What is it with old people and empty tool cases?

[The Rusty Gear]

I went to an estate sale on the weekend and the guy had been colecting tools for such a long time his basement was packed full of goodies. To my delight I found FOUR metal boxes with either "Gray" or "Gray Bonney" on them. Full of hope I'd pick up each case, to find it EMPTY! What a tease! I checked evey one of his MANY toolboxes and only found a handful of gray sockets, so he probably bought the boxes empty (he was crazy about garage sales his son told me)

So close and yet so far to scoring some Gray Tools!

 

[fordracing200]

Idk why, but I saved all my craftsman and whichever other toolset plastic blow molded cases in the attic of my garage....haha, maybe its the OCD in me coming out? Idk..I should toss them..

 

[The Rusty Gear]

Idk why, but I saved all my craftsman and whichever other toolset plastic blow molded cases in the attic of my garage....haha, maybe its the OCD in me coming out? Idk..I should toss them..

But would you BUY an empty case? You at least have the contents kicking around somewhere . . . . Not this guy (I was there right when the sale opened)

 

[tw33k2514]

I always keep the cases tools come in. Just in case I want to sell them. I feel this gives me an edge over other sellers. People love when stuff comes in original packaging.

But would you BUY an empty case? You at least have the contents kicking around somewhere . . . . Not this guy (I was there right when the sale opened)

thats retarded...at least have the tools they are for... jeesh

 

[fordracing200]

hahaha, no I definitly wouldn't buy one...I dont' even know why I have the ones that came full of tools...haha

 

[Danglerb]

If you had a few garage sales of your own you would know whats happened. People will buy some larger sized cheap item and stuff it full of expensive things. Another trick is that one person breaks the set, buys one or two sockets they claim to have found loose, then later you get a low ball offer on the incomplete set of sockets, or all the sockets get dumped in a box with other items and the original metal box is left behind.

Yard sales the buyer is often the experienced professional, and the seller the one time amateur.

OTOH amateurs sometimes offer to buy a toolbox without looking in it. Good way to buy the Grandkids rock collection instead of tools.

 

[caper]

If it was an estate sale maybe some relatives already took the tools.Not everything gets sold in public,sometimes the relatives get first pick.

 

[Rickster]

The family of the dead guy is asked to go through the house and take whatever they want prior to the estate sale. The estate sale guys want everything for sale and not have to keep track of stuff not for sale. I've been first in the door and found work rooms with a bandsaw and tablesaw and no hand tools... or a retangular dustmark on the floor where the toolbox was.

 

[Bolster]

I'm old, and I like empty tool cases.

You may not understand when you're young. But when you're old, you begin to appreciate how much easier they are to carry.

 

[rsanter]

1 he bought the set new and over the years some of the stuff got lost, stolen, borrowed, or broken. at some point you just stuff the rest in the roolaway

2 he bought (or was given) the set used and incomplete and the tools went into the rollaway and the box sat around or was used for something else.

3 the guy is a pacrat and found or was given the empty case to add to his collection of junk

bob

 

[fatfillup]

I see them for sale on CL all the time

 

[72chevy]

I have limited space for storing stuff in my little two-car so shelf space reserved for TOOLS not empty tool cases. If their not being used, they go.
Theirs a local CL posting that has a dozen or so empty cases. No value, no takers.

 

[Frank Elson]

You leave us old guys alone. We have reaso

 

[Mr.Nutcase]

lol... old farts........ lol

 

[Bolster]

You leave us old guys alone. We have reaso

I think Frank nodded off in the middle of his sentence...

 

[jay50]

Flea market scammers buy up these old wrench cases and load them up with cheap HF **** and hope no one notices when they **** them on the sale.

 

[snapmom]

I think the tools dissappear over time, and then the boxes are used to store misc items. I have a old wood tool box that I purchased that had a lot of junk in it, I store washers in it now.

 

[Frank Elson]

I think Frank nodded off in the middle of his sentence...

...and you are?
...where am I...

 

[The Rusty Gear]

3 the guy is a pacrat and found or was given the empty case to add to his collection of junk

bob

BINGO! If you saw this guys garage and basement . . . WOW How many 40 year old 3/4" incomplete socket sets does one man need?!

His son was operating the Estate / Garage sale out of the house and told me the VAST collection really only started 5-6 years ago when he started getting obsessive.