The “Water Cooler” is a feature on Claycord.com where we ask you a question or provide a topic, and you talk about it.
The “Water Cooler” will be up Monday-Friday in the noon hour.
Today’s question comes from a Claycordian….
QUESTION: Have you ever found something (in a store, at a garage sale, etc.) that someone was selling for a cheap price, but it ended up being worth a lot of money?
Tell us about it….
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An NOS (New-Old Stock) aluminum grill for a 69 Ford F-series truck, still in the original box and never installed.
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Got it for $100 and sold it for $1500.
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Cha-ching!
Yes …. many times, and many things, at thrift shops
About 1 month ago, found a Longaberger Basket for $3.50.
To order it from Longaberger it was $145.
Also, I like NYDJ’s and I can sometimes find them in my size for $5 – $10.
Better than paying $100 at Nordstrom’s.
I am the best book scout on the West Coast, my associates have given me the nickname “The Living Legend”.
Best one, so far, Signed Limited Edition of the Little Prince. Bought for $3 and sold for $12,500. But, there have been many very very good ones.
108RS
Yes. It was a metal die cast bathroom sign from segregation era. Bought it for $40 and sold for $400.
Bought a brand new nautical leather jacket from east bay hospice for &50. It worth $300.
Not something that many would be particularly valuable to many, but it is to me. I bought a copy of “Failure Is Not An Option” by Gene Kranz at Barnes & Noble in Walnut Creek. Apparently there had been a book signing there and when I opened it I was surprised that it was a signed copy.
My family went to that book signing where Gene gave a little talk as well! We have a signed copy as well. Don’t know if book has much value, but it is a treasured keepsake for us NASA nerds.
I’m an airplane and space geek. I decided to become an aerospace engineer in the fifth grade and go to work at NASA. I got my degree and about 2/3 of the way through my career as an aerospace engineer was hired by NASA Ames Research Center (about the time the book was published), where I finished my career and retired. One of the highlights of my career occured after a meeting at Johnson Space Center (I was working on technology development for a Shuttle replacement). Several of us got a tour of JSC. We visited the mission control room where they controlled the Apollo missions and the first few dozen Shuttle missions. I got to sit at one of the consoles, which was a very special moment. We then visited the current Shuttle and ISS mission control rooms. The Apollo mission control room is on the Natiional Register of Historic Places, but since it is in the middle of the JSC in a secure area it isn’t open to the public. A couple of other highlights were getting to the top of the Shuttle launch tower at Pad 39 (without a Shuttle present) and in the launch control room at the Kennedy Space Center.
About 20 yrs ago, my wife showed me a catalog that had a framed picture in it. $300. It was nice, but not $300 nice.
I got my haircut the next day at Dimaggio’s in WC and had to wait for a chair. I’d always walk down this little alley when I had to wait for a cut and I visited this little thrift store. On this particular day, I wandered around and bought a necktie. Noticed a picture hanging on the wall that looked pretty similar to the one from the catalog, so I bought it. Got out of there with a tie and the pic for $20.
I fished the catalog out of the trash when I got home. Same exact picture, matting, and frame.
Do you have to pay taxes on these windfall treasure sales?
I do it every week from Craigslist and the flea market
Eames Lounge Chair and ottoman at a garage sale for $100, yes!!
… got a complete Thermactor smog device (pump, hoses, clamps, injectors, etc.) on a one year, only one state only (Calif). for a car I was restoring in a pillowcase for $40 …. soon afterward was offered $400…. now probably worth over $1,000.
Certainly nothing as good as first editions, original die casts, etc.; but stopped at Longs Drugs in Cloverdale on Dec. 26th a few years ago and all their Christmas items were 50% off. They had some large plastic candy canes full of Energizer AA batteries that I took and when I went to pay for them, the cashier said they were not on sale. Naturally, I told her they were half off (a Christmas item in the Christmas aisle) but she refused. I had her get the manager who immediately agreed with me. I was thrilled with all those free batteries.
So super strange story here … I was engaged to this super hot Thai real estate broker in Bangkok for about six years on and off. When I moved from Tokyo to Clayton to care for my mom in her last years of life (cancer got her in 2019) … we were sort of on ice for those years. When I moved back to East Asia after mom passed, I resumed plans to marry my hunny-bunny here in Vietnam … but I got some bad news two weeks into the resumed love story … On a Sunday morning coffee talk with her, she said she had met some Rico Suave from Spain and told me sorry, but she was a bit miffed over my choice to go back to USA when mom got sick … anywho … after that phone call … was walking home and found a 3-carrot diamond on the sidewalk … So I guess that was the universe telling me something … true story.
WOW! Jo Jo! That’s a heck of a story. Thanks for telling it.
A pristine, mid-century (1963) Danish teak breakfront that lights up for $150 (the owner we bought it from on Craigslist didn’t even realize it had lighting). Apparently, it had been part of a dining set that she was selling and no one wanted the breakfront, just the table and chairs. One thing, the woman’s apartment had several dirty litter boxes in the living room and it stunk pretty badly in there. I wonder if that drove off potential buyers? When we picked it up a few days later, our friend with a truck helped and he actually gagged when he entered. Anyway, my friends in NYC are one of the top mid-century art and design dealers and they confirmed the piece was worth well over ten times the amount we paid. It is the centerpiece of our living room.
Yes. Recently have found several valuable items at thrift stores. But got to know what to look for. Been learning alot watching several successful resale thrifters who have videos on youtube. People just want to get rid of things without thinking about their value. Vintage items are in high demand.