That "same old swap meet", produces, AGAIN!!

Good Evening, Friends,

With my Mom-in-law, and her sister, I got to visit "that same old swap meet", which many of you will know has produced the vast majority of my stove collection, in a span of about 25+ years! Today, was no exception, and I have some fun things to share with you all. It will have to wait until I get back home again, and onto my own "normal" computer, however, as this PC is driving to the brink of insanity, and the curved keyboard continues to shove me over the edge!!! Talk to you all soon, however. Take care, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc (MACS RULE..... PERIOD!!!)

 

Hi Doc

As usual, you have no doubt picked up fantastic objects of desire for next-to-nothing at your swap meet and I look forward to your photos.

You seem to be rather annoyed about your away-from-home keyboard.
Surely you realise that Microsoft spent millions developing that ergonomic piece of sh**e!!

 

Good Evening, Brother Trevor,

The answers to both questions are, "Yes", and "Yes"!!! To the last, I should add "VERY ANNOYED", indeed!!! Despite the millions spent, MS can have it, as far as I'm concerned, and it's a relief to be back to a normal keyboard, where typing is far easier, and things go much more smoothly.

As to the swap meet, I just got back from down there, this afternoon, and have been working on some of the jun..... er, "stuff" I found down there!! I had a great couple of days, staying with my Mother-in-law, who's the absolute best, and also getting to see my Brother (who can be a PITA, sometimes, and a charming so and so, the next minute), and his wife, who is a dear and wonderful Lady! Fun, all around!! Bro was scheduled for an operation today, but it was cancelled, to be resheduled, so I came back home today.

Unfortunately I don't have time to take photos of the wonderful goodies I found this past weekend, at least not just yet, and know I am WAY behind in doing that for quite a few "new" things here at the house. For that I offer sincere and humble apologies, and a promise that I will get to it, hopefully, sooner, rather than later!

Now, before we get to the goodies, I have a comment to make, and a question to ask you all, first. One thing that you may, or may now know, is that I post threads about all the neat items I find, in order to help give hope to the many folks who say that there is nothing good left to find. I note the wonderfully low prices, to help motivate others to get out and look for similar bargains!! I hope that most of you take heart from this stuff, and do decide to spend a little, or a LOT more time looking for bargains of your own!! To that end, I LOVE reading about your wonderful finds, and for those that get a fine deal, I'm just as happy for them, as I would be for myself, had I been the one to find whatever treasure they've scored!!

So, here's the question: How many folks find my posting this kind of treasure-tripe to be offensive, in any way? Or, how many of you would prefer that I didn't list the prices I pay for my many wonderful finds? I will not be offended, no matter your answers, so please speak up, one and all, and please be very candid in your comments. If I didn't care, then I wouldn't have asked. If the majority tell me that they are really not interested in "yet another good find", then I will just keep stuff like this to myself from now, on. Or, if hearing of good deals, price-wise, has gotten monotonous, but you still wish to hear about any fun finds, I'll refrain from mentioning price, from now, on. Thanks, very much, for your thoughts and comments, Friends!

All that having been said, here's what I got on Sunday:

1 - Coleman Peak 1 Model 3022 mini-lantern, black in color, dusty but in outstanding shape, with original mantle still in place and in good condition. I oiled the plunger (rubber), filled the font with fresh Coleman fuel, and it fired up right away, producing lots of great light, especially for a lantern so small as it is!! I believe that these little guys, and their predecessors, like the 222, and others, are much better than the present "Exponent" model. They most certainly require far less pumping to keep putting out that nice, 125 candle-power light, than do the "Exponent" versions! Proud to add it to my small collection of small Coleman lanterns! Oh, yeah, I got it got $5.00!!

1 - Coleman Peak 1 Model 400 backpacking stove, brown in color (my favorite of all the Peak 1 models!), outstanding shape, except that someone had glued a round of ensolite pad to the bottom of the fuel tank, to keep the floor of their tent safe, I suppose! Soaked the pump leather in EV olive oil, filled the font, and it fired right up, just like brand new!! These little Brown Guys are, in my opinion, the absolute Best of Breed for the little Peak 1 stoves!! As with the Peak 1 lantern, I'm proud to add this little guy to my collection, and will most certainly use him in the future. Got him for all of $10.

1 - A16 (a former local manufacturer of no little fame, now, mostly, a retail outfit) pack rain cover, brand new. Excellent in both form and function. We used to have two of these, but sold them when we sold our A-16 Hip Hugger packs. We don't miss the packs, but always wished we'd kept the rain covers!! Got this neat little pocketful of protection for just $2.00.

1 - PUR Scout water filter/purifier, like brand new, with original receipt, instructions, spare O-rings, and parts of original box which had the specs on them, included. Got it for just $20, and this fellow "may" be heading to Finland, to live with Brother Anders. I need to talk to him about that.

1 - PUR Hiker water filter, used, but in very good condition. Got it for just $15! So, Anders, you now have a choice from TWO PUR filters, if either of them interest you!! 8)

1 - Gregory Mountaineering "Day and a Half" pack, I have wanted one of these since I got my first Gregory pack, a used Cassin model. That one proved much too large, and I ended up selling it and buying a brand new Gregory Snow Creek model, which, to this day, is the most perfect pack I've ever carried, bar none!! When I bought it, I really wanted to add the smaller, but somewhat similar Day and a Half pack, but could not justify the spending of another $100, or a little more. I got this one, in like- new (mint!) condition, for $35, and am as tickled as a pig in poo!!!! This little guy is just perfect for quick over night trips, or even slightly longer adventures of several days. Mine is a "large" size, with buckles date-coded "11/91", and it has enough room for a very small tent, small down bag, stove, fuel, a few duds, some food, and a bit of extras, which is about all you need for such mini-adventures. Later versions came in one size, only, and this one is quite a bit larger, actually. He's got great shoulder straps, and a wonderfully comfortable hip belt, covered with my old time favorite stuff, "Gription mesh"! Read Colin Fletcher's explanation of what that is, in his landmark book, "The Complete Walker III"!!! Colin loved Gregory packs, and so do I!! Tickled? Oh, YEAH!!!

Last, and most certainly not least: When I was making the deal for my Gregory pack, and the PUR Scout filter, both of which I bought from the same very nice Gentleman, I saw, across the aisle, a Gal with quite a bit of large Coleman gear, suitcase stoves, big lanterns, and ice chests. Nestled in amongst all that, I noted an older, large Coleman lantern case, made of metal, which I'd not ever seen before. After horsing up my new little Gregory and the PUR filter, I ambled over to see what that case had to offer. After having lifted it, knew that "something" was inside, by it's heft!! Opening it up, I was gratified to find a Coleman Model 220C, dated "B 46", which I take to mean either "second half of 1946", or, February, 1946". This lantern needs a good cleaning, and some buffing, here and there, but it is very solid, and in quite good shape, overall. One thing I noticed, right away, was that it also had one of those neat old, and quite hard to find, "parts safes", attached to the bottom of it's font!! Oooooooo, things were getting interesting!! I cracked open the "safe", and there, nestled safely inside it, were: a set of original instruction for the lantern, dated "7-45", which supports the date of the lantern; a spare Coleman generator, still blister-packed, purchased from "Fedco", priced $1.14 (the original generator was the TG44, the spare was a #220E5091); over half a pack (5 of the original 9) of Ronson flints, for the sparker; and, the original wrench. This was super cool!! But, the metal case is also something very special, me thinks! You can get a better idea about what it actually is, when I have time to take photos, and post them. But, after having taken out the lantern and explored the parts "safe", I noticed a built-in slot behind the lantern, which still contained an unused pack of original mantles, again bought at "Fedco", priced at $0.31 for two! Also, inside the top lid of this neat old case, was an almost unused aluminum Coleman funnel, it's blue felt strainer unsoiled, clipped right in the proper place, as specified by the decal underneath it. All in all, what a rare, and more than a little bit wonderful, find!

Now, I already knew that, just the metal case, alone, was worth something to real Coleman collectors! Add in all the other neat goodies, and I thought that the seller, who had lots of other Coleman goodies, and seemed, obviously, to be a Coleman collector, herself, would ask a pretty penny for all this stuff!! So, trying to keep any eagerness out of my voice, I casually asked what she was asking for the old Coleman lantern and case? She replied, "Oh, how about $15"? I almost dropped the case, lantern, parts, and all!!! Sez to myself, "OK, try to remain calm, and seemingly detached, almost disinterested.....". Emboldened by her unexpectly low price and seeming lack of knowledge about this gold mine she had for sale, and trying to ooze "disinterest", I casually reply, "Well, this Old Timer is going to take a little work to get him running again. Would you consider an offer of $10"? To which she, also very "disinterested", casually replied, "Sure".

Well, that, as they say, was that, and I walked away with that wonderful old Coleman lantern, neat metal case, and all the extras, for only $10!!! What a fantastic capper to what had already been a red-letter day of neat finds!!!!

God is good, my Friends, as He has always led me to more wonderful finds that I actually deserve, and seems to continue to be never-ending in His Grace and gifts to those that love Him!! That's how I see it, Friends, and nothing will ever change my mind on that one!!! As I've said before, the proof is most certainly in the pudding, and this past weekend was no exception!!

So, that was my wonderful weekend, Dear Friends. I do hope that all of you reading this WILL take heart, and be inspired to get out and do a little "looking and hunting" of your own. I guarantee that, if you do, you may well be surprised at the fantastic finds that await you!!! Thanks, very much, for wading through all this treasure-trove-tripe, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

 

Welll hello Doc,

I had much fun reading your post and reading about the steals that you make during your hunts for those beautifull gems.

I for one don't mind reading about finds and for what steal prices you get them. But that as I noticed, most of it is Coleman's you get for those prices and that is no wonder, because they are made and sold over there for many many years. I how ever can get enough brass 3 leggers over here for the same price you pay for those Colemans.
I have to admit that I envy you for finding gems for next to nothing, but you on the other hand do seem to make the miles for it and there for get Blessed for it

I have said it before, steals can be found if you are looking for it. They won't fly in your lap by just sitting at home.

Please Doc, keep posting those finds, I, for one, love to read them.

 

Hi Doc, nicew scores at the swap meet!
I have to agree with you 1000% MAC'S RULE!!!

 

Hi Doc,
Very nice story of you getting these nice items on the swap market. Enjoyed reading it!
Actually I was also on a flea market/swap market a week ago in San Diego, California. Very nice market at sports arena area, nice people there (no hedge fonds managers, real people selling real stuff - that's what we need).
I found some nice items, bought an army tent cheap. I also found a nice Sears lantern in good to excellent condition. Did a little bit of "Doc Mark" strategy, means looking at lantern, shaking head a bit, put it back, then ask for price. Well the 10 bucks they suggested was fine for me, so did not negotiate any further.
I was a bit disappointed that there were no stoves on this rather big market - was anyone there before and got them all?
Anyway, I was still happy with what I got and as Doc says one should be grateful for what you have and not complain about things you don't have.

Kind regards
Michael

 

Hey, Guys,

Thank you, very much! I appreciate your kind words!

Arjan, that swap meet does have lots of Coleman stuff. But, in the almost 30 years that I've been going to it, I've also found wonderful deals on Optimus, Primus, SVEA, Enders, Phoebus, and even Radius stoves. Even got a nice Swiss Borde there, with it's original box, regulating key, and instructions, for just $35!! So, it pays to keep going to it, over, and over, and over again, as much as you can, 'cause you never really know what's just around the next corner, or on the next table, or in the next stall!! 8)

Micheal, now don't tell anybody, as this is a neat secret, just between me and you......, so mum's the word, OK? The Kobey's Swap Meet, at the San Diego Sports Arena, IS my "same old swap meet", and the place that's offered up the vast majority of my stove collection!!!! Of course, now that I've named it, specifically, I'll very probably never find another stove or lantern there, again!! But, in truth, just going to that swap meet is not enough to make it happen. You have to go there OFTEN, and we used to do it every single weekend, for all the years that we lived down in San Diego. Plus, I actually "hunt" for stoves when I'm down there. I was at that same swap meet with a former CCS member, once. I had told him of the treasures that it might well offer us, and so drove the 2 1/2 hours down to meet him there, and show him the wonders of that swap meet. We spent several hours combing through the "stuff", all to now avail. Then, while standing in front of a seller's table, our CCS Mate's disappointment came to the fore, and he said, "Well, I guess there are no stoves left to find here." At which time, I reached across him, and from behind some piece of something, pulled out an Optimus 80, in it's original can, with the Optimus mini-pump, and it's cleaning pin!!! I asked the seller for his price, and did not hesitate, even ONE SECOND, when he came back with "$2.00"!! The CCS Mate said, "Hey, that should be MY stove", to which I replied something like, "Well, hey, it was right there in front of you! Why weren't you "looking" for it?! He was at the swap meet, alright, but his time there was really wasted, because he wasn't LOOKING for stoves! Instead, he was hoping they would jump right out, and into his pack, which they seldom do!! But, as we headed out to leave the event and have some lunch, a fellow saw me carrying that Optimus 80, and asked me if I liked old stoves. When I said yes, he told me that he had a storage unit right around the corner, and that he had an old stove that we might want. So, we met him over at his unit, a while later, and our crestfallen and disappointed CCS member finally got his "treasure", when the seller pulled out a MINT Optimus 99, with all the goodies, and offered it for $15!!

So, the lesson here is, not only do you have to go hunting for stoves and lanterns, but you have to go OFTEN, and you have to actually LOOK for them!! The rewards of being real "Hunter", instead of a browser, are unimaginable!! 8) 8)

Thanks, again, Guys, and I'll talk to you later! Happy Hunting, and God Bless!!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

P.S. Michael, do you get down that way often? If so, let's meet down there someday, and share a fun day of stove hunting, and some lunch!! I know of LOTS more places down that way that can, and do, produce great stoves, for very little money!! (Well, hey, you didn't expect that I'd give away ALL of my secret places, did you!!??!!) 8) 8)

 

Hi Doc,

Yes, please keep posting your wonderful finds. It's great to see the prices that you pay for these treasures. It gives the rest of us hope of simular finds and certainly keeps me motivated.

 

hi doc
i reckon you should keep posting your finds and i really like to hear the prices you pay. i must admit to feeling a little envious at your obvious good fortunes sometimes, but in the nicest possible way,you show that there are bargains to be had if you make the effort and look

edit
but i have to disagree on the microsoft curvy keyboard,i still use my original buff white keyboard i bought years ago the one with the buttons split in to 2 banks of keys, i hate the straight ones i bought a new curvy one but it's nowhere near as good,each to there own i suppose

 

You keep it up Doc!

I agree - do the leg-work & you'll get results.

 

Hi Doc, Great post and great finds. I agree with the others in that I love to hear about the great finds and the awesome prices that you get your little jewels for. I would be lying to say that I am not a little jealous for finding the same great deals that you do, but I do not put in the leg work that you do. You are truly blessed, so keep blessing us all with stories of your great bargains!!!
dday

 

Really great findings you made Doc! It is possible to read between the lines, how happy you felt walking at the swapmeat, finding more and more great stuff. I envy you! We have one swap meat every YEAR close to our place, the rest I will have to travel for hours in order to get there.

I will see which of the filters I will decide to consider.

Anders

 

Doc, too much bragging and no pix!

 

Hi Brother Doc,

You are without question blessed when it comes to your ability to sniff out stoves in the wild. While you are a magnet, I appear to repel the little beasties. On our cross country trip I had high hopes of finding at least one stove. With four sets of eyes searching antique shops and flea markets, you would have thought we would have found at least a Coleman suitcase. Nada! I did see plenty of Blow Torches and a couple of Coleman Lanterns, but it would seem that stoves had gone the way of the Buffalo.

I’m going to stop searching. When I stopped actively hunting cameras they started finding me. Right after I gave up searching for a nice Rolleiflex Twin Lens Reflex camera, my brother in law found me a fine example at a yard sale in his neighborhood. Go figure.

Please continue posting your stove hunting adventures. At least I can live vicariously through your exploits. You are the da man!

Cheers,

Manny

 

That's how the law of Murphy works. I first started to collect pressure lanterns, saw them everywhere, people contacted me about them, even people I didn't know. Then one day, I couldn't find them, found stoves at every flea market, but I wasn't collecting stoves so I didn't buy them. Found a nice Optimus 111 though, and there I was, started collecting them instead, but still searching for lanterns. It didn't take long before I couldn't find stoves either, but perculators could be found everywhere so I started to search for good ones of those.
What I am afraid of now, is that now when I cant find the perculators anymore, only those damned milk cans made out of aluminium, is that I will start collect them also and I don't drink milk so what will I need those for? Haven't bought any of them yet though...

Anders

 

Hi Doc,
Now this is a real coincidence. I was of course not aware that this is actually the market you were talking about.
Sometimes the world is a small place..
Anyway, I can fully support every word you said about this wonderful swap market. Good stuff, nice people, lots of different offers and of course sometimes the hidden treasures.
It is a pity that I only had that one weekend in San Diego, as I had a business meeting down there. I would love to go again with Doc on the market, chat and search for nice items.
But I might come to the area of Los Angeles in a couple of months again as the company headquarter is there. Not sure if there is a comarable market in LA - if s I need to go there. When I come again to this area I will let you know.
Still - while no stoves were found on this occasion (at least I know who has them all and I know they are in good hands ) I am fully satisfied with the nice lantern I got. I attach a picture, glad it made the long travel to Austria without damage.

Cheers
Michael

 

Hello, Michael,

Great to hear from you! I was hoping that your trip from Vienna was for business! That way, you would possibly be making another trip soon, and so it has turned out! I live about 75 miles East of LA, but if I'm here, and not too behind in my work, I'd definitely come down the mountain to meet you in LA, next time you visit. Try to have a Sunday available, because I know a few more "secret" spots, and you and I can have some fun looking for stoves at them!! Good food nearby, too. So, yes, please let me know next time you're coming, and with a little advance notice, we can surely plan something, as long as Sweet Bride and I are here.

Your Sears lantern is in outstanding shape, Michael! Very nice, indeed! It is well worth owning. Have you tried it, yet? If so, how does it work for you? Congrats on your nice score!

I hope to see you next time you come to the US on business, and if you do have a Sunday free, we'll plan a nice stove adventure, and some lunch! Take care, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

 

I agree with Doc - that is a wonderful example of the Sears lantern.

 

Hi Anders,

It's funny that you mentioned perculators, I saw plenty of them too. I picked up this lovely aluminum and copper Wear-Ever perculator in Minnesota. At $12 dollars I felt it was a steal.



Now we'll be able to have plenty of coffee at the next Northeast USA meet. Dang, I hope I'm not a
perculator collector too!

Cheers,

Manny

 

Well you never know, sometimes you are a collector after having one.
As soon as you notice you are starting to look twice on them, be careful!!! You might start to buy them.

Anders