History When is it time to get rid of all your stuff?

don't you guys have any buyer/sellers in the family? if I go first I'm sure my brother will gather up everything I own and take the old stuff to the antique show in Alameda, and the car junk to the Turlock swap meet. he's an antique and junk dealer.... probably sell my stuff for 50 cents on the dollar.

 

I'm 68 and my wife wants to move south (Tennessee, Kentucky or thereabouts) and we decided (read: SHE decided) we should downsize. Now we've been married for 48 -years, so I've learned it's of no use to argue, so I told her as soon as my '36 was on the road, I'd get rid of stuff and we'd move. Right now, it appears I'll be in my late-90's before that '36 is done !!

 

Sometimes fate decides for you. We downsized in 2003 and sold the house and shop. Lot of flathead stuff went to RonnieRoadster and some sold on evilbay. Then ten years later my wife's health deteriorated and we now rent instead of own. So all my stuff is gone, save my tools and my '40. I don't miss it. Just enjoying every day the Good Lord gives me on this side of the gr***. I know a fellow who has a nice collection of restored funny cars and dragsters (he had the Mr Whipple and Ed car at the NED Reunion) and I understand he has already designated where the cars go when he shuffles off so his wife won't have to fret.
Other guys I know have storage places full of stuff and keep buying more, never build anything and it will go when they go, probably for next to naught. So whatever floats your boat I guess. I look at it that I am in "extra innings" now, turning 72 in January, and I don't need bins and boxes full of parts I'll probably never use.

 

Let me pipe in from the other side of the coin: when my Dad died of cancer at 62 several years ago he left behind a '69 Charger and a lot of parts from a lot of cars he'd owned over the years.
Putting a "fair price" sticker on things doesn't help anyone. I started selling things on eBay for him when he was still alive and some of them sold for WAY more than he expected and some of the things he thought were solid gold sold for $20 or less.
It was a huge amount of work to go through the garage, ba*****t, attic, and barn after he died. We have a m***ive yard sale, an auction, sold some things on eBay, and had some "friends" come sniffing around wanting to snap up items for super low prices. All of which was time consuming and emotionally taxing under the cir***stances.

Learn to use eBay or find someone you really trust to do it for you and start selling off anything you don't want. That is where you will get the best prices (because it's nationwide or international, meaning if three people in the world want something they'll be bidding against each other to get it), it's relatively easy to do once you get the hang of it, and then the item is gone and no one has to deal with it later.

I would agree with several posters, though, who are saying don't sell anything that you really want or that anyone in your family wants. That's just silly. But anything that you've just got laying around, sell it now. It is never too early to sell and when you are still around in 30 years you won't miss it at bit. If it means a lot to your or someone else, keep it forever.
(And DO ask people what they might want: my Dad was wrong about the things he thought I would treasure. His antique toy trains are in a box in my closet but the stool from his garage is in my shop and I use it all the time.)
My brother and I would have had a much easier time if he'd sold a lot more of his stuff when he was still healthy. Even if he'd given it away.

 

One of my best friends p***ed away a couple weeks ago. Before he p***ed away he asked me to sort through his stuff and sell it for him. I was glad to do this for him but after selling what i could at swap meets and CL i got the vibe his family felt i should've gotten more.

My overall feeling was to get rid of the stuff i have (but not using) and not get in a position where someone will have to do it for me.


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Well one rule I have had for a long time is that everything I own (automobilia) is displayed. Like I said that stuff I posted is just some of the garage. I have stuff displayed all over the house. Then there are the tools etc.. I don't worry about that because until I cannot turn a wrench or see to weld, it stays. You guys make many good points and the way this Thread is going I won't have time for anything else. Like selling.

 

Someone will market this idea and make a fortune: Take real good photos of all your automobila, sell it all. With the profit buy a pair of recliners and a top of the line TV, set up the photos in a slideshow DVD player and enjoy looking at the good old days. Bob

 

It would be handy to know how long you were going to last. My luck I'd sell everything and live forever!. I have projects that could last me another 30 years or so and I still see stuff I HAVE to have.

 

I'm 58, and my level of ambition has dropped considerably in the last couple of years. Through several turn of events, I don't have as much junk as I used to have. In a few years, after I retire, there will be another down size when we move from our current location into someplace smaller. When I die, what's left will be up to my wife, son, and my grandson to sort out, probably most of it will be junked, and I'm OK with that. I won't need it anymore. Gene

 

Man it's a thing we dont talk about but we only have so many days make them count . Enjoy what makes you happy . I am 55 my old car buddy is 75 and ask me the other day what would we do if we didn't play with old cars. Well the answer was I dont know . Me and Joe have a friend who has collected and hoarded most of the 32 ford and early corvettes in East Texas he's in his 70's but his wife is younger. So I am sending his wife flowers early hope this is not wrong they have no kids . You think his ghost is gonna haunt me !!

 

Definitely!

 

At 63 I too have to wonder about things like this. My mother has stuff that is supposed to be mine from my father and grandfather, and frankly I have no place to put it. And I have parts saved for projects that have come and gone or never happened. So how many SBC blocks are too much? How many cylinder heads and intake manafolds? The list goes on and on. But I am glad that at least I am not the only one thinking about this subject.

 

Great post! I'm a guitar and amp guy too, probably around your fathers age. I have a list in my desk that my wife knows about that describes the item and aproximate value.

I love old cars and hotrods too but music and guitars are my first love.

 

I go nuts about once a year and decide to get rid of stuff- selling or just giving it to a younger friend who has a p***ion (illness) for old mostly model A parts.Then as soon as I have some room and some money an amazing thing happens; I get back in the saddle and head for the cl***ifieds "one more time". Can you say compulsive / addictive behavior??The upside is, unlike beer( which I used to invest heavily in) in the morning I can go out into the garage with a cup of joe and sit in the middle of all my junk, and I'm a happy guy.I figure it'll end up going to my gearhead friends and not the s****per or some dirtbag who tries to lowball a buyout- and after 30 years , my wife and kids probably have that figured out.( if not I'll haunt THEM)

 

Life is a zero sum game. No one gets out alive and no one takes anything with them.

I've known friends who had some pills or a gun or whatever and said, "When it gets too bad, I'll go out quick and easy." By the time it got bad, they couldn't do it or forgot how. Same with the cars and parts. Very few give it up while they have the option.

On the other hand, some of the most miserable old farts I ever met were those who had some stuff and enjoyed playing with it. They let wife, children or cowardice convince them to sell it all and move into a tiny condo or ***isted living in an area where they didn't know anyone or know any place to go and do the stuff they enjoyed.

There's the question of when to get rid of stuff, but no way of knowing how long we have to hit the buzzer and come up with the answer.

jack vines, who's had to start getting rid of the easy stuff, but still a lot of hard decisions to make.

 

I tuned 65 last summer. I had a project car and parts biz for 15 years. I decided at 64 to start liquidating. Had 75 parts cars, mostly 48 and older Fords and Mercs. Crushed 39 cars, mostly 4-doors, and gave my buddy 35 cars. I still have way too many parts. I also got rid of 6 project cars. Still got 3 projects. Trying to downsize more and more. My son and daughter are both in to cars, and have a car each going to them, more if they want. Felt great unloading the backlogged projects.

 

Well im 69 and hope to be racing the Flat fed till I croak, then let em sort it out...........

 

I'm 76 and still buying stuff and building. Asked some friends to be pall bearers when I go and they told me, no thanks, they will be at my wifes garage sale! DON'T GIVE UP!

 

I am 68 and have already sold all my cars and most of my parts in the last year. I have had old cars since 1960 (started with a 40 Ford and 54 Corvette). I had 4 cars when I was a senior in high school! I can say I really haven't missed them like I thought I would. I went thru being the executor of a large estate of my parents and it was terrible selling the things of my parents and grandparents valued so much as they were collectors too. You can only keep so much. My wife is not in good health and my children have no interest in any thing auto related. I want to buy a finished 40 ford and won't need any parts because you can buy anything you might need new and won't be hard to dispose of a finished car.

 

I've read all the posts, agree with some and disagree with others. I've had two events in my sixty years, caused me to give thought to this. One, I moved from the big city to the country and literally couldn't take all my shop, so, I sorted out the like to keep and must have stuff, the like to keep stuff got picked over by my buddies, and I kept the must haves. A lot of good stuff left for free that day with a lot of happy broke builders. This year, one of my longest time friends decided he is in this very position, I now own most of his "stuff", so he can see it and reuse it when he can. He has parkinsons, so he can't do ****.
I've got two kids, my daughter gets my most treasured car, a 36 ford pickup, my boy gets my shop and all the projects in it, anything he doesn't want, he is under clear instructions to GIVE to my friends. My wife has absolutely no interest in my stuff, so its all good, far as I'm concerned, the only value it all has is in the eye of the beholder. I've talked extensively about all this to those that matter and we're all good, till then, its mine till I die, which I hope, is a long friggin time away.

 

I'm 73. I started liquidating the overburden at least 5 years ago. Got rid of a ton of stuff I knew I'd never do anything with. If I hadn't sold it, my heirs would have tossed most of it in the dumpster. Some of it, I had for 30-40 years and kept it because it was "good stuff". My wife finally convinced me that you can't organize clutter. After 50+ years of building cars, I finally got less enthusiastic about starting new projects. When it's no longer exciting, it's time to sell out and reinvest in something you like more.

 

A lot of good advice on here. I'm almost 43 have been gathering, trading, collecting & selling car parts since 13, our family operates auto parts business & formerly a machine/ mechanic shop so many of my car treasures found me. I've been preaching this scale down stuff to my dad, who's from the never throw anything away generation & finally got him to let go I of a few cars, keep the ones that mean the most to us & then the keepers for the kids will be in better shape cause there's less total vehicles to maintain. Now we're finally getting to build the projects we wanted to most. Last August I went to my first big swap meet as a seller at Springfield, Mo got 5 spaces took 3 trucks, two open trailers and an enclosed one & unloaded tonage. It felt good & I had a blast ! I've sold quite a few parts cars, builders & drive train stuff on craigslist & ebay too. Now I realize if I focus on the projects that are special to me and unload the others that preoccupy my thoughts it's a win win deal! Moral of story is get it down to a MANAGEABLE size that the family won't be stressed out over. I've been to enough auctions & I'd rather not pay some body to give the stuff away. Utilize swap meets! I realize the economy's a buyers market at the moment but if one will let stuff loose the other stuff you bought for cheap has prob gained in value it'll all even out . Plus I've really organized & cleaned up my shop & pasture! One has to make an effort, that's the first step.

 

the day after I die.....pulled some stuff just today off a 100 yr old estate....the grandson mentioned the pickers show -the grandson - now 68 - was selling off well before the pickers started....and to this day - he's still carting stuff off for s****....I just started with him a day ago....

 

I was a partner in a hanger with 2 other guys and I'm the only one left.

Both went from cancer about 1 year after being diagnosed and I helped them liquidate race cars, parts , trucks, trailers , aircraft, tools, and related memorabilia.

They were blessed with time... others weren't so lucky as I've seen where the surviving members literally get robbed and ripped off by strangers, friends and family.

I like the suggestion of downsizing to a manageable pile and make out a Will so you can direct certain items to people that you know will appreciate that item.

My friend Bill didn't want to get rid of the aircraft stuff until he died so he had a list of people and the prices they wanted to pay after his death.

It was a relief when it was all over and the families were thankful friends helped them straighten out the toybox.

Didn't realize the amount of **** we stuffed in there and the amount of money it brought the families!

 

Two of my very good car buddies have p***ed away in the the past six years. One unexpectedly and one after a lengthy illness. I helped both widows deal with getting fair value for the ac***ulation. One was done with a m***ive, one day auction. The leg work to get a guy's hoard ready to be auctioned is ridiculous. It took a small army of buddies that I called to get it done.

Since then, I have been tidying up my hoard. If it's s****, it's been sold for s****. I'm down to 10 project cars. In the next 3 years, I want to cut that number in half.

I'm 55. Have you seen the tape measure ****ogy of where you are and what you've done?

 

I lost my Pop this last year, he was a car guy for his whole life. He didn't sell anything in his last year (cancer) but he did organize, and label what parts were for which car. I'd have had a hell of a time knowing if something was for a 26 Pierce Arrow instead of a 31.. So, that was helpful for sure.
Just recently I've decided to try and focus a bit and get rid of some projects that I don't have a real p***ion for. I'm 40, but just now realized that I have more projects on deck than I'm likely to finish and I don't even have all that I want so I need to prioritize. My wife would probably like to sell my junk for a lotto sized fortune but I'm afraid she'd be disappointed! Hopefully I just leave behind some finished cars for my boys and not a burden.


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This might just sum it up

 

I'm mid 50s and only touched on this subject during conversations with my kids the other day, what will they do with everything. My son loves car but is not mechanically minded; my daughter loves cars but has not hands on experience either. I guess I will have to acquire a few more tools before I retire, build a few more cars and just let them worry about it. I will ***ist by providing a list of values to ***ist when the time comes to move on. They each get a car. Maybe I'll downsized the fleet by then and dispose of my acquisitions before then?

 

I understand, the son in law was in the shop and stated" when your gone,I'm just bringing in a dumpster so I can get rid of this place" real nice guy