c/swap-and-tell

Traded my mechanic's old toolbox for a guitar and got schooled on value

I had this beat up Craftsman box from 1989, full of rusted sockets. Dude at a flea market in Nashville offered a 2003 Epiphone Les Paul for it. Thought I was robbing him blind. He asked if I ever actually tuned the guitar before playing. I said no, just picked it up and jammed. He showed me a free tuner app on his phone, took 2 minutes, and the whole thing sounded different. That's when I knew I'd been playing out of tune for years and didn't even notice. He got the toolbox, I got a guitar that actually works now. Anyone else find out a super basic fix changed how they swap? What'd you trade for it?

2 comments

evah40•7d ago

Traded my DSLR for a point and shoot at a camera meetup in Austin

I swapped my bulky Canon for a tiny Lumix last weekend and honestly my back and my shots are both happier, the old one sat in a drawer for 2 years anyway. Anyone else downsize gear and find the lighter setup gets way more use?

1 comments

elliots23•8d ago

Traded a beat-up wheelbarrow for a solid push mower, best swap of my year

Honestly, I put a busted wheelbarrow with a cracked tire on my curb with a free sign, and my neighbor two doors down flagged me down. He had this old push mower that wouldn't start for him but he didn't want to haul it to the dump. We swapped on the spot, no cash, just handshakes. I spent about 45 minutes cleaning the carburetor and replacing the spark plug for $8, and now it fires up on the first pull every time. That mower has saved me at least $150 in rental fees over the last 4 months since I use it for small jobs around town. Has anyone else found a hidden gem by trading something you were about to throw away?

1 comments