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Just realized the $75 rusty toolbox was the better buy over the $300 clean one, and it took a flea market in Tulsa to prove it
Stopped by the Tulsa Flea Market two Saturdays ago with $200 in my pocket and a strict rule to only buy one thing. I found two old machinist toolboxes on the same table. One was a Kennedy that looked brand new, guy wanted $300 for it. The other was a beat up Union box with rust on the lid and a busted latch, marked $75. I stood there for like 20 minutes going back and forth because my gut said the pretty one and my wallet said the rusty one. I went with the Union box and the seller threw in a handful of old files and a Starrett punch for free. Got it home, hit the rust with some Evapo-Rust, and the thing cleaned up way better than I expected, plus the felt inside was original and in good shape. Found a date stamp inside the lid from 1943, which the shiny Kennedy did not have. Now I'm sitting here wondering how many other guys walk right past the good stuff because it looks rough. Anyone else learn this lesson the hard way, or am I late to the party on buying ugly?
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xena_murphy5h ago
Read somewhere that old machinist boxes were built way heavier than the new ones, thicker steel and real felt instead of whatever they use now. That date stamp alone makes yours cooler than the shiny one. Sounds like you did fine.
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