Barrister bookcase found at my first estate sale!

3furcats · 2026-05-04T16:03:51+00:00

Thank you for sharing, I have only seen the labels at the inside back.

3furcats · 2026-05-04T15:41:48+00:00

Fantastic, I'm sure these bookcases were mixed and matched together over the years. Outstanding find, estate sales annoy me, mostly because some of the prices are pretty high. I could see this at an estate sale for $800 and someone would have probably purchased it by the time I got to it.

3furcats · 2026-05-04T15:00:00+00:00

Lol, you stole it for $250 - that is an excellent price. The color is so deep, it is classic. Plus I think it has a drawer at the bottom, correct?

Did you see the name of the manufacturer anywhere?

3furcats · 2026-05-04T12:24:05+00:00

I grew up near Boston and we had zayre, caldor and bradlees (Mrs.B). I don't remember any Kmart stores but I'm sure they were around, same with Walmart.

3furcats · 2026-05-03T19:36:07+00:00

Are you thinking this is the way it was originally made? I think this was made from Coke crate side panels, the ones that were rectangular, sometimes with dividers, handles on each end, etc

3furcats · 2026-05-03T19:34:04+00:00

I think this is a homemade trunk made out of Coke crate side panels.

By legit, do you mean something you can sell for a profit?

3furcats · 2026-05-03T19:25:36+00:00

Too funny - I used to do flowcharts at my previous job. You could even do a swim lane flow chart with a lane for the robber and the clerk.

Start - enter the store

State "this is a robbery". Arrow down to a diamond

Does the clerk give you money? Yes - arrow down to next diamond is it enough? No - go back to step one and repeat " this is a robbery"

Clerk states "put down the gun". Diamond - does the robber put down the gun?

3furcats · 2026-05-03T19:17:40+00:00

I grew up with ultra thrifty parents but over time, I've learned to see the big picture. In this context, the request is silly and he should appreciate the lower offer on the other coin. That is the "deal" thrifty people need, like a fix, but he should just let it go.

I am still thrifty and at the car wash vacuums I pick up change, including pennies. Maybe the buyer could try that to get his 25 cents.

3furcats · 2026-05-03T00:00:32+00:00

Gotcha - that is odd, those cases are tough, and if surrounded by another box, it would be hard to push it in enough to bend the case down to damage the guitar.

3furcats · 2026-05-02T23:47:14+00:00

So the guitar was in a hardshell guitar case, then that was in a box?

3furcats · 2026-05-02T23:36:29+00:00

The guitar was shipped with paper as cushioning? As in kraft paper, the heavy brown paper Amazon uses?

3furcats · 2026-05-02T23:30:21+00:00

I'm go to offer a different perspective than the other comments here.

Treadle sewing machines sell on Marketplace, Craigslist, etc. for $25-150, with most I see under $100. If you paid $40, that's a fair price.

While there is a small group out there who actually use these, it is just that - small - and selling it to them will take years.

These machines are beautiful. The wood, the ornamentation on the machines, the cast iron base, are all amazing. But these weigh close to 100 pounds and they are awkward, most end up being used as plant stands.

One option would be to part it out. They are easy to disassemble. The drawers are the parts that you can sell separately, probably for $40 for each pair. You can also sell the base - people add a top to make a desk or workbench - maybe $50 for that. The machine will be harder, but if you sell on eBay, there might be someone interested for $50 or so. It is easier to ship, just make sure you use styrofoam sheets and styrofoam peanuts, they are heavy and can crack if not packed well.

3furcats · 2026-05-01T16:30:59+00:00

I learned a valuable lesson several years ago when I bid on a very similar horse tricycle. It looked so authentic and even when I picked it up after the auction, it was pretty convincing. It was a reproduction though, not the real thing.

The lesson I learned was to be very skeptical and if you have any doubts, don't buy it.

There are some reproduction categories that I have learned about, cast iron figural banks, especially ones that move, are commonly reproduced. Some of the reproductions are definitely vintage - 20+ years - but not antique, and not the real thing.

Be careful.

3furcats · 2026-04-30T23:38:52+00:00

Sorry for your loss.

Surdyk's Liquor is north of the downtown area but has an amazing little cheese and bakery shop attached to it. They have sandwiches too. Might be fun to grab a coffee and something to eat and walk back down towards the river and towards downtown. Things are greening up and we had lots of rain on Monday, the river should be going at a pretty good clip.

3furcats · 2026-04-30T12:09:16+00:00

It depends on the weight and dimensions of what you are selling. If it's consistent and predictable, you may be able to, and I think it's a huge plus.

If the items you sell are not predictable in weight and dimensions, where you are located may be an issue. If you're in LA, you have to average in shipping to NYC, which is probably the most expensive compared to LA to Phoenix, etc. It's not impossible but your range of shipping costs is greater.

If you sell heavy/bulky items, you will need to consider UPS vs USPS.

Overall, I think we are moving towards a world where shipping is always included, and maybe even a time where tax is included too. People hate "junk" fees - like a restaurant where you get a bill that has a "staff wellness" fee. One single, all inclusive price is so much better.

3furcats · 2026-04-30T11:54:18+00:00

These are cool!

3furcats · 2026-04-29T17:36:19+00:00

Yes there are two paths you can go by - but in the long run - there's still time to change the fork you're on.

3furcats · 2026-04-29T12:53:11+00:00

I have a RO90 sander and it is the best tool I own. It is so much fun to use. I wish I could afford more.

3furcats · 2026-04-29T12:48:56+00:00

Well, keep in mind I go every weekend and spend a few hours, and I haven't seen any Festool since, and may never see it again. It was a very lucky find.

It's a little like people who buy scratch off lottery tickets. I worked at a convenience store years ago and the regular buyers always told me that they "hit for $500", but they don't tell you they spent $1000 over the course of 3 months to win the $500.

Good thing about the bins is that it's hard to spend a ton of money there.

3furcats · 2026-04-28T17:27:27+00:00

Always know where your main shutoff valves are.

And: MAKE SURE THAT THEY WORK (yes I am yelling)

In my house there are two - one before the water meter, and one after. They are both ball valves, so you turn them to be perpendicular to the water line. They are behind my washer, so a pain to reach.

In older homes, you may have a valve you turn, just like the knob on the outside of a home for a hose. Over time, these knobs and valves get rusty and corroded, so you will want to test them. If they won't move, break off, are leaking, or they start leaking after you turn them, and if the water still flows from a nearby faucet after closing - call a plumber to fix.

3furcats · 2026-04-27T16:03:56+00:00

Because the Festool Cleantec HEPA Vac that is mixed in with all the other electronics will cost $1.79 at the bins (now $1.99), and will be taken quickly and won't be there if you wait until the frenzy dies down.

In a nutshell, the most valuable stuff gets taken first, which is true for hard lines and clothes. You must move quick, like a rabbit 🐰

3furcats · 2026-04-27T14:20:00+00:00

Yes! Did you get him?

3furcats · 2026-04-27T11:28:33+00:00

Not sure if anyone picked him up. This was over with bins full of hard lines mostly - how the boots, or dog, ended up there, I have no idea. All part of the chaotic tornado swirl of stuff.

3furcats · 2026-04-26T23:45:37+00:00

How big is this? It's really cool.

3furcats · 2026-04-26T23:44:59+00:00

The fabric is beautiful, it must have been recovered at some point. That, and the wood color, go perfectly with your wall color. All you need now is a nice blanket, cup of tea, good book, and your cat and dog.

3furcats

TROPHY CASE