CptedIV wrote:What is a good place to get locks for free, cheap?
You can get them really cheap at car boot sales and markets; I've heard of people getting them at charity shops aswell. You can also try online... just put an ad up somewhere asking for old locks that people don't need anymore. You can get some really good deals. Try ebay too, I get a lot of my stuff on there.
To buy a brand new cylinder in a locksmiths or hardware store here costs anything between £7-20 and up, depending on what it is, but you'll pay £20 tops at the market/online sometimes for an entire box of them. If you get a bunch which are the same you can always trade with other pickers, so don't pass up a job lot if you can get your hands on one.
Also try local locksmiths... they replace a lot of cylinders and will usually have a few collecting dust in the back of the van or around the shop which they'll happily give to you. Be nice and give them something for the trouble though, after all they're doing you a favour. It's common for them to take the pins out and scrap the rest, so they won't usually have a lot lying around - but you can get lucky sometimes. Get chatting to a couple and see if they'll keep some for you.
Happy hunting!
