Lump returns from that auction mentioned yesterday (PIC HEAVY)

[Lump]

I'm back home now from today's auction, which I had mentioned in my other post yesterday. The online auction-listing photos made it look like the old gentleman owner of this estate must have been a hoarder, who also liked tools. Well that turned out to be an understatement! I heard that he had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease, and so lots of stuff was in terrible condition. But as I had hoped, prices were very, very reasonable, and there were some nice items in there. I found myself being much more tight-fisted than usual (since prices were staying low all day, and since I have bought a LOT of stuff lately), but I still ended up winning a lot of stuff.

I didn't have time to take as many photos as I would have liked, and my flash wasn't strong enough for the indoors. First photos feature general auction shots:

LOTS of junk mixed in with the few good items...and lots of stuff ruined from exposure and/or neglect:

(below) There were some decent tools hidden under some of the piles. I think a few old sharks were piling stuff up strategically, hoping that no one else would notice the good stuff.

(below) First item which caught my eye was a Wilton "bullet vise." But...was there something wrong with that vise, or....

Ooops...yeah, that's a welded repair...BIG time!

They announced several times throughout the day that the owner had worked his whole life in a foundry, so maybe the weld repair was a really good one? But I was determined not to buy a broken vise...not even a Wilton Bullet. But what a shame! There can be no doubt what color this vise had been originally...it even still had the old water-transfer factory decal on its dynamic jaw!

That Wilton went for just $16! Afterwards, I started thinking about it, and thought that maybe I should have bought it and then parted out. It might have brought more than $16 that way. So I asked the buyer if that was why he had bought it? NOPE. He told me that his son works on cars at home in his spare time, and has been complaining about not having a vise. So he bought this one for his son to work with. Hmmmm...

(Below) However, I soon saw that there were other vises there for sale. Check out the photo below, of a really small vise which was laying there. Believe it or not, it brought $12...almost as much as the Wilton Bullet. I kept expecting the buyer to return it to the auctioneer...but he just dropped it into his box and went on bidding. Later he took it home with him. But this little USA-marked vise had a real problem:

Thankfully there was yet another vise there, awaiting the auctioneer's gavel. It was a nice big Columbian machinists' vise, model 204-1/2. Being large like that, I just knew it was going to be expensive.

I checked it for cracks or missing pieces, and ran the jaws all the way open and closed. It seemed to be very good. I figured it would be expensive...especially since people were buying broken vises at this auction. But when the hammer fell, it was my vise...for $22.50! Wow.

To show you what kind of a "hoarder" this old gentleman must have been...look at his collection of gas pump parts! I'm fully aware that people collect and restore gas pumps. But this stuff was in a tiny wooden shed with a dirt floor, and a collapsed roof, wide open to the sky. Look at the pathetic condition of it all. The entire pile sold to a scrapper, for cheap!

So, what did ol' Lump buy? Only about half of what I got were tools and garage items, and that's all I'll show here. And, it's been a LONG day, and I'm beat. So for tonight, here are a couple of group photos of the garage and automotive stuff of my "haul" from this auction. I'll have to post individual tool pix some other time:

Notice the jackstand? That's a Blackhawk...still wearing its label. HEY BULL...are ya listenin? This thing is gonna look pretty good in your shop one day! And those two come-alongs in the foreground are genuine Mini-Mule USA-made units.

That big ol' Columbian vise is back there too, guarding my haul like a gargoyle on the top of an old building. I hope it's happy here!

Some of you car guys might be wondering about that round-bar Hurst Competition Plus shifter. Yes, it is an OEM unit. Not sure yet whether it is 1969-70 Camaro, or GTO. But either way, it was probably the best automotive item I bought today.

Close-up view of the "Hurst" name on the "flat" of the round-bar shifter handle. The chrome finish seems to be very good:

Final shot for tonite, below. These are some cardboard flats filled with some tools and/or nice car parts, including some very desirable parts from the muscle car era.

Ok, so now you're wondering...what did this stuff all cost? Keep in mind that tools and garage stuff were just part of what I bought. I got two antique curved-glass-and-brass counter-top display cabinets, some antique fishing tackle, LOTS of vintage car manuals and literature, car and go-kart magazines, and quite a lot of antique books. It was a very large pickup truck load overall....and I left a huge amount of stuff which I had won laying there on the ground. My total investment was $187.50! I guess I'm happy with that.

 

[btbsandman]

YOU ****!

Wished I had that type of luck at auctions.

 

[Bull]

Good grief. I have never been to such a thing, but sure would love to. What little investment for such a huge haul and, what, a couple hours of treasure hunting fun?

I recognized the label on the jack stand right away, and was wondering if you were going to mention it or try to sneak it past ol' Bully. Great find. Wish his brother or sister was still with him, but still, a great find!

 

[lwlobo]

Great score on the vise! What's the jaw size?

You buy a lot of neat stuff, Lump. Do you use it, have an efficient way to organize and store it? Or do you buy to resell? I like all the stuff you get, but it'd just end up in a huge pile in my garage, and there's already enough piles in my garage!

 

[Even 11]

Lump;

You are my hero, Very nice score on that vise!

-Dane

 

[eborcim]

Did that stuff move pretty quick? seems like those auctions around here turn into a description of every item by the auctioneer and drag the sale out.

 

[Lump]

Good grief. I have never been to such a thing, but sure would love to. What little investment for such a huge haul and, what, a couple hours of treasure hunting fun?

I recognized the label on the jack stand right away, and was wondering if you were going to mention it or try to sneak it past ol' Bully. Great find. Wish his brother or sister was still with him, but still, a great find!

Bull,
Yeah, I couldn't believe that there weren't two of them. I had to walk away for a moment, so I told my son to watch for it, in case it came up while I was gone. I got back and saw it sitting in my pile. My son said, "Had to bid while you were gone, Dad. Was $4 too much?"

 

[Lump]

Great score on the vise! What's the jaw size?

You buy a lot of neat stuff, Lump. Do you use it, have an efficient way to organize and store it? Or do you buy to resell? I like all the stuff you get, but it'd just end up in a huge pile in my garage, and there's already enough piles in my garage!

Lwlobo,
All of the above! I love the hunt, and enjoy yard sales, estate sales, flea markets, auctions, and swap meets. So I go to a lot of them, and even though most of them are worthless...sooner or later I am bound to find some bargains on goodies. And that means that too much stuff begins to accumulate. So I sell some on Garage Journal, some on eBay, some at local flea markets (just 3-4 times per year), etc. Also, I give away good tools to my brother and sons, and stock the tool boxes at my office and shop. I also am trying to build up a really great collection of superior quality tools for my own use, with little or no investment. By buying LOTS of tools, but reselling most of them, I hope to pull this off.

I also have a running 1923 Hupmobile, a dismantled 1970 Chevelle SS 454, two boats, a 1958 Ford tractor, and....well, the inventory goes on and on. These things all need maintenance and repair. So I do use my tools and equipment quite often.

On the other hand, older tools of exceptional high quality just appeal to me. I really like old vises, anvils, ratchets, wrenches, etc. The stuff just makes me smile. Other guys get their jollies on the golf course. Me...I like to hunt deer, I like to hunt pheasants, and I like to hunt old tools and car parts.

Vise jaw width is 4.5", by the way.

----------Lump

 

[Lump]

Did that stuff move pretty quick? seems like those auctions around here turn into a description of every item by the auctioneer and drag the sale out.

Eborcim,
Funny you should ask that. I told my son while this auction was happening that this auctioneer was not handling the event well, and that this would be good for buyers like us...and not so good for the estate.

The auctioneer kept announcing that if you wanted a particular item, you were welcome to just pick it up and bring it to his "block", and he would sell it for you immediately. This is GREAT for buyers, who don't have to spend their whole day at the auction waiting for a few scattered items. But the net result is that people began leaving early. Thus, items that someone had only a mild interest in were not important enough for people to stay there and wait for. Just as I predicted, by the time the auction was half way over, 70% of the buyers had left. That's why I got much of it for so little...there was so little competition! And at that point, YES, things went really fast. By the end of the day, the auctioneer was selling entire table tops of household goods for $1 apiece...to about 10 different bidders who were still on site. I resisted the temptation for this stuff, and focused on loading the items I had won.

I've learned over the years of auction going to concentrate on auctioneers...not the auction inventory (when I can). Some auctioneers drag every penny out of every little item, and keep you there all day long, and into the evening. This MIGHT be good for the estate...but a day off from work is precious to me, and I like to keep moving.

Thanks! ------Lump

 

[Lump]

Lump;

You are my hero, Very nice score on that vise!

-Dane

Dane,
I've still got your line wrenches and a few other tools here waiting for you.

 

[Scout Driver]

You ****! Especially nice deal on the vice.

Lots of desirable items there. I do spy an Olds rally wheel center cap in the midst.

Scott

 

[BJ42LX]

Last summer I went to an estate sale that had a ton of stuff. In one of the barns was a stack of about 100 license plates, some going back to 190X.

I waited and waited and waited... And waited. There was just too much stuff and the auctioneer wasn't even moving in the direction of that barn.

I would have loved to grab that box of plates and take it up front - I'd take my chances with the crowd. At least half of them were Amish, who were looking for practical home and farm items.

The auctioneer kept announcing that if you wanted a particular item, you were welcome to just pick it up and bring it to his "block", and he would sell it for you immediately. This is GREAT for buyers, who don't have to spend their whole day at the auction waiting for a few scattered items. But the net result is that people began leaving early. Thus, items that someone had only a mild interest in were not important enough for people to stay there and wait for. Just as I predicted, by the time the auction was half way over, 70% of the buyers had left. That's why I got much of it for so little...there was so little competition!

 

[2oolhound]

You got the karma Lump!

You **** too for the vise deal at least.

 

[woody 73]

Sad to see that the gentleman was not able to take care of all his old tools; I am sure in his younger days he started with the thought of having a nice collection but along the way things turned out different. It is nice to know that you are going to give those tools a nice home out of the rain and bad weather.

 

[ajchien]

Mr. Lump, thank you for posting again. I'm living vicariously through you.

Although the Wilton is nice, I agree with you. I still have buyers remorse on the one broken vise I bought.

 

[jeffmoss26]

Nice looking haul you got there!

 

[Packard V8]

That big Columbian vise is worth about what you paid for the whole truckload.

jack vines

 

[Stuart in MN]

Pete Serio at http://www.precisionpontiac.net rebuilds factory Hurst shifters, there may be some information on his website that will help you ID that one. However, I think the shifter assembly itself is somewhat universal, it's the shift rods (that I assume are missing) that make a particular shifter fit a particular car. Shift rods for some cars are being reproduced these days.

 

[Lump]

Pete Serio at http://www.precisionpontiac.net rebuilds factory Hurst shifters, there may be some information on his website that will help you ID that one. However, I think the shifter assembly itself is somewhat universal, it's the shift rods (that I assume are missing) that make a particular shifter fit a particular car. Shift rods for some cars are being reproduced these days.

Stuart,
You're right, the shifter main housing is somewhat universal, and the shift rods/bracket are missing. But I'm pretty sure that the handle itself is slightly different depending on year and application. IE: Console shifters are definitely different shaped handles than no-console models. I think that the shifter was a different length for some models too... But I'll check your buddy's site, and call my muscle-car pals and ask them too. One way or another I'm hoping to sell that shifter for enough $$ to cut way down on my investment for the whole day. One guy bought a hand-held mechanical rpm-tester from me for $17, as soon as I had won that box. I have two or three more like it, so I was happy to sell it to him. That gets me back pretty close to $170. Not too far to go to the magic "Zero!"

 

[Lump]

That big Columbian vise is worth about what you paid for the whole truckload.

jack vines

Thanks, Jack. There were some Studebaker parts in that estate too. I got a manual or two, and maybe a Lark emblem or two.

And since I know that you appreciate old things, I'll just say that you ought to see those two curved-glass-and-brass countertop display cases from an old general store. They are really nice!

I'm still following your strategy of trying to buy a bunch of tools, and sell most of them to pay for the pile, keeping just a few of them for my own collection at little or no investment. You were the first person to articulate that strategy for me, and so I quote you on it from time to time. Thanks!

 

[Even 11]

Dane,
I've still got your line wrenches and a few other tools here waiting for you.

Good to hear Lump! PM inbound!

-Dane