S&W sight adjustment tool at an antique mall today.

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Found mine in a 'trash and treasures' box at a gun show a few years back for four bucks.

Time was, before the internet, gun shows were a fertile hunting ground for those with a little more knowledge than the average bear. I've found tools, holsters and gun parts in boxes that many vendors/old timers had where they had just accumulated stuff through the years they had no use for (or SWMBO said " when are you gonna clean out this drawer and get rid of this junk you haven't used in years"?) and piled all the excess in boxes and left it on the table for the 'miners' to paw through. Usually not priced, the owner would decide on the spur of the moment what he would let it go for and negotiation was always profitable as the owner was usually willing to part with it for less just to see it gone. Finding less and less of the good stuff these days and most of what's in the boxes is true junk. But hope springs eternal and as the old saying goes, 'one man's trash is another man's treasure'.

The 'net . . .

The good ? The expanded options available and a vast increase in the ability to find whatever you want even if it's on the other side of the country.

The bad? Everyone sees what the top prices are (usually asking price, not necessarily actual selling price) and they think their junked firearms are worth it when they price it saying, "I looked it up and that's what they're going for on the internet!" (which used to be "The Blue Book says" . . . . but not many under 50 ever even saw a Blue Book these days or understand how to glean real information out of it)

I know I've passed into Codgerville, but gun shows used to really be a lot more interesting and fun. :(
 
Found mine in a 'trash and treasures' box at a gun show a few years back for four bucks.

Time was, before the internet, gun shows were a fertile hunting ground for those with a little more knowledge than the average bear. I've found tools, holsters and gun parts in boxes that many vendors/old timers had where they had just accumulated stuff through the years they had no use for (or SWMBO said " when are you gonna clean out this drawer and get rid of this junk you haven't used in years"?) and piled all the excess in boxes and left it on the table for the 'miners' to paw through. Usually not priced, the owner would decide on the spur of the moment what he would let it go for and negotiation was always profitable as the owner was usually willing to part with it for less just to see it gone. Finding less and less of the good stuff these days and most of what's in the boxes is true junk. But hope springs eternal and as the old saying goes, 'one man's trash is another man's treasure'.

The 'net . . .

The good ? The expanded options available and a vast increase in the ability to find whatever you want even if it's on the other side of the country.

The bad? Everyone sees what the top prices are (usually asking price, not necessarily actual selling price) and they think their junked firearms are worth it when they price it saying, "I looked it up and that's what they're going for on the internet!" (which used to be "The Blue Book says" . . . . but not many under 50 ever even saw a Blue Book these days or understand how to glean real information out of it)

I know I've passed into Codgerville, but gun shows used to really be a lot more interesting and fun. :(

I am having luck on occasion finding good stuff in the junk boxes. Especially grips and 50s ammo
 
That's a great find. I've only found one of those in my lifetime. I've found several of the newer ones, including some in the plastic bags with the cleaning rod. I've found a lot of neat gun related stuff at yard sales also.
 
I had a 5gal bucket of new 20rd M16 mags still in plastic. I took them to a show at $5@ and sold them all in 2 days. This was in 80s. Less demand and $5 was worth more. I would like to have back all the parts and barrels
for m14, m16 and 1919 MGs that I sold for chump change.
 
If I were you, I'd think seriously to buying a "Loto ticket" . After all, most things come in three"s. :D
 
LGS has a "make an offer" junk box that often includes reloading components and occasionally partial or shelfworn boxes of factory ammo. The proceeds go to the pizza fund for the staff. Monday it included a full box of Remington 200gr .35 Whelen. The glue holding the box together had let go. I offered $10. The guys grinned all the way to the pizza joint.
 
I’ve made a few nice finds.
I bought a pristine Colt Dick Special hammer shroud at a gun show from a junk box for $1.
A NIB Lyman 2 cavity 358156 mould, but had to pay $15. 2 years ago.
A Browning pistol rug with red flannel lining for $5.
A guy always had a $2 junk table at the show. Stuff just dumped on a table. He had the newer SATs in plastic bags with an old cleaning rod (non S&W) or tube of Gunslick grease for $2. I bought all He had.
 

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