Lump
Well-known member
A week ago Sunday I went to an estate auction (some of you may remember me mentioning in an earlier post that the deceased owner of that estate had been a WWII combat pilot, postwar test pilot, aero-engineer, and FAA inspector, and that I had gotten some really neat vintage aircraft memorabilia, etc, at that auction). 
Anyway, I was the only real tool guy at the sale, so even though there was only a small amount of tools, I ended up getting most all of the good stuff.
I bought two out of the three tool boxes that had been sitting there. Some guy must have gotten tired of me winning the first two, cause he stepped up and would NOT allow himself to be beaten on the third one. But it was filled with only old junk and cheapo tools, so I quit bidding at $10 (tells you right there how good THAT box of stuff was!)
Other people picked up the pace and kept jacking up his bid, but they were not tool people either, and just seemed to think that if I had bought the other two, there must be some valuable stuff in there! But I had looked at every single item. NOTHING of value!
At the end of the auction, I loaded all my junk and left as quickly as I could. I was hot and tired when I got home, so I just unloaded the tool boxes into the garage, and headed for a cocktail and the Garage Journal forum in my air-conditioned computer room. It was the next day when I finally had a moment to really look things over for the first time. The main tool box I had bought was kind of rough, so I hadn't paid it much attention. Besides, the lid had been open against the wall behind his work bench, to allow inspection of contents during the auction. But when I finally examined the box with the LID CLOSED, I found at that, apparently, in addition to being a combat pilot, the old gentleman must have also been involved in drag racing! Check out the vintage decals in the following photos!
The scarred-up decal at the right side top of the lid showing the dragster on a white background is dated 1967! Next follows a backside view:
Are any of you car guys old enough to rememeber the "Wynn's Charger", and all those decals which used to be on everyone's quarter window and their tool boxes?
Above is a better photo of the top of the lid. I couldn't see this before the auction began, because it was opened up against the wall. I never thought of looking it over, cause the box was rough condition anyway.
Don't you just love it when something unexpected and GOOD happens?
Anyway, I was the only real tool guy at the sale, so even though there was only a small amount of tools, I ended up getting most all of the good stuff.
I bought two out of the three tool boxes that had been sitting there. Some guy must have gotten tired of me winning the first two, cause he stepped up and would NOT allow himself to be beaten on the third one. But it was filled with only old junk and cheapo tools, so I quit bidding at $10 (tells you right there how good THAT box of stuff was!)
Other people picked up the pace and kept jacking up his bid, but they were not tool people either, and just seemed to think that if I had bought the other two, there must be some valuable stuff in there! But I had looked at every single item. NOTHING of value! At the end of the auction, I loaded all my junk and left as quickly as I could. I was hot and tired when I got home, so I just unloaded the tool boxes into the garage, and headed for a cocktail and the Garage Journal forum in my air-conditioned computer room. It was the next day when I finally had a moment to really look things over for the first time. The main tool box I had bought was kind of rough, so I hadn't paid it much attention. Besides, the lid had been open against the wall behind his work bench, to allow inspection of contents during the auction. But when I finally examined the box with the LID CLOSED, I found at that, apparently, in addition to being a combat pilot, the old gentleman must have also been involved in drag racing! Check out the vintage decals in the following photos!
The scarred-up decal at the right side top of the lid showing the dragster on a white background is dated 1967! Next follows a backside view:
Are any of you car guys old enough to rememeber the "Wynn's Charger", and all those decals which used to be on everyone's quarter window and their tool boxes?
Above is a better photo of the top of the lid. I couldn't see this before the auction began, because it was opened up against the wall. I never thought of looking it over, cause the box was rough condition anyway.
Don't you just love it when something unexpected and GOOD happens?
I don't have room for many more boxes anyway...
That's really cool, coming from you.
