Hobbies And Interests
Things You'll Need
Instructions
Find garage and estate sales in your local newspaper that are offering tools in their advertisement. While you may not find vintage Proto Brand tools every time, the more sales you visit, the more likely you are to find what you are looking for. Make sure you arrive at garage and estate sales as early as possible to avoid missing out on items you would be interested in, and always bring cash. If you plan on visiting more than one garage or estate sale in one day, map the best route before leaving to avoid wasting time.
Go to local thrift and second-hand stores that sell tools. Much like garage and estate sales, it is unlikely that you are going to find vintage Proto Brand tools on every trip, but the more you go the better, as these types of stores rely on regular donations from area residents. The extremely low prices at most of these stores when you do find something should justify the time you spend looking through their goods.
Go to local pawn shops that sell tools. Tools are common items to see at pawn shops, and you can usually find quite a bargain, as the shop's proprietors generally offer only about 25 percent of what an item is worth to the original owner. Of course, they do mark the item up further to turn a profit, but most goods are still under their normal prices.
Check online auction sites and classified advertisement sites like eBay and craigslist for vintage Proto Brand tools. Consumers post new items on a regular basis, so check these types of sites as often possible, especially when looking for a fairly rare or uncommon item like a certain brand of vintage tools.
Check online websites that specialize in selling vintage tools like Vintage Tools, WK Tools and Sell Old Toys. These sites can be much easier to find items on, as they are devoted specifically to vintage tools. However, you should expect to pay a bit more for this convenience.