One Man's Trash...

Might Still Be Junk, But It's Worth A Look

When I went to the dump the other day, someone had left a milkhouse heater Comfort Zone CZ798 5120 BTU Multi-Purpose Utility Heater Fan off to the side that looked almost brand spanking new.  I keep one like this in the crawl space under the house in the winter when it gets down in the teens or colder to prevent the pipes and well pump from freezing.  I'll use this one I just got at the dump to warm the garage tent for the EMP-BOV if it snows.

I'm also in the market for a backpack leaf blower, but I'm in no hurry.  I just want one before next fall.  I decided to look for a good deal on a used one.

To that end, today I picked up a Trading Post.  In other parts of the country, you might call it a Penny Saver, or a Swap Sheet, or something like that.  Folks advertise their stuff for sale in a huge variety of categories, and other folks buy it.  I'm really kind of puzzled by how they can make any money doing this paper since Craig's List and eBay and such have come along, but it comes out every week and they have over 6,000 ads in this issue.

Anyway, I didn't see anything I couldn't live without, but there were quite a few things that would be great for homesteaders or preppers... treadle sewing machines (interestingly, when I just Googled it to make sure I spelled "treadle" right, I found that these are still made and pretty reasonable in price), butter churns, garden implements, camping gear, construction equipment, and all kinds of guns.  Many things were advertised at what seem to be VERY good prices, some things must be carved of solid gold and kissed by angels for the prices they are asking.  Some particularly good deals were for ammo.  I guess some people sell a gun, then find a few boxes of ammo left over.  Some real good deals could be had for medical equipment like wheel chairs, crutches and the like.  If I were outfitting a retreat, I'd look here first for gear like that.  It's super expensive to buy new, but insurance covers it for many people.  After they heal, they no longer need it, so into the Trading Post it goes.

If you've got some cash to devote to prepping supplies, check out your local version of this paper and see what you can find.  If you know what you are looking for, willing to wait for the best deal, and have cash to negotiate with, you can really save some money.