Had a lightbulb moment at the Habitat ReStore in Denver last week

I found a vintage Stanley hand plane for $8 that cleaned up perfectly after watching a YouTube tutorial on rust removal. Has anyone else scored unexpected treasures at their local ReStore that changed how they approach a project?

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noahchen2mo ago

I actually hit up that same Denver ReStore last month and walked away empty handed. I see these stories all the time about people finding old tools for a steal but honestly my luck has been pretty bad. Most of the hand tools I find there are beat to hell with missing parts or rusted so deep you’d need a metal grinder just to get started. And that $8 plane still might have cost you more in time and supplies for the restoration than just buying a decent new one. Is it really a score when you factor in the elbow grease or is it just a fun project that makes you feel like you saved money?

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reese1772mo ago

Wait, does the fun of fixing something up not count as part of the value? I get that a $8 plane can turn into a $25 one after sandpaper and oil, but that's still cheaper than most new ones, and you learn how the tool actually works in the process. I've grabbed a rusty old brace and bit set for $5 that took me an afternoon to clean, and it drills way smoother than my cheap new one. Plus, the stuff you fix usually lasts longer than the junk they sell at big box stores. Yeah, some days you walk out with nothing, but the good finds make up for it. The real score is getting a tool that was built to last, not just the price tag.

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