Saving Money at Garage Sales!

Over the past year I have acquired some excellent equipment at incredible prices! Garage sales do require patience, but they sure are worth it! If you really want something, but cannot justify paying full price, start looking! Below are my best four finds in the last year.

1. Air compressor. I thought I paid $40 for the thing, but jealous friends just reminded me that I got it for $25! From what I can find on the internet, it retails for around $150.

2. Coffee Grinder. 50 cents! True, we don't need one, but when you are a man who sells whole bean coffee it is worth giving away a 50 cent grinder to secure a good customer.

3. Bike Trailer. $50 is all I paid for this pre-assembled, never-used bike trailer. It retails for $130. I used craigslist RSS to be the first one to get this sucker.

4. Sander. $2! It wasn't working when I bought it, but the man selling it was pretty sure it just needed a new cord--a gamble worth taking. He was right. Retail value over $50 I am sure.
Here are my tips for good garage saling.

1. Look for community garage sales. You can really maximize your gas milegae this way.
2. Know what you are looking for.
3. Know how much you are willing to pay ahead of time.

4. Bargain! It never hurts to ask. People often times don't know how much their stuff is worth.

5. Don't feel obligated to look at everything. Sometimes you can size up a sale within 1 minute. Don't waste your time on sales that don't interest you. Walk away and move on!

Coffee Roasting attempt #7?

Coffee roasting has come a long way!  My father-in-law was laid off two months ago, and as much as I hate to admit it, I have benefited greatly!  He is a union plumber/pipefitter and is great with all things metal.  He also is an avid coffee drinker.  All of these things made it easy for him to catch the home-roasting fever.  We fumbled around with a fluid airbed roaster design for awhile but he quickly let go of that and began pursuing a more conventional design.  Before I knew it he unveiled the roaster below.

Well, it was not quite this glorious to begin with.  Having watched many drum roasters on youtube and even studied their blueprints in books, I was able to offer lots of constructive criticism that has led to the current design.  The amazing thing is that as pictured, the only thing we didn't have on hand is the thermometer!  I purchased some bearings and a gearmotor today from Surplus Center.  That site is amazing and has incredible prices.  I bought bearings online a month ago and thought I was getting a good deal.  Well, they suck compared to similar priced ones from that catalog.  Currently, the drum only rotates at about 4 rpm, and the new motor will ramp that up to 64.  I am excited for that!  It easily roasts a pound at a time with good but slightly inconsistent results.  I am banking on the higher rpms to fix this.

So, if you love good coffee, buy it fresh from me and I will cut you one heck of a deal!  God bless.