Thrift store donation, scrap weight, other ideas for old tools??

[MatBirch]

I know it’s been discussed before, sorry.
I’ve been through it with my own stuff many times over the years after collecting umpteen hand-me-downs, sets missing a couple, inheriting some, etc.
This time, I just had to clean out my dad’s shop. Toolbox after toolbox, after cigar box, after coffee cans, after... of hand tools. Nothing collectible, nothing valuable, most is incomplete sets. Not just sockets and wrenches though- speed squares, razor scrapers, hammers, files... dear god! Anybody need files?
Any ideas??

Other than keeping all the 10mm

Tools are like guns. It’s way better to collect than part with. I just don’t know if I could bring myself to trash them, even for scrap price. But I know the thrift stores are likely to just toss them as well. Kids today don’t seem to want them. (I have way more than enough for my kids already)

I’ve already assembled the kit for the rv, the kit for the house, the kit for the pickup, how much is too much to keep, only to go through it ten more times over the years? I don’t know that I’d have much luck selling the lot, and I’m not about to try to piece-meal sell it on CL.

 

[nadogail]

Find a Vocational Ed Instructor, there will always be a student who is in need of tools to start a job.

 

[rickpaulos]

Locally we have options:

Restore store. Run by Habitat for Humanity. They take donations of all sorts of building materials and tools.

Matthew 25. Local group that has a tool library for checkout.

Goodwill or Salvation Army stores.

Local dog rescue shelter that runs garage sales for fund raising.

 

[kaymccampbell]

You could try your hand at old tool art.

 

[labonbjones]

Our neighborhood has a Facebook Group. Whenever I'm trying to get rid of stuff I post it on their and usually it's gone within the hour. If you don't live in town this wont' be a good option.

 

[LeonardY]

I just made my nephew a tool bag of good quality tools from all the acquired stuff. I put together another bag and gave it to my niece. Nothing pink.

I like to find people who could use it and just give to them. I've got some younger coworkers that I have given tools to. Neighbor's kids that are moving out. And so on.

 

[GMCGarage]

use craigslist or facebook marketplace, offer them for a few bucks or free.

 

[ssdave]

Put the whole pile in your garage or driveway, spread out so people can somewhat see what it is. Take a few pictures, put the whole lot up on Facebook or Craigslist for $200, $400, $600 or whatever it seems like a good value with the stipulation that it is all or nothing. Make sure the price is where someone can make money on it. One of the perpetual yard sale, flea market, or ebay sellers will buy the lot from you. It might take a few days, and you'll have to fend off the people that want to come dig through and cherry pick the pile instead.

 

[Richard Cranium]

Here in the Yakima valley we have a group who takes old tools and gives them to Vets.

 

[Stuart in MN]

The Habitat for Humanity ReStore is one good choice. Another thought - check to see if there's a tool library in your area: https://wsra.net/tool-library/ They allow people to check out tools, just like a regular book library. It appears there are several of them in the general Seattle area.

 

[pancho400cid]

Don't put it for free as that gives you a whole new (and much lower) class of clientele.

Sell it as a lot as suggested. In your ad, stress multiple times, in no uncertain terms, that you will NOT break up the lot and sell individual items.

Accept that the first question out of 99/100 respondents will be "Will you break up the lot, and sell individual items?".

Good luck!


...

 

[pi_guy]

I am running into a similar question I have a pile of tools and related stuff that I would give away. Want it to go to someone who will use it not hustle it and sell it off. Being here on LI poses a great divide most high school kids don't care. Most gas stations with mechanical shops are converting to stores. The manufacturing facilities are going else where we had quite a few in town, now we are getting a movie studio where Publisher's Clearing House was.
So I guess they will sit.

 

[ssdave]

I am running into a similar question I have a pile of tools and related stuff that I would give away. Want it to go to someone who will use it not hustle it and sell it off. Being here on LI poses a great divide most high school kids don't care. Most gas stations with mechanical shops are converting to stores. The manufacturing facilities are going else where we had quite a few in town, now we are getting a movie studio where Publisher's Clearing House was.
So I guess they will sit.

It's not intuitively obvious, but the absolute best way to make sure your stuff will go to someone who will use it and take care of it is to sell it to someone who resells stuff. You give it away, it has no value to the recipient, and they will trash it, leave it out in the rain, trade it for drugs, leave it out to be stolen, etc. because they don't see a value to it.

Sell it to a reseller who can milk every penny out of it to make a decent profit, and it will go to someone who pays top dollar, and will only buy it if they have an intent to do something with it, and take care of it.

Same principle of welfare vs employment assistance. You give someone a free handout, they have very little incentive to work and get themselves out of poverty. Give someone a job, hold them responsible for good work and performance, and work with them to learn good work habits, and they will generally work themselves up out of poverty. Always seems like the kindest thing is to give someone a handout, but making them value what they receive because they have a stake in it is much sounder principle.

 

[dreamingmuscle]

Yeah I'd reach out to a flea market guy that will buy it all at one time. He'll sell what he can and scrap the rest. Not as much money for you but much less headache.

Glen

 

[MatBirch]

I don’t need money out of them. I NEED them out of my way. Lol. I WANT someone to get some use out of them. I’ll keep looking around and see if I can find somebody’s kid who will at least fake interest.

 

[pi_guy]

It's not intuitively obvious, but the absolute best way to make sure your stuff will go to someone who will use it and take care of it is to sell it to someone who resells stuff. You give it away, it has no value to the recipient, and they will trash it, leave it out in the rain, trade it for drugs, leave it out to be stolen, etc. because they don't see a value to it.

Sell it to a reseller who can milk every penny out of it to make a decent profit, and it will go to someone who pays top dollar, and will only buy it if they have an intent to do something with it, and take care of it.

Same principle of welfare vs employment assistance. You give someone a free handout, they have very little incentive to work and get themselves out of poverty. Give someone a job, hold them responsible for good work and performance, and work with them to learn good work habits, and they will generally work themselves up out of poverty. Always seems like the kindest thing is to give someone a handout, but making them value what they receive because they have a stake in it is much sounder principle.

I don't think there are flea markets any more in the area of LI I am in and all the ones my wife setup at in NYC were all crafty stuff no tools.
But someone offered to take me to lunch and have me tell motorsports stories, I counter offered I will tell stories but you do work in my garden I will buy lunch and give you a pile of old tools. So we are looking at dates and I am making a work to be done list.
so I might have a solution

 

[mercifiknow]

We donate A LOT. We used to donate exclusively to Thrift Stores but they charge a small amount for things. I don’t know why I didn’t think about it before but I didn’t.

I try and donate to those who never had anything or lost everything and have no money. Lots of people out there like that, that don’t have 2 pennies to rub together.



Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[rayra]

Find a Vocational Ed Instructor, there will always be a student who is in need of tools to start a job.

This. Donate them to a training program or find the last high school with a shop class.

/and the OP should punch himself for even considering turning tools into scrap. Nye kulturny Barbarianski!

 

[Auctionhunter]

delete - why can't I delete this myself? It is my post.