Thrift Store Jackpot

[ezgoer]

The best of GW auction scores. I got 2 lots each for minimum bid totaling $18. Reg flex TM V steel 3 wood in decent condition. Couple nicks on backside from not having a head cover but not bad at all. Have read these are one of the more beloved fairway woods still today. Also included a nice condition TM R5 driver clone with a Pro Force stiff shaft. Maybe I’ll find a use for that shaft.
 

Took a chance on a bunch of golf balls mainly cuz I wanted to try these Z Balata’s. Also included NIB 3/4 dozen Precept SR golf balls so I got some cold weather balls anyways. In the Z’s figuring I don’t have to worry about rubber band windings being deteriorated so why not see if a balata cover will perform. Hopefully these don’t feel as bad as the regular 392 ball of that day. Think only an Ultra felt harder. 

[bogieboy]

11 hours ago, ezgoer said:

Cushin’s ain’t winning many beauty contests but I was shocked how good it works. 

Gonna try it out this weekend, but more than likely that Tad Moore is gonna end up in the bag...LOL

[NRJyzr]

5 minutes ago, bogieboy said:

Gonna try it out this weekend, but more than likely that Tad Moore is gonna end up in the bag...LOL

 

I picked up a TM-2 in the last year or so.  Took it for a couple rounds as a test of sorts, it stayed in the bag for quite a while.  

 

My main reason for not continuing to use it relates to thinking about cutting it down a half inch, and even if I don't, possibly changing the grip to something slightly larger.

 

Really a quality item.  It was instantly obvious why it is/was popular.  🙂

 

[bogieboy]

1 hour ago, NRJyzr said:

 

I picked up a TM-2 in the last year or so.  Took it for a couple rounds as a test of sorts, it stayed in the bag for quite a while.  

 

My main reason for not continuing to use it relates to thinking about cutting it down a half inch, and even if I don't, possibly changing the grip to something slightly larger.

 

Really a quality item.  It was instantly obvious why it is/was popular.  🙂

 

The TM-4 i got has a newer (feeling anyways, rubber is still supple and not dried out) Lamkin cord putter grip on it, and if anything i would probably make it longer if i were going to adjust the length...LOL but that all doesnt matter with my putting game... 🤣

[EvanH]

Feeling confident after my recent successes, I again ventured off to my favourite op-shop (thrift shop).

 

Today's find: 2i - 4i, and 7i to PW of Spalding "Top-Flite" irons (note the slightly different toe shape on the 2i).

They've been well used as you can see.  

At $NZD 1.00 per club and with playable grips, they'll be fun to try at some point.

 

All of them are stamped like this on the back.  Maybe mid 1960s? 

Not too dissimilar to the Bob Charles irons I picked up a couple of weeks ago.

They did also come with a beaten up 2w and 4w - both persimmon though.

 

Another wafer thin Spalding blade (this pic below is the 7i).

 

 

For a buck I also picked up this Slazenger Dual Wedge.

 

Thing looks like it could be used to chop down a tree.

 

My favourite find of the day.  A set* of Nicoll Henry Cotton irons.

[* Ok, just the 6 iron, but one day I'll play a round with it - and only it. Someone has been kind enough to regrip it too.]

 

2 weeks ago I didn't have any Spaldings, now I have 3 (incomplete) sets of them. 

 

[And 2 months ago I said "I'm not a collector".  Hmmm.  ima small-time collector, at this moment at least]

 

 

 

Edited October 12, 2024 by EvanH

[bogieboy]

Paid more than i usually do for thift store finds today, but i feel it was worth it.... 

 

Found a talormade r510 Tour Preferred driver wearing a Fujikura speeder 757 x flex, a callaway Xforged 60° and a mack daddy 2 56° (worked out well... havent gotten along with my warrior 60 since new, and have tried others that have worked quite well for me, hoping thats the case here, and replacing a whooped mizuno 56° as well) for a grand total of $40... 

 

 

[bottles]

On 10/5/2024 at 2:03 PM, EvanH said:

Last week when I bought the Bob Charles irons (see post above) I left a matching wood behind.  It was a bit rough and I thought better at the time.  Almost from the moment I got home, I thought to myself "you should have got it".  So I have been waiting for the weekend to come around so I could again shoot down the valley to get it.  And instead of going to one op-shop I thought I'd go to all the ones I was aware of within 20 mins drive or so.

 

The day started well with a Wilson Julius Boros putter
(I note that @Maine Golfer used a JB putter just a couple of days back).
$NZD 10 ($USD 6)

[I might have overpaid, but it is for a good charity]

and


and
Cool sort of "coke bottle" shaped grip.


Left to right:
~ Wilson Julius Boros
~ Slazenger Bobby Locke
~ Ping Zing



And then there were several op shops of dross.
*Sigh*

The last Op Shop of the day was the one with the Spalding Bob Charles 3 wood I wanted.  Which I got:
If it wasn't part of the overall set with the irons, I'd skip it.
$NZD 1 [$USD 62c at the current exchange rate]

and



And then I'm looking and I see a Spalding Chi Chi Rodriguez Personal model iron
$NZD 1 each [$USD 62c at the current exchange rate]


Edit: If anyone knows about these - so far google has not been my friend - I'd be very grateful. 

Needless to say I started looking everywhere to see how many I could find.
Not a full set, but still very happy.


Not much to them (6 iron pictured)


Looks like original grips and a True Temper Pro Fit shaft


The next thing I am about to post a picture of isn't golf related (apologies) - but it was from the same op-shop as the Chi Chi irons.
It will be of no interest to the americans in the room, but anyone from a cricket playing nation might appreciate it.

So while searching high and low or Chi Chi irons, my eye happens upon a SH (full size) Gray-Nicolls Powerspot Classic
$NZD 15 [£GBP 7 / $AUD 14]

These go for $AUD 150+ on eBay - and that would be cheap - not that I will sell it.
This is a top of the range bat from 1985 [stamped "M" on the shoulder, so I know it is 1985].
These were the bomb when I was playing cricket in the 1980s-early 1990s - used by the best players in the world.

 

You wouldn't use it now - since bat technology has changed so much (drying methods have improved so modern bats are a lot bigger for the same weight) - but it is a great piece of nostalgia.

 

Plus a mate who died 30 years ago (FU cancer) used one, so Powerspots have a special place in my heart.



 

So that was my (very good) op-shop experience for the day.
 

 I know this is a golf Forum, and the predominantly North American people who frequent here won’t care, but the grain structure on that GN powerspot is beautiful. Thats a players grade piece of willow there. Stunning

[ezgoer]

Being in the US I know just about zero about Cricket but I was watching a Cricket bat on my nearby GoodWill auction site. Thought it would be a cool decoration piece. Keep the grandkids inline lol. Was hoping it would slip bye un noticed and I’d be the only bidder but no such luck. Think it went for some decent money.

Edited October 14, 2024 by ezgoer

[Shallowface]

20 minutes ago, ezgoer said:

Being in the US I know just about zero about Cricket but I was watching a Cricket bat on my nearby GoodWill auction site. Thought it would be a cool decoration piece. Keep the grandkids inline lol. Was hoping it would slip bye un noticed and I’d be the only bidder but no such luck. Think it went for some decent money.

There was a Cricket bat involved in a WWE match a couple of weeks back.  Been watching wrestling for nearly 60 years and hadn't seen that one before.

[The Aspidistra in the Hall]

9 hours ago, bottles said:

 I know this is a golf Forum, and the predominantly North American people who frequent here won’t care, but the grain structure on that GN powerspot is beautiful. Thats a players grade piece of willow there. Stunning

Brings back the smell of linseed oil and hours hammering one 'in'. Nice narrow grain, great driving bat.

[HappyGilmoresBoots]

This year has been incredibly slow on the thrift store front - I haven't found much of anything around here in the way of iron sets.  I'm keeping a keen eye out for another set of Ping Zing 2's, Callaway Big Berthas, or any of the Wilson Pro Staffs that John Daly played but haven't actually found anything of note.  I did buy some beat-a** Hogan Apexes, but those are in turrible shape.

 

Got my wife a new putter - a guy at work cut it down and put a new grip on it for her.  Also, got her a King Cobra ladies' driver.

 

One thing I've noticed - someone locally is donating partial iron sets to like 3 or 4 different thrift stores.  I noticed when I saw a 5, 7, and 8 Wilson Fat Shaft at one store, then the corresponding 4, 6, 9 at another, and the PW at a third shop.  That's not even fair to the thrift stores, as people who are just getting into the game aren't going to want to buy piecemeal clubs, so that's causing the thriftos to actually lose sales.

[Shallowface]

46 minutes ago, HappyGilmoresBoots said:

This year has been incredibly slow on the thrift store front - I haven't found much of anything around here in the way of iron sets.  I'm keeping a keen eye out for another set of Ping Zing 2's, Callaway Big Berthas, or any of the Wilson Pro Staffs that John Daly played but haven't actually found anything of note.  I did buy some beat-a** Hogan Apexes, but those are in turrible shape.

 

Got my wife a new putter - a guy at work cut it down and put a new grip on it for her.  Also, got her a King Cobra ladies' driver.

 

One thing I've noticed - someone locally is donating partial iron sets to like 3 or 4 different thrift stores.  I noticed when I saw a 5, 7, and 8 Wilson Fat Shaft at one store, then the corresponding 4, 6, 9 at another, and the PW at a third shop.  That's not even fair to the thrift stores, as people who are just getting into the game aren't going to want to buy piecemeal clubs, so that's causing the thriftos to actually lose sales.

It may not be the fault of the donor.  Sometimes donations go to a central location and are then distributed to the area stores.  If care wasn't taken to keep the set together, they could have ended up in a number of places.  

 

I actually cobbled a set together this way.  I was in an area that had a chain of thrift stores and ran across a single club I was interested in trying.  I bought it and when I went to the next store they had another one.  By the time I finished I had the entire 8 club set purchased one or two at a time from several locations. 

 

On the surface it seems to be a stupid way to do business, but the donations probably got separated at some point in the process and the processor didn't know any better.  

Edited October 17, 2024 by Shallowface

[bogieboy]

Appologies in advance for not posting vintage content....but i gotta brag on my thrift store find....🤣

 

Tonight was one of those nights that rival finding a Scotty Cameron at a thrift store...  possibly even better than that... 

 

5-AW Epon AF-703 with Modus³ 120 N.S. Pro S flex shafts.... AAAAND an Odyssey white hot #4 all for under $26... 

 

[HappyGilmoresBoots]

12 hours ago, Shallowface said:

It may not be the fault of the donor.  Sometimes donations go to a central location and are then distributed to the area stores.  If care wasn't taken to keep the set together, they could have ended up in a number of places.  

 

I actually cobbled a set together this way.  I was in an area that had a chain of thrift stores and ran across a single club I was interested in trying.  I bought it and when I went to the next store they had another one.  By the time I finished I had the entire 8 club set purchased one or two at a time from several locations. 

 

On the surface it seems to be a stupid way to do business, but the donations probably got separated at some point in the process and the processor didn't know any better.  

Oh no, these are all independent thrift shops - one benefits a local school, one is for a rescue mission, etc., each with its own donation center.

[@_the_crook]

The morning I took a shot and bagged, (no pun intended), a nice corporate bag, 2 Hogan Edge GS wedges, a Ram Easy Out SW and an 845 fairway wood. Bag seems like Miller but isn't branded. Those older divider style are great for display sets. McGladrey dropped the name Pullen in 2005, so this one is no spring chicken.

 

Edited October 19, 2024 by @_the_crook
info

[Maine Golfer]

FB marketplace , folks are expecting a child JACKPOT. Nice folks and I walked away with all this stuff for very good prices.

 

Went for the bag, came back with a hogan radical  E wedge and my first ever set of Mizunos. Mizuno MP-64 baby! Back in the high life again! lol

 

I'm assuming my bag is Zings 2-5 , these , back to my wedges I like. The lofts are perfect with the 9 a 42, at least for what is gonna blend with my Zings

 

Step one this winter is flipping the KBS tour 120 c tapers on these, not my tea lol

 

 

 

 

Wanted to try one of these

 

 

 

The Hogan bag I think will be my vintage wood bag for my pad

 

 

[ezgoer]

16 minutes ago, Maine Golfer said:

FB marketplace , folks are expecting a child JACKPOT. Nice folks and I walked away with all this stuff for very good prices.

 

Went for the bag, came back with a hogan radical  E wedge and my first ever set of Mizunos. Mizuno MP-64 baby! Back in the high life again! lol

 

I'm assuming my bag is Zings 2-5 , these , back to my wedges I like. The lofts are perfect with the 9 a 42, at least for what is gonna blend with my Zings

 

Step one this winter is flipping the KBS tour 120 c tapers on these, not my tea lol

 

 

 

 

Wanted to try one of these

 

 

 

The Hogan bag I think will be my vintage wood bag for my pad

 

 

Nice! Be shocked if those Mizuno’s aren’t excellent playing. 

[NRJyzr]

1 hour ago, @_the_crook said:

McGladrey dropped the name Pullen in 2005

 

Another name change, they're now RSM.  The joke at my workplace is that it stands for "Really Still McGladrey."

 

Edited October 19, 2024 by NRJyzr

[bogieboy]

On 10/17/2024 at 8:26 PM, bogieboy said:

Appologies in advance for not posting vintage content....but i gotta brag on my thrift store find....🤣

 

Tonight was one of those nights that rival finding a Scotty Cameron at a thrift store...  possibly even better than that... 

 

5-AW Epon AF-703 with Modus³ 120 N.S. Pro S flex shafts.... AAAAND an Odyssey white hot #4 all for under $26... 

 

Got to play these today.... when you hit them out of the middle, pure buttah... however, with my crap swing, i had the opportunity to feel some... off center... hits as well... and you instantly know it... but distance loss was minimal, maybe 5-7 yds.... gotta get some midsize grips on them and just start playing them more to get used to them... but so far i love them....

[ezgoer]

On 10/17/2024 at 7:26 PM, bogieboy said:

Appologies in advance for not posting vintage content....but i gotta brag on my thrift store find....🤣

 

Tonight was one of those nights that rival finding a Scotty Cameron at a thrift store...  possibly even better than that... 

 

5-AW Epon AF-703 with Modus³ 120 N.S. Pro S flex shafts.... AAAAND an Odyssey white hot #4 all for under $26... 

 

Talk about a deal!! Just looked these up. 2nd Swing used 5-P $439.00 average condition. $2599.00  originally!!! If you don’t like em you should be able to sell them and fund a good part of a golf season. 
 

I just discovered Epon golf clubs the other day. Had never heard of them. Was nosing around 2nd Swing and a fitting bag of Muira’s caught my immediate attention. As I was drooling over those I noticed an Epon fitting bag right next to it. Epon AF-Tour MB II might be on of the prettiest clubs I’ve ever seen in person. Look em up. Butter knives gets thrown around a lot here but the 6 iron I held in my hands was as thin as any 1 iron I’ve ever held. Makes PING Blueprints seem like super game improvement irons. Didn’t look at the price and don’t really want to know. They are probably farther out of my budget than they are out of my handicap range and that’s a looong ways. 

Edited October 21, 2024 by ezgoer

[SnowbirdTom]

5 hours ago, ezgoer said:

Talk about a deal!! Just looked these up. 2nd Swing used 5-P $439.00 average condition. $2599.00  originally!!! If you don’t like em you should be able to sell them and fund a good part of a golf season. 
 

I just discovered Epon golf clubs the other day. Had never heard of them. Was nosing around 2nd Swing and a fitting bag of Muira’s caught my immediate attention. As I was drooling over those I noticed an Epon fitting bag right next to it. Epon AF-Tour MB II might be on of the prettiest clubs I’ve ever seen in person. Look em up. Butter knives gets thrown around a lot here but the 6 iron I held in my hands was as thin as any 1 iron I’ve ever held. Makes PING Blueprints seem like super game improvement irons. Didn’t look at the price and don’t really want to know. They are probably farther out of my budget than they are out of my handicap range and that’s a looong ways. 

I’ve a “vintage” version in the Epon AF-302s with Graphite Design’s 95g shafts and they’re fantastic. They were not cheap, but worth every penny.

[bogieboy]

14 hours ago, ezgoer said:

Talk about a deal!! Just looked these up. 2nd Swing used 5-P $439.00 average condition. $2599.00  originally!!! If you don’t like em you should be able to sell them and fund a good part of a golf season. 
 

I just discovered Epon golf clubs the other day. Had never heard of them. Was nosing around 2nd Swing and a fitting bag of Muira’s caught my immediate attention. As I was drooling over those I noticed an Epon fitting bag right next to it. Epon AF-Tour MB II might be on of the prettiest clubs I’ve ever seen in person. Look em up. Butter knives gets thrown around a lot here but the 6 iron I held in my hands was as thin as any 1 iron I’ve ever held. Makes PING Blueprints seem like super game improvement irons. Didn’t look at the price and don’t really want to know. They are probably farther out of my budget than they are out of my handicap range and that’s a looong ways. 

The soles on the 700 series Epons are fairly wide, while retaining a nice thin top line... at adress you wouldnt say you are hitting a cavity backed super game improvement shovel....🤣 heres a quick compqrison to the 2019 X-hots that got kicked out of the bag... Epon on the left, callaway on the right... 

 

[@_the_crook]

5 hours ago, bogieboy said:

The soles on the 700 series Epons are fairly wide, while retaining a nice thin top line... at adress you wouldnt say you are hitting a cavity backed super game improvement shovel....🤣 heres a quick compqrison to the 2019 X-hots that got kicked out of the bag... Epon on the left, callaway on the right... 

 

Great looking gear. Enjoy!

[bogieboy]

1 hour ago, @_the_crook said:

Great looking gear. Enjoy!

Thanks! I was hoping to get out this week, but now im not so sure.... the cheapskate in me yesterday fell going after the Pro V1 i shanked into the edge of a creek... what looked like solid ground was a dry crust on 3" of slick mud... threw me off and fell on my right shoulder.... my golf season might be over... gotta see how it feels in a few days, right now its getting ice/heat, and doesnt feel too great...LOL 

[bogieboy]

16 hours ago, SnowbirdTom said:

I’ve a “vintage” version in the Epon AF-302s with Graphite Design’s 95g shafts and they’re fantastic. They were not cheap, but worth every penny.

I could only imagine how soft those feel... the 703s i have have Modus n.s. pro 120 steel shafts and feel amazing.... the Graphite designs shafts would only accentuate that i would think? And yeah.... anything Epon, past or present typically (unless you find em for $25 at a thrift store 🤣) fetch a pretty penny.... i can say unequivocally that my af 703s were worth every penny! I dont hit them any worse than the callaways that got the boot out of the bag, and i still need to upsize the grips to midsize to fit my hands better... and i think they will help improve my game, as you can feel EXACTLY where you struck the ball on the face, vs the x hots which feel the same wether you hit it flush or a hosel rocket... only thing you could feel is a toe shot, as it tries to spin the club out of your hands 🤣

[@_the_crook]

14 hours ago, bogieboy said:

Thanks! I was hoping to get out this week, but now im not so sure.... the cheapskate in me yesterday fell going after the Pro V1 i shanked into the edge of a creek... what looked like solid ground was a dry crust on 3" of slick mud... threw me off and fell on my right shoulder.... my golf season might be over... gotta see how it feels in a few days, right now its getting ice/heat, and doesnt feel too great...LOL 

Did something similar at the pond's edge on a par 3 last summer. played the rest of the round with one white shoe and the other rather muddy looking.

 

[CHE KJARRVERA]

On 9/27/2024 at 12:03 PM, EvanH said:

I've taken an extra long weekend (M.I.L. was in town) and this presented me with the opportunity to cruise past an op shop where I've had a little bit of success in the past.

 

Came across 3 - 8 & PW of Spalding Bob Charles "PERSONAL" model. [No sign of the 9 iron]

Fitted with True Temper "PRO FIT" shafts and (what looks like the original grips).

$NZD 1 each ($USD 0.63 each)

 

Visually, they are reminiscent of the 1965 Top Flite irons that @cold_war_era_golfer had in the bag earlier this month (a post from 4 September).

 

 

Brilliant finds! Wonder how many sets of the BC they made back in the day? My recent NZ finds are a set of 1967 Slazenger Gary Player irons for NZ $2 ea (incl shaft stickers and orig leather grips in good nick), and a free Hogan Magnum persimmon 5W which goes nicely with my Hogan Apex persimmon driver. Regripped the Hogan as the original grip was totally shot but haven’t taken it out on the course yet. The Player’s have had nine holes and an older chap at the local was really stoked to see someone playing such old clubs. Side note, just back into golf after a hiatus of a couple years and have gotten my ten year old daughter hooked on the game. She is a technical kid and super interested in the vintage set. Just ordered her first set of junior clubs!

[EvanH]

16 hours ago, CHE KJARRVERA said:

Wonder how many sets of the BC they made back in the day?

And how many are left.

I did notice someone on trademe (NZ equivalent of ebay for the benefit of others) selling a Bob Charles putter - that has Bob's name in the same script as the irons I got. I think i'll hold out for one in the $1 bin at my local thrift shop.


 

[CHE KJARRVERA]

On 10/24/2024 at 12:29 AM, EvanH said:

And how many are left.

I did notice someone on trademe (NZ equivalent of ebay for the benefit of others) selling a Bob Charles putter - that has Bob's name in the same script as the irons I got. I think i'll hold out for one in the $1 bin at my local thrift shop.


 

Nice looking putter. Wasn’t Charles a Bullesye guy? Seems now that even worn out old vintage stuff I still wouldn’t spend more than $2 per club on are now listed on TM for $30+ ea or NZ $200+ a set. Guess it’s good they’re being appreciated and not just sent to the dump... Envious of the guys on here stateside who get all the good cheap deals on old sports gear! 

[CHE KJARRVERA]

Just wanting an opinion on these two Hogans. Apex 3 shafts. Replaced the grips and going to play them occasionally. I can hit the driver pretty straight, tho all my drives with it have been low stingers so need a bit of time to get the hang of it. Haven’t taken the Magnum out yet but I really like old 5 woods. They’re playable as is but I’m intending to treat them with a very careful light sand just to smooth out the chips in the old coatings and then apply a couple coats of marine grade satin polyurethane. Does that sound good, and while I’m at it is there a preferred product for easily removing the old lacquer from the sole plates? Was thinking about applying Selleys silicone remover gel to the plates and then seeing if it’ll scrape off, as it’s not too caustic and I’ve had good success with it on a few restoration projects (I’m a builder by trade). Cheers!

Edited October 24, 2024 by CHE KJARRVERA
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