Thrift Store Finds by My Loving Girlfriend

[brockrwood]

Always on the lookout for things to make me happy, my loving girlfriend found these goodies at a local thrift store:

*Estes SkyTrax RTF rocket no. 2454
*Estes Prospector RTF rocket no. 2457
*Estes Rascal and HiJinks starter kit no. 1499 (RTF rockets)

The two individual rockets were $4.99 each. The starter kit was $6.99.

Nice thrift shop haul!

The circa 2010 RTF rockets may not be to everyone’s taste but I can use them.

The Prospector and SkyTrax use BT-56 body tubes which are so hard to find these days (at least as an accessory item). Great for kit bashing with my old BT-56 nose cone packs, engine mounts, and BT-56 kits.

I am running a “make and take” rocket building session in March 2023 for some older people who want to get into the hobby. The starter kit might make a nice thing for an aspiring BAR to take home to a deserving grandchild.

 

[Hobie1dog]

my wife has only found one rocket kit in all the years she's been going to thrift shops, and it was an Alpha starter kit, for $2.99, which we gave to my grandson.

 

[cls]

it was an Alpha starter kit, for $2.99, which we gave to my grandson.

Why did you charge your grandson $2.99? Ha ha ha, nevermind.

 

[mh9162013]

Lucky! I go to a lot of thrift stores and have never seen any model rockets or related equipment.

 

[MALBAR 70]

Great find! Coming across rocketry stuff at thrift stores, flea markets and yard sales is always fun.

Several years ago I ran into some rocketry stuff in a little thrift/second hand store. I got 2/3 of an Areotech Mantis Launch Pad and Areotech Mirage and Initiator rockets. I also scored a box of built Estes kits that looked like someone slapped them together for a last minute science fair project. There were also several packs of motors in the box and the Initiator had an unburned F50 in it.
I asked him what he wanted for it all, he said make an offer, he was more than happy to free up the shelf space for $25.00.

 

[goose_in_co]

Nice set of rockets there Brock
I found a couple of ARF's at a garage sale once. An Estes Tornado, another time, and my grandson found an Estes Nighthawk at a garage sale, and gave it to me for my birthday. I haven't found anything lately at the garage sales, but I am always keeping my eyes out for interesting items, like X-acto sets in boxes.

 

[milehigh]

my wife has only found one rocket kit in all the years she's been going to thrift shops, and it was an Alpha starter kit, for $2.99, which we gave to my grandson.

 

[milehigh]

Great find, Brock !!
The price was certainly right.
Still waiting for a decent weather day to show up for a Dove Valley launch....

 

[Back_at_it]

Thrift stores are a gold mine for classic toys if you have the patients to go into them. While i have never found a rocket in one. I have had awesome luck with RC Cars.

About 7 yrs ago I was traveling for work and pulled off the road for lunch in a small town in Indiana. I grabbed my Wendy's and drove to an empty spot in the parking lot to eat. While I was shoving a sandwich in my face I looked into the window of a resale shop and saw what looked like a truck sitting on the shelf. I finished up and walked inside to take a closer look. The truck was a lightly used original Tamiya Bruiser. At the time, Brusier's were selling the $1000+ range for a really nice original example.

I asked the lady about it and she said she just got it along with a bunch of other "old toys" from a house auction that the county foreclosed on. I asked to see them and she showed me to the back room. I had to try really hard to keep my poker face but asked her what she would take if I took everything. She started at $200 and me not wanting to be too eager countered at $150. We agreed on $175 and I we spent the next 10 mins carrying 24 vintage Tamiya, Associated and Kyosho cars and trucks out to my truck.

I really wish resale shops didn't set off my OCD every time I walk into one as I'd love to spent more time looking at stuff.

 

[Hobie1dog]

The truck was a lightly used original Tamiya Bruiser. At the time, Brusier's were selling the $1000+ range for a really nice original example.
we spent the next 10 mins carrying 24 vintage Tamiya, Associated and Kyosho cars and trucks out to my truck.

you should play the Lottery being that lucky

 

[ThirstyBarbarian]

When I read the title of this thread, I misread it, and I thought you said you found your loving girlfriend at a thrift store, which would be a great thrift store find! I hope she is in good condition, and you got a great deal!

I found an Estes Riptide Starter Set at my local Savers super thrift store. It was something like 5 bucks. I had it for awhile, but that’s not really the kind of rocket I fly anymore, and I ended up giving it away.

 

[mh9162013]

Thrift stores are a gold mine for classic toys if you have the patients to go into them. While i have never found a rocket in one. I have had awesome luck with RC Cars.

About 7 yrs ago I was traveling for work and pulled off the road for lunch in a small town in Indiana. I grabbed my Wendy's and drove to an empty spot in the parking lot to eat. While I was shoving a sandwich in my face I looked into the window of a resale shop and saw what looked like a truck sitting on the shelf. I finished up and walked inside to take a closer look. The truck was a lightly used original Tamiya Bruiser. At the time, Brusier's were selling the $1000+ range for a really nice original example.

I asked the lady about it and she said she just got it along with a bunch of other "old toys" from a house auction that the county foreclosed on. I asked to see them and she showed me to the back room. I had to try really hard to keep my poker face but asked her what she would take if I took everything. She started at $200 and me not wanting to be too eager countered at $150. We agreed on $175 and I we spent the next 10 mins carrying 24 vintage Tamiya, Associated and Kyosho cars and trucks out to my truck.

I really wish resale shops didn't set off my OCD every time I walk into one as I'd love to spent more time looking at stuff.

I hate you.

 

[Back_at_it]

you should play the Lottery being that lucky

I was feeling pretty good about myself that day but I assure you that luck has never repeated itself. Occasionally I'll find a deal here or there but all too often I paid market price for the vintage cars I wanted. looking back on it, those were some really stupid decisions

 

[brockrwood]

I hate you.

They are just RTF rockets from Estes’ era of mass market, fly em out of the box products from a few years ago. What I like is they are BT-56 size. I can kit bash them with my other BT-56 size stuff.

I offered them for free at a recent “make and take” rocket building session I hosted. The participants opted for traditional, Skill Level 1 rockets instead. They wanted to glue on balsa fins. The ready to fly rockets had limited appeal.

 

[mh9162013]

The participants opted for traditional, Skill Level 1 rockets instead. They wanted to glue on balsa fins. The ready to fly rockets had limited appeal.

I can relate to their sentiments about choosing a traditional rocket over plastic-y RTF stuff.

 

[brockrwood]

I can relate to their sentiments about choosing a traditional rocket over plastic-y RTF stuff.

The basic vibe I got was, "how is it a 'make and take' session" if all we are doing is attaching the pre-made parachute to the nose cone"?