Successful strategy for selling father’s lifetime of tools

[GMCGarage]

My father recently passed. He has 65 years of tools and miscellaneous that now must go.
He was a quality contractor. I imagine some of these items, ‘you don’t find the quality these days’ . Items are in New York

Find a young family, friend, etc that is into hobbies, home owner, etc and make them a deal. Let it go to someone you know and will use htem.

 

[HoosierBuddy]

To the OP....without a couple of pictures or a description of what is included, I wouldn't be able to hazard a guess.

I've been through this a couple of times recently, although not with tools so much.

First thing I would do would be to get the heirs to look at the items and see who might have a want or need for any of it. Try to get rid of as much of it as possible my divvying it up among the heirs. Then bring in other relatives who are not heirs and see what they might want.

If you're going to do an auction, that will likely be for all items not just tools. After going through that process a couple of years back, I was left with thinking it was sort of a waste of (our) time. The auction service fees ate up most of the revenue from the auction. I wouldn't go that route again. Going through that process delayed getting the house empty and on the market by a couple of months. The taxes, utilities and missed interest (based on the home's eventual selling price) for those 2 months was more than the heirs received from the proceeds of the auction.

FB Marketplace or a yardsale would be a better way....but you'd have to find someone who is willing to do all that work.

In both cases I've been involved with, tons of valuable items ended up donated to Goodwill and lots more ended up in dumpsters with distant heirs saying "I can't believe you gave this away and threw that away"....but those that are actually doing the work just flat out exhausted from it and a little put out by criticism from those that will get a share of the proceeds but aren't doing any of the work.

 

[Paco Pena]

For God's sakes man this is Garage Journal! If you don't keep them all and have 7 of everything you won't fit in here. Take a road trip with the truck and pick everything up. I have tools from my grandfather.

Paco

 

[Drkuhar]

I've been to a couple in my area (Central Illinois) were they had a cherry picked garage sale one weekend with the bigger more valuable items , next weekend was a pay what you think it worth free for all with a drop box for people to put money in , no haggling or pricing. People took boxes of stuff cause they could get it for a dollar. Guy said it was one of the best sales they had

 

[wolfhawk73]

I am very sorry for your loss and am familiar with your dilemma.

I went through this with Dad's passing a little over 3 years ago. I took what I didn't want or already have to Habitat or gave items to friends that needed them. That still left a ton of stuff to go through. The only items I sold were the table saw, power washers, and lawn care power equipment. I used the proceeds to upgrade to newer versions.

Looking back, it almost wasn't worth the effort. All I did was add stuff to my collection that I'll probably never use. It was many weekends of work for a couple of years. Dad left Mom very well-off, so the better decision would have been to call someone to come make an offer on everything and let them haul it away.

Best of luck.

 

[nicks78camaro]

Can we see some good pictures of what there is? Someone here may very well be interested.

 

[NUTTSGT]

OP hasn't been around since a few hours of starting thread. IP checks out for outside the USA.

Thread closed... OP can PM me about reopening thread upon return.