Well seeing as how it's been a good five years since I last did one
of these, I right guess it's time to update it.
(Some of you already know all of this so you can skip the first
couple of paragraphs and get to the juicy parts!)
Small Pennsylvania coal town boy, goes to college, get's a couple of
degrees (B.A. and Masters) in Music Composition. While working on
his Master's Thesis composition, he get's caught up and sucked into
the then nascent micro-computer business (still with thoughts of
going for a Doctorate, but that got lost in the shuffle).
30 years ago and a couple of days since I sold my first computer.
Worked the first 11 years in Tandy/Radio Shack's now long defunct
Business Products Division and a year with GRiD Systems after they
were bought by Tandy. Tiring of corporate life, I set out on my own
back in 1990, and did PC's full time till around 2001 and increasing
less part time till 2005 at which point I pretty much stopped. (I
still do the odd web page for folks, occasionally will go bail out a
former client if needed, usually at gun point, and of course spend
all kinds of time keeping stuff running here as well).
I had gotten into old tools back in the early 1990's and started
buying, mainly to use. Decided that I liked woodies over the Stanley
stuff, so that's the direction I headed off to. I still have my
first molding plane some place (Benson & Crannell Albany 1/4" side
bead). Hit one huge auction back in 1994 that I came back from with
so much loot, that I decided to start selling tools as a little side
venture to pay for my collecting expenses. Was one of the first few
to start selling over the Internet, long before things like digital
camera's and cable modems.
Then in 2000, after having a super year in 1999 with the PC business
what with the Y2K stuff, I was kinda burned out and most of the
clients weren't doing a lot, after spending lots of money the prior
year, so I opened the first shop, which is about 3 blocks down the
street here. Started selling on Ebay as well that year. Moved the
shop up the street to it's present location back in June of 2003.
I've sold quite a bit of stuff over the years. Late in 2003, not
having much luck in finding other tools to sell, I started focusing
on hammers (mainly cause one of my local competitors was vacuuming up
every dang chisel within a 30 mile radius!). Since the beginning of
2004 I have sold well over 1000 hammers, and it weren't none of that
8 or 10 at a time nonsense either. Still have a good sized pile of
them here to go through, but that business like all the rest of the
tool areas has gotten pretty tough of late. I also do a lot with
original hand forged iron work of all kinds.
I've been on the old tools list here within a few months of it
starting back in 1996. Collecting wise, my main focus has been the
past 8 or 9 years, 18th Century planes and tools, mostly English. I
have a bunch of wooden clamps, odd and common as well. And as the
old timers on the list will tell you, I have a thing for gimlets,
probably have 350 (very conservative estimate) scattered between here
and the house. I keep threatening to go through them all and if I
have matched set in there, sell the rest of them off, but that ain't
gonna happen anytime soon.
I do some 18th Century re-enacting as well, mostly setting up and
selling tools at events. Sometimes just go to have fun.
I got back to playing guitar again and making some music again in
2006, after a long layoff. Recorded my first CD, 'Forgotten Walls'
in 2007, just released my 2nd one, 'Last Sun" earlier this month, and
I'm 2 songs into the next one already. I think I have the music
making part down, now to figure out the money making part!!
The tool business, well it's been tough this year, both buying and
selling. The flea markets around here sure ain't like they used to
be, even 3 years ago (and I hear from other folks both in other parts
of PA and around the rest of the NE that's pretty much the same all
over). But, seeing as I ain't got a plan B right now and the lottery
gods do the old ROTFLMAO every time I get a ticket, I guess I'll just
keep slogging along here for a spell.
Tony (you can wake up now...I said..WAKE UP!)
Olde River Hard Goods
http://www.oldetoolshop.com
TSMusic
http://www.myspace.com/tonyseomusic
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