So, I get a call from my mother this evening. Says she picked up two penlike deals and what she thinks is a pencil at a rummage sale this weekend. Tells me I can have them, and just toss them if they're junk, cause she only paid $1.50 for them. They have weird, tiny little nibs she says.

She says it's two pens and a pencil.

The pencil matches one of the pens, which is in a box.

I have her describe to me, she says she thinks they're made in 1951.

"1951?" Says I. "Does the case say '51'?"

Yes. 51.

Turns out, she got a cocoa set (haven't seen it to date it yet), and a dove gray 1947 Vac 51. For a buck fifty. Some people get all the luck. Pictures this weekend.

AAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why can't this ever be ME!!!!!

Congratulations!!

Wow!

Seriously - does your mother do the personal shopper thing? I think you could hire her out in a heartbeat! Congratulations to you!

I, on the other hand, just bought two 51s on eBay for $101, semi-unintentionally. I was watching them and threw down a bid for a lark, as I figured someone would outbid me throughout the day (I was the third bidder, and there were hours to go when I did this). Imagine my surprise tonight to realize I actually won the stupid bid! Oh, well - I can probably skip the Ohio show this year now; I was going with the intention of buying a 51. Now I have three (well, assuming the new ones really do work).

Sharon in Indiana

Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good, right? The only thing I worry about is the vac, because I am not currently tooled to restore Vacs

So you might have to either buy a tool or pay somebody to restore it for you This is the Guy who gets it for a buck 50 and wants my sympathy Give me strength

By the way, can I hire your Mother as my personal pen hunter? I like her style

Awwwww....

No sympathy for the peanut gallery! I think with the deep pockets saved on this one you can spring for the parts or a restoration.

Congratulations! Those are deals the rest of us only dream about.

Congrats, Quicksilver! My Mom found a nice Wahl "All-Metal" pen for me in a local thrift store.

I just need to train all my family. See a pen, pick it up, and all the day I'll have good luck.

All my mom ever gave me was a little brother - crap!

Very worthy of praise. Nice going!
Did you 'splain to your mom what a "sumgai" is?

Buzz,

I got one of those too. For some reason I spent a long time thinking it was where I got my lunch money. Worked until about 10th grade when the little bugger had a growth spurt and got as big as me.

Todd

I have got to start going back to fleamarketing...