well on this one you get a "you suck" those go for 200 + does that salvage place ever research anything ?

There is enough foot traffic that they have a large staff rotating through the register.

Get to know them well enough, and you might just be able to also predict who is light on adhoc pricing and who tends to call over the manager for anything/everything that lacks a price.

You also get to know who has no clue about tools.

Today, I took a HUGE gamble. It paid off.

The manager was standing right there. She could have called him over. She didn’t.

The manager was the one that handed me the box without first opening it and inspecting it and pricing it on-the-spot.

This was out of character of him, and I think it was because he was helping another customer, knows I am chatty, and here is how it went down.

I saw the manager in the tool hutch. Where he hangs out. That is his domain. It has lock and key access to keep the snoops out.

He was helping someone and I looked-on. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the red box. I thought … is that, Starrett? It took me all of 5 seconds to confirm that it was, as you just can’t mistake a red Starrett box for anything else, and nothing else quite looks like a Starrett box.

They don’t have Starrett on their radar, usually they go bananas over Snap-On. They don’t know the other brands.

I asked the manager, hey, can I see that red box? I am addicted to those red boxes (I don’t think he understands what Starrett is). He reached over, grabbed the box and handed it to me. As he did, he muttered “haven’t even had a chance to price it.”

I kept my cool.

I was sweating bullets by the time I got to checkout.

When she said “what’s in there?” I opened it. She said “oh, a tool.” I nodded. She said “five fifty one, that sounds about right, right?”

I momentarily went stupid. I forgot how to talk. I wasn’t even comprehending the English coming from her lips. All I could muster was “I’m sorry?”

She repeated “five fifty one, that’s alright for a tool, right?”

I still wasn’t comprehending. My brain wanted to think she was saying $551 and after a moment, I realized she was saying $5.51

I couldn’t pull out my payment fast enough. I was falling over myself, almost dropped the phone in her lap.

I walked around dazed and confused for 10 minutes trying to grapple with what just happened!

where do they get all this stuff ? they gave that away !

I tested it out on a metal rack and that magnetic hold is strong!

So, where they get this stuff is primarily just two sources:

1. An agreement with local dumps
2. People dropping off donations, trying to avoid paying the dump

So a mix of trash and dead people stuff.

They don’t pay a dime for anything they sell. It’s largely all profit for them.

I overheard that their biggest enemy is when something doesn’t move and takes up space

I’m tellin’ ya… I’m seriously waiting for the day I get a Stanley No 1 for $10

well thats true for any business. my suppliers blow out anything that doesn't sell in 90 days. even if it's at a loss.

I have two of those (non-Starrett). really handy at the TS an for machine setup.

so when i die my stuff will probably end up in a place like that because my wife wont wanna deal with it or know what it's worth ! 😲😳

That’s my fear too! Which is why it is good we will have 4 boys. At least one should have the desire to use Mum’s tools

I should add: if our spouses knew what our tools were worth, few of us would be alive today

🤣🤣🤣

Fear not! I offer up services for separating your wheat from the chaff, seeing that the good stuff goes to a "good home" and the other goes to the resale shops 🤠