> I definitely think you're on to something here...worded properly I
> get the tools I really "need" and the I convince her I am settling
> for old, used, CHEAPER tools and I am doing it for the good of the
> family. Now I get it. That's how it's done! 

Absolutely, and as long as you can avoid the appearance of 
'collecting', it works very well.  

> That's how all you veteran galoots out there able to gloat about 
"another" one of

It could be how they do it but I can't claim the badge of a 'veteran 
galoot'.  I'm a newbie and to be honest, while I'm falling in love 
with collecting and working with hand tools, I truly am buying 
'users' right now as I need some good working tools.  And here are 
the economics that makes my wife just love this:

"Ok...we're going to buy a house.  Great...finally I'll have a shop 
again.  Of course I'm going to have to buy a new table saw.  
Remember, we sold mine when we sold our house in CT.  It'll cost 
$800-1000 to replace it.", says Larry.

Later, once a few galoots explain the meaning of life, Larry realizes 
that he can really get by without that 'centerpiece' in his shop and 
he's never really liked all the noise and risk associated with it 
anyway.  So...he says to his wife, "You know, if I buy a bunch of 
hand tools, I can do pretty much everything without needing to buy 
that saw."

Suddenly, Larry's buying hand tools.  Then he announces, "You know, 
they just don't make hand tools like they used to, at least the big 
companies don't...everything's being done on the cheap.  I'm going to 
look for used tools."  And I do...and bring home a $12 saw with "See, 
this is much better than the one in Home Depot for $35."  And I bring 
home a plane, "Hey, look at this...a couple hours work and it'll be 
better than those $70 planes at Home Depot and I only paid $15 for 
it."   

And so it goes, Erik and the truth is, I'm getting better tools for 
almost no money relative to what it would cost me to buy in hardware 
stores.  Last weekend I bought 4 planes, a brace, an eggbeater drill 
and a push drill.  Total cost was, I believe $75.  My wife didn't 
even bat an eye even when I said "I bought the push drill just cuz it 
was so cool." :-)

> Thank you for the secret hand shake!

[whisper mode on]...I first read about these 'techniques' on the 
Galoots website :-)

http://homepage.mac.com/galoot_9/survive.html

-- 
Cheers --- Larry Marshall
Quebec City, QC