# Best oddball item you ever bought at a garage sale **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 13, 2010, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-oddball-item-you-ever-bought-at-a-garage-sale/543060 "2010-06-13T23:01:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2010, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-oddball-item-you-ever-bought-at-a-garage-sale/543060/1 "2010-06-13T23:01:00Z")
Most recently, I found a mini-whisk, only about five inches long. Great for when you want to scramble one single egg. What eccentric treasures have you guys found? ---
**Author:** ![brendon\_small](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brendon_small/32/17101_2.png) [@brendon\_small](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brendon_small)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-oddball-item-you-ever-bought-at-a-garage-sale/543060/2 "2010-06-14T01:13:46Z")
At one point my wife bought a harpoon at a yard sale. It was to hang on the wall in our basement. It was pretty large, apparently worked at one point, but was just for decoration now. She called and told me all about it. They parked the truck at a pizza shop about a block from the house, then went to get something to eat. Someone stole the harpoon. Kinda a crappy day… Brendon Small ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-oddball-item-you-ever-bought-at-a-garage-sale/543060/3 "2010-06-14T02:32:02Z")
I bought a toolbox with some of rusty wrenches and pliers - paid $2. In the bottom compartment, along with a bunch of useless nails and screws, I found 4 silver spoons (with hallmarks). ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-oddball-item-you-ever-bought-at-a-garage-sale/543060/4 "2010-06-14T14:18:24Z")
I bought an old parachute for a couple of bucks. I don’t know why, but it was cheap and huge. I also found a parking meter that was turned into a lamp. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-oddball-item-you-ever-bought-at-a-garage-sale/543060/5 "2010-06-14T14:38:19Z")
A Lion King doll for a buck. From the musical, not the movie. ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-oddball-item-you-ever-bought-at-a-garage-sale/543060/6 "2010-06-14T14:43:34Z")
A full, in style, Tuxedo for a dollar. This was like 35 years ago. Just a few alterations and I used that Tux (as a waiter) for at least a year and as a halloween costume twice. A complete, 22 volume, Charles Dickens set for $10. I’ve had it forever and don’t know what to do with it. ---
**Author:** ![In\_Winnipeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a8b319/32.png) [@In\_Winnipeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Winnipeg)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-oddball-item-you-ever-bought-at-a-garage-sale/543060/7 "2010-06-14T15:06:04Z")
Half a dozen real Hawaiian shirts from the late 50s and early 60s; they fit fine, too. Yeah, I know they’re likely worth money. I wear them sparingly. ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-oddball-item-you-ever-bought-at-a-garage-sale/543060/8 "2010-06-14T16:54:41Z")
A collection of Popular Mechanics magazines from the '40s. Also a Look magazine from 1966 (the edition featuring the year’s new cars). For 5 bucks. I should scan some of this stuff, it’s kinda interesting. ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-oddball-item-you-ever-bought-at-a-garage-sale/543060/9 "2010-06-14T19:09:17Z")
> [@brendon\_small](#): > > At one point my wife bought a harpoon at a yard sale. It was to hang on the wall in our basement. It was pretty large, apparently worked at one point, but was just for decoration now. She called and told me all about it. They parked the truck at a pizza shop about a block from the house, then went to get something to eat. Someone stole the harpoon. Kinda a crappy day… > > Brendon Small Greenpeace? _snort_ **lost4life** , I don’t think you want to buy a _cheap_ parachute, do you? Be careful! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![booklover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@booklover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/booklover)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-oddball-item-you-ever-bought-at-a-garage-sale/543060/10 "2010-06-15T00:12:18Z")
IDK if this counts, but I bought a fake brain in a jar when a local theater had their annual props/costume sale. I kept it on my dorm room dresser in college to freak people out. Don’t know where it is now, though…probably in a box in the laundry room. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-oddball-item-you-ever-bought-at-a-garage-sale/543060/11 "2010-06-15T17:44:48Z")
I didn’t buy it myself but I received it. My parents were moving and I still had a lot of stuff stored at their house. I would occasionally get calls that were “What do you want us to do with this?” I get a call one day- “What do you want us to do with this clown head?” What clown head? “You know that clown head.” I don’t know what you are talking about." “It’s that sculpture of a clown. It has the hat.” Wait- you mean that toy magic trick figure? “Nooo, not that. The clown head!” I honestly have no clue. I’ll be there next week, I’ll look at it then. The next week I come up to visit and waiting for me on the table is a clay bust of a clown. I have never seen it before and it looks awesome. It really looks weird and funny. I tell my folks I have never seen it before in my life but I will take it. My dad looks at my mom and says “You know… I think we got that at the flea market last year. I have no idea why.”