Letter Re: Garage Sale Prepping

This has been covered before, but I’d like to reinforce that use of garage sales for low-key cash purchases of essential survival items. In the past two months I’ve been making weekend trips to various community garage sales – spending an average of less than $20 per weekend. Most of the items cost me less than $10 each and I often only paid $1 or $2. The following is a partial list of the haul:

2 – Complete dissection kits with scalpels, forceps, etc
1 – Craftsman toolbox, steel, in good condition
1 – 19th Century wrench
1 – Drawknife
1 – New two-mantle Coleman lantern with spare mantles and fuel can with can
1 – Glass kerosene lamp with bottle of fuel
1 – Used Coleman lantern, one-mantle
1- Good condition 5 gallon USMC metal gas can
1 – Set of woodworking gouges
1 – 9mm holster new
1 – Shotgun cleaning kit
2 – Police band /Public service band/Aircraft band scanners (1 base and 1 portable)
1 – Wooden ammo box suitable for storing boxes of .22 LR
2 – Working portable radios, battery powered
1 – Crank/battery solar powered radio (suitable for recharging rechargeable batteries)
1 – Set of socket wrenches and assorted hand tools (hand drills, screwdrivers, etc)
1 – Large crowbar
1 – Fishing outfit — rod, reel, and tackle
1 – Backpack
1 – Coleman camping stove — small one burner
1 – Army mess kit
3 – .50 caliber military issue ammo cans
1 – Bench vise

I passed on a number of other good items — for reasons of space, budget, or lack of need including several portable Coleman propane stoves, tents, winter clothing, tools, at least two 10-gun capacity steel storage cabinets and an Egyptian AK-47 rifle. I did pick up a single shot 12 gauge shotgun for $80 as my “big purchase”. Perfect firing condition except for needing cleaning — so I spent another $45 for a full disassemble, checkout, and cleaning by my local gunsmith. – Joe T.