What are you seeing at the flea markets and do you leave any for other collectors?

silenthunterstudios

silenthunterstudios

Slipjoint Addict
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Trying to keep this in Traditional, I would just like to know what the antique mall/flea market hunters have seen.

I've seen a lot of rusted shut knives, that all the TLC in the world can't help. Other than that, I've seen a lot of Imperials, saw one Cattaraugus, a couple of Remingtons, most of which I've bought, in very used but good condition, a few Case's, one "custom" presumably made by Schrade or Camillus for a reenactor company, Bokers, a few Queens, lots of electricians knives, quite a few demo knives, few fixed blades but when I did see them they were mainly MKIIs and a few small sheath blades. Tons of Colonials.

I am after mainly blades with jigged bone handles and long matchstriker pulls. Any configuration or design, but if it calls out to me, it will most likely go home with me. But there are many knives in great condition, that I could get easily, and I pass on these. Some are collectible, some are not, but I would hope that a collector would leave something they don't like for another collector that does.

What have you seen in your hunt at the junk malls, antique malls, yard sales etc. What condition? Did you leave a knife for the next guy or gal that might find their Grail?
 
I've been to few yard sales, antique stores, and a few local shows just to see what they had. I saw more Case, Boker, and Newer Schrades than anything. I actually saw a few GECs but they were all over priced. I thought I would have luck in St. Louis months ago. They have a road full of antique shops that I thought for sure I would find something. I think I saw maybe a dozen traditional folders out of 20 or so shops that were all junk and no the good kind of junk. It really was disappointing.

I'm not a collector but I enjoy the hunt. Just looking in tin cans, boxes, and such to see if there is a jewel waiting to be rescued is fun enough for me. In the hunt I do find non-cutlery items that work, gifts for those that enjoy antiques or vintage items, or something to use in a different way than it was created for.

One thing that always surprises me is how high traditional folders and fixed blades go at auctions. I think some of those are fixed or rigged though that is on another subject.

Enjoy the hunt.
 
I mostly hit yard sales and flea markets, with more luck at yard sales... sometimes pays to ask if they have any knives if you don't see any, I've had people go inside and bring out nice stuff :) .. flea markets are usually picked over unless you get there real early.

I see lots of old timers, imperials, and bucks... usually in decent shape for about five bucks.

found a puma and a nice old marble's a few weeks ago... $40 for both
 
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in my hometown there is antique fair at open,from May till end of September,not a lot of knives ,but sometimes if you are lucky,among bayonets and fake yatagans,decent slipjoint could be found.

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from this pile i skipped Herman Goering's hunting dagger,(salesman was dead serious :D ),one man's trash is another man's treasure ;)

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but i got this one for almost nothing :thumbup:
 
My best find was a resale shop that my wife just had to stop at while we were on vacation. I was looking around, and found a Boker congress sitting in a basket. It was marked 1990 North Carolina cutlery club, and was in decent shape save for some corrosion on the blades, springs, and bolsters. The owner didn't even know she had it, she said it must have been in a lot they had just bought. I don't remember what I paid- not much- and I spent a couple of hours cleaning it up to almost new condition. It gets carried in my rotation, and it always reminds me of that vacation:)

Here is an older picture that I have posted before:
 
I find I have to put in a lot of leg-work to find anything. Antique shops and centres generally have high prices, but I sometimes find something worth paying the extra for. I've had good finds from local flea-markets, but pickings have been extremely thin recently. Antique fairs tend to be very pricey here. Probably the best for me are the sort of antique/collectors centres that have cabinets rented by individual dealers, prices tend to be all over the place, but if you know what you're looking for, bargains can be found. My experience is that if you search long enough, in enough places, you'll eventually turn up something decent at a reasonable price :thumbup:
 
Up here we mostly have pawn shops. If I drive to Alaska I can find an antique shop or two. I have found a few little gems at the pawn shop. Some handmade local knives and a Shrade 25OT. Loads more at the antique shop in AK. Imperial, Kutmaster, and some Shrade. I like to grab the ones where the blades cannot be opened without some thing to stick in the nail nick. They can usually be had very cheaply and I can almost always finesse them into a very nice little folder. Even if I end up giving it away the 5 or 10 dollars is some of the cheapest entertainment money can buy as I repair and restore them. I will often give them away to someone who doesn't carry a knife at a chance to see how useful they can be.

I only grab the ones I can see myself carrying as well. Too small or too large they usually are left for someone else.

Ask to see if they have anymore. Last one I was at had a zip lock bag full waiting to be priced.
 
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Thanks to the OP for starting the thread; I'll follow with interest for tips/hints on successful hunting. I have haunted yard sales and thrift shops in my area (northern NJ) in the past for fountain pens and vinyl. Like most, it's been hit or miss but mostly miss. 'Tis the season now for yard sales so I'll start dropping in again to look for traditional blades. Hope springs eternal!
 
Jack Black said:
I find I have to put in a lot of leg-work to find anything. Antique shops and centres generally have high prices, but I sometimes find something worth paying the extra for. I've had good finds from local flea-markets, but pickings have been extremely thin recently. Antique fairs tend to be very pricey here. Probably the best for me are the sort of antique/collectors centres that have cabinets rented by individual dealers, prices tend to be all over the place, but if you know what you're looking for, bargains can be found. My experience is that if you search long enough, in enough places, you'll eventually turn up something decent at a reasonable price :thumbup:
Click to expand...


Because you bought em all! :p

Antique malls with upwards of a hundred dealers, the dealers are usually never there, and cannot be bothered to make a sale on a high dollar knife at a different price than they posted.
 
here's the $20 Marble's ideal (6") I got at a yard sale a few weeks ago.. no sheath, but I should be able to find one for it.


I left the puma out at the lake house, so no pics, but it's just as nice.

I didn't want to leave this one for the next guy :D

open image in a new tab for full view

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I find that most antique malls and pawn shops don't have much, and if they do have some pocket knives they're usually priced at ridiculous levels. Here in the south it's pretty difficult to find any real quality anymore. The Internet has changed most of this. People tend to sell a smaller item online. If you're lucky enough to be member of a knife club, there may be some chances for trading which is always fun but even those have fallen by the wayside. I'm only speaking to the more desirable brands like Case, Russel, Robeson and the like.
 
I have found the occasional nice Colonial, but most of the knife stuff is absolute trash.

I did find a decent Spyderco one time, and I gave the fellow $5 for it when he asked $3 -

I usually find a decent SAK classic or something of that nature, and if I get it for a buck then I take it home to give to someone.

I am still hoping though - the fun is in the looking.

best

mqqn
 
I usually don't see anything serviceable or good, and if I do it's over priced. Dang internet ;)
 
I found a no name "Made in USA" jack at a pawn shop. I did a little trading to get it.
Did not see anything else of interest knife-wise, but they did have a few neat antique carpenter's planes and a rigger's axe I could not afford.
 
Ah yes, the diamond in the rough. Part of the fun is the hunt. I agree it can get pretty frustrating, but you just never know what you might find. I don't buy many of the knives I see because I'm not interested in them or they are junk. Might pickup a knife if I think I can fix it up and give it away as a gift. But then once in a blue moon you run across something like this. This little guy was hiding in the back of a display case at an antique mall with 250 booths. Very reasonably priced at that. You just never know. Usually just see the normal blades ground down to a tooth pick, broken scales $100+ over priced stuff though.

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Most of the flea markets and antique shops here have little to nothing. You can find some Old Timers, Schrades, Ulsters ect but they tend be used to the point of being beyond use or way over priced. There is one shop that has quite a few knives but bargains thy are not. I have only once scored a great deal here, a pre-WWW1 Wostenholm Senator with Stag. I asked the price and the shop attendant said $40.00. I replied "You know this is old right?" She replied "Ok, $30.00." I tried to get her to understand she was too low. Again I said "You know this is old right?" She said "$30 is the best I can do." Some folks can't take a hint.

Chris
 
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scored these today plus a colonial master barlow $20 for all 3 i left plenty for the next person but im going back next week
 
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