Garage Sale Hunting! Tips, Hints and Advice

[Star_Cards]

OK people. Here is a tale of caution for my fellow flippers... luckily I caught it before costing me some cash with the help of some potential buyers.

I bought this scope at a farm action last early spring. I researched it based off of the box it was in before the auction. This weekend I get around to shooting it and listing it thinking I over paid and may get about $60 out of it, maybe doubling my money (paid $30). I listed it at lunch and got a $50 offer during the day. I turned the guy down and eventually went to bed. I wake up this morning and I have two more messages with offers. One of $250 and one of $500. I get to looking at the scope and realize that the scope that was in the box is not the scope I have at all. Luckily I photoed the info engraved on the scope and mount and people clicked through and knew what I had. Turns out that I have a Lyman scope and a Griffin Howe scope mount that are WWII era. The guy that offered me $250 was super nice after I told him I had a $500 offer and gave me some info (some that I found as I was researching after I got the $500 offer)... here's what he sent me.

I'm going to show my hand.
The box does not go with the scope. Tasco is a relatively inexpensive brand name and the scopes rare fetch premium prices.

The scope and mount on the other hand are altogether different. This scope is a highly coveted and sought after Lyman Alaskan 2.5x produced between 1939-1957. These All-Weather scopes were ahead of their time and are conservatively valued in today's market between $300-500. The mount is an original Griffin and Howe formally of New York. It is a double-lever mount and sold for $25.00 when introduced around 1932. The mount is very scarse, and highly collectable. The combination you have is correct for a Springfield '03 or a later M1 Garand sniper rifle(s) of WWII fame. Of note--Military arsenals etched a serial number on the mount, which corresponded to the rifle to which it was assigned. If yours has a serial number it will command a premium.

I would personally value your combination—if sold together—to have a collector's value between $1000-1200. I'll bid if you keep it up. Good luck. This is a rare find.

Here are some picts of the scope and mount.

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Anyway... just another story to make sure we all research what we have a bit more. I can't really believe I dropped the ball on this one, but was swayed by the box it was in. I totally disregarded the makes and model numbers on the actual piece.

FYI... this will probably be my Flip of the Year.

[andrewconnors9]

wow very very cool man!!!

[Wickabee]

Very cool. Awesome find.

[ajcorleone]

Great find nice that the fella offered up that info.

[Star_Cards]

yeah it was nice of him. I had figured something was up after I got so many offers. I don't use buy it nows on my auctions much but certainly glad I didn't on this piece.

[ajcorleone]

I don't like buy it nows because I like to see a little bidding war now and then. It has always payed off especially when i have something i am not sure of.The bidding decides.

yeah it was nice of him. I had figured something was up after I got so many offers. I don't use buy it nows on my auctions much but certainly glad I didn't on this piece.

[Star_Cards]

on some things it works out to have a buy it now, but if I want to control the price I get I just list as a fixed price. I usually start my auctions around where I'd be happy if I only get one bid. If I get more then great.

[ajcorleone]

I always find this the best way. And most times I get more than I expected.

on some things it works out to have a buy it now, but if I want to control the price I get I just list as a fixed price. I usually start my auctions around where I'd be happy if I only get one bid. If I get more then great.

[Wickabee]

on some things it works out to have a buy it now, but if I want to control the price I get I just list as a fixed price. I usually start my auctions around where I'd be happy if I only get one bid. If I get more then great.

That's what I do. I'll often put what I want out of it as a BIN as well, but no one ever bites on that. High dollar items go as BIN/OBO.

[ajcorleone]

A touching tid bit as I was driving home this morning from picking up a birthday cake with my son who turned 8 today we saw a Yard Sale sign. My boy says" Daddy lets stop and see if we can find stuff to sell on Ebay". Oh I lit up when he said that. A chip off on the old block. Nothing great but did get a box of 30 dvds for like $4. You can't beat that. Of course 10 of them were Scooby Doo so they were claimed by my boy. Looking forward to my big sale Saturday.