’m never going to score locally that I want.

@compunaut @medz @mfladd I put a bid in on a Zoomer Kitty. Please don’t bid me up.

@sammydog01 nearly $11 shipping and handling for me. No sale.

@medz In general you’re correct - in the short time I’ve been watching this Goodwill auction site, seen shipping/handling range from $8-16 (tho there is .01 shipping category). That’s too much for typical junk.
But at least for FtW, they don’t even put stuff online unless they expect it to sell higher or faster than in their retail store: new and/or higher-dollar specialty items such as leather goods, sports eqmt, 3D printer etc.
I recently bought a new pair of Adidas cleats for $25 shipped that retails on Amazon for $75-135 (size matters LOL). Almost bought a pair of Nordica ski boots for $30 (decided I didn’t need a second pair unless I’m skiing every day).
YMMV

@medz Low twenties is a pretty good price for a robot pet with the ears and tail intact. I guess the kiddos pull them off.

@compunaut I’m watching that 3d printer too. It’s discontinued but could be worth some good money even as parts. Outside of a service contract repairing them is either astronomical or in some cases impossible from what I read. It’s not super practical as a hobbyist machine, but one can dream.

I promise not to bid you up on it, though. I would either wind up murdered or divorced if I bought it and had to explain why I needed to go to Fort Worth to pick it up.

@djslack Whew! That 3D printer went for $700, WAY over what I can comfortably afford.
Didn’t have to
/giphy fight temptation

@mfladd Wow, there is some interesting stuff in the painting section. I don’t see how you could buy artwork from a photo though.

@mfladd Ooh, did you see the tattoo equipment?

@sammydog01 I haven’t seen tattoo stuff yet… I can buy artwork from a photo, but NOT for very much money.

There is a Cantrell painting that is $6.99 but has some staining - not my cup of tea - but with an artist search, and matching signatures shows he is a known artist with paintings going for as high as $500 (just from my quick search). No one is going to forge paintings of that value. Interesting site.

@mfladd I just looked that painting up. I like it. I’m enjoying all the velvet paintings too.

@sammydog01 I have to believe some people buy these paintings for the unique or decorative frames at times. Frames are fucking expensive. This would be a cheap way to get one if you liked it.

@sammydog01 Oh Lord, I bought a painting.

@mfladd Yes!!! Show us the listing so we can mock you.

@sammydog01 Hahahaha…no. Ok, but it’s a crappy out of focus pic. I will also post when I get it. I took a chance on it. I just liked it. I was the a-hole stalker who stole it from someone else with 30 seconds to go
https://www.shopgoodwill.com/Item/59147691

@sammydog01 Where’s the mocking? I was looking forward to it!

Geez, you should go outside to see some trees. @mfladd

I tried, @sammydog01

@mfladd @RiotDemon I kind of like that painting, dammit!

@RiotDemon I don’t know where to begin with your mistakes. But let’s start at the beginning. No Goodwill wasn’t the mistake; thinking you could replace Goodwill with salvation army was the first mistake.

Second mistake is coveralls because I have a co-worker who wears them to work at times. This would be fine in most jobs but come on, I WORK IN AN OFFICE.

Third mistake was salvation army’s mistake. The stuff had a red tag. It should be cheap. They fucked you.

@sammydog01 this one looks like a pink bobcat and is missing it’s toy. It’s $14.50 ($8+6.50sh) though. There’s others on eBay for $40+.

https://www.mercari.com/us/item/m44602182709/?gclsrc=aw.ds&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=1581427572&utm_content=t0&adgroup=59126287589&network=g&device=m&merchant_id=117157631&product_id=m44602182709&product_id=531355534298&gclid=CjwKCAjw9sreBRBAEiwARroYm5jqoiH58nZ71AtsAM9302XKH9auxcnnamaSBXMhXP_38DNfDRMSPRoC6e0QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

@sammydog01 Did you watch it till the last minute? I swear it wasn’t me!

@RiotDemon Thanks but cats aren’t pink and need tails. So many tail-less robot cats out there.

@mfladd It still has a few days to go. I just don’t want to pay that much for one.

@sammydog01 Yup, don’t reach for stuff. Better to just keep looking.

@sammydog01 This is cool, but going for too much.

Ok, after some research, I never realized that there was such a market for old radios. They command numerous bids, and go for a good chunk of change. The eBay prices are crazy.

@mfladd Why? Just the style?

@compunaut I don’t know. There must be a strong collectors market for them. Especially, the old tube ones.
This is just an example:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-1954-MID-CENTURY-ZENITH-L515-M-ART-DECO-TUBE-ANTIQUE-CLOCK-GREEN-RADIO/183495190491?hash=item2ab92a67db:g:CW4AAOSwF2FbyVMJ:rk:8:pf:0

@compunaut @mfladd Yeah, the ‘art deco’ radios, especially the ones made of Catalin (prettier colors than Bakelite) can be worth a LOT if not cracked. Mainly because Catalin cracked very easily.

@RiotDemon @sammydog01 @daveinwarsh @compunaut
So I was wanting a cool vintage radio for the kitchen that wouldn’t break the bank. I added one bid to this and that is all, thinking someone would certainly outbid me with 10 min. left (I didn’t even wait till the last minute). Who knew I would actually win it. I saw that a much worse looking sold on ebay for 3x times what I paid.
Here she is…

1959 Philco Tube Radio

@mfladd That is cool! I bought a fake vintage radio at Target because it was on super clearance. I like the look.

@sammydog01 They have been selling those on GW too. I have seen a couple. I really like that Crosley. They are said to sound great. Is that true? Those were just larger than I needed. I needed to keep it pretty small for the table it will go on. Compared to the eBay prices I did pretty well. I paid $34, which included shipping!

@compunaut @daveinwarsh @mfladd @RiotDemon @sammydog01 I have an awesome looking old art deco tube radio that I was given as a project. I had no idea it could be valuable. I wanted to try to fix the tube (I assume this is why it doesn’t work) and add Bluetooth to it because I thought the juxtaposition of tubes and Bluetooth would be cool, but maybe I should preserve it or just convert it to cash.

From a quick Google image search it resembles a Crosley deco radio, but maybe not exactly it:

@compunaut @daveinwarsh @djslack @RiotDemon @sammydog01
Post a pic if it looks like that. It’s sweet. And yes, it is worth money. I was amazed at what these vintage, art deco radios are worth.

As for the bluetooth, check this out - you can do it with maintaining most of the radios integrity with a few modifications, if that is what you wanted to do.

I have been researching it also

@mfladd So will the ‘new’ fitness machine be used for closet expansion (looks like it has lots of space for hanging clothes)?

@compunaut Haha! I don’t know yet. I will get it home tomorrow and try it out. I don’t know if I have room for it with my other equipment - or if something else will go. Also selling it on craigslist is a possibility. Hell, if I had to, I could re-donate it and take the charitable deduction. I win, either way

@mfladd $10? Damn. You did good.

@RiotDemon @sammydog01 More art. I needed a small painting for the bathroom. I swooped in with 10 seconds to go. Someone is calling me an asshole somewhere. With shipping, less than $20 bucks. I would have paid that for some crappy shit from target.

You can actually find paintings by this artist on eBay - Conden.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vtg-Original-Oil-Painting-Signed-CONDEN-Seascape-Dunes-Gulls-Ocean-Framed-/253904343458?oid=253839504785

@mfladd @RiotDemon Pretty!

@mfladd I might have one of those somewhere. Dad worked for Kodak.

@sammydog01 Great “art deco” camera. You have it stuffed away, and not out?

@mfladd When my parents moved to a retirement home from the house they lived in for 40 some odd years I wound up with boxes and boxes of stuff that I still haven’t opened. I need to do that. Really.

@mfladd Darn it! Those are cool cameras (even though 616 film is impossible to purchase).
I still have a Brownie Target six-20 camera my parents gave me to use when I was a kid. The 620 film was much easier to find for a while.
I also found an old-old Kodak Six-16 camera at a yard sale for a few bucks many years ago. I love the looks of old cameras, though I see they are getting dusty…

@daveinwarsh I love them too. I think the accordion cam’s ooze nostalgia. The brownie 16 and 20’s always come up on GWA. I was going with the 16 because it is smaller (for display). Unfortunately, like the vintage radios, the cameras also have a following that are always there on GWA to bid them up. I have seen some very cool cameras up for auction there.

@mfladd Vintage photographic equipment & radios are pretty cool. I also have a collection of vintage (working) test equipment. All on display in my little electronics area…
Do you have any vintage cameras yet??

@daveinwarsh Not yet. I am just looking for one to go in my vintage kitchen. I have a bid on one at GWA. We will see if I get it.

@mfladd Cool. Hope you get it!
If you don’t, I have one you can have.
You seem to be a good home for it…
Search: Kodak #2 Folding Cartridge Premo.
It’s dusty, the accordion has a few pinholes, but works perfectly (with 120 film).
I used to collect cameras, down to just keeping two. I gave a Brownie away on woot a few yrs ago…
This one is gathering dust, I probably got it for virtually nothing. It deserves to be on display & loved.
OK… took a pic (BFS)…

@daveinwarsh That is sooooo kind of you! I will ping you if I see a few of the really cool cameras go up, just so you can see them.

@mfladd Not sure what the pinging is… but I went on the Goodwill site & saw a couple nice brownie cams. Really, you can have mine whether you get one there or not.
I am surprised at the number of people sniping auctions at the last second. Seems that’s how Ebay is now too.

@daveinwarsh Annnnnnd, that would be me

@daveinwarsh Well. somehow I won it. I put in 1 bid 4 days ago and it stood for the auction. She is in nice shape by the pics.

https://www.shopgoodwill.com/Item/59707472

@mfladd It looks to be so clean & nice! Congrats!!

@sammydog01 That’s a big painting. Maybe $3500 worth of materials was used to make it, and they just want to break even.
/image $5000 dollar painting

@eonfifty It used to be in the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Looks like shredded bacon to me.

No one bought it. $3500 plus $300 shipping.

@eonfifty @sammydog01 I don’t get it either. Says it was originally 5k. I’m assuming terrible art just gets more expensive with time?

@eonfifty @RiotDemon For some reason it makes me hungry.

@RiotDemon @sammydog01 The art museum here is located by Wade Park, by Wade Oval, by the Wade Lagoon. There’s some art in there by a guy named Wade, and I know at least one person who thinks the artwork is overrated. Maybe your bacon painting wound up in the SFMOMA under similar circumstances.
/giphy modern art bacon

@eonfifty @RiotDemon Thank you for the nightmares.

@eonfifty @RiotDemon @sammydog01 that little bacon in the sink video is disturbing. Am I the only one it bothers?

@JnKL I think it’s kind of neat.
/image neat

@sammydog01

I’m busy repairing my dryer

@mfladd Been there, done that. I recommend having a fire extinguisher handy.

@mfladd what did you do to it?

@RiotDemon I changed the drum bearing, new belt, felt seals, gasket, and light bulb.
So with the drum bearing, I watched their repair video and they said holes were not pre-drilled, so screw thru them which will take some pressure. Bullshit! They wouldn’t go thru with even long handled pliers. I went to ace and the “screw” rep happened to be there. He said no way sheet metal screws were going to thread thru 1/8" of stainless steel. He led me to some self-threading metal screws and some stainless screws for after threading. It worked. Fucking repair video…LIES!

And if I had any doubts the person who owned this house before me worked in the forestry business, they are now gone. The inside of the entire dryer structure looked like a fucking wood chipper!

Plus I collected approx. $2.00 in change.

@sammydog01 I presume you had an epic repair event that then required a fire extinguisher?

@mfladd What? No orphaned socks?

@Kidsandliz None, and I haven’t plugged it in yet

@mfladd what’s the verdict?

@RiotDemon It works!!! I had a fire extinguisher ready just in case. No more squeaks!

@mfladd Congrats! My daughter’s cello teacher said she had kids bring in cellos missing things like bridges they had bought on Ebay. I hope you can get it working properly.

@sammydog01 Thanks, but congrats might be a strong word in this
case
At least until I bring it in to be looked at. I am hoping and praying I get lucky - so cross your fingers.
And just so you know - I did snipe it with less than 8 seconds left

p.s. your ebay reference increases my fear level.

@mfladd jeez, so much for rental. You can buy really nice used Jupiter saxophones for that. I guess my parents should be happy that I picked clarinet. Much cheaper for an entry level instrument.

I tried it out again a few years ago when I was rearranging my closet. I was amazing at making that thing squeak. I forgot how much control it took to get a nice noise out of a woodwind.

@RiotDemon Rentals aren’t cheap.

Rental Instrument Pricing

Band Instruments
Type A: Flute, Clarinet, Trumpet, Trombone and Percussion
$20.00 per month for Used and Like-New / $25.00 per month for New.

Type B: Alto Saxophone & Baritone Horn
$35.00 per month for Used and Like-New / $45.00 per month for New.

Type C: Tenor Saxophone, Oboe, Single French Horn
$45.00 per month for Used and Like-New / $55.00 per month for New.

@mfladd @RiotDemon You should check out what a french horn costs
Edit: you beat me to it.
I remember when our school district ‘invested’ in used instruments ( mostly the larger brass, like baritones, french horns, & tubas; but included bassoon & bass clarinet as well) from a downstate university band program that had purchased new. It was a lot of money, but a godsend for the local band program.

@compunaut Just in case you are looking.
https://www.shopgoodwill.com/Listings?st=french horn&sg=&c=&s=&lp=0&hp=999999&sbn=false&spo=false&snpo=false&socs=false&sd=false&sca=false&caed=11/7/2018&cadb=7&scs=false&sis=false&col=0&p=1&ps=40&desc=false&ss=0&UseBuyerPrefs=true
They have a Selmer.

@mfladd I actually have a double horn that my brother found for me at an antique store years ago; I never play anymore.
But those are good prices for student instruments.

@compunaut @RiotDemon Holy shit! I was wrong. We are paying fucking $52/month for the sax rental. That’s fucking crazy!

@compunaut @mfladd @RiotDemon We did the rent to own thing with our instruments. Anyone need a slightly used violin?

@compunaut @RiotDemon @sammydog01 My daughter tried violin, but didn’t stay with it. Otherwise, I would be in for one.

@mfladd did they ship this yet? Curious how decent it is.

@RiotDemon They did! It shipped two day after I paid and Was at my door in two day. I have no idea of condition. Nickel/Silver will polish nicely. Some discoloration of brass where lacquer was worn. A small part apparently broke in my hand though - seems to be a weld fail - toward the top near the mouthpiece, but not a piece I am overly worried about. I saw at least two pads needing replacement. But that is just to my untrained eye.
I have taken it into a local independent music store and they are having the woodwind specialist pick it up. I will not know anything more until he calls and tells me the condition based on his professional eye. They are telling him just to clean it up and make it playable.
Holding my breath with fingers crossed.

BUT anything has to be better than paying $52 a month for a crappy rental sax!!! I wish I did this last year.

Unless maybe he calls and tell me I have bought a money pit instrument. I will keep you updated on this crazy purchase.

@mfladd good luck!! Hope it works out.

Does your daughter know yet?

@mfladd @RiotDemon @compunaut you’re making me want to dig deep in the upstairs closet and pull out my high school French horn. Its a King double horn, but I don’t recall the model (its not the Eroica though).

I wonder if I can still get a nice tone out of it after all these years…

@Kidsandliz Yay! Good karma coming your way! Hopefully, a good life coming to kitty!

@Kidsandliz
/image I don’t believe you

@eonfifty Cats get dumped all over the place. I volunteer at a no kill shelter and we see that all the time. The non-feral ones, if they well socialized and haven’t been dumped long, frequently come up to people for attention (and I would image hopefully food). Ferals don’t come up to people unless you have been feeding them for a while and even then some keep their distance. It is possible to catch and tame very young feral kittens.

Several years ago there was a dumped year old friendly cat at a restaurant who came up to people, kept following people inside… they were going to shoot it so the people I was with and I picked it up and took it home. It was a sweet baby. Took about 8 weeks to find her a home.

On campus I picked up one a student dumped right before graduation, she was coming up to people. I picked her up and brought her home. I ended up keeping her. She was about a year old. There were three more, likely siblings, who were more scared of people also dumped on campus, I didn’t manage to catch them, however after several weeks of feeding them someone else did.

When I moved I brought with me a young feral kitten I, and others, had been feeding (and her mom and 2 sibs, the sibs both got run over by cars about 3 weeks apart). I started working on touching her, then petting her to the point she’d purr, while she was eating. She started to want me to pet her before she’d eat. I’d also sit still and she’d check me out, finally climbing into my lap purring as I petted her. One day I brought her inside after she was purring in my lap, put her in a large cage and moved with her the next day. Took about 2 days before she didn’t run from me. She is shy around new people, but is an affectionate kitten around me.

There are those of us who keep an eye out for cats who have been abandoned who might be ones who could be adopted and so we catch them and take them to no kill shelters, foster them…

@Kidsandliz I guess I can believe that, though technically you were the cat’s thrift store score.

@eonfifty I was in the parking lot of a free standing (eg not in a shopping center) Goodwill store. That’s why it was a thrift store score.

@Kidsandliz

@sammydog01 I just realized it’s not an owl. I still like it.

@sammydog01 Hahaha! I like that. I have stopped looking at the site for now. I am in musical instrument shell shock.

@mfladd I went into an actual store down the street. That website makes me cry.

@sammydog01 It won’t as much if you only make bids in the last seconds. You get it, if you get. If you don’t it’s not as bad. Also, bidding early just gives people more time to bid up the price over days. And waiting till the end lets you know whether it is more than you want to spend anyway.

@sammydog01
It looks like a sparrow.
/image North American house sparrow winter

@mfladd Were the bed bugs it came with extra or included for free?

They are all wearing little Santa hats, so it’s ok.

@mfladd Yeah, gotta pass, even though it’s on the old AA blanks.

On a side note, it’s been really dry for me recently. Only 3 finds in the past month, of which I only bought 1. As much as I like Diana Sprinkle’s fluffy Halloween cat, I wasn’t going to pay $6 for it on a mutant Anvil.

@narfcake I knew you would pass at that crazy shirt price - nevermind the inflated shipping prices for most the stuff. It seems that almost everything on that site starts at $9.99 regardless of what it is. I just found it funny it was on there.

I hope the shirty dry spell ends for you soon

@mfladd I have more than enough to last me a few weeks months seasons years now, so it’s not a huge deal that I’m not finding them in recent times.

TeeTurtle shirts remain rare finds, even though they’ve sold well into the million+ already.

@sammydog01 Score! I luv that glass rooster!

@sammydog01 how perfect on the jeans!

I really miss flare jeans. Boot cut is the next best thing. I don’t like skinny jeans. I own one pair for the rare occasion I wear knee high boots and I want to have my pants inside the boots easily. I look stupid in skinny jeans. Makes my body look even more disproportionate.

@RiotDemon Mine are boot cut. I lived through bellbottoms. They sucked. Mine got caught in my bike chain once.

@sammydog01 I got my JNCOs stuck in a bike chain once. After that I rode my bike with one pant leg rolled up. I miss JNCOs.

@daveinwarsh Pretty!

@daveinwarsh @sammydog01 Very nice! Make it a Xmas present

@mfladd @sammydog01 Now to figure how to polish silver. Youtube knows how, I bet!

@daveinwarsh @mfladd I think you buy a bottle of silver polish and follow the directions on the back. But that’s probably old school.

@mfladd @sammydog01 Sounds like work.
I like ‘instant cleaning’.

@JnKL It was @mfladd.
/giphy not my fault

@JnKL @sammydog01 Wait!!! I think all blame here lies with @mikibell and @jst1ofknd. But congrats on your win! You are hooked now

Did you have to contact them about combing the shipping? I have always wondered if you could do that on GWA.

@JnKL @jst1ofknd @mfladd I think @mikibell posted a link once but you ran with it.

@JnKL @jst1ofknd @mikibell @sammydog01
Ok, I’ll take the blame.

@JnKL @jst1ofknd @mfladd @sammydog01 totally innocent here, until proven otherwise!!!

@JnKL @mfladd @mikibell @sammydog01

My fault!

@jst1ofknd @mfladd @mikibell @sammydog01 you do have to email them to combine wins for shipping. I messaged them before bidding, they said they will combine. I am to message them after winning to have them recalculate shipping. I’ll let you know how that works out.

@JnKL @jst1ofknd @mikibell @sammydog01 Ok, I am surprised your heard back from them before shipping. I have found there response to emails to be extremely slow.

@jst1ofknd @mfladd @mikibell @sammydog01 The Oregon facility was quick to respond. Southern Florida? Not so much!

@JnKL @jst1ofknd @mikibell @sammydog01 I had issues with South Florida too!

@mfladd which city?

@RiotDemon I’m not sure. It just said Goodwill of Southern Florida, I think. I can’t remember the city. I let you know if I see them again.

@narfcake If only we had somebody to blame.

@narfcake @therealjrn

My fault!

@mfladd That napkin holder is ugly. It looks like it might have been designed by or for a fast food restaurant chain. It could be a collectable in a few centuries.
/image napkin holder Coke chrome vintage

@eonfifty That’s why I love it!
You lucked out with that slash image.

@mfladd It does seem robust and durable. As long as the metal is good quality, it should easily be a future artifact.
/image future artifact

@eonfifty Not really worried about collectibility. I just like collecting odds and ends for my vintage styled kitchen.
Received the 1959 retro philco radio from goodwill and it is in amazing condition. I took the back off and it has lots of room inside. It “should” be easy to put in a new speaker and a bluetooth powered amp receiver to stream pandora out of it with Alexa. Now that will be cool.

@eonfifty @mfladd Was the radio not worth restoring as-is? I’d think it much better to run the radio all original, and stream to it using an AM transmitter.

@eonfifty @PooltoyWolf That’s something I have to think about. I will have to look at the tubes. But I still love the idea of streaming thru it. But it is definitely in great shape for a restore.

@eonfifty @mfladd If it is all there, the vast majority of these old radios just need some capacitors replaced to get them singing again. Many times the tubes are still good! (I have sources for tubes, though.)

@eonfifty @PooltoyWolf Yeah, electronics such as this are one of the areas I know absolutely nothing. I will post pics of the insides in a bit.

@eonfifty @PooltoyWolf

@eonfifty @mfladd Ooh yeah, that’s a super-simple one! Probably just needs the big filter capacitor replaced, if even that. (It’s the metal can at lower left.) Should you decide to go that route, I’d be more than willing to lend a paw.

@eonfifty @PooltoyWolf That is so kind of you. I will let you know when I get started. It won’t be until after the new year. Too much going on.

@eonfifty @mfladd Hey, no problem! Enjoy your holidays ^.^

@PooltoyWolf Same to you my Furry Friend

@mfladd Aww thank you! Have a hug!

@mfladd @PooltoyWolf
/image nice radio

@mfladd @PooltoyWolf I like the AM transmitter idea. Try to keep it original. The heat and the light from radio tubes can be nice on those cold and dark winter nights.

@eonfifty @mfladd Tubes are wonderful

@OldCatLady I hope there still there for you! Come to Mama!

@mfladd They did, $1.50/ and very autumnal they look.

@mfladd @OldCatLady Wow, someone at the thrift shop didn’t do their checking. Nice!

It turns out the jacket he swore fit him comes up halfway to his elbows so he’ll be wearing his newish Michael Kors blazer at Thanksgiving. Good thing I don’t trust him.

@sammydog01 He probably grew his arms longer deliberately. Kids do that. Have you tried using nylon thread on the buttons? It’s unbreakable.

@OldCatLady I keep forgetting to reinforce the stitching. Maybe tonight.

@daveinwarsh none of your photos are showing.

@daveinwarsh If you did then in imgur, take off the “s” in Https.

@RiotDemon I thought the imgur crap was fixed

@RiotDemon Shit. Forgot the stupid ‘S’ thing.
Did someone fix it? They show for me.

@daveinwarsh @RiotDemon @mfladd @Shawn None of them show here.
(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻

@daveinwarsh

@daveinwarsh @mfladd
Paging @shawn for another weird imgur thing.

@daveinwarsh doesn’t work with the BBCode syntax. I’ll look into that, but why use that syntax when you don’t have too? Is there some tooling you’re using that produces that for you or are you just doing unnecessary work with that formatting?

@daveinwarsh Cool!

@daveinwarsh Nice!

@shawn Should I stop using Imgur to post pics? Can I just bring pics directly from my computer or something?

@daveinwarsh That is so cool!

@daveinwarsh They will always show for you the poster, but not for anyone else.

@shawn
@daveinwarsh So shawn knows, did you just use the the normal imgur conversion page to create those?

@mfladd @shawn I think so… I just drag a pic to my Imgur page, then copy/paste the forum line. I use my ‘nice’ camera for most pics like this.

@daveinwarsh @mfladd @shawn intrigued by the cell phone / horn stand you made. Link to plans?

@JnKL @mfladd @shawn Uhhh… I really use minimal plans. Even when I build out-buildings like the well-house I built this summer. It’s just scribbles on a notebook page with general measurements…
If I showed the plans for this, you’d laugh.
The cell phone/horn stand was from solid wood. I had some scrap 2" thick oak and 1" oak. I routed a nice smooth ‘sound chamber’ in the bottom piece going from the cell area to the horn area. I drilled a hole for the horn and routed a cell slot. Then glued it together. Sanded, stained, 3x poly satin. I took a few pics, but they may/may not show… We’ll see.
I have to dump the stupid s’es.
This shows the top cuts and general location of my ‘acoustically perfect’ sound chamber…

Glued, cut to size, routed, sanded, rubber bumper to keep cell phone from sitting on the bottom, stained.

Done. Beer for scale. This horn was 11". For the larger 14" horn I just got, I’ll build a box from 3/4" oak boards that I have and an internal chamber to route the sound smoothly to the horn. Guess I’ll figure that out as I go.

@RiotDemon Haha…just got called about it. This will be a cautionary tale of thrift shopping for certain things
More to come.

@mfladd uh oh.

@RiotDemon @mfladd Sax and Violins are always trouble.

@mehcuda67 @mfladd @RiotDemon Well I have a flute, acoustic guitar, and dulcimer for sale if you want to switch instruments… close to thrift prices.

@mehcuda67 @mfladd @RiotDemon or treble

@RiotDemon Sooooooo, here is the cautionary tale of buying very complex things from gwa when you don’t have great pics or are able to look at it.
$190 bucks from gwa. $195 to fix it. A small part weld, neck cork, spring, 3 pads, tuning - it all adds up quick. Could I have done some of it - maybe - but with a bunch of time to read and watch tutorials, Some things are best left to the experts.
That’s about $400 which is what they said they would sell it for - no deal here.
Then we have to look at $24 in brush on tinted instrument lacquer to help the cosmetics.
In the end I still win because $50/mo isn’t going for a rental, she has a better instrument, and I get to sell it when she is done. That girl is going to be playing the sax for a while - yup, the sax it is.
Beware certain items!

@mfladd @RiotDemon Still…score!

@RiotDemon @therealjrn What I do like is that something old and discarded, gets a new life again!

@mfladd what a rollercoaster. It’s a bummer that those things weren’t noted, but it makes sense that they probably had no idea unless they played instruments.

Now I’m glad that I didn’t buy any of the telescopes I was looking at. Makes me reevaluate.

@mfladd @RiotDemon I think it is awesome that we can keep this thread going for a month!

@mfladd @RiotDemon @mehcuda67 @CaptAmehrican
I was able to pick up a flute at GWA recently for just $10. I donated it to my cousin, who’s a band director/music teacher at a rural school in northern IL - they’re always short of instruments, especially for kids in poorer families.

I have no idea if it needed refurbishment (I’m a brass player myself), but they have a couple ‘band volunteers’ who apparently can do fairly extensive repairs.

@CaptAmehrican @compunaut @mehcuda67 @mfladd @RiotDemon Was it a band camp flute?