The thing is, as someone who spent years collecting these little bits and pieces, people don't realise it actually gives a great sense of satisfaction seeing them being passed on to someone who you know will value them as much as you did... Life is all about sharing ones collections with others.

Adam’s enthusiasm for what most would consider mundane is truly wholesome

I thought I was the only one that gets excited about nuts, bolts, screws, washers, nuts, that is so cool Adam.

The local hardware store replaced their fastener organization system and I managed to buy a pallet of fasteners for $300. It was 24 5 gallon bucket of every type of fastener you could imagine. It took 80 hours to sort. Thousands of dollars of value.

Those bins usually have a map on the inside of the lid. He should definitely make up new ones and stick them in there.

I know the person who used all these tools, would be pleased to know they went to someone who appreciated them and will use them.

I work as a boat builder, and we use that kind of hardware all the time. Can confirm - VERY good deal for Adam there.

That stainless haul is spectacular. I restore boats and use stainless on everything. I can confirm that what you have there is quite valuable! Congrats!

Can I just say what a treat it is to see Adam get so excited about garage sale tool finds. So good!

I have a Non-Profit Hardware/Tool Shop in my area that receives donations from folks who are downsizing or clearing out an estate. This shop is a 1000 times better than any garage sale or antique store. Plenty of old tools and fasteners at bargin prices and all proceeds go to local charities. Probably 90% of my fasteners come from this shop, you never know when you might need a certain fastener... I'm like a kid in a candy store each time I'm there. Win-Win.

Even after all your success it makes me happy that you’re still interested in value. It shows true character. Love to see you geek out over garage sale finds. We’ve all had these moments and they’re priceless. *Happy garage sale noises*

I don't know what makes me happier. Watching you build or watching you behave like a kid in a candy store when you find new tools/hardware! 😂 It's all fun!

You pulled out and opened those 4 bins of bolts, screws, etc. and I thought "oh that's cool!" and then you said STAINLESS and I immediately gasped. That's an insane haul in itself, but the fact that they're all stainless steel puts it on a whole other level. Kudos!

I inherited my cabinet maker grandfathers hardware setup when he passed many years ago. A hundred labeled coffee jars. I literally monthly since then have used hardware out of them. i was doing a little wood project with my daughter and need a very small washer. Went to Grandpas stash and low and behold an entire jar of small stainless machine screws and nuts and washers galore haha. I always thank him when he pulls me out of pinch

Years ago I picked up the Midwest Fastener hardware collection from a hardware store going out of business - all the fasteners and the bins - for a very reasonable price. I think everyone else thought about the time involved in disassembling everything, moving it, and reassembling it. It has come in extremely handy ever since. I've slowly sorted out things I know I'll never use and replaced those items with others I use more frequently and also restocked things I was low on. No more "three trips to the hardware store" during a project because I needed a few of this or several of that. No "have to stop work" because I don't have something on Sunday evening when the stores are all closed.

The joy is palpable Adam, it's lovely to see someone so appreciative of anothers effects, they have found a good home with you.

"I just love old shit" me too Adam, me too!

This is my therapy. Seriously, thank you Adam for making me feel normal. It helps to know that other people geek out about old tools as much as I do. Especially old worn in tools. It feels like a part of that craftsman somehow imprinted itself on to tool. You feel a strange connection or understanding and respect.

That screw that is counter sunk with a raised top is an Oval Head. I got a ton of hardware from a research facility that closed down. I got another bunch from an estate sale. It is great. Sad circumstances, but they don't want the stuff and I do. Win win

Rolling head pry bars are something that should be in everyones toolbox. I have them from 150mm in length up to 450mm and its surprising how much more useful the smaller ones are compared to the larger ones

Knobs that go on the end of things is for sure a dying breed Adam, keep on rockin'

I've gotten similar scores from two hardware stores that were closing and my parts room definitely looks like one now. As Laura Kampf said, it's nice to go shopping in your own shop.

My local Lowes was redoing their hardware a couple years ago. I scored two sets of the metal drawer sets they were replacing. I now use them as my main tool box.

I've been watching Adam's videos for a long time. And never does. He sound as excited as he does when he's talking about stuff like this and cool little tools he found. Love it!

Those screws are known as Oval Head Machine Screws. You can find them many places like Harbor Freight sold as "Stainless Steel Machine Screws".

As someone who's been tool shopping for only 20 years, I can confirm finds like this are once in a lifetime.

In closing down my shop, I’ve given away, thrown away so much old stuff from the 40’s 50’s. I’d love to send stuff to Adam and maybe one day see it in a video sitting on his desk to be used one day.

Thanks for this Adam. I have advising younger people to buy at garage and estate sales for years. Not only is it so much cheaper than retail - the quality of the old tools and their construction is often so much better. I envy your score with the stainless and understand your joy. A few years ago I got a brass collection about that size and my wife thought I was crazy for how excited I was.

Antique malls are great for other sorts of tools, too. Kitchen stuff: egg slicers, cherry pitters, ice cream scoops, etc. solidly made, often in America. Cast iron cookware (the older the better!). Also, I got my handcards for spinning at an antique mall for a small fraction of what new ones cost.

I hope these uploads never stop, the passion is so genuine and it’s refreshing

I love your appreciation for something so tangible, for it's value, and for it's potential... Thanks for sharing this with us.

That hardware haul is insane. Love auctions, estate sales and the like...good finds to be had, and awesome when they can go to someone who appreciates them and will use them.

My best scores have been buying retired or retiring machinists tool boxes. I always bring a little extra cash and empty my truck in case there's other stuff I want. Scored a whole set of pin gauges from 0.011 to 1.000 by 0.001's for around $50 the last place I showed up at. Tons of shops shutting down in the bay area these last few years.

Me and mother used to go to garage sales all the time, but not so much anymore. Never really been a tool guy myself, although I used to work at a long gone bookstore that was still being put together, and I've set up more than a few shelves during that time. Adam's excitement for tools of all kinds, especially from antique malls, and estate sales is quite infectious.

Congratulations on the great finds! Those hardware bins were insane, at least a few hundred dollars worth of hardware!👍 I loved the old tools and watching you talk about those with such enthusiasm reminded me of my grandpa even though you are only 4 years older than me!😁 Very fun and educational, thank you Adam!😎 I would probably get star struck if Adam showed up at my house, actually, no probably about it, definitely! Thank you for the nostalgia!

I'm so glad there's people out there that get excited as I do about getting things like this cheap. Man, I love hardware organizers

My favourite kind of content. I love old, usable, good quality stuff.

My Grandfather was an engineer for Vickers here in the UK and he build a folded steel storage unit for his fixtures and fittings. Each item was in it's own Golden Virginia Tobacco tin, which was painted green and then in immaculate signwriting had the size and contents painted onto the lid. I so wish I could be that organised. The glee you exhibited reminded me of several years back when I was helping an elderly neighbour clear out her house. We came across a chest of tools owned by her long-departed husband, I had a few items then put the rest up on Freecycle. A guy turned up in a well cared for Triumph Dolomite in oily overalls and when he opened the chest it was like I'd just given him a crate of bullion. I knew at that moment they would be appreciated and well used...

My family loves garage sales, when we find one like you said we always say the same thing, “they’re really proud of their stuff.”

This was a great episode, Adam. Your excitement was palpable, for sure. Best lines were, "I just love old shit.," and the acorn nuts comment (Please make a shirt!) BTW, at 8:12, and 9:40, those are Tinnerman nut plates/clips. Used quite a bit in aviation too.

I've had three really big tool/hardware scores in my life, and each one involved families that I personally knew trying to get rid of their father's "garage junk". Most of it I got for free, as they refused payment. They were just glad to have it gone and see someone they know find a use for it. All kinds of hardware & tools for days and days. I haven't bought screws, bolts, or toolboxes in years.

your so right about stuff not coming across very often, but when you do find that big score itll put you in a great mood for the rest of the week. Was at an estate sale a few months back, I was 10 minutes late and missed some amazing tools but I kept looking. In some dirty drawers under a lot of dirt I found brass sheets in every shape and size, was like finding gold.

Dude, was so glad to share in your joy. That really is such a good haul. We don't have so much of the traditional yard sale here, and the second hand markets have started wanting basically new money since COVID. Suffice to say I haven't seen a haul like that for years! Good stuff 👍😃👍

I estimate that 70% of my tools and fastener arsenal is comprised of items found at Estate Sales, Garage/Yard/Rummage sales and even Pawn Shops and Flea Markets. As of late, it's been more estate sales than anything and the things you find that you didn't realize you need is immeasurable. Awesome Score Adam my Friend! Congratulations! Zip~

Cool to see you so excited about your finds, kind of infectious. Its been awhile since I got that excited about any of my finds, being immersed in the antiques/vintage/collectibles biz daily over 32 years.

I love the excitement in Adam's voice when he talks about the "find". I totally share that passion when looking for and finding "stuff".

Nice haul! I'm impressed: the sale started, your buddy found the sale, there was still good stuff, he texted you, you headed over, there was STILL good stuff, and you scored a good haul. The few times we've had garage sales, almost everything has sold literally within an hour, often within 20 minutes. Nice! Thanks as always for the great work.

There's a stainless steel parts and fixings compantly based in the UK called ACCU who are REALLY top notch if anyone is having problems finding stainless bits and bobs. I've used them for a couple of years now and they're bang-on every time and tend to have basically anything you could ever imagine needing! They're online too...also, if you're ever had a problem knowing what to call something, just scroll through their catalogue and become enlightened! 😅👍

What a fantastic hall! You recently inspired me to try and organize my collection of pieces and parts into a first order retrievable collection of useful stuff. I lucked out and got two of the pull out organizers like you have there from the dumpster at work along with plastic bins. Thank you for the inspiration.

hi Adam just imagine in the distant future the joy people will get finding treasures and the super obscure super handy tool or fixings at your estate sale , may be morbid but after you are gone you would still be helping makers and bring joy to them, the screw is a semi domed counter sunk , love the channel and you passion for the topics you cover

You just looked SO happy with your awesome find. A really great vid and a really great window into any maker or collector's mind. Loved this.

As a boat fan, I'm hella jealous of that stainless screw collection.

All of that stainless is crazy, great to have. This is clearly the result of either a hardware store closing down, or someone like my grandfather who had a lifetime supply of everything perfectly sorted, which is the habit of many a depression era baby. Even the main bins are numbered, and probably had reference charts. :D Great purchase!

In Canada, there’s a short window for garage sales and it gets me up early on Saturday mornings. You find the most amazing stuff. Their Junk is my Treasure.

I genuinely appreciate how grounded you are and the joy you get out of simple things like a sortiment of second hand screws ❤ And i'm very jealous about your beautiful cave, you basically live my dream 😅

Always makes me happy to see tools getting a new life and boy, this guy's passion is contagious. Congrats on the great finds and i wish to all a day like he had.

The tiny pry bar looks like it's a doll sized walking cane which just makes me want to see Adam make a cane that is functional as a pry bar but looks like an ordinary cane at first glance.

Nothing makes my day more than going to a yard sale with my wife and when we meet back at the Jeep she says, "Ugh. More tools?" Yup that's a great day!

Seeing the line of just nicely organised screws and bolts has made me very happy.

Longtime fan. Been here since the first day of Tested, fan. This is the most authentic joy I've seen you express in a video, in a while. I just think it's really cool seeing you share something so practical and useful, after years of you already enriching my maker space and approach. It's awesome watching you finish projects. There's a lot of payoff. Watching you get excited about starting something like a metric hardware organization and deployment system? Doooood. I sincerely appreciate that you have more resources available than I do. It inspires me to watch you solve problems with alarming affordability, considering the difference in our budgetary approaches. Seriously Adam, you've gracefully helped me get better at everything I enjoy. I don't know how to express the amount of value I've received from just enjoying your energy. I have so much gratitude over here. Thank you. 🙏

Adam's enthusiasm is always so contagious. A good find at an estate sale or auction is always exciting!

For Phenolic knobs there is also Reid supply. Industry standard naming _ 9:34 Extruded U-Nut, _ 9:40 Panel U-Nut, _ 11:28 Oval Head, Philips Drive, Machine Screw. Warning for stainless screws/bolts when threading them into stainless nuts ALWAYS use anti-seize or even grease/oil/wax/anything to separate the surfaces a little to avoid galling. Galling is a cold-weld that happens with stainless on stainless and doesn't matter how fast or slow you turn either. Note Stainless screw won't gall when installed in either U-Nut shown in video because not stainless but made of steel with a black oxide finish.

It's more fun to have grandpa and dad that collected this stuff and you now get to play with it. If Adam ever makes it to Willits CA we could have some fun.

Great video as always 😊 That particular screw is known here in the UK as a countersunk button head. I hope that helps.

I'd love more videos like this.

In my experience, the nicest thing about the organizer drawers is that they help you to remember where the last one of that particular thing was when you used it six months ago. The fact that all the stuff is stainless adds another dimension as well since they'll be "too good" to use for the project at hand so you'll get to spend half an hour looking for "ordinary" fasteners someplace in the 5 gallon bucket in the corner. This will end in frustration because there were only 5 #12 cheese head, black oxide, fine thread screws the entire 5 gallon bucket and your project needs 6. Fun stuff none-the-less.

Those 4 drawers you bought are great. My work has 15 chests of drawers like it, full of our more specialty hardware. We've got rows of bin shelves for the more common stuff. I will say, having a range of hardware on hand makes everything so much easier, both for fabrication and repair.

I believe that pry bar is actually an aligning bar. A wonderful tool you push through two holes to properly align them so you can get a bolt through. These come in a number of sizes, all handy.

Making money is not the same as keeping it there is a reason why investments aren't well taught in schools, the examples you gave are well stationed, the market crisis gave me my first millions, people shy away from hard times, I embrace them.. well at least my advisor does lol

Adam, I relate so much to the subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) sounds and phrases and exclamations you use in fawning over this hidden treasure. I am often alone in that feeling, misunderstood by those around me for why I find such pleasure in these things as a maker and collector. Thanks for always providing kinship to those of us makers creating and collecting alone.

That IS the perfect haul, my father use to have quite a bit of tools and hardware when I was growing up. Some of that hardware I remember seeing in his toolbox case

Estate sales are great, not only for things being cheap but it is honoring the person by finding use for their tool or what ever else. I got a near mint Benny Goodman album that started me down the vinyl / turntable road and I like think they would be happy knowing I am enjoying their 60 year old record.

I have my fathers Bell Telephone Company of Canada circa 1960/70's Tool case that was also used by the Bell System here in the US before they were broken up. My first recording studio half normal patch bay was made using wire wrap and old switchboard strips of 20 1/4" female. We wire wraped them then soldered and finally a coat of shellac. That has been in use by a friend since 1984 and is still working. I love old tools and bits & bobs.

As a maker, this is a serious 'if you know, you know' moment that we all share. I am full of genuine envy. Great haul!

WOW what a haul, I'm so jealous, never found anything like that, but I'm glad it was you who found this lot, your love of tools and fasteners is clearly great, and that they're all stainless steel puts it on another level, you will make some wonderful things with them.

I love it when your staring at the bins. And you notice new and hard to acquire hardware. Very nice 😊

My dad grabbed a respectable array of screws over the years at work from the work trash container. He worked in polymer fiber manufacturing. I recently started arranging and sorting them and just begin to understand how valuable they can be, especially having every imaginable screw at my disposal is great.

Tools are always what I look for at estate sales. I have snagged some great tools for great prices. I have been in some houses that are completely devoid of a single tool or any evidence of any sort of bench or workspace. These have usually been houses that have not been cleaned out by family members before hand so they appeared to be actual tool-less homes. It is a surreal experience when this happens. I know there are people who aren't handy, but to not even have a hammer and screwdriver is something I cannot comprehend.

That felt wheel is gorgeous. Perfect for polishing to a mirror finish and sharpening blades to razor sharp perfection. Those are a must have on site when we're building ice hotels.

Every video of Adams that I watch just keeps reaffirming that he is in fact my spirit animal 😂👍 I get excited about the same things 😊

HOPE ADAM SEES THIS, IF YOU HAVEN'T DONE SO, IF YOU COULD DO A PIECE ON OLD HARDWARE STORES...As a female maker (we make kids, seems redundant), to see your joy in these tools brings back watching grandfather's joy at great old hardware stores (still some out there, saw great one in West VA in recent times) and late father's joy at "megastores." My Dad always seemed to know, it's time for the old hardware store. Recommend extra stops on road trips to older, small towns that almost always have great old hardware stores. Think of a place that contains not only all that great STUFF, but all the JOY that came before. Thank you, Adam. Thank you. That's the BEST way to meet someone like you! Make on, Adam. Make on.

My late brother-in-law was a mechanical engineer (PhD), and I was the recipient of much of his fastener collection. It is like the tall lazy Susan display at a mom & pop hardware store. Truly a lifetime supply of fasteners.

As a northern European I understand the joy. I got ONE box of imperial/inch threads of nuts and bolts, but maybe half a ton of metric hardware. It can go years between needing one weird threaded replacement bolt for a project, but if I find it in that box it makes me smile. It is not just that it is difficult to buy the non metric stuff locally. Finding out what dark dungeon of coincidences that particular thread comes from is a pain in the ass.

Grew up in a tiny town in Canada, my Dad came home from a garage sale with about 90% of what were his fathers tools ( he was a mason and a stable builder), my husband now has them in his shop most of which hang on the wall more as display items, but if needed they do come down. Great haul

I gasped in delight in delight when I saw all those nuts, bolts, and washers so nicely separated. What a score!

Buying tools make you hyper Adam ! Love to Watch hyper Adam - lol Thanks for sharing your overload of energy with us 🤗

Me and my dad are the kinds who will buy a piece of junk because it looks like something neat we could do something with later, and not have any inkling of what that project will be or how it will be used in it, but is just so neat to have it in our bank of rando junk. And even if we never do anything with it, it will can just be sold back out again for an even trade of what we got it for, likely. It's fun to be able to share with someone who appreciates that score of a random thing we might use if ever, just to be able to share in the awe of what projects it might be used for.. good times

What a score, i have tried many times to orginise my screws etc to no avail and systems like this are amazing, and love the comment about acorn nut i never thought about it that way and now i see my vintage machines with even more respect for the engineers & not to mention they did to make it look nice too

Great Job Adam The boxes of hardware a DREAM Come True Thanks for sharing

Never stop being Adam ! Your enthusiasm is wonderful.

Adam I honestly could just watch you look through stuff. It’s very relaxing and entertaining!

You inspired me Adam.. I'm also a creator but gave up my shop many years ago.. as a veteran fitter and turner . I really appreciate your passion and dynamic vision. It's time to get a new house with a big shed.

So much fun and what a find with the stainless!!! I cannot agree with you more about the feel of old tools. So good!!!

Happy to see someone else getting so excited about nuts, screws and washers.

absolutely love those hard plastic vintage knobs! bakelite ones, they are super shiny and smooth and look great! love your sense of humor, and reasoning. love estate, garage, rummage, flea and yard sales. I spend a lot of time speaking with the sellers too. Stainless hardware is quite expensive and if you know you will need them at one point, and they are cheap get em! especially SS! can be used in so many applications and will not rust or corrode and look nice and shiny if that is your thing!

Oh, I love a good used tool score! Such a good feeling. And those bins of hardware seem to be a great score. Congrats!

I can’t put into words how much I look forward to your vids, loved this

Wow Adam, such an absolute score! That’s one of those once in a lifetime kind of find. Those rounded countersunk are called “oval head countersunk”.

I was GIVEN a 80s era Craftsman 10" Band Saw, bench grinder, scroll saw, benchtop belt/disk sander and s full set of Craftsman tap and dies by an inlaw who was clearing out her fathers workshop. Everything in perfect working order except for the band saw that needed new rubber and some knobs.

When I was at university in the early 2000s our materials science labs used those old flint sparkers. I loved them. I've never seen one in the wild.