What will happen to your tools when you die?

[iagsxr]

I bought a property three years ago that the owner was in a nursing home. His care was costing the family $4-5000/mo.

The propery is two buildings, a newer 32x63 and an old 32x32. When I first looked at it couldn't walk through either.

The family had an auction to liquidate the contents; A. They needed the money and B. There was just too much to deal with.

The auction company absolutely raped them, by both lack of give a **** in sale preparation and advertising and then by ridiculous fees afterwards.

Guess my point is have your long-term care situation straight if you want to control where your stuff goes at all.

 

[Brian Rust]

speculate all you want gentlemen....but did your dead grandfathers ever come by for a visit to see what happend to their tools?

 

[LawnDart79]

I've instructed family to clean out the valuable stuff before the IRS finds out about it. Sell it piece by piece over time and the government will never know a thing.

 

[HemiRambler]

I don't keep my grandfather's tools for him - I keep them for ME and hopefully my son or my son's son will appreciate them as well. I feel bad for people who see everything as dollars & cents. I'm sentimental - I guess & I hope my kids are too & if they're not, I hope I've instilled enough common sense in them that even if they are not "into" certain family heirlooms that maybe their kids or kid's kids will be. In that respect - I feel they have a certain duty to pass these items down the line. We are caretakers - hopefully good ones.

So to answer your question: No, but I'd like to think he'd smile with pride if he did. ;-)

speculate all you want gentlemen....but did your dead grandfathers ever come by for a visit to see what happend to their tools?

 

[Flange]

speculate all you want gentlemen....but did your dead grandfathers ever come by for a visit to see what happend to their tools?

No. You have hit on quite a good point there. I would like my tools to go to my nephew when I go but in reality, no matter what plans you make, once you are dead you have no control over things.

My uncle, who was my best friend, mentor, guru and the guy who first got me into all things with an engine, left me the entire contents of his garage after his death. See my reply to this post here to find out that someone else in the family stole them before I could face going round to my Aunts house to get his stuff.

 

[Krokodil]

This is a scary thought! I'm actually not too sure what will happen to mine when I die now. I should probably update my will. Luckily my wife knows all my tools are expensive items!

 

[Spam16v]

only one new old stock S&K 3/8 socket set still in the plastic is the only thing I "value", father had a set growing up i remember vividly, and my grandfather used to sell tool and had one set still in the plastic my father found last time he was visiting him in Cali be brought back and gave to me. the rest can ****** off... SO will make plenty more, mine won't make any difference.

 

[Fueler]

Got to thinking about this a few years ago when my Dad passed. I had to sort out his shop. Since I had pretty much everything I needed I only kept a few different items of his and grandfathers that were of use and reminded me of them.

After sorting it all out I called the brothers, sisters, in laws, nephews. Didn't make a dent as they were pretty much clueless. Finished sorting it out for auction purposes and got Mom a decent sum out of it all. The auctioneer was pleased with the sorting as it brought more than usual if it was just thrown on a wagon and nothing was left over. Win win, but a boat load of work.

Fast forward, I decided that my own stuff was so specialized that I needed to inventory it better for whoever has to sort it out. I wound up with this neat little program that you can take pictures, and insert costs, worth, what accessory goes with what machine, etc. Turned out to be a neat thing for the insurance guys also. No guessing.
Might be worth a look for some of you in the middle of this.
http://www.mycroftcomputing.com/eiown.html

Between this program and sorting out Dad's stuff I realized that I had stuff that should be sold off now as it brings more useful money now than when the vulture's circle. Less junk for them to ponder whether it's worth the time also. I don't wish the sort out on anyone.

 

[Torque1st]

My kids will auction it all off for pennies and curse me for buying it all in the first place.

 

[blue dog]

My friends will come over and raid my garage till it is an empty cold dark place. I am ok with that, they wont need to barrow anything anymore. win win.

 

[6768rogues]

Tools are just stuff. My kids will take what they want and decide how to dispose of the rest. My father passed away a couple of years ago and I kept most of his tools because I use them. I sold off his farm equipment and other stuff that I did not want to use. It is nice to use a tool and think of how my father's hand once used it. Compared to losing a loved one, tools are just a bunch of stuff.

 

[patrick66]

My boys get my tools when I achieve room temperature. What they do with them afterward is their business, but they are smart enough to know the value of the right tools and if they DO decide to sell them off, they know enough not to get taken in the process.

My wife also knows that everything in my shop is MINE and NOTHING in there belongs to anyone but me. I have not and will not "promise" anything out there to anyone but her and the boys, and she is fully aware of that fact. NO ONE can walk up to my wife/kids and say "Hey, Pat promised me the rollaway and all the tools in it! or "Your husband said I could buy the Coronet off you for ($insert ridiculous low price here)"...ain't gonna happen!

You guys that figure "it's just stuff, who cares where it goes!" are being very self-centered and are not looking at the big picture. Yeah, you are dead, so what, right? But, don't you OWE it to your wife/kids/whomever to let them know exactly WHAT is in your shop(s), and what your desires are after you become worm food? Let them know what exactly is there! Keep your titles and bills of sale together and up-to-date! And car parts - holy ****! I have all of my parts in plastic boxes, labeled with what is in the box and what the application(s) is/are. Anyone looking can tell instantly what's there, and not succeed in bullshitting her about the contents/worth.

 

[Griff93]

I have a couple of friends that will get some of my stuff. They are also to help my wife sell off the rest if I don't have any kids by then or if my nieces don't want any of it.

 

[bobadame]

I've explained to my wife not to worry, all thee tools will be sold at auction when I die and you get the money. Works for me.

 

[56nash]

This is a thread I have read with great interest. My son will more than likely got all of it unless my young daughter gets a motorhead husband, then it may split up a bit. I had the occasion a little over 8 years ago to go through my fathers garage while he was and is still alive and sort out the "stuff" accumulated over the years. It was good to go through it with him. We had a 20 foot roll off dumpster dropped in the driveway to deal with the **** and proceeded to go thru every bit and piece. It was good to get his insight on some of the pieces unseen for years. Things that I probably would have held onto after his death went into the bin when he picked up a seldom used tool and told my why and when he bought it and then proceeded to tell me how ****** said tool had been and never did what it was advertised to do. It saved me from holding onto a bunch of **** for sentimental reasons that otherwise would be sitting on my shelves until I die. I know there will be things that my son or future son in law will look at and scratch their heads and ask "what was he thinking?" but that is up to them.

When my grandfather moved to an assisted living center a number of years back, the agreement among my father and his siblings was that none of the house and garage contents were to be looked at as an item to be sold, so there was a lot of thought put into what each took, the rest was opened up to the grandchildren to go through and pick out either useful items or memories. This has also opened up a can of worms when someone calls an uncle to borrow or come over to use a tool you know they took and they then tell you they sold it, a drillpress comes to mind. Found out never a single use was made of it but he had to have it, sold it before the year was out.

I have decided too much is made of stuff, I haul too much stuff around with me, and I am sure I don't really need most of it.

 

[pistolpete]

When we are both gone it just goes into the estate and the two boys can just fight it out.

Do yourself a favour and never ever actually follow through with this plan... if you have any love for them don't let them "fight it out".

My grandfather when he went into a retirement home had the same opinion, and it has taken a long time for certain family members to be in the same building because of the wars/fights it caused. My youngest uncle got most of his tools the rest went to auction, I'm still sad that I wasn't able to be at the auction to purchase what was left. The only thing I have from my grandfather was a small cabinet, that he made back in the late 40's. I have toted that thing with me for the last 10 years everywhere I move, and plan to do so until I die. Anyways I digress, at this point I am only 28, my daughter just turned one, so I assume if it happened soon it would be sold off to help the Mrs out. Hopefully one day there is a son or god forbid a damn son in law (she's not allowed out of the house until she's 25, hahaha) that will be able to make use of them. If not hopefully the Mrs can sell them and treat herself to something she would enjoy.

 

[Denominator]

No kids yet, no friends that are into tools, cars or fixing stuff, no family members that can use them either(they all call me when they need something fixed).

So at this point I don't know, but I know that my wife will take care of them and give them to someone that needs them and would love them. Yes, there are no question in my mind that I will die before here! Fast cars, to much good food, not enough exercise, 40 sigs a day and to many beers

My rc stuff is another chapter........

 

[demos]

Love reading this forum. Great thread!!
I believe in the power of now. So I don't know and don't care what will happen to my tools/cars when I'm gone. I agree with others who said that they'll probably be other things to worry about when one's gone (or maybe nothing at all?).

Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year everybody!!

 

[Daddy_Rabbit]

I don't give a rats ***, I'll be dead.

this.

 

[Vinko]

I don't care what happens to them.

What I find kind of amusing is to see how many guys think they're kids are going to be psyched to get their tools. and how many of these children really will be.

Life has a funny way of working out. . .

 

[trbomax]

The comment I made about them "fighting it out" will probably never come to be anyway. The oldest doesnt give a **** for any of it,and the younger one doesnt have anywhere to put it all because he has so much of his own already.The other thing is that they live 300 miles from here and for the most part dont even know whats here. When we all lived in toledo they saw it every day so they had a clue,now they may poke thier head in the building one time a year.Ive thought about selling off all the duplicate machinery next summer actually,but in the end its easier to just let it sit un used,its not like we need the money and Ive got better things to do than have a sale.

 

[bobscogin]

"What will happen to your tools when you die?"

How could anyone possibly know for sure?

Bob

 

[-->]

They will follow, and serve me in the afterlife...

 

[Shiny Lil Detlr]

I'll probably have them donated to a technical school or something....

 

[rrangus]

Being an auctioneer I get to see what happens when things are poorly planned. I have done estate appraisals that left tears in my eyes as I was doing them. I have purchased tools at auction where the auctioneer did not have a clue as to value and did not market accordingly. I have also been to estate auctions where tools brought new retail or better.

Also being a serious gear head for over 55 years, I have amassed a rather extensive tool collection along with quite a bit of shop equipment. I have no children to leave my tools to. I sat down with my attorney a few years ago and specified that my shop, office, personal property all shall be sold at public auction (I went as far as to name two auctioneers I knew would get top dollar for everything). The proceeds to be divided between several automotive related museums and foundations. They all had to have an IRS 501 c (3) tax designation (non profit). The house will go to my church

 

[nvrenufrm]

I don't find this thread depressing, just realistic. Fact, we all die. Death is hard on the surviving members of the family, and/or friends..why burden them in those troubled times? I strongly feel a will is a necessity. Tools are not a living thing, but the person who repaired/created things with them was. I would feel honored to have the respect of anyone who deems me worthy of such items.

 

[dodge610]

My tools will go to the one and only son that i have i made a point of putting it into my will that will stop any hassle since i only have one boy.

 

[turrican]

...someone will ***** about their resale value being reduced by my name being engraved on many of them