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Do you ever feel guilty about too good of a deal?

8K views 29 replies 24 participants last post by  kp91 
#1 ·
Today I went to an auction at what I can only describe as tool heaven. The estate of Mr. E. Miller was a woodworkers dream estate sale. Mr. Miller was a life-long bachelor, and a moderate horder. He was an engineer by trade, and kept an impeccable shop. He also had a bad habit of buying nice stuff and not using it. He had no heirs, so he donated his estate to a local historical society where he volunteered.

What led me to the auction was the advertisement of a NIB craftsman Compucarve. While I knew i wouldn't be coming home with it, I wanted to see how much that would go for, and I knew he probably had a few other goodies. Boy did he. When I got to the site, the first thing I observed was that the workshop was twice the size of his house, and packed to the gills with a lot of unused tools. The compucarve was at the door, along with a brand new worksharp 3000, both with a bunch of accessories. That got the drool flowing. When I poked around a bit, I found the Veritas sharpener as well, also unused. I prepared my mental list, and tried not to look too interested.

It was a long day, the first sale was @ 9:30 (to me for $2 for the original incra jig) and I was the last one to leave the site loading lumber in my truck at 7:30. I didn't do too bad, I only spent $120, but some of the highlights are in the pictures below.

Some of the great items:

Accuset 23 gage pinner (never used)
Veritas Sharpener (never used)
Gripper advanced system (NIB)
Microjig steel series splitters, thin kerf and regular kerf, never used
Milescraft Spirocrafter NIB
a bunch of Eagle America router bits, including a 7 piece carbide upcut spiral set and a handful of trimmers
2 bessey band clamps NIB
a delta 1" belt sander (I have wanted that for a long time)
original incra jig
incra measuring tool
Forrest WWII blade (used, but pretty nice looking)
Forrest Chopmaster NIB
Miller Dowel system and a ton of dowels
wixey gage (NIB)
set of four precision aluminum angles

More lumber than my truck could carry, Mainly poplar, white oak and walnut... for $10


a bunch of small clamps, and a ton of stuff that I didn't need, but was sold as part of the box lots.

I feel a little guilty about getting all that for so little cash, but still have to gloat about it a little!

Of course, the one phrase I heard over and over from the guys was "I wish my wife was here, than I can show her that I am not a hoarder!" By the end of the day, the other phrase I heard a lot was "I hope at my estate sale at least everything is used"

This day definitely made up for the last two horrible auctions I wasted my time at.

Now I have to put all of that lumber away...... I think I'm going to have to ask my neighbor if he needs some wood.
 

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#4 ·
Great deal, Doug.

Not guilty, a public auction......
 
#19 ·
Steve,

I had two auctions to choose from that day, one in Mineral and one in King George. I chose King George, and sent you an email on the other one... maybe it didn't make it out of your spam filter.

Watch the two websites, just don't bid me up too much!

At Auction Real Estate - Revolutionizing the Real Estate Industry – Bid by Bid! Buddy and Dan are my favorite auctioneers. They run a fast auction, if you hesitate, you lose. This keeps the folks who are half-hearted from dragging out the bidding process.

AuctionZip.com - Live Auction Locator - Fast,Easy, and Free! Auctions by Hartman, Pete's action service, and Culpepper auction house do a pretty good job of consolidating estates and making a collection worthy of your time. The Hartmans are great people, but their auction style is a little slow, and can wear on your patience a bit. Pete's auction house is the only entertainment for miles it seems, so their auctions can be very crowded.

If I see any other can't miss ones on the radar, I'll make sure you know!
 
#7 ·
Doug,

You made a great find! Many people overlook estate sales because most have prices that are way too high, that may be why you could buy what you did for so little money.

I figured out a way for you not to feel so guilty, you can send me about half of what you bought. If you need my mailing address just send me a PM.
 
#10 ·
That's a great Deal, I've been goin to auctions and estate sales. last year I went to a sale and the lady was selling all these different tools for $0.25. She was selling all her exhusbands tools for a quarter. I wish I new then what I know now. I wasn't into woodworking I just bought a couple of things. She was even selling a table saw, router, heck you name it it was there, If only ya could go back in time! I felt guilty buying the few things.
 
#13 ·
Congrats! Great deals...

I was at a yard sale many years ago. Bought several nice fishing rods and reels with Rapala Lures hanging off them for 25 cents each. An 8 x 8 tent in excellent condition for $1.00. Coleman lanterns and a stove for 25 cents each as well as other almost new items priced at giveaway prices. I asked if she had any guns? She said she just sold 6 for $5 each. I then asked her why she was selling everything so cheap? She replied that her husband has been gone for three days on another alcohol drinking binge. She said, "When he gets home this time, he ain't going to have nothing left". I quickly got into my vehicle and left. Didn't want to be around when he got home. Soooo, Yes, I have felt guilty as you have asked. But not THAT guilty, cause I wish I'd have gotten there a half hour earlier to get the gun deal of the century. :)
 
#14 ·
No, I wouldn't feel bad at an estate sale. Many times it is part of the family's healing process to get things resolved as quick as possible. Plus, you are buying the tools to be used. Many times family members hold on to a tool of a passed loved one and the tool falls into disrepair and potentially end up in the scrap bin a generation later. I know as a woodworker, I would prefer my tools to go to someone who is going to use them with the same joy I have over the years. If they go to someone in the family who has the interest, that is awesome as well!
 
#16 ·
The thing about tools is this, "looking at them is a trap" I have seen this myself, that is a person who buys tools because they look cool or the price seems OK and all that happens is that you finish up with a shed full of many unused tools, I have said the same about router cutter sets, don't buy them as there will be many cutters in the set that you will never use and generally, but not always, cutters in sets are not that good, just buy good quality single cutters that you do have a use for and over time you will have a very good set of used cutters, and the same should be said about tools, buy good quality tools but only buy tools that you have a use for, unless of course you want to die knowing that all your stuff, that stuff you paid a lot of money for, that all of it will be sold for a fraction of what you paid for it or. Still it was a good auction for you to go to Doug. NGM
 
#20 ·
Neville,

I can agree with you on this, I have bought too many tools from guys who had big dreams, but never executed them. I regularly purge some of my "must haves" if I haven't used them, or if they don't perform as promised. Growing up in a military family, we moved every couple of years, and didn't get used to accumulating a lot of 'stuff', a trait I really try to keep up even today. I have had to replace tools I've purged from time to time when I did need them, but not often. I do look for the killer deals at auctions, because usually I resell them before I can get attached to them, and they support my hobby. The incra jig, spirocrafter and a band clamp are on the short list for resale and will make up for most of my expenses that day.

The things I am a sucker for, and will make people wonder at my estate sale are old measuring instruments, and some of the early power tools. I display the power tools (and they all work), but I still use most of the measuring and layout tools.

My younger brother has benefitied greatly from this hobby, over the years of buying box lots I've ended up with enough tools for his garage and my daughters toolboxes.
 
#17 ·
Just in case you don't already know - I HATE YOU. :cray:
 
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#22 ·
Well, I have been living off of the wood from this auction for years, but it's time to get rid of the last. Looking at how big that pile was to begin with, I never thought I would get through it all.

It has all found a home at the High School wood shop. Hopefully future wood butchers will carry on our hobby! About 6 1x 12+ x 8 foot planks, and a handful of larger timbers. They should get a lot of practice on the jointer, planer and bandsaw
 

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#24 ·
Thanks for the update on this 1913 post. Interesting that 5 years later, you have that much wood left.

I'm going to pass my tools along to a family member, or see about donating them to a woodshop at a local community college. Or maybe I'll leave a directive with details to post the sale on here and to make it available to someone who loves this stuff but is a little light in the wallet. The buyer better bring a big truck!
 
#30 ·
Thanks for the update on this 2013 post. Interesting that 5 years later, you have that much wood left.
!
The walnut and cherry from that lot are long gone, but there was A LOT of poplar. I have used it for book cases, benches, signs, toys, game boards......but it was time to send the last few boards away. I hate having to walk across wood piles to get to the far side of the shop.
 
#26 ·
make your ''case'' out of it...
 
#29 ·
Holy Cow, someone obviously advertised that auction wrong if the wanted to make good money. If I were you I'd be out in the shop, sitting in a chair in the center of it, drinking a beer, with a big ole smile on my fact. You done good.
 
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