I just did an estate sale, several kits and a few ARFs, chargers and even a couple of new in box 72 meg 7 ch. radios. I would like to know where all the fellows engines went, he had a garage full of high end stuff but not an engine to be found other then a few 1/2As. The flutterbugs as John calls them are a great source of new stuff. if you are looking for entery level items. A new trainer with all support gear usually runs about $100.00. My bread and butter has always been the club auctions. You really need to know what you are doing at these sometimes but for the most part it is a good source.
Over the decades I have been given a lot of items. This is good for me but I rebuild engines so an old engine is fine as long as it's one of the high end brands and worth a rebuild. Just because somethng ooks bad doesn't mean it is though, it means it probably is. I'll tack on a photo to help. Someone gave me what he thought was a YS .91. I really needed one. He said he had never tried to start it and it looked really bad. When he handed me the box it said YS 1.20FZ!!! This was the better of the 1.20s. I Didn't even open the box, I just said my thanks. When I got home I discovered JB weld all over the case. At some point the case was cracked but someone did a repair. When I opened the engin to inspect I found the repair on the inside was perfect, just looked like hell on the outside but for a reason. After a complete check out I fired it up, it ran perfect and someone had giving it a rebuild. It's the best running YS in my YS stable. And free!! My point is, don't refuse anything offered to you. Sometimes there is a silk purse that just needs dusting off! I do a lot of trading and bartering so I don't get burnt too often but it can happen. Look at the case on the side of the YS, anyone would tell you this engine is shot and useless!! I would have never given anyone any money for it myself.