Identify Desirable Items Before Estate Sale

[GalaxieFan]

My uncle died in March, and collected so much stuff that my aunt is overwhelmed with it all. He was a retired shop teacher, and dabbled in many things. She is having some estate auction company come in later this month to go through everything.

We went to visit her yesterday. I started going through some of the stuff he collected over the years. Thanks to my time spent on this forum and others I was able to further separate/identify some tools I recognize as potentially desirable. He has things still in the original boxes/packaging that have never been used before, like Wiss snips, all metal, no cushion or dipped grips. Names/tools I saw include 3 SK Wayne branded metal boxes with ratchets, extensions, sockets etc. Some 3/4" drive Snap On stuff, Wright blade saw

, Billings, Indestro, Vlchek, Herbrand, Kraeuter, Lectrolite, Jorgensen. I'm forgetting things. There is also a ton of less desirable HF and other cheap Taiwan/China made stuff too, although some looked kind of interesting.

An old Craftsman toolbox with actual drawer pulls, I'm guessing from the 60's. There are some metal Milwaukee tools, I thought I saw an electric Souix something or other, a portable spot welder in a case, and Ford scripted tools that will stay with the model A (went to my cousin and her husband, they didn't know those tools were there). Didn't even get to the vises/anvils or fishing tackle, or the Ford GPWs (think Willys WWII, he has 2 out back), the Mercer boat he built according to his brother. Just literally tons of stuff!

I'm going back down there this week to help her out before the estate people come in. I'd rather identify some desirable items, clean them up to make them more presentable if possible, or even try to sell some for her than have the estate people get paid. What are some other potentially desirable names/items to be on the lookout for when weeding/separating the pile? Looks like I picked the right time to have 3 weeks of vacation...

 

[metaldad]

 

[GalaxieFan]

I didn't have my phone or a camera with me. I'll get some pictures when I go back. She is 3 hours away.

 

[Marc Benjamin]

Unless you plan playing a real long game of online merchant and/or your aunt is really really really hard up on money, I'd suggest you just let the Estate people do their thing and liquidate all that junky stuff if they're gonna be there anyway.

Sure pick out stuff for you but man, trying to sell the stuff that we talk about here's not really that fast and easy. I'm afraid if you separate out a whole bunch in hopes of selling it yourself, your wife and might end up having the same problem down the road.

Thinking about it some more, I'd do somethng else with a three week vacation!

 

[mmack66]

At the least, I'd probably go for the S-K and Snap-On stuff, as that stuff should be easy to sell. No sense letting someone else sell it for pennies on the dollar.

 

[ecotec]

If your aunt lets you, you should cherry pick the hell out of those tools.

 

[GalaxieFan]

Unless you plan playing a real long game of online merchant and/or your aunt is really really really hard up on money, I'd suggest you just let the Estate people do their thing and liquidate all that junky stuff if they're gonna be there anyway.

Sure pick out stuff for you but man, trying to sell the stuff that we talk about here's not really that fast and easy. I'm afraid if you separate out a whole bunch in hopes of selling it yourself, your wife and might end up having the same problem down the road.

Thinking about it some more, I'd do something else with a three week vacation!

Well, I wasn't going to spend the entire three weeks doing this! I know it isn't like bag it and tag it and done in one day.

My wife already says I'm that bad when it comes to computer junk. Looking at the sheer volume of stuff he has acquired over his lifetime, I'm going to have to really make a determined effort to weed out my own junk.

I'll just go by gut and anything questionable I can always post pics. At the end of the day, the stuff is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it anyway.

 

[GalaxieFan]

At the least, I'd probably go for the S-K and Snap-On stuff, as that stuff should be easy to sell. No sense letting someone else sell it for pennies on the dollar.

That's more along the lines of what I had in mind. I personally would like the SK stuff. But I'm not going to screw them over to get it either.

 

[ArtDeco]

Most items in estate sales around here go for more than what they're worth. Some less but usually it evens out after the company takes their cut.

I would have someone knowledgeable come over before and cherry pick for you so you can pull aside and research later.

You can't squeeze EVERY dollar out unless you list individually in different types of online sites. It would take forever. A lot of your better paying customers flip and need something on the bone or else they wouldn't show up.

Hopefully the company is known and has good advertisements/turnout. ou can cut out a lot of the middle men.

 

[Bryan Burns]

Organize all the tools the best you can and it will be much easier for the estate sale company to price the tools. You'll find the keepers in the process too.

Savvy estate sale companies know the difference between Snap-on and Chinese junk and will price the Snap-on items accordingly as long as they can find them easily. Clean the tools too. If they're buried in a box and quite dirty, lots of people will just ignore them. (Although for me, the dirtier the better. I've gotten many a Starrett square for pennies on the dollar because the name wasn't visible, or it was barely visible.)

 

[Marc Benjamin]

(Although for me, the dirtier the better. I've gotten many a Starrett square for pennies on the dollar because the name wasn't visible, or it was barely visible.)

Ever bring some pine tar with you? Lol

 

[GalaxieFan]

Thank you all for your input. Much appreciated.

 

[bluebolt]

How about a presale day for GJ guys and gals?