Bootfair Burr-ummmm!

[jimi43]

What a brilliant day at the bootfair...5am start as usual...but well worth it..

While "her indoors" sold "things from the dark place" on our stall...I did a bit more wandering today and was more successful than last weekend....

Firstly...a stunning Thuya burr "box"....

I hadn't heard of this beautiful wood until today...and couldn't resist this even though it extended my normal budget at £3....

Here is some info on the wood...

The Thuya tree is a short scrub-like conifer indigenous to Morocco. The exceptional natural patterns in the grain are only found in the root of the tree. This wood has been coveted since Roman times and in modern times extracts from the tree are used in both homeopathy and aromatherapy. Thuya trees are constantly being replanted.

It certainly is coveted by me...what a wonderful little box...and I don't normally "do" bowls and boxes...but this is beautifully made...

Now you guys and gals know how I love my old and retro books but these are priceless...

...especially the "guide to stereo hi-fi"....check out this question...

...proof positive...if it were needed that retro geeks spout as much BS as contemporary iGeeks! :mrgreen:

Can't wait to read the rest...some interesting stuff in there...

Moving on...some nice little taps and mills...

....another cute boxwood handled Sorby mortice chisel...

....all again at 50p a pop.....

....topped off by a huge pack of carpenter's pencils for a squid....I needed some more pencils!

The ubiquitous retro radio for the workshop (again!) cost me the princely sum of £2....but was in superb condition....

...a rather nice solid oak box for £3 which will be modified into a toolbox for all these delicate engineering tools and bits...

.....

....yet ANOTHER whetstone...this time what I believe is a Welsh slate....(confirmations invited!)...

....and last but by no means least...the bargain of the day for the extortionate sum of 50p a brand new finger jointing router cutter....

That will come in very handy when I build my toolbox next week!

Total spend...£14...just £1 below my allowed budget so not enough change for a posh coffee but ..worth getting up... :wink:

What did you guys and gals find this weekend?

Jim

 

[Blister]

Love the small box Jim ,

but the rest is just toot :---) :---) :---) :---) :---)

I am going Sunday weather permitting :wink:

 

[doorframe]

Jim. What are your plans for the Thuya burr "box"? Is it to just keep on display, or put things in, or to make into something else?

Dead jealous about that finger jointing bit! :mrgreen: (hammer)

Roy

 

[jimi43]

Hi Blister.....

Weather doesn't look too good for tomorrow and my plans for bootfair trips are scuppered by the Wrotham steam rally. When it was on last year I got stuck in huge traffic jams made by traction engines and various other steam powered road-going vehicles. I have decided if you can't beat 'em....join 'em so the every suffering Annie is taking me to the rally instead!

At the moment Roy....the Thuya box is an object of fondlement (?)....while I rub beeswax into it to further enhance the beauty...it really is a tactile thing...

I was just thinking...what a wonderful thing to put a very special present in for someone.

Yup...the finger jointer was a bit of a find. It's only a Titan one but they retail in Screwfix for over £45 so I guess 50p was a bit of a bargain! :wink:

Jim

 

[Karl]

Jim - do you ever feel uncomfortable when somebody says they only want 50p for something which cost £45? I can't imagine the person selling is the person who bought it, and I have this image in my head of a widow selling her [not long] dead husbands tools for a price which would see him turn in the grave.....

Cheers

Karl

 

[jimi43]

Jim - do you ever feel uncomfortable when somebody says they only want 50p for something which cost £45? I can't imagine the person selling is the person who bought it, and I have this image in my head of a widow selling her [not long] dead husbands tools for a price which would see him turn in the grave.....

Cheers

Karl

I don't ever find myself in that situation Karl to be honest. Most of the stalls that I dig through are a couple of blokes who do clearance sales...most of their stuff is priced 50p/£1/£5 etc....based on how new/shiny/many knobs it has etc... :mrgreen:

I feel no problems whatever paying what the seller asks if I think it is a bargain...and I would like to think that if anyone ever said they were a widow whose husband just died and they offered me a Norris mitre plane...I would give them a fair price or advise them to seek out a dealer. Since that has never happened...it will have to remain "like to think". I don't think the dealers at 5:30am have such a conscience.

Today...one such bloke asked £50 for a cassette deck....mind you...it was a Tandberg...he had it in his head he could get £500 on FleaBay for it. :roll: I wouldn't mind...but it was falling apart!

The cutter you mention was in a toolbox underneath about two dozen rusty tools, screws, bits of cars etc...a real archeological find...along with the milling cutter, tap and tap wrench.

I actually have a real problem with relatives selling their old grandad's tools at bootfairs...to me, these should be passed on. If they do...I feel happy buying them because I will love and cherish them, restore them and use them or pass them on to someone who will.

So...no...I don't...do you feel differently?

Jim

 

[Karl]

Hi Jim - sorry if I came across as criticising - it was meant that way.

IMO if you've got a willing seller (ie somebody who knows the value of something) then fair play.

I remember reading a story on here a while back about a listing on e-bay for a Stanley No1. It wasn't fetching much - probably everybody leaving the bidding to the last minute. And the listing was pretty poor too, so it wouldn't attract maximum coverage. One of our members contacted the seller and pointed out the value of the item and suggested re-listing or putting it through a private auction.

As you say, the 5.30 dealers wouldn't have such a conscience. Although they'd be in for a surprise at our local boot fair as the gates don't open until 7.00am :lol:

Cheers

Karl

 

[jimi43]

I assume you meant "wasn't meant that way".... :lol: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

And it wasn't taken that way and it is fair point...there are loads of uncaring people in this world who would actually go out of their way to cheat innocent sellers. We did a stall a few months back and opposite us was a middle aged couple selling their "stuff".

A couple of lads came up and one distracted the couple with questions about some item while the other went into their car and stole the purse they had their takings in. They were trying to raise a bit of extra cash to give their son to go to university. Virtually the whole row of sellers searched the fair for these scum...to no avail unfortunately. People like that should have their nadgers cut off...I'd do it!

I give the impression that dealers are people I don't actually like but strangely I have got to know many at the local bootfair and now they are polite and fair to me and the missus...and we know where we stand...some even come to ask for things I know about and sell regularly...like vintage hi-fi. So they are not all bad.... :wink:

Jim

 

[Karl]

I assume you meant "wasn't meant that way".... :lol: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

- sorry.

 

[woodbloke]

should have their nadgers cut off...I'd do it!
Jim

Jimi, you'd need to delve into a bucket of rust and find a little gadget to do that with! :lol: - Rob

 

[condeesteso]

Jimi - just how many wirelesses do you actually need? That's at least 3 in the last 2 weeks.

 

[Benchwayze]

Just an aside Jimi,

I think I would like my machines and tools to be sold onto someone who genuinely wants them for use.

My son would probably keep the usual run of tools you find in most households, but I doubt he would take up serious woodwork, just to use his old Dad's machines. So if he can make any cash from them, then with my blessing, he can sell. He might like to buy something he wants/needs to be a keepsake.

(I have made an inventory by the way, with what I consider to be good asking prices, and with special items marked as not to be 'given' away.) So at lest he has a ball-park set of figures.)

John

 

[jimi43]

Jimi, you'd need to delve into a bucket of rust and find a little gadget to do that with! :lol: - Rob

Funny you should say that Rob...today I found a lovely little rosewood handled "thingy" that had a steel saw back coming out of it - very thin...which takes broken hacksaw blades...slotted in under the spring pressure like a little gent saw....beautiful thing.

That'll do!

I managed about 5 miles today...rehab for the legs...half in sunshine and half in what they are now calling the "Atlantic Summer Monsoon".... :roll: (where do they get these theories!)

Found my "bloke" who does hospital and university clearance...they are the ones to look out for...but he was packing up when I found him...basically had enough of putting stuff in and out of the van!....

I manage to get a really expensive looking DC motor...just what I need for my router lift MKII to replace the power screwdriver idea...just got to do some research during the GP this afternoon...princely sum of £1. Mind you...Annie was not that happy carrying it back to the car!

Douglas...you can never have enough portable radios! That one will be up and running this afternoon and back to the bootfair next week..BTW...the Hacker made £40 this week...(that's £38 profit towards my milling machine....) :wink:

Jim