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One time a few years ago in a goodwill I was in a section for just random house decoration crap and there was a small leather bag. For no particular reason I picked it up and realized it had something in it.
It was a (later tested) working Gameboy Color with no problems. Since they were only selling the bag it was marked for like 5 dollars. I bought that shit so hard. Still couldn't believe my luck.
Scored a working Commodore desktop calculator for $25. It needed a light cleaning and I replaced the cracked battery tray but the electronics and VFD tubes work great.
I have H.G. Wells' The Outline of History three volume set - the 1940/41 edition - which I found for five bucks. They're my nerdiest treasures.
I got a 60s radial arm saw for free that still runs like a champ. The person I got it from mentioned that he built a sailboat with his dad using that saw. Super cool to still have it in use
Nothing particularly special, but I like buying cheap all-metal $5 lamp bases and repainting them. Because holy shit are lamps expensive.
My favorite so far has a multi-spiral body with a leaf-shaped light diffuser under the bulb, which I painted with chameleon paints, so depending on the time of day/color of light it’s a variety of different colors (mostly purples, blues, and greens). It lives in my very bright living room for optimal effect.
I've gotten some really high quality clothing/outdoor gear from thrift shops. High end brands like Patagonia and such. And yes, they really do make better clothes than the cheap brands do.
So far my luck with thrifted clothing has been abysmal besides the leather jacket. But I'm hoping I'll get luckier the more I try.
It's always super hit or miss. You might eventually find a particular store that tends to get good stuff, or learn when they put new stuff out so that the best hasn't been snatched up yet.
I found myself a copy of Nineteen Eighty-Four printed by Harcourt, Brace and Company for $20. It didn't have its dust jacket, but everything else about the book seemed quite fine. There isn't really much on the inside indicating specifics, but everything I found about it online would suggest that it's the first US hardcover edition from 1949. It has to be the oldest book in my collection so far and my favorite from a publishing standpoint.
That's amazing! I would love to have books that old!