I work for an estate liquidator. Every week I'm selling someones elses stuff. Best advice I can give is to enjoy each day and have a will. Sadly the smell of money can make some relatives get stupid. The weekend I'm selling off an 80 year old car guys stuff. Lots of cars, parts as well as an extensive r/c airplane collection. Cars are O/T but there are some Studebaker, Kaiser & Chrysler parts and accessories as well as a huge lot of tools. In the end, it's all just "stuff".
My Ex son in law told me "when your gone I'm just backing up a dumpster,so I can sell this place" Glad she got rid of that one
If none of your family or hot rod friends want it, I'd arrange to have it all donated to a high school auto shop program, Jr. College, trade school, etc. They can take the tools and finish / rework your rides as part of their curriculum and perhaps auction them off later to also raise funds. Same would probably work for an auto hobby shop at a nearby military base. Gary
I think as we get older and see so many people our age starting to pass away, we all start thinking about our own mortality. But the way I see it is I have nothing to complain about as a lot of people never got the shot at life that I have had or escaped so many situations where I could have died years ago. Anyway, as far as my stuff, my Sons get it all, but I'm not sure they want ALL of it. One time I looked up at all my junk in the rafters at our shop and said " Some day all of this will be yours, guys." and they said to me "You better never die, Old Man. " I guess they don't even want to clean up my mess. Don
i'm the same way, i was leaving all my hotrod car stuff to my son but he done left me all his when he died. now i hope my grandson will want all of it...
Had a cousin that had literaly two houses full of stuff. When he died it was left up to his daughters to clean up the mess. Lot's of good stuff went into the dumpster because they didn't know what it was and the rest got sold off via garage sales or collectors. If you care that much about the stuff to collect it, makes some plans for it after you are gone and help your family out.
I started getting rid of stuff about five years ago by giving it away. Found that it was easier on me to give items to deserving rodders and coworkers than haggling with some chizzler. Had a bunch of die cast cars I donated to the local dragstrip to give away as prizes for kids at Jr. Dragaster races. I do a lot of woodworking as a hobby, and decided on the machinery that was really important to me. Gave the rest to a young co worker that enjoyed wood work, but couldnt afford the equipment.
I've watched family members argue over this shit before. I've had friend's family members argue over their shit too. I procrastinate now, but I do intend to put in writing, who gets what. The wife wants none of it, understandably so. "Gran Torino" in a twisted way, has more meaning than I ever imagined.
I really don't care, I'll be dead. Told my wife that my brothers might like some of my junk, and i have one friend who i think might take someting if he wants it, but I don't care if the rest goes to the landfill....Like I said I'll be dead.
Man,if you think about it,this is serious stuff,and a lot of good responses...... So say,if you have children/familly-they get it all. Great for them! But- Are they into the things we are? Do they care about an ardun,that coupe,that quick change that's laying there... I guess what i'm saying is that iv'e been there. My parents stuff was WHAT THEY LIKED. Didn't mean I dug it. Think about what the people have to go through to liquidate your possesions..... It ain't easy. When I go- Who gives a shit. I will have had my fun,my rides,my cool shit,and the things i liked. Someone will score,get something cool,some history,and hopefully use what I had,and use it for themselves. I went to an estate auction this weekend. I bought something from someone who had passed. It really hit me before I went-what i was doing,not only to score,but this was a man's tool to work with,and to produce something to be proud of. I will always remember that when I use it. I guess when it's over-I'm just dust....But it does weigh on my mind of the the Guy/Gal who get's my shit,hopefully will be thankfull/proud that they got someting they could use/need and make something with it. Just thinking of mortallity....Someday is comming,but,until then...... all those bastards have to wait! do what you want when i'm gone. But,please value my shit as i did.........
If I happen to go unexpectedly I got enough good friends that they would make sure my wife does not get hosed. If I go my way then I'll have time to divie it up amongst the Kids and Grandkids then sell what they dont want. May even find a young up coming hot rodder to give a hellofa christmas present to.
What st.rod said X 10.......... Funeral at 10 Estate Sale at 2 ________________________________________ But, it'll take a dozen peoples, 3 days to carry all my shit into tha' YARD ! Racing Champions, Hot Wheels, 1958 Newspaper account where I Wrecked my Buddies '32 Coach. '78's, 33 1/3, Abblums, Photos, Signs, and, oh yes, Car Parts, Cars Tools, Paint, family records, Antiques, glass ware, .................................... Oh MY GOD ! Where all this stuff come from ?????? I MUST LIVE to be 101 !
Well, if any of you are worried about what to do with your vintage signs, just sell them to me now and you won't have to worry about them! On a serious note, my dad passed away in March. He was big into cars, old gas/oil stuff, etc.... I have ALWAYS been into that stuff too, and he and I have had tons of fun playing with that stuff for the last 25+ years. I'm the only one in our family that shared that interest with dad. So when he died, it all kinda fell into my lap. It's not like I inherited a bunch of cool stuff though, it's more like I inherited the financial responsibility for my mom. So, stuff is getting sold off slowly to pay moms expenses. Luckily I'm up to speed on what everything is and what fair values are. I'm proud to be able to do this for my dad. If there's one thing that hit me like a ton of bricks when I was looking at my dad the moments immediately after he passed away, it was the fact that YOU AINT TAKING ANYTHING WITH YOU! You go out like you came in- with NOTHIN. In the end, it's all just STUFF that doesn't really matter. What does matter then? The quality of life you live, the memories you leave behind, and the relationships you have been a part of. That put a new perspective on things for me.
Since I never had kids I seriously need to think about this,I got more crap then my family could handle but I hope I have much more time to enjoy it. The next rainy day I will have to sit down and figure out who I want the stuff to go to.
I don't mean to come across as an ambulance chaser but finding an estate liquidator in your area may be your best bet. I know not all liquidators will be knowledgable in our passions but a good liquidator will take the time to find out exactly what they have been hired to sell. If they do not already have buyers lined up, they will pound the pavement to find the right buyers. I know this because I own an estate liquidation company in Florida. We have sold all kinds of collections and have encountered some very shocking situations. Whether the family cares about the contents of the estate or not, I feel like I owe it to the deceased to do the right thing with their collections. My staff and I have spent countless hours on the phone and internet finding buyers for odd things. Fortunately, over the years I have built a large buyer network that pays good money for anything from art, antiques to cars, boats, and even aircraft. Unfortunately, with all the tv shows out there and people out of work, there have been a lot of people trying to get into the liquidation business because they think its easy money. I would suggest interviewing several companies and going with the one that you are most comfortable with. Of course it's best to have a family member or good friend to leave your items to. I always tell clients to keep the things they want. Nobody will appreciate the things you are passionate about more than your family or friends. If money is an issue then find a good liquidator. I know my opinion may seem a bit bias but auctions can be a very sad way to let your possessions go. I can't speak for all areas but around here the auctions are practically giving things away. Most do not allow a reserve. Of course, the exception would be reputable auction houses such as Heritage, Christies, Sotheby's, Barrett Jackson, etc. Most people don't own anything that these places would consign anyway. I hope this helps.
I thought about it some. I will be cremated... my ashes put in douche water, and run through one more time. All my stuff will be sold to the highest bidder.
Sucks man a few of my hero's have passed in the last lil bit. Its a tough thing to decide what to do with the "stuff"
My wife and son can figure out what to do with it--they know the value and won't get fooled by fast talkers. There are lists and instructions on most items and boxes are labeled with info. They will get what they get for the stuff and cars--I'll be gone and won't need it anymore.
No kids and basically no family either My wife is no fool and knows what the Deuce stuff is generally worth. I have a few lists .. A friend of mine gets the " open car trailer " and the wife will sell the 20 foot enclosed PACE. She will most likely keep the tools ... as she is a craft and arts person.
I made the following to include with my trust documents. I don't want to be sitting up on a cloud yelling instructions that nobody can hear. I don't actually have all of the cars listed, this was prepared as guidance for someone that does. Charlie Stephens Guidance for Trustee [FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]The purpose of this document is to provide guidance to the trustee of my trust regarding the distribution of my antique cars and parts. This document is for guidance and nothing in this document is intended to supersede the basic trust document. If the car is going to stay in the family, you can probably, with the concurrence of the trust lawyer, use a reference such as the Old Cars Price Guide (available at Barnes & Noble book stores) to establish a value for the purpose of settling the estate. If the car is determined to be junk donate it to a charity instead of calling a towing company and paying to have it removed. I would like to think most of my cars don’t fall into this category but is best to be safe. Compare the VIN (or serial number) on the car with the paperwork for the complete cars. You will want to know where this number is located when people come to see the car. A mismatch can kill a sale plus will drag everything out if it is not started early. Get many good digital photos. The photos will be needed to send to people asking questions. Show exterior all views, engine compartment, upholstery, and as many other as need to show car completely. Include defects and problem areas. If the car has a high dollar value (which I define as over $20K based on values shown in "The Old Cars Price Guide") spend the money and hire a professional appraiser. Talk to the members of local clubs to find an appraiser. Maybe the trust lawyer has one they can recommend. Get a professional appraiser and not someone with an interest in buying the car. As a check bounce this number off of some members of a local club. Check for sale ads for similar cars. Remember that low mileage original cars carry a premium. At this time the rough price is established. Probably the best place for national advertising is Hemming’s Motor news (available at Barnes & Noble). Remember when advertising that it may not be worth the money to get national exposure since most cars will sell within a couple of hundred miles. Ebay is a good place to sell a car or major parts. The problem with EBay is that most clubs/web sites will not accept ads that direct people to an on going EBay auction. It is up to the person selling the car/parts but my tendency would be to skip EBay. Cars and major parts currently covered by trust. The dollar values shown are my rough estimates as of the date at the bottom of this document and should be verified. Dollar value shown next to each entry is a guess at the time this document was signed and is intended to be used for guidance only. The short description is appropriate for placing an ad. Omission of cars and/or parts from this list is not intended to exclude them from the trust nor is inclusion intended to add them to the trust. 1927 Model T roadster___________$XX This car was restored in 1987 and is all black. The car has wire wheels. The engine was rebuilt and the speedometer reset to zero at that time… 1931 Model A roadster___________$XX This car….. 1932 Early V8 2 door sedan_______$XX This car… NOS 1932 Ford engine___________$XX Ownership papers for the cars are located ______________________. All cars have current registration or non operation status so if duplicated ownership documents are required they may be requested from the state DMV. Keys are hanging _____________. Duplicate keys are in my safe deposit box located _________________. Recommended people to contact for support/selling the cars. These are people in the hobby that I trust and have asked for their support should it be required. Their membership in national organizations should enable them to place ads at no cost. If they are to be actively involved in selling the cars/parts pay them. My suggestion is 5% of the selling price or pay them by the hour but everything is negotiable. Model T’s:_______________ Alternate_______________ Model A’s:_______________ Alternate: _______________ Early V8’s:_______________ Alternate: _______________ I would suggest that the person responsible for selling the car utilize the following resources. Go to the national club web sites and find the local clubs. The national web sites are: For Model T’s: mtfc.org For Model A’s: mafca.com and modelaford.org For early V8’s: earlyfordv8.org For Street Rods (they buy stock cars too): nsra-usa.com Start by sending an ad (through the people recommended above to avoid having to pay for the ad) to the national clubs for inclusion in their monthly (or bi-monthly) magazine and then write a letter, call and/or attend local club meetings with pictures. Ask if they would place an ad in their monthly newsletter. If the club is smart they will do this at no cost as a service to their members. If they want more than a token amount for the ad just skip their club and tell them why. Unless you car is very unusual it will probably sell to someone within a couple of hundred miles. Contact all of the clubs within this radius. Remember if you contact the clubs by email to include photos with your email as there is a good chance that someone will forward you email to a general distribution list for the club. You should plan on a couple of months for information to work its way through the system. Newsletters have cut off dates and your request may go through a couple of people before it finally gets to the editor of the newsletter. Advertise the cars with a best offer at the end of the two month period and reserve the right to reject any or all offers. Avoid the temptation to sell to the first offer. If things don’t sell, and it is possible, wait a year and try again. There are several web sites that have classified sections for cars (be sure the vehicle ends up in the right section). Ads are usually free but donations cheerfully accepted. Place these ads a couple of weeks before the other ads are scheduled to be published. These sites are: Fordbarn.com (separate sections for T, A, V8) Ahooga.com (A) http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/ (T, A, V8 plus other makes) The final question is what to do with all of those extra parts. Try to package them with the complete cars to the greatest extent possible. Most of the parts in my garage are in boxes marked to show which car they go to. Another outlet is to contact the local antique auto parts suppliers and get a bid on the lot. Since these people must haul, sort, inventory and sell these parts their prices will be less than if you sell the parts directly. Maybe have an auction with members of local clubs present. After you have sold all that you can donate them to a local car club or tell the members they can have them for free. This is better and cheaper than paying someone to haul them away. One final thought, the money must hand before the cars/parts go out the door. Signed: __________ Dated: ___________ [/FONT][/FONT]
Funny, we were at the garage working on the OT drag car today (which I plan to run down the track sometime this summer) and out of nowhere I turned to my buddy Scott and said, "I don't own much of anything besides these cars, my tools, and some parts out in my workshop, but if anything happens to me during a run down the track, promise me you'll scrape up anything that's left of this car and put it back together for my son by his 16th birthday... minus this psychotic drivetrain. The 352 is under the bench in pieces." Now, I'm normally very lighthearted, carefree, and always joking around, but this one moment of complete sincerity kinda caught him off guard, and he promised he would take care of it. It was just a fleeting thought that came out of nowhere. I don't know where it came from, or why I said it, but I just got a feeling. I felt the urge to make it known that I wasn't completely comfortable with the vibe I was picking up from the iron, but that I intend to run with it anyway. At least now I know my last wish will be taken care of at the hands of a good friend should anything actually go wrong.
Honestly, find a kid and teach him all you know and if he is worthy, will it all to him. Build him up like you would a sled and show him the right way, that only old school guys know how to do it. Pass the knowledge on. Too bad I am so far away otherwise, you could adopt me! --WD
Lucky you! I've heard too many story's about kids that doesn't give a crap, as long as they can be left alone with their games!
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