New Old Radiators

These weigh 400 lbs each. They cost us $18 bucks per fin. We need to replace three radiators (so, like, 26 total fins). Each home has a particular type installed, so you can't just pick any old one up at yer local salvage yard. You have to do your homework. In other words, they are an expensive pain in the ass...a pain in the ass that could've been avoided if the previous owner had simply drained them before turning them off, but that's yesterday's news. Here we are today, dealing with this pain that we've been putting off for several months now.

So back to the $18 bucks per fin. I pride myself on my successful haggling skills. I once picked up a lovely 1890 Eastlake chair at a flea market for $60 less than the $100 asking price. I was confident going into the radiator negotiation that I'd get the guy down to $12. At least. Then my husband delivered the bad news, in the form of an eavesdropped conversation between salvage yard guy and another sad sack trying to pick up some radiators on the cheap, mere weeks before snow fly (like us):

Sad Sack: "$18 bucks per fin! Ya gotta be crazy! They were, like, $10 bucks last time I got one!"

Salvage Guy: "Yeah, well when was that?"

Sad Sack: "Oh, about 1989."

Salvage Guy: "Yeah, well if you got a time machine then you can go back to 1989 and get 'em for $10. Today, they're $18."

Sad Sack didn't have a time machine. Neither did we.