# Piles of Cheap Crap - Auction Haul!



## Acid PopTart (Oct 29, 2007)

Yesterday morning on a total whim we found out about an auction about 45 minutes outside of town and was soon among the Amish and some rather odiferous hill folk. Oh how I love auctions. I registered and begin the quick survey of stuff because I knew the auctioning would begin in a few minutes. Once I determined there was nothing I was too interested in on the first two aisles they were working first, I begin to inspect the other aisles to narrow down my focus and that's when I found a box of American DJ lights, still in the box along with the control box. In excellent shape. Right next to about 9 different old school cameras and film projectors. I wrongly figured no one would want those lights. I decided to let go of all the other things I wanted and focus the entire budget on the lights, seeing as they were worth about $800 roughly.

Time came and I was in a bidding war with another man who clearly had more money than me judging by the amount of stuff he bought that day. If it wouldn't have made our mortgage payment later than it already was, I would have gone higher, as it was, I was on a super limited budget that day. The man got a steal at just $75. Heartbreaking as it was, it's the way of auctions. Putting up with either extreme heat or bitter cold, to listen to some guy talk really fast and knowing when to hold it and when to walk away.

There was other stuff to be had and I must admit, there's a thrill in auctions I just love. My step-dad taught me how to bid and I guess I love being the odd girl in black looking like Lydia Deetz next to an Amish boy who's explaining to me just how to use a chimney cleaner.

By the end of the day, I had cleaned up auction wise on the huge trailer of rusty tools and such and we had stuffed the car full for just.... $31. Granted we left before the very end of the auction when they were about to hit some gorgeous furniture, but the car was full, and I usually know what the Amish want. Probably not that crazy about to fall apart Victorian chair, but I don't have a pick up truck anymore. 









I did get some great stuff like these oh so rusty milk can and oil can:









Lots of this stuff is sold in huge lots and I'm after one thing and I end up with boxes of I don't even know what for $4. And sometimes I'm after the container it's in because anything I don't have to age and has the perfect patina, I'm down with! I've wanted one of these old school paint sprayers for a while (and it was in a lot I got for $2) and I got lots of other groovy things that can be turned into various props for the film and for the haunt I'm sure. 









We discovered a full cobbler's kit in all the stuff! Along with shoe heels in my husband's size! Haha! So now I can have a new hobby.









I'm sure people are wondering why I go after the most beat up rusted stuff. Got this broom that seems simple I know and boring, but I hope to have it in the hands of a grumpy carnivale worker static prop. The 4 chairs I got for $4 and are the older type metal folding ones that should go well for the stage I'm working for the carnivale set up. 









(Breaking this up into two parts, ran out of image space.)


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## Acid PopTart (Oct 29, 2007)

And my favourite, the chimney cleaner which I want to turn into a hanging light and the metal table I picked up for a dollar.









Now it's no awesome lights I could have had, true. But I've got a ton of great little things that can be used to make bigger and better things. Tiny details that will add to the atmosphere because that's what I'm use to doing for photo shoots and film work. And a lot of this stuff I think is going to be incorporated into my "Toymaker" display. The man who turns unruly children into toys. 

Just so you know, a lot of auctions will have items they don't list. They listed just a tiny breakdown of the vintage film cameras but had a ton more and there was no mention of the lights. I felt sure standing out in the middle of a cornfield in BFE that I was the only one interested in those lights, but you never know. Some people are just trying to get a deal to resale the stuff. If you've got the time (this will typically eat up 5 hours a day or more) and can put up with the weather (a lot of the good auctions are outside, usually the person's home/farm) and the thrill of the hunt and sometimes defeat, I highly recommend them. I just found out one in our neighbourhood is happening next week, and even though "country" ones are usually the ones with real finds for me. I'm still searching for a good projector, lights, etc. So who knows what you'll find!

(I know I've rambled on a lot, sorry, I was *very* excited!)


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## Spooky1 (Aug 25, 2008)

Nice haul. You found lots of stuff that can be used to set a creepy atmosphere. I never would have guessed that was a chimney cleaner.


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## Frighteners Entertainment (Jan 24, 2006)

me neither spooky1, nice haul.


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## Death Wraith (Mar 23, 2006)

I love when you get down to the end of an auction with boxes and boxes of stuff for a couple bucks, after most people have left. Unfortunately I work on Saturdays so I miss most of the auctions in my area.

Nice haul!!


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## Howlinmadjack (Jul 20, 2009)

Sweeeet!!! I love the old rusty stuff, especially the hay bale hook, files, and old rusty tools!!! The milk and oil cans are awesome too!! Great haul!!!


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## Acid PopTart (Oct 29, 2007)

Spooky1 said:


> Nice haul. You found lots of stuff that can be used to set a creepy atmosphere. I never would have guessed that was a chimney cleaner.





Frighteners Entertainment said:


> me neither spooky1, nice haul.


Hahaha, I didn't know either until the Amish gentleman explained it after I won it. What happens is if you drop this down a chimney from the rope, the metal plate you see toward the bottom (kind of) pulls up and the metal arms that are currently closed up, pop out and scrape a chimney. I'll be disabling that though, I like it better closed as a light fixture.



Death Wraith said:


> I love when you get down to the end of an auction with boxes and boxes of stuff for a couple bucks, after most people have left. Unfortunately I work on Saturdays so I miss most of the auctions in my area.
> 
> Nice haul!!


Thanks!!! I got an awesome scythe and sickle when I was out with my dad last at one. And he just looked at me and said, "What the hell are you going to do with that?" And I said, "One day I will make a horror movie, just you wait."

Believe it or not, all this stuff was in the middle of the auction! This auction was going DIRT cheap, I think they were waiting to get to the furniture at the very end. A lot of good deals to be had at this one! Do all your auctions happen on the weekends? We get some during the week in the afternoon and evening.



howlin mad jack said:


> Sweeeet!!! I love the old rusty stuff, especially the hay bale hook, files, and old rusty tools!!! The milk and oil cans are awesome too!! Great haul!!!


Me too!!! Got some horse carriage metal bits in this one too.... now to make them look like parts to something else!


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## scareme (Aug 29, 2006)

After seeing what is in some of these boxes, and seeing some of the photos you have posted, I'm going through trying to imagine what you are going to do with them. I can't wait to see. I wish we were closer. When my dad passed we sent boxes of old tools to Goodwill. I'd rather give them to someone to use, than to think they might be sold for scrap metal. And I can understand why you say you have a storage shortage. lol


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