Twenty dollars does not buy much these days. In a junk yard full of old trucks, weeds and poison ivy, it bought a hand painted sign that first had to be dug out, and as a bonus, a big fiddleback spider came along for free.

The haul was filmed by @289filmco (289 Film Co.), and it starts with a simple question: what is that old sign in there? It looked like it was painted on plywood. It looked like it said liquor, and the seller said it came off the green building up there.

Twenty Dollars And Some Hard Work

The seller was asked what was wanted for it, and the answer was to make a deal, since it is a lot of work to get out of there. The buyers pointed out that they do all the work, and that they had brought a trailer because they had to dig it out. They offered twenty dollars. That will work, came the answer. I will take it. Hopefully it comes out in one piece. Now the work begins.

Then came a joke: someone suggested they take the vinyl siding too while they were digging. The answer was a firm no. No bundle deal.

The sign itself reads beer and wine, and while it is just plywood, the buyers loved it. They said they love old hand lettered stuff. One of them explained that they pinstripe and do a little hand lettering, so they look for that kind of thing and like to see what another artist’s hand has done. The sign was nothing crazy, just a hand painted piece on fiberboard that was kind of warped, but it was neat looking, and for twenty bucks, why not? It is going to hang in the shop.

Ants, Spiders And Poison Ivy

Digging in a junk yard comes with a price of its own. Someone had ants crawling on them. Then came the line that gave this story its punch: there was a big old fiddleback spider too, and it was free with the sign. Take all you can grab.

The fiddleback is a real concern, not just a joke. It is another name for the brown recluse, a spider whose bite can be serious and calls for medical attention, and it likes dark, undisturbed places like old piles of wood and boards. If you ever dig through a junk pile or an old shed, wear thick gloves, long sleeves and boots, and shake out anything you pick up.

When someone asked whether a buyer had jumped through the weeds to check out a spot, the answer was no. That was poison ivy, and nobody was going in. Poison ivy is a good reason to bring long pants to any salvage yard, and if you do touch it, wash the skin with soap and cool water as soon as you can.

Chopper Parts, A Mossy Truck And Some Vans

The yard had more than one treasure. In a box, the buyers found a whole set of luggage racks, the kind that go around your saddlebags. Old chopper stuff, said one of them. That is killer.

Then there was an old truck covered in moss. One of the buyers guessed it was a 1941 or 1942 and said it had a great patina. Someone joked that you could power wash it and roll, but the reply was that you have to keep the moss. They also pointed out how long the fenders were, guessing an eight footer, which would be considered a one ton.

The vans came up too. Someone explained that they have done really good with vans, sending a lot of them overseas, and that Chad gets pretty excited about them and makes a lot of good money off them. Vans are not really that buyer’s thing, though, since they are more into the 1920s through the 1940s and 1950s kind of stuff. Emblems at the yard were priced at ten dollars apiece.

How To Shop A Junk Yard Without Getting Burned

The real lesson in this trip is that a junk yard rewards people who come prepared. Here are a few ideas drawn from how this twenty dollar deal went down.

• Bring a trailer and a plan. The sign was priced low because getting it out was hard work, and the buyers knew that from the start. Make an offer that reflects the labor you are taking on.
• Do not accept a bundle you do not want. When someone joked about throwing in the vinyl siding, the answer was no. Pay only for what you will use.
• Look for the hand made stuff. Hand lettered signs are one of a kind, and the person who bought this one knew the craft well enough to appreciate it.
• Protect yourself. Gloves, boots and long pants matter in places with spiders, ants and poison ivy.
• Keep the patina. Moss, rust and fading are part of why an old truck looks so good. Cleaning too hard can take away the very thing that makes it special.

As for the sign, it is just plywood and paint, but it is headed for a shop wall as a reminder that the best finds usually take a little sweat and a good sense of humor.

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