Saxaphone, $165; Flute, $85; 2 Violins

Saxaphone, $165; Flute, $85; 2 Violins, 1 child, 1 adult, $85 ea. 262-9011 more

Found online at bangordailynews.com.

Preconceived notions: This person had, and in the recession lost, a music school.

No response.

Free Stamp Magazines American Philatelist

Free Stamp Magazines

Free Stamp Magazines American Philatelist 207-843-7822 or 461-5893.

Found online under "Bargain Hunter's Basement" on bangordailynews.com.

Preconceived notions: My high school history teacher moved to Maine.

A hard of hearing man told me he has collected for 60 years now. He has thousands.

It was very difficult communicating with him, so this was a brief interaction.

He has no favorite stamp. He collects from 1973 to 2009.

"I've collected the whole world up to 1973," he told me.

That's beautiful.

He's now working on Great Britain.

PIANO - Sm. upright

PIANO - Sm. upright. Cherry finish. Good cond. $300. 843-6964.

On page D3 of the Aug. 3 Bangor Daily News.

Preconceived notions: There were two of these listed today. This one is significantly cheaper than the other. Maybe someone's mom, who used to be an old timey one-room schoolhouse teacher just died.

No response. Sorry.

Rope Lights, 150-bulbs

Rope Lights, 150-bulbs. Red-white-blue. New in box $50. Call 848-5538.

Page D2 of the July 29 Bangor Daily News.

Preconceived notions: Someone cleaned out his/her attic.

Actually, he told me, it should read "Rope Light" because it is only one reel of light rope.

"We were going to put them on our gazebo, but we lost our gazebo — the wind blew it down," he said.

After just about every sentence, or half sentence, the older gentleman said "OK?"

"They're just like a rope, OK? They're not like regular lights. I bought them over at Mardens. OK? They had them at the mall, all lit up and it was beautiful, I thought gosh that would be good for my gazebo, but the gazebo blew down so I put an ad in the paper you know?"

I don't make this stuff up. This guy was great. Exactly what you'd expect. Older. His voice was kind, but sounded like he might be trying to hold a piece of gum between his lower lip and gums, causing him to slur his words and sound a little windy.

"One box, it comes on a reel, OK? 150 bulbs. It was over $100, but they had um on sale at Mardens for half price."

CANDLE SUPPLIES

CANDLE SUPPLIES - scents, dyes, molds, wax, etc. All for $100; (207) 342-3779.

Page D3 of the July 28 Bangor Daily News.

Preconceived notions: My first instinct was to go for the adult diaper ad, but I figured that story would be gross. Instead, I'll call candle lady. I assume this person works at one of the oldy type places in Maine where people make oldy stuff. You know, hand dipped candles. Maybe she sells them to the Ampersand.

This lady was sort of a hoot. Usually I really have to pry at people to get anything. Not this lady. She owns her own shop and loves to talk.

"I'm a crafter and I have a craft business and I do quite a combination of crafts, its ust at the point that I have to cut back on some of my projects and that is why I'm selling the candle supplies," she told me at 4:30 p.m.

Most of the molds she bought in the area at AC Moore and Michaels. The wax though, because she has a shop, she bought from a company out of Ohio.

This lady has 30-40 pounds of wax, 67 dyes, two metal molds, four acrylic molds and then she started using jargon I couldn't translate.

"I do a dozen different types of crafts," she said. "I just don't have the time to do everything anymore."

SPINNING WHEEL

SPINNING WHEEL EARLY, LARGE. $125. 207-374-5268.

Page D3 of the July 22 Bangor Daily News.

Preconceived notions: First of all, I did not pick this one. I let copyeditor Tom pick it. I was torn between this and the spiral staircases. I hope the spiral staircases are still for sale tomorrow. My first thoughts circle around Aurora's evil stepmother-dragon-witch selling the sleeping beauty's demise. My other thoughts are about antiques.

I'm getting sick of people not answering my calls. I should have called stair guy instead.

Antique Stewart Warner Phonograph

Antique Stewart Warner Phonograph, prop in Mel Gibson movie. $150. 230-1195.

Page D1 of the July 21 Bangor Daily News.

Preconceived notions: Shit. I just now read the words between "Phonograph" and "230-1195."

At 4:05 p.m. he picked up. "I worked on a movie 'Man Without a Face' when it was filmed in Maine."

I know nothing about this movie, so it was hard to ask any follow ups. I didn't read the entire ad, so you can imagine my surprise.

He got the prop at an auction after the filming wrapped up. Now he's moving.

"When you move you re-evaluate and it didn't make the cut."

He said the neat thing about it was how it looked. He said it's pretty enough to buy and never use.

"It's a radio and photograph. It's wooden with a maple case. It's beautiful even if you never turn it on."

He said that the company that made it is known for making automobiles, and as he is in the car business, he found this interesting. The man said he likes working on movies, but it doesn't pay well enough in Maine and that he can't live on it.

He got into films, "purely by accident. Right place, right time. I know people," he said.

KNITTING SWEATER MACHINE

KNITTING SWEATER MACHINE - $100 or best offer; 207-948-3182.

Page D3 (I think) of the July 20 Bangor Daily News.

Preconceived notions: This was the ONLY ad that caught my eye. I can't imagine a machine that makes sweaters for you. Where do you put the yarn? How much work does it take? I bet you can't just load in a few reams and let it make you something from the J Crew catalogue. But I can hope.

There was no answer to my calls. I really want to call back tomorrow to sate my curiosity, blog or no blog.

CONCERT TICKETS - 2 to American Idols

CONCERT TICKETS - 2 to American Idols live in Portland, ME on Set. 12, 2009, $300 or best offer; 207-949-5986.

Page C10 of the July 17 Bangor Daily News.

Preconceived notions: This person watched American Idol every Thursday (or whatever day it really is on; I don't own a TV) and planned this for months. Had it all ready, maybe for her and her boyfriend, Joe. He doesn't love the show, but it's better than going alone. Joe, though, had other plans. More important plans. Maybe an aunt's wedding popped up. Now Joe and she can't go. May as well get a few bucks for them. Or maybe she won them on the radio -- she really just wanted to get the new Brittany CD and ended up with these.

Kylie, I know this is her name because her answering machine told me so, would not pick up.

WEDDING GOWN - size 5/6 also a veil

WEDDING GOWN - size 5/6 also a veil $50.00 for gown. 207-944-7411.

Page D3 of the July 16 Bangor Daily News.

Preconceived notions: I was torn between this ad and an ad for American Idol concert tickets, $300. The tickets would have been an easy call. Wedding gowns, that's more intrusive. Maybe this person was going to get married and he left her. But if this person isn't ready to talk about it, why would she place this ad?

A little girl answered the phone. In the background her mother was talking on her cell phone. She hung up, "can I talk to you later?" she said.

When asked why she was getting rid of it, she, like every other person I ask this to said, "I don't want it anymore."

Well, right.

She bought it 20 years ago. She got married then, said she since hasn't had the chance to wear it. Since 1989, she had it sealed, then had it washed, then resealed it. "I haven't taken it out since a couple of months ago."

She said the gown has long, lace arms, a V neck and beads all up the back.

"It still looks trendy and up to date. I have a veil that goes with it too. It's pretty. Simple — but pretty."

The veil is just like a white headband with flowers, she said without any tone of sentimentality.

FROG LOT

FROG LOT - Huge, got everything, $45.00; call Tia, 207-299-7092 for more info

Page D3 of the July 15 Bangor Daily News.

Preconceived notions: In the car making this call I said out loud "What could that mean?" The only idea I had was that maybe it was a terrarium. I just edited an article about a frog jumping contest, maybe she raised frogs and competed.

Tia picked up at about 4 p.m.

"It is a lot of ... I have 15 frog stuffed animals," Tia, a young woman, told me. "I have one that's half the size of a person."

She didn't seem ashamed of this at all, just a matter of fact.

Tia is moving. "I'm keeping some of it," she told me. She said she is known as the "frog girl" among her friends.

Of her frog stuff, none of it was valuable. "It's not like antiques if that's what you're looking for."

VIOLIN 3 yrs. old

VIOLIN 3 yrs. old Exc. cond. $85. (207) 469-3094.

Found on Page D2 of the July 14 Bangor Daily News.

Preconceived notions: I should have prefaced yesterday's post with this too, but: I just bought a trumpet. This may seem irrelevant, however I am absolutely pumped about it and thus, may be drawn in more easily to musical ads. That said: Maybe Will P Davis needs to get rid of his fiddle. I wonder if this person knows anything about violins, as this is a very cheap price. I've only heard of handmade violins, but they must be mass marketed too.

Called after work at about 5:40 p.m. A woman answered the phone before handing it off to the man, this seems to occur frequently. There was some sort of classical music in the background.

"I just bought a new one. It's a good beginner's violin," the man told me.

He's been playing on it for three years, but has moved up to a new, more advanced violin.

"It's Chinese built. There's thousands of them," he said, verifying my notion. "I paid $140 for it."

He said he bought it at Knapp's Music Store in Bangor.

I wonder what a violin would sound like with a trumpet.

PS: Sorry, I neglected to post until after midnight.

ELECTONE ORGAN

ELECTONE ORGAN Bench, music books, headphones, $25. 207-944-5594

Forgot my newspaper at work, ripped from online.

Preconceived notions: It's $25 so maybe it's a kid's play organ? Maybe it has colored, light up keys and everything.

No answer at 5:11. Right before the cheap seat's movie previews for Good Bye Solo I called again, 6:58. Nothing. Nothing, that is, except for the answering machine to Angela's Angels Housecleaning.

Sorry, guys.

WISHING WELL - $60.

WISHING WELL - $60. Deck bench $90; lawn chairs $35. 941-2181.

On page C11 in the July 10 Bangor Daily News.

Preconceived notions: This is very confusing. As I recall from many fairy tales a wishing well is a deep fissure into the earth that, at the top, has either a round stone frame or a thatched roof sort of set up. So how do you sell something that is made of carved out earth? No notions here. I am not at all interested in the other items listed in the ad.

Robert's wife picked up at about 4:05 p.m. today. When I told her my preconceived notions, she laughed, "he builds them," she said.

She put Robert on the phone.

Robert was, like the barn man, old and hard of hearing. Unlike the barn man, Robert was kindly. He, though confused, tried his best to answer my questions and was absolutely convinced (no matter how many times I said I'm just a writer) that I wanted his wishing wells very badly and will be over tomorrow to pick one up -- despite me saying multiple times that this was not the case.

He explained to me that the wells have a two-foot high base and a slanted roof. You just slip them over well pipes.

"We're having a yard sale right now," he said to me, a bit impatiently. "I sold two this morning — they're pretty popular."

And with that, I said thank you and hope Robert isn't waiting for me tomorrow — but I'm pretty sure he will be.

Barn Take Down & Removed.

Barn Take Down & Removed. Lots of boards & timbers. $500. 942-6691.

From page D3 of the July 9 Bangor Daily News.

Preconceived notions: This guy took down his barn and now needs you to come pick up the pieces. He would light it all on fire, but it's too close to his house.

First hang up of this blog. I consider that an accomplishment. Every call I've made I was sure the person would hang up; the trick, I thought, was getting enough information to post something worthwhile before s/he hung up. Accomplished.

Grumpy old man hard of hearing picked up at about 4:05 p.m. I asked him about the barn he took down. "No, it's still standing," he said, after asking me to repeat my question and who I am multiple times.

The barn has not yet been taken down.

"We're going to take it down because I don't want it," he yelled into the phone.

When asked, "is there anything inside it?" he hung up.

Suspicious.

CHANDELIER silver-toned

CHANDELIER silver-toned. New. $100.00. 207-570-0760.

Page D2 of the July 8 Bangor Daily News.

Note: Sorry. Last night I got home and crashed on my bed, falling asleep. I was too unconscious to post.

Preconceived notions: Somebody is living the good life.

I call at about 4:15 p.m. on July 8 and an old grandma-sounding voice answers.

She wants to tell me all about her chandelier. She said it's very pretty. In fact, she bought two and hung one over her table. The other was supposed to be for her house in Florida. For whatever reason she decided not to bring it to Florida. She's trying to move to the sunny state next year. Right now she spends winters there -- and by winters I mean anything-but-summers. -- but she wants to move there year round. She's pretty upset about the rain in Maine, and said next year, if her move fails, like her moving the chandelier did, she isn't coming to Vacationland until June. Not May, which is the month she came this year.

SO ... *breath* ... She gave the silver chandelier with crystal drops, which she found in a JC Penny catalogue, to her friend. Her friend put the thing together only to realize this would never ever fit in her house. So now this lady is stuck with it again. She paid $300 for it.

ANTIQUE PAPER CUTTER

ANTIQUE PAPER CUTTER Commercial, $100; call Scott, (207) 584-2134.

I again forgot the physical paper, but it's #45 on bangordailynews.com under the Bargain Hunter's Basement section for July 7.

Preconceived notions: I hope this person had a startup magazine for the area and because his magazine failed long ago, maybe 40 years ago, he now has to sell what was already an old paper cutter.

I called Scott. This is the first ad to come with a name, which made me feel much more comfortable. Like we really were on a first-name basis. Then Scott picked up. I think he was the first person to be nice to me, knowing I was not going to buy his product.

Scott, you see, hasn't and will never use this paper cutter. He is not an antique dealer and never meant to inherit the cutter.

"I was helping someone clean out his trailer and I got it as part of payment. I don't even know anything other than that," Scott told me at 4:40 p.m. in a thick, Maine accent. "Eastman No. 15 is written on the side."

He said it's pretty heavy duty -- the type of machine he saw in the mill he used to work at years ago. He said the one at the mill cut reams of paper, and this one looks just like it.

"It's a heavy duty paper cutter. It may need to be sharpened."

DERBY CAR

DERBY CAR - 1985 olds RWD. Solid heavy car to repair $400. 207-538-9053.

Page D4 of the July 6 Bangor Daily News.

Preconceived notions: A little boy and his daddy made a wooden derby box car for racing down hills in the summer. Ever since the little boy grew up/died his father has been looking at the damn thing in the garage and keeps getting reminded of better days. Now he needs to get rid of it.

At 6:05 -- on the first call -- which never happens -- a woman picked up. She soon put me down and let me listen to her dog bark as she got a man on the phone.

He explained that he bought the car for his wife to use in derbies, but "it was too big for her."

This car is not for racing down hills, though, I guess you could. He said it's a steel frame body to be used for demolition derbies.

"It's never been made into a demolition derby car," he said, making this seem like a selling point. He said all you have to do, depending on track rules, to make it a derby car is take out all the glass, including windows, but not the windshield. Also, he said you'd have to wear a helmet. "Not a lot of work to it. It still runs."

Yours for $400.

CANOE COFFEE TABLE

CANOE COFFEE TABLE - Cedar, strips, cherry & brass trim. New $300. 745-4120.

Page D2 of the July 2 Bangor Daily News.

Preconceived notions: This is a table that sits in between you and the person you paddle your canoe with. This way, when you would like to play a game of cards on the lake, you have the table ready. Alternatively, someone could have gotten pissed, chopped up a canoe and made a table out of it because he was also pissed and broke a table before and all he had was splinters of canoe and table so he joined the lumber together and re-made his table. Now he would like to forget the anger of those moments.

I called at 6:08, 6:29, 6:46 and 7:08 p.m. I tell myself I won't make calls after 7 p.m., but something held me up, so I did.

No answer. Maybe we should just assume my notions are right. Or you call. If you do, tell me how it went via comment.

5 SMALL BIRD CAGES

5 SMALL BIRD CAGES, All New, $40.00 each. Must see. 207-234-2966

Page D2 of the July 1 Bangor Daily News.

Preconceived notions: Antiquer. Something tells me this person at no time shoved birds into five small bird cages, this is a collector on our hands.

"I just don't need them. My wife was raising finches. She sold them [all] or gave them away."

POKER SET -- World Poker set value $450

POKER SET -- World Poker set value $450 best offer / trade / swap. 207.843.6096.

Page D3 of the June 30 Bangor Daily News.

Preconceived notions: OK, more of a question: What could he possibly want to swap? I'm going to place a bet and say he went to a World Series of Poker tournament. I wrote an article once about a student who did, maybe it's Max. I'll bet he has just decided to give up on betting. Maybe his wife nags him saying he's addicted to gambling and spends more time playing computer poker than with her. Maybe he realized she's right, he's too old for this. Maybe he'd like to take up something new ... I should give him the bongo girl's number.

After many calls it almost came time to give up. It's an unwritten rule that I stop calling at 7 p.m. so I don't disturb people more than necessary. Also, three hours is enough time obsessing over why people don't pick up my calls.

It was 6:40 p.m. and the movie at cheap seats' $1 movie night was about to start.

"One more call," I yelled at my friends over the riot of Guitar Hero and air hockey. They went on without me.

I sat in the photo booth and pressed redial -- that photo booth you sit with your friends in and make faces at then have one printout of five silly faces which you look bad in, but have to argue with your friends nonetheless to even get one fifth of the stupid print out so you don't forget being silly and looking dumb in the booth that one time at dollar movie night. Yeah, that one. I sat there, alone on my cell phone.

He picked up. I had about two minutes before the movie started, so I asked just two questions.

How did you get the chips?

"I won the lottery."

(Follow-up: Which lottery?) "The Maine State Lottery."

What do you hope to trade them for?

"Something of value."

Not sure if he was pulling my leg or not (which I totally deserve, by the way) I left it at that. A mystery with a not-so-playful ad placer. He won the lottery. That was better than any preconceived notion I might have had.

Also, I'll admit my infidelity -- there was a help wanted ad today that read, "Attendant FUNERAL SERVICE -- TRAINEE-- Call 947-9675. Will handle & transport deceased. E-1, #255, $185, Valid driver's license." I'd much rather have called that one, but it wasn't in the Bargain Hunter's Basement.

HARLEY DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLE LAMP

HARLEY DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLE LAMP/NIGHT LIGHT $40. Call 942-5675

Page D3 of the June 29 Bangor Daily News.

Preconceived notions:This person was in a biking gang, but then got pregnant, had to abandon her gang and gave her small child this lamp so he wouldn't be afraid of the dark, or rather, would be afraid of the dark still, but have this light to wield away the dark. The child is now too old for this lamp. Or perhaps the child is the seller, all grown up with a new lamp that is a reflection of himself, not his mother's greasy past.

Multiple calls were made to no avail. If it's any consolation, the man's voice on the answering machine sounded young and kind.

BONGOS-New

BONGOS-New - 6&7" rawhide heads. 9/32" diameter. Pd. $80 - $50. 1-781-799-5241.

Page C10 in June 26 Bangor Daily News

Preconceived notions: This person is from out of state (Boston) and is making bongos to sell around the area.

Tanya does not make the bongos. She doesn't even like them. The young woman is from Massachusetts and hasn't changed her phone number to a 207 yet.

"My aunt bought them for me a long time ago and I never used them," she said. "They were just sitting in my basement."

1939 FORD STD. COUPE

1939 FORD STD. COUPE - front & rear fenders, grille, doors. $500. 207-848-3976

Page D3 of the June 25 edition of the Bangor Daily News.

Preconceived notions: Perhaps it is just the fenders, grille and door for sale? Also, it probably doesn't look anything like the attached picture I found online of another 1939 Ford standard coupe.

The old man made it clear "It's only parts."

He doesn't have his 39 Coupe anymore, but he did. He'd drive it around plenty. He loved that car. He sold it anyway.

Then, like all my other calls so far: "If you're not interested in buying the parts, I have to go."

Before he hung up on me I asked him "Did yours have flames?" I had to repeat this question multiple times, citing a picture I found online of a 1939 Coupe with flames. It didn't.

As a side note, I had yesterday off and therefore did not post. Don't worry, I don't have another day off until July 16.

200 Egg Cartons

200 EGG CARTONS cardboard $30.00; (207)483-9639.

Honestly, I left my paper at the office, so I stole this from the Bangor Daily News online, but it was the same ad I circled.

Preconceived notions: This person lives on a farm ... with chickens.

I called at least 15 times, all times after 5:10 p.m. were busy ... until 6:51 p.m. when Terry picked up.

Terry's family and friends knows she has 23 chickens. Knowing this, they, over time, gave her 200 (unneeded) egg cartons.

"We have a lot of chickens so they save them for us," she said.

Terry sells the eggs and gets angry when bloggers call her without any interest in actually purchasing her $30 egg cartons. Sorry, Terry.

Danielle Steele Hardcover Books

Danielle Steele Hardcover Books (77 total). $150. Exc. cond. 469-7655.

Page D3, Bangor Daily News, June 22

Preconceived notion: This person shows 77 books worth of love and one hateful typo. (Did this person have a literacy-epiphany?)

So, I called Mrs. Gray at 5:40 p.m. It wasn't as exciting as you might think.

"I collected all of them. They're just sitting here doing nothing and I just got tired of saving stuff. I'm getting old and I'm tired of it," she said.

She is not the least bit sad she is getting rid of them. She has read each of the 77 and loves them all.