Walk into the Lake Park, Georgia Antique Tractor Show and the first thing you notice is a vintage drink machine. When the Georgia Bottle Picker circled back to it later, a vendor told him a story: someone had put a $200 deposit on it the day before, and another vendor ended up selling it for $300.

“I think that was a good deal,” the picker says. The machine was in good condition and ran, although it was said to need a small leak fixed and did not cool.

A Show Where Vendors Made $500 In One Day

The tractor show runs twice a year, spring and fall, and the picker calls it one of his favorite places to shop. A vendor tells him he made about $500 the day before.

Sellers set up the day before and shoppers came out early. The picker says he had already put 2,000 miles on his truck since the week before, including a trip to Virginia.

11 Lanterns, One Haggle

His main target was a first table run by a vendor named Dwayne from Jacksonville, whom he calls a friend. Under the table sat lanterns: nine lanterns and two little stoves, 11 pieces in all.

A Pennsylvania Railroad lantern was marked $50. The picker asked about the rest, and after some back-and-forth they settled on one number. “250 on all the lanterns.”

The deal covered all of the lanterns except one he bought separately. He says he does not mind paying up for good merchandise.

Milk Bottles At $5 Each And Tools At A Steal

The stack grew quickly. Dwayne sold him milk bottles from Vero Beach, Miami, Jacksonville and Hart, Michigan, for $5 apiece, and he took them all.

Two hatchets were $10 each. A little handheld vise was $50, and the picker says he sold a similar one at a show for $50 and has seen them listed near $150.

A GC Pepsi crate cost $20, and an amber Mason jar cost $20 as well, even though he suspected it was a reproduction. He bought it because “it’s worth $20” either way.

Prices He Plans To Ask Online

Back home, the picker laid everything out and priced it. A 1963 Coleman lantern goes up at $85, and a 1949 220D with a nickel bottom at $75.

The oldest, a Quick-Lite Coleman from the teens or so, will be listed at $65 as parts or repair. A military lantern from the 1970s with its funnel is $100, and two 1965 stoves in metal cases are $100 each.

The Pennsylvania Railroad lantern with its red globe is $125. He has seen similar ones go for $150 on eBay and says others ask $50.

A brand-new Starrett No. 86 gets $149.99 or best offer. Some sellers list them at $250, but the highest sold price he saw was $125.

A Marble, A Crate And A Keg

A handmade marble he showed a collector is worth about $25 to $35, so he will ask $35 to $45. The Amber Mason jar goes up at $125 or best offer, and he notes a real one could bring around $250.

The big Pepsi crate, from Charleston, South Carolina and dated 1975, goes up at $40. He says he has never seen one this large.

A second crate with six soda bottles cost $40, and he will ask $45 for the crate and $100 for the bottles. A wooden keg that cost $30 may bring $80 or $90 on eBay, though he will probably take it to an antique mall at $55 or $60.

$500 In, About $1,500 Out

He adds it up at the end. “I spent a little over $500 on all this stuff,” he says. “If I get my full retail asking price, I should get back about $1,500.”

He knows the plan has risks. The lanterns will be sold as parts or repair, untested, and he admits the labor is the downside.

“I hate selling it,” he says. “That’s where the work starts. Going out, finding it, looking for it, and buying it, and talking to everybody. That’s the fun part of this job.”

The haul reached well beyond lanterns. A Benjamin light socket with a 1908 patent date is headed for a $35 listing, even though it is missing its trim ring, and a Camden flying squad fireman piece will go up near $25.

Picker Tips From The Tractor Show

His approach is worth copying if you hunt at shows and flea markets. He pays for quality, asks for bundle prices and prices high only when an item is clean and complete.

• Offer one price for a whole table of related items, as he did with the lanterns.
• Look up sold listings, not asking prices, before you set a number.
• Sell untested items clearly as parts or repair so buyers know what to expect.
• Buy from sellers you trust, because a friend like Dwayne will keep good stock aside.
• Check size and condition, because a rare big crate beats a common small one.

The picker also met some subscribers who walked up to say hello. He says the best part of the day is talking with people who like the same kind of stuff he does.

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