Anti-argh.

EdFred

Taxi to Parking
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Feb 25, 2005
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White Chocolate
This is like the opposite of the Garmin GPS saga.

Last week I started cutting up a tree on the neighbors property that died and fell towards mine, with about 10' of it crossing the property line. He comes out and helps me pile up the branches I'm taking off the trunk. After a bunch of cutting, it's apparent the chain needs to be filed and sharpened. He says he might have a file in the garage and goes to get it. Wrong size, and he says come on over and see if we can find it. While in the garage, I'm looking around at what's there and he mentions he has to be out by May 1. (Long story, parent's house, no will, probate/foreclosure property) He starts telling me he's going to just pack up some clothes in a duffel bag and head west and I should make an offer on what's in the garage.

I'm looking around, and there's a Kennedy tool chest completely filled with (mostly machinist) tools. 6-8 metal toolboxes also filled with a tools. A peg board wall - again filled. Bench grinders, vices, hoses, extension cords, drills, saws, sanders, compressors, air tools, on and on and on. There's a handful of things that I don't have that would be nice to have, but without looking too close, I have no idea what the lot of stuff would be worth. I don't want to be a dick, but I don't really want to let go of a bunch of money either.

I say, "I don't know, I'm really only willing to spend about $1000 right now, and a lot of this I don't really need." He says he has a guy from the pawn shop coming the next day but doesn't think he will get that much of an offer from the guy, but $1000 might be a bit short. I'm about to just go back home and he says $1500 and I can have everything in the house and on the property. If it can be removed from the property, it's mine for fifteen hundred. He says come on in the house, and is showing me the furniture (yuck) and some other odds and ends, and then shows me two muzzleloaders - one new, one old. Mine if I want them. I say everything for $1500? Yep. I say sure, we can probably do that.

I bring by the cash the next day, and load up 3 truck beds full of the above tools, along with the guns, a crap ton of camp gear, hunting gear, kerosene heater, fridge, camp stove, Coleman lanterns, oil lamps, tree stands, chains and pulleys for yanking engines, the list goes on. Open up a couple rooms I hadn't looked in the day before, and make off with an antique (weighs probably 150lbs) cash register, a few tables, bows, arrow, waders, fishing rods, fishing reels, oh, and a fishing boat plus trailer, and a motorcycle.

I haven't even begun to inventory what I got, but I figure even at craigslist prices I'm near the 5 figure mark. Sometimes you just have to find the right seller.

Oh, about the only thing I didn't get - a file that fit the chain on my chainsaw - which is what we went looking for in the first place.
 
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and then shows me two muzzleloaders - one new, one old. Mine if I want them. I say everything for $1500? Yep. I say sure, we can probably do that.

What? No background check? How do we know he hasn't just armed some crazy person?:yikes:
 
aught to pay for the new cylinders...
 
Nice score. Yeah, looks like you got the cylinders paid for! Cool.
 
a bum deal for your neighbor, jackpot for you! keep us (me) posted on shtuff u might want to get rid of for dirt-cheap! ;)
 
What? No background check? How do we know he hasn't just armed some crazy person?:yikes:

Most muzzleloaders wouldn't need a background check anyway.. Even the ATF figures you'd be crazy to use one to do something stupid :D
 
The machinist's tools could be worth a considerable sum. Have you priced that stuff lately?
 
I hate you. No, no, that's not right. I really hate you. Well, no that's not it either. I am green with envy and hate you. Jusch, I just can't get this right. See, you were supposed to call me, immediately and tell me about this windfall. Because you didn't, we are forever enemies and I will forever regard you with disdain and loathing. :devil:

j/k... Nice score, I really am envious.:yikes:
 
Wow!!! Was anything put in writing? My spidey sense is screaming "statute of frauds!" But it's probably just jealousy. Amazing score. You must have done something good in a prior life. Enjoy the booty!
 
Most muzzleloaders wouldn't need a background check anyway.. Even the ATF figures you'd be crazy to use one to do something stupid :D


Hell, a collector in New Jersey was arrested, I think, for having a 250-year old muzzle loading pistol, unloaded as it's a collectible, in his glove compartment.
 
We can only hope probate catches up with him and reverses everything.:mad2::wink2:

muuuuaaahahhahhahahhaaaaaa!!!!!!
 
Hey Ed,

I hope you don't find out the neighbor had no right to sell that stuff after you are visited by the sheriff.
 
Hell, a collector in New Jersey was arrested, I think, for having a 250-year old muzzle loading pistol, unloaded as it's a collectible, in his glove compartment.

Michigan law is not as insane as that of New Joisey.
 
Hey Ed,

I hope you don't find out the neighbor had no right to sell that stuff after you are visited by the sheriff.

Everything that I bought belonged to the son, or was not wanted by the other siblings. The parents have been deceased for over a year, and the only thing to go to probate is the house/land. I have a bill of sale/receipt and a lot of the tools have the initials of the son on it. So I'm good. Plus, no serial numbers on anything except the bike. So if they want to take the bike, I won't argue about that at all.
 
Quite a haul. There's a story of a (now dead) sporting good chain that lasted for decades around here that started off by the owner buying a crap-ton of unwanted fishing flies, cheap.

Sounds like you're ready to go into the Pawn Shop business. :)
 
If there's a set of hand reamers you want to part with, put a number on 'em and shoot me a pm.
 
Anti-argh indeed! Congrats on the sweet deal. I feel bad for the neighbor though.
 
Congrats!:D
I was in Destin last fall when a neighbor mentioned to my wife that she needed to get rid of her father's guns, he has Alzheimer's and they are afraid of what he might do or that his caregivers might steal them. I went to look at them, thinking there'd be a rusty old .38 and a 12 gauge shotgun. I was WRONG:D
Long story, short, 10 long guns, including two SKS's, 2 .22's, 2 pump shotguns, a very nice 30.06 and a couple others. 9 pistols including a nice Python.:D
I paid her $1500.00 and she was glad to get rid of them. :D
 
Nice haul. You'll earn your keep sorting and selling, but still pretty great.

Time for a fly in garage sale!
 
Starting to inventory:

Reamers, cutters, tap sets, drill bits
Air tools and accessories.
Calipers and indicators
I will add more as I get through everything.
Gage pins and blocks and die blocks

"We've only just begun..."
 

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Pretty amazing Ed. Also good that you have the time to spend on it all. Sometimes deals just work out right.
 
Pretty amazing Ed. Also good that you have the time to spend on it all. Sometimes deals just work out right.

Oh I haven't even scratched the surface. As I dig through the stuff, I think they didn't bother to look for tools they had, and just got new ones. As I go through it I'm organizing. I have one 3 drawer/open top tool box that's filled with just screwdrivers and Allen wrenches. Another that's filled with files rasps and wire brushes. I have never seen so many punches in on place. Every tool box I open seems like it has at least 20 of them in it. I've been at it since Friday at 3.
 
My next door neighbor Hank was like that. He'd had multiple bypass surgeries and somehow he thought it would be OK to try to climb the dunes of Michigan one summer day. . .When they opened his garage it was filled to the brim and many items he had 3 or 4 or more of. Who needs 3 cherry bomb exhausts? There was one tiny aisle that he used to get from front to back and everything else was stacked with all manner of stuff.

The auction netted nearly $20k IIRC.
 
Did you end up with any of the machines to use the machine tools, or are you going to eBay them?
 
Looks like you're all set for that next 1000hr gear AD....
 
Did you end up with any of the machines to use the machine tools, or are you going to eBay them?

No. The only tools I got that plugged into the wall were an air compressor, a couple bench grinders, belt and "mouse" sanders, and drills.

I honestly have no idea what some of this stuff is worth. Though most of the hand tools are "meh" in the name department.
 
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