Old Timer Lookin to Downsize Large Professional Shop

[Tractorable]

Got an old timer here in Virginia who’s looking to downsize and sell off most of his equipment. Former professional welder and pipe fitter with tons of professional welding and metal working equipment. 82 years old, had a stroke last year and lost mobility in his arm. Can’t run the weed eater anymore and nature is taking over all the outdoor equipment.

Off the top of my head he’s got an old international tractor, cub cadet riding mowers, four wheeler, high end MIG and TIG welders, plasma cutters, lots of smaller welders, Chevy flat bed shop truck with Bobcat welder and tools, lathe, drill presses, Wilton vices, diesel generator welders, tons of round bar stock, iron working machine that bends half inch plate like nothing, 5 ton crane, band saws, sand blaster, and on and on.

How do you reckon is the best way for a feller to get rid of all this stuff late in life?

Some pics

 

[RustyA]

If he can stand it emotionally a specialty auction for welders and machinists live would be best. I've seen online auctions for specialized stuff go for 10% of what it's worth. I've attended live auctions for the same tools and they bring almost new prices. Old stuff is much higher quality... especially vices for instance.

 

[stevem5215]

Farm and Dairy Auction would work.

Ohio Auctions, Pennsylvania Auctions, West Virginia Auctions

Get access to auctions in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia for farm equipment, antique and household .

www.farmanddairy.com

 

[5030]

I'd start with a garage sale for the small stuff and then Facebook Marketplace and then contact Sandhills (Tractor House) for the big stuff. They just don't sell tractors, the sell everything.

 

[dstig1]

My experience with online auction s is that they are great for sellers and not so great for buyers. It is super easy to bid on something from your couch, but showing up on the day of an auction requires commitment. I would say the opposite of RustyA's input, but we all have our own experiences. Around here there are a few auction houses that went full-on into the online thing, and I have mainly given up looking to buy from them as there are never any bargains. I've seen it happen where stuff sells more than new live too, but at least there you have a chance as they have to be present on the day to bid.

Look more for a Farm auction place or one that deals in equipment regularly for the best audience/return. A few of the places around here run a periodic "Machinery consignment auction" every few months. That would be the kind of place you want to find.

 

[CalG]

Advertising on a tractor form is always a good start!

 

[TripleS]

Pm me the price of the truck as pictured

 

[mikester]

Online auction with buyer's premiums seems to be the going thing these days around here.

Like dstig1 said they are heavily geared towards sellers. I refuse to go to these auctions as a buyer because they end up being overly expensive after all the fees and taxes and new with warranty becomes cost effective.

 

[K5lwq]

It also depends on how fast he wants to move everything. A estate sale might get rid of a good bit of it. Or if he has an amount in his head that he would like to get for everything, someone may would just take it all. I have done that a few times over the years. Just make an offer on everything and keep what I want and sell the rest.

 

[Ken]

This is a constant problem when trying to downsize the daily activity.
I'm cleaning out my tractor shed and no one is willing to pay. What I'm thinking is worth selling.
So load on the trailer and haul to salvage.
I don't want a bunch of lookers on the property and then get the midnight thief to come in and take what he wants.
Lost a pick-up this way. tools and spare parts.missing.
Being realistic. It is worn out or would have been used?
Have placed items on the side of the road for sale, got tired of looking at it then loaded on trailers.
The labor to get anything repaired out ways the new cost.
An example. Uncle worked on and rebuilt Ford cars. and owned a building
filled with "T"'"A" and other's after passing the son's never spent any time in his shop.donated the shop to a antique club. Just to git rid of having to do it themsevles.
To sum up this if no one wants it load it. most likly the family doesn't care.
ken

 

[NoTrespassing]

My paternal grandmother's wish was to never have an auction at her house whether she was alive or otherwise. When she passed at 92, my father, her only child, hired a company to haul everything to an auction house including her car. I was at the auction and it was painful to watch everything go for what I considered pennies on the dollar.

 

[tacticalturnip]

That's absolutely heartbreaking.

 

[5030]

Fact of life...........

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

I think of this every day. Finally at 70 have everything I could ever want, but the older I get the faster time flies. Weeks go by like days used to it seems like. So much stuff accumulated but younger people don't seem to want it.
If someone has the time and inclination ebay he would get the most for lots of stuff, local pickup only. Certainly check with local estate auctions.
Imagine if we lived to be 200-300 years old!

 

[Tractorable]

I went down to a local mechanic shop where I’m friends with the owner. He likes old stuff but said his business consultant told him to get rid of all the old equipment and get out of fabrication all together. Apparently, doing a lot of quick brake jobs pays more than fabrication and fixing old equipment.

 

[tacticalturnip]

Fact of life...........

You're not wrong about that.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

I'll think this over. I have done it for an old fella. We sold 9 tons of welding rods, still in the 50 # metal boxes. That was just the welding rods.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

I went down to a local mechanic shop where I’m friends with the owner. He likes old stuff but said his business consultant told him to get rid of all the old equipment and get out of fabrication all together. Apparently, doing a lot of quick brake jobs pays more than fabrication and fixing old equipment.

And the consultant has never been dirty before. Think about where this advice comes from.

 

[iptman]

I went down to a local mechanic shop where I’m friends with the owner. He likes old stuff but said his business consultant told him to get rid of all the old equipment and get out of fabrication all together. Apparently, doing a lot of quick brake jobs pays more than fabrication and fixing old equipment.

Sounds a lot like a buddy of mine who's shop is in Bealeton. Same guy?

I've bought from rasmus.com auctions and they seem to know what they're doing. That said, I'd very much like to go have a look at what he's trying to get rid of before it hits an auction house.

 

[Pecosbill7]

I think of this every day. Finally at 70 have everything I could ever want, but the older I get the faster time flies. Weeks go by like days used to it seems like. So much stuff accumulated but younger people don't seem to want it.
If someone has the time and inclination ebay he would get the most for lots of stuff, local pickup only. Certainly check with local estate auctions.
Imagine if we lived to be 200-300 years old!

My situation exactly! I never would’ve understood this when I was younger, as I was a wheeler dealer who relished getting full price or more for something I picked up cheap and used until I no longer needed it. Today I look at my accumulated “stuff” and realize that I do NOT want my kids and grandkids to have to deal with me leaving them a mess. I also realize that it’s just “stuff” and getting top dollar on it is a far distant second to the welcome feeling of just having it gone. I have been getting rid of the “stuff” I no longer use at prices that make a younger buyer feel like they have really gotten a bargain while I benefit from seeing someone else’s eyes light up at the prospect of getting a bargain. The real trick for me is to not get rid of something I may still need before I depart this earth!