Would you ever just throw away your extra tools?

[ssdave]

....

 

[FreshlySnipes]

Garage sale. That stuff will go in under an hour here in southern Cali [emoji817]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[ChefRex]

Please notify me if you're feeling ill, will dumpers dive for tools!

 

[m6z]

If money is of no concern, sell what's left for the cost of shipping and be done with it.

I'd certainly be interested at almost free pricing.

Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[mr.lemons]

UK has 'Tools with a mission.' They have three drop-offs near me. Maybe there is a similar Charity in your area.

https://www.twam.uk/

 

[logical]

Get the large flat rate USPS Priority Mail boxes and fill them up. Put each box on Ebay for the flat rate plus fees as tbe min bid. 4 or 5 transactions instead of a hundred.

Sent from my garage.

 

[ChevyEFI]

Are you making enough an hour to make it worthwhile?

If so, find a way to do it quicker. Or hire someone and train them.
Or do it while you're passively watching your favorite sports event on TV.

Keeping busy is better than many other things.

 

[youinreverse]

Get the large flat rate USPS Priority Mail boxes and fill them up. Put each box on Ebay for the flat rate plus fees as tbe min bid. 4 or 5 transactions instead of a hundred.

Sent from my garage.

This gets my vote. I also accumulate a lot of Craftsman when I buy lots of tools. I pick out the valuable stuff to sell individually, and the rest is going into a large flat rate box to be sold as a lot on Ebay.

 

[techieman33]

As others have said if your not concerned with getting top dollar just sell them in big random lots at low prices. Could probably list the whole lot on Craigslist or Facebook at pennies on the dollar and have them gone in a hurry.

 

[SweetD]

At the very least I would donate it to charity like a Salvation Army store. Someone could use that stuff cheap.

 

[darkzero]

I would never throw away tools that weren't broken/no longer functional. The world is already full of too much throw away items. I rarely sell or get rid of tools but the times I did give stuff away, I just drive down to a local auto shop & give em to the mechanics. Or to the scrap yard, there are always guys hanging out there looking for metal. Never once did I have a problem with people taking my stuff.

 

[MikeF2316]

I wouldn't throw them away either. I'd suggest giving them to someone to sell for you and take a small cut, or just taking it all to a pawn shop and get them back into circulation that way.

 

[American Locomotive]

Yeah, I don't get why you'd ever throw them away? If you don't want them, and don't care about getting money for them, just put them up for free on craigslist or facebook. Leave 'em in a box by the side of the road and say you'll take the post down when they're gone.

They'll disappear in minutes.

 

[Shiftless]

I know what you’re talking about ssdave.

Right now, there is a metal bucket on the floor with at least 20 pounds of odd sockets, some a little rusty, some with bits of peeling chrome, all seemingly useable for someone, just not me. Unless a guy is a collector, what does he need with more than 2 complete sets of common size stuff? Like you, I get unwanted stuff along with things I really want in those bulk sale deals.

If you feel like welding odd wrenches together, here is an idea for a security window screen.

Also useful for door handles. I used a beat up JH Williams Superrench for a door handle downstairs in my vise room.

 

[lardy1]

Find a local auction house and enter box lots. I got rid of a bunch of stuff that way over the past couple years. Nothing to do once you drop it off except wait for your check. Less money than eBay but waaaayyyyy less hassle.

 

[Busted Knucles]

I keep all of them.

 

[coljar]

Probably be a good idea to bump your wife off now just to be on the safe side.

 

[steel 35]

With the current thing going on, I know where you're coming from (A little to the east)
Wish I was too right now.
I have lost four Guys in my family by the end of the month, and no one will have a yard sale
So do you think she will let you come buy some more ?

 

[Davefr]

No, I wouldn't toss them. I think Habitat for Humanity is a good place for excess tools. There are always guys there picking thru this type of stuff so they should find there way to a good home.

I'm not sure Goodwill is a good choice. I've never ever seen a tool in a Goodwill store. I suspect their tool donations go straight into metal recycling. Has anyone every seen a tool in Goodwill?

Orphans, mismatched sets, incomplete sets that you're waiting to complete but never will are good candidates. I've raised the bar on what goes on Ebay.

 

[McFarmer]

There’s a young couple trying to run a second hand store here in town. When my folks passed away I brought all the tools together and took the ones I had no use for and gave the whole pile to them.

 

[Shiftless]

“ Has anyone every seen a tool in Goodwill?”

Not me.
No mechanic tools ever. Believe me, I’ve looked hard.
Before Covid, I used to drop in to various thrift stores every week or 2 looking for vintage Hawaiian shirts, mid century cocktail decor, and scrap sterling silver. Over time, I have found a couple hundred bucks worth of sterling selling for a buck or two per piece because the people who work there didn’t know. I donate lots of old clothes, household goods and other stuff so I don’t feel guilty.

 

[Plumber4]

I've found a couple power tools in Goodwill and salvation army. I flipped those I didn't need for a profit. The best one was an impact driver which looked new and had the store display sticker still on it. Got that for $5.
As for the op, I'm currently going through a similar dilemma. My father died and there were a lot of tools in his stuff. Some I'm planning to keep and use. A few snap on, mac, proto, and other USA made tools. A lot are cheap Chinese tools which I could probably only sell for scrap prices. I planned on going through everything this summer and donating it to a school. I just don't think I'd feel right throwing them out when someone else can find a use for them. Worst case scenario is I'll post them for free on Craigslist.

 

[nadogail]

IMHO, If I had surplus tools, and was not seeking to profit from them; I would ask a local Vocational Education Instructor about assembling "Starter Kits" for deserving students.

 

[kngelv]

Why would anyone think of throwing them away? Just take them to a few local high schools and donate them to the shop classes.

James

 

[JR 42]

We've got a box in a closet for Goodwill donations (clothes and kid stuff, mostly), and I just toss **** tools in there. It's not much, though, been working on not buying junk.

I've found good tools and kitchen knives at Goodwill and Value Village (and other thrift shops) here, but the area's urban and doing ok. My wife lived in Redmond a while back, and the thrift stores there were great too.

 

[toddmorr]

Never toss anything, put it on Craigslist for free and it's gone in 30 minutes.

I actually enjoy doing that, surprising what other people can make good use of

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[ezover]

sign out front hand tools garage sale, put a 1.50 or 2.00 on everything. bet most of is gone in a afternoon.

 

[toolmiser]

How about dropping them off at a high school, or tech school, asking the teacher to pass them along to a deserving student?

 

[mike93lx]

Habitat for humanity restore loves getting tools. I have dropped a much of stuff off there. Saves it from the landfill and a charity gets some benefit from it.

If they don't want it and none of my buddies do, yes, trash it is. I don't have the time or space for **** I don't need

 

[Snapped-off]

Got any metric flare wrenches?

I've got a bunch of random stuff to sell I just haven't had any motivation to sort it out and list it. I've admittedly trashed some 3/4" and 1" drive chrome sockets after making a couple sets.

 

[PFSard]

I don't know how much time you spent to gather that $1,200, but ..... I'd calculate my per hour rate.

I wouldn't throw away anything that I thought was useful to someone (within reason). I just give them to thrift stores, if I cannot find someone personally.

 

[tin medic]

Dave, I’m with you on this. I’ve got a ton of tools I have no need need for but I don’t really have the time or inclination to do much with them. The wood box and the pile on the floor are just part of what’s taking up space in a small garage. This is all US made stuff, no Chinese nonsense.

 

[sk farmer]

i am with the ones who said selling lump sums on craigslist, ebay and the like.



now onto the real dilemma. the wife needs to be sat down and told in no uncertain terms.

"my tools do not go into the dumpster".

she may be kidding when she says that but you need to make sure that doesn't happen. if she or someone else in your family doesn't need or want them then it is your job to ensure what happens to them. make sure they get to someone who can appreciate them. what that may be is up to you. restore, habitat for humanity, a church group, a struggling young family, somebody, anybody. all it would take is a line or a paragraph in your will to make your wishes known.

i doubt she would want her jewelry or other items she cared about thrown in the garbage. make sure your tools get where you want them.

 

[Kev442]

There’s a young couple trying to run a second hand store here in town. When my folks passed away I brought all the tools together and took the ones I had no use for and gave the whole pile to them.

That's what I would do. If there is no Habitat for Humanity close by, I would give them to a store to resell. That's if you aren't interested in doing a Clist bulk sale.
I would never, ever throw away usable USA tools. Heck, I won't even toss Taiwan.

 

[CGarage]

Don’t throw it away.
Donate to charity and use as a tax write off.

 

[RTM]

We can set stuff out front with a FREE sign, and most goes away quickly, add it to FreeCycle or CL, and it won’t last 24 hrs. I am currently piling up excess for a garage sale to be happening soon. Everything left is FreeCycle fodder or a curb alert.

 

[KamiCrit]

I donate all my unwanted tools (and unwanted industrial equipment) to my local high school's shop class. Let the kids play with and learn from.

 

[mike93lx]

i am with the ones who said selling lump sums on craigslist, ebay and the like.



now onto the real dilemma. the wife needs to be sat down and told in no uncertain terms.

"my tools do not go into the dumpster".

she may be kidding when she says that but you need to make sure that doesn't happen. if she or someone else in your family doesn't need or want them then it is your job to ensure what happens to them. make sure they get to someone who can appreciate them. what that may be is up to you. restore, habitat for humanity, a church group, a struggling young family, somebody, anybody. all it would take is a line or a paragraph in your will to make your wishes known.

i doubt she would want her jewelry or other items she cared about thrown in the garbage. make sure your tools get where you want them.

You are comparing jewelry to old small hand tools? Seriously?

Why do you feel some wierd moral obligation to find them a good home? It's just a bunch of pieces of metal, not ancient Egyptian artifacts.

When I die, my wife can do whatever she wants with the tools in Our garage. It isn't a bunch of my stuff that is off limits to her. It all belongs to both of us. Besides, what the hell do I care at that point?

 

[Aileron]

Where are all these high school shop classes at now? Most have closed up and turned into computer science labs. Its a shame because they can hashtag emoji their asses off but can't spin a wrench.

 

[mike93lx]

Where are all these high school shop classes at now? Most have closed up and turned into computer science labs. Its a shame because they can hashtag emoji their asses off but can't spin a wrench.

I'd rather my kids be able to make good money in CS or any office job than be able to fix a lawnmower. But that doesn't give you the nostalgia of high school shop class, huh?

Fixing stuff is useful, but not critical. Using a computer is critical