Here's one approach I took: My teenage daughter, Caroline, needed a job during Covid, and I had a lot of leftovers from a '64 Dodge restoration. I made an arrangement with her, I put a price sticker on every item I had, wherever the part laid. She photographed each part, listed them wherever I told her was best, she dealt with the buyer, boxing, shipping, payment, and we split the proceeds 50/50. It took a few months , but we each pulled in almost $2,000. And I got a lot of peace of mind out of it. Find that hungry kid!
Quickest way to sell crap is ignore e-bay asking prices, tv auction prices, advice from non-car people and your pride
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=5602872&cc=1321096&pt=5316&jsn=714&_nck=Hsaep13M917FeVwBr9UH6FVwJobQijWxqiCDUUMo3iT7oGCi6vknOH80atx0aiqu8iA24Zrbql21h9Dgc8G141Fx47FtQaRh2Kd9WOMmokYwNJd6VMmBNk9gQltoL+pZ96RvK5h5z9pOAWMcqlV1G46inS668MiNFf41Xn2aFOcLItQMC5NpyEQn8tdsmH1XmFrIEaP5PmShp1WAoFputpSUbkOw3Gdr+vvLzoY817O5ABHMXdEIwYwv7X2ugDbiwhuS7RogYjtiCx/1xNhzhmVFGyvWWwPyf+q82Dik9uOW+HLtzelSs1w/+D1d1Bm6TXVVrq66rNWIkUg4WVlPj7+CaPlivXL4TswHcMnsGb0=[/QUOTE]
Another friend who painted all my 40's can no longer work on cars. He is 200 miles away and not computer savvy. His son takes pictures of his parts and cars and sends to me. I then write up info/ad and forward to my daughter who puts on facebook market place with his phone number and mine. We have sold lots of parts and cars as well from the various listing sites. Cars and parts have gone to Australia, New Zealand, England etc.
We all come to the point sooner or later that we need to get our stuff in order. Some for health reasons, some to make their spouses happy, and some because they are just smart enough to know when it’s time to do so. The most important thing to consider when downsizing is what result will make you happy and not haunt you. Nothing worse than living with regrets because you compromised your desires for some non-essential reason. List the priorities for what you want and expect. If your goal is to get rid of it all and that is the only goal, any of the above will work. If you want to see stuff go primarily to someone who can appreciate it for what it is, a lot of the options expressed won’t work for you. I find if I know it has value but not necessarily to me, the price someone pays for it doesn’t matter. If they need it, the price is hopefully very affordable and it’s definitely negotiable. If they just want it, the price isn’t as low nor as negotiable. If they just want to make a buck off of it the price is what I want and there isn’t much room to negotiate. I want to pass things on to people that need them and appreciate them. When I trim my collection, I would rather give something away than have someone try to steal it just to make a buck for themselves. You have to live with your choice of how. Make sure you spend more time on the what will make you happy and why than on the how to get it gone.
It's just parts. If you want them gone let them go. Rare stuff hold out for fair price. I have give away stuff if someone really needs it. Spring cleaning my shop right now. Fb marketplace is working pretty good for me. I used to sell on Ebay but prices are low and shipping is high.
Coincidentally, had a bittersweet experience yesterday that is on topic. I have a friend (82) who has been given limited time. He knew my son (24) might be interested in buying some tools and invited us over to have a look at his toolbox and tools. My son had a look and was liking what he saw and was asking questions. My friend enjoyed explaining what some of the oddball tools were, how they were used, and quite often, where or when he bought them. They both had big smiles the whole time. There was a little hesitation between them on pricing, but next thing I know, a bulk price was given, and my son had bought most of what was left in the garage, including the toolbox and tools, a workbench, shelving, and all of the supplies that were on the shelving. The kid is quite excited, and I think my friend is happy it is going to someone who appreciates it; and not going to strangers looking for a bargain. If you are already not expecting to get top dollar as is mentioned in the original post; are there any young rodders in the area that you could help out with a good deal?
If you've making the decision to move stuff and take a discount on what it might sell for (assuming you put the time in to inventorying and taking pictures (good pictures) and listing and dealing with buyers... why not find some of those younger fellows that are having trouble affording getting into our hobby and give them a good deal on a great project?
Well Guys, my wife would often tell me I was too generous. I have given away much car stuff over the years. Now If I put the stuff in front of my shop for sale, the only takers would be the local scrappers. I personally know of no younger fellows who put their hands on tools or build anything. I am doing what has been suggested and photograph items for face book marketplace and the Hamb Market as well. Thanks for the advice folks.
Selling stuff in the current market, with a questionable economy, and expensive shipping costs is hard work. To get good money for any item, it takes research: To locate a buyer that wants the item in the current market. To determine a current value. Then deal with the end effects of closing the sale. Packing things up safely so they don't get damaged during shipping. Actually shipping the items to the buyer. After finding that the buyer is willing (and capable) of paying for the item at the given price. Someone will be getting paid for that work, and it all comes out of the selling price. If its not you doing it, you pay someone else to do it. The cost of that effort has to be subtracted from what is left over of the selling price your item sold for (after selling place, like Ebay, has taken their fees from the selling price). I believe there are too many that forget those little details, they believe the selling price should belong to themselves and the person the put in the work to get the price should work for free. If you want the big money for the part, get off your butt and sell it yourself. If you expect anyone else to do the work for you, you pay them for their efforts. No one works for free, and a person certainly can't run a business selling your stuff that way. For an investment purpose, car parts are usually a pretty poor investment. Your investment in the car parts you bought is not likely not going to be a huge money maker over time, the reality is, you will be very lucky to get the money you spent to buy the parts in the first place back. Honestly, that would be pretty unusual! It may only happen on one of every 100 items you want to "sell" and then you pay the guy that got the part sold for you. If you are serious about getting rid of your collection, this is the attitude you need to have. Most of us somehow believe that the longer we hold on to some stuff, the more valuable it will become. That may have been true 30 years ago, but it is no longer true today. Most of the stuff we are hanging on to is becoming less valuable every year. Its a different time now then it used to be, and I don't think we will live long enough for our "time" to come back.
Really Guys. I carefully package any items that need shipping I am not asking anyone to do work for me. I do not charge to package, crate or whatever. Only actual shipping charges. I have not bought items for resale per say. I just have 50 years of stuff. Most of which I have had for quite a while. I dont know about wrong or right shows. I was just asking for suggestions. I just observe the culture in this area and have done so for many years. The younger fellows dont build hotrods very often in this area.
Shipping costs have killed a lot of internet sales. Ten-fifteen years ago this was a great place to sell not so much in the last 4-5 years. Back when shipping wasn't so expensive I shipped a Hemi to Australia, T turtle deck to France, set of 34 wires to Guam, T touring body to San Francisco and lots of other parts, Buick drums, 36 rear bones, transmissions, etc. The past 5 years or so the vast majority of sales have been on Facebook Marketplace. There is also the idea here in the last few years that no one should buy to resell. I think that killed some of it for me. My feeling was if I'm spending the time and money to find something you need and haven't been able to find I should be able to make a profit. For 17 years I regularly traveled with my 34 ft trailer anywhere from 4-8K miles per year buying parts, bodies and projects and sold them to virtually every state in the country plus overseas. With the way things are going these days I'm quitting and have sold my dually and have the trailer for sale also.
I also have shipped a few items across continents. The items I have are things I picked up as I saw them or thought I had intended use for. Very random in some aspects. Mostly old ford stuff.
Mick, not trying to steal your thread, but I find myself in much the same dilemma as you are. Over the years, I've acquired a crap ton load of good welding equipment. In the past, as my sons were getting into the Boilermaker and Ironworker trades and needed something, I had enough stuff to supply about anything they wanted. When they got into the fabrication business on their own, if they saw that there was something I could use, they would bring it to me. Now, both of them are retired and beat up from working; one with three back surgeries, the other has had surgeries on both shoulders. When they started shutting down their businesses, almost all of the welding machines, torches, rigging equipment, welding rod, etc. came to my house. Now, I'm slowing down and getting rid of stuff that they and I will never use. You would think that I had stabbed them in the heart when I sell something. They know that they could have gotten a lot more for that stuff. If that was true, they should have kept it and sold it themselves. The thing is, they didn't want it, and didn't want to deal with it, so they sent it to me, never thinking that when I died that they were going to have to deal with it anyhow. Now, every time that I need space in the shop to work on one of my cars, I have to move half of that equipment before I can get anything accomplished. I'm not selective as to who I sell to, but it kind of makes me smile when I get that young guy who wants to strike out on his own in the welding business. I'll cut him a little slack, because I used to be him. I wish that you and I were closer, because you might have something that I really want or need. I'm going to be headed to South Texas in a few months, Metairie isn't that far out of route.
Mike Id suggest just listing things on here 1st with doing pick up only and see how you go. To keep it simple you could do the following. Just post good clear pics and descriptions Each car seperately and include all parts that could fit it. The aim here is to get rid of as much stuff as possible. Will make it look more attractive too if a buyer can see parts they can onsell and claw back some of the purchase price. Each of the engines seperately. If the Hemis are 331, 354, 392 in GC they will bring money. Bundle up all the parts that suit one car and sell as one lot. Price them so a prospective buyer can see value. Bundle up the intakes and sell as one lot pricing them so someone could sell one or two to partially offset the buying price. See whats left and go from there. That should keep the workload reasonably light. Just be aware of scammers.
Thanks Pete. That does appear to be the most logical method to move forward. Scammers need not apply.
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