mila_brown10•2mo agoProlific Poster

My $40 toolbox at a flea market in Ohio paid for itself in one afternoon

I was wandering through a flea market outside Cincinnati last fall and saw this beat up old metal toolbox for $40. The guy said it was his grandpa's and he just wanted it gone. I bought it on a whim, not really needing another box. That same day I stopped at a garage sale and found a set of vintage wrenches for $10. The guy selling them didn't have a flat surface to lay them out on, so I popped open my new toolbox and spread them across the top. He got excited, said his grandpa had the exact same box, and knocked the price down to $5. Later I sold those wrenches online for $160. So that toolbox basically paid for itself and then some in just a few hours. Has anyone else had a random purchase like that end up being the best deal you ever made?

3 comments

3 Comments

mila_harris2mo ago

My best random buy was a $5 lamp that exploded an hour later.

jamiew532mo ago

Mila, that's rough to hear - not what you'd expect from a five dollar lamp. Sorry it went boom on you so fast. Been there with a cheap toaster that shot flames at my toast one morning. Hope you didn't lose any important stuff.

emmawood1mo ago

Friend of mine bought a cheap desk fan for like $8 and it threw a blade across the room on the first night. Almost hit his cat. Scared the heck out of him.