The Old Man died. Family wants his life cleaned up.

[67rustavenger]

I didn't know where to place this. So here it is.
No, I'm not dying!

I had a conversation with a younger fella at work this week about his weekend activities.
He stated that he was cleaning up a property in Astoria, Or. Where the older family man had died. This old guy had stuff all over his property.
I said, "What? What was left over from this mans life?"
The answer was a bit shocking. There were cars all over the property. I asked, "What kind of cars?" Old "Slug bugs" came the reply.
I ask, "What did he (the young fella) do with the cars?" He grabbed them with a back hoe and had the carcasses hauled off for scrap! Oh the humanity!

A friend of mine had a conversation with an older Astoria gentleman a few years back. Who stated that he had 6 Copper Hurst shift levers in his shop. I wonder if this was the same old guy above?

So I gotta ask. Have any of you had this experience?
An unknowing person was hired to clean up a property where the old collector had passed away. And the family didn't know the value of his life's work of collecting old, possibly valuable ACVW's and rare parts. Just to hire someone and haul the stuff off for scrap?

What a waste!
_________________
I have learned over the years.
Cheap parts are gonna disappoint you.
Buy Once, Cry Once!

There's never enough time to do it right the first time. But there's always enough time to do it thrice.
GFY's Xevin and VW_Jimbo!

[TDCTDI]

There’s also the real possibility that what one person collects, the rest think is junk. The old rusty carcasses may have been a blight to the rest of the family & they just want the crap gone. It’s not unlike all of the other weird collectibles ( Like beanie babies, Avon bottles, Franklin mint pewter cars.) that once the hoarder passes, the objects of their fancy are just junk to everyone else.


Not too long ago, I had to do the very same for a family member that had not disposed of anything since the ‘70s. I’m sure that there was all sorts of valuable shit that got tossed or donated, I didn’t care, I threw out what was obviously trash & hauled the rest to goodwill, all 75 van loads worth.
_________________
Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.


GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!


An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.


Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it.

[60ragtop]

There was a 87 years young VW trained mechanic in Powell that opened his own shop when the VW dealership was bought out. When he passed I talked with his son who lived in CA about helping sort out the stuff. His son came out buried his dad, rounded up the factory tools his dad had and went back to CA. The rest went away. All the old guys friends have no idea where it ended up, it just was gone. C'est la vei! Don't loose any sleep over it.
_________________
Rick
Certified Mechanic by the State of Michigan in 1977
ASA certified in 1987
Certified Hunter Wheel Alignment Master Technician 1986

[67rustavenger]

[Zundfolge1432]

My father in law died over a year and a half ago. He left a sizable collection of model T stuff, tools, antiques and miscellaneous things a man acquires through 92 years of living. Rather than get in a hurry we are still sifting through stuff and have made arrangements to liquidate the remaining car parts in March. We had a sale last March where club members got to pick what they wanted but this time it all goes for a set price. I read a book about a year ago written by a professional mover with 40 plus years experience. He said eventually all of the stuff a person gathers and hordes will end up in the dumpster, may take a generation or two but the kids and grandkids don’t care about your brass hurst shifters. It looks like shit to them.

Each situation is different sometimes people don’t have luxury of doing things to suit would be buyers. What makes it even more difficult is dads house is 430 miles from where we live. We could have opted for quick clean out too I suppose but some of his stuff is over 100 years old. The local T club was notified and those parts are going to collectors instead of trash.

[Mark Evans]

[crukab]

Yepper, this happens every day all over the world.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=372746&highlight=

I was waiting this ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ stash out for a few years, stayed on top off it, and when they said "come get it" I jumped on it, no dicking around, they set the price & I came up w/ the cash.
If any of you folks know of a hoarder/stash, stay on top of it, check in, met any family members you can. After my Dad passed we had a few years to get the stuff gone, when my father-in-law passed, time was short, my wife & I bought a 20' container, stored all his "good stuff" in it, sorted thru the stuff over 3-4 years, I came away w/ dozens of Split Bus brochures ect., plus a sweet Mauser 7.65 rifle ....
_________________
Tom

My Pops:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=604100&highlight=
I know you will always be with me, rest in peace with no more pain. 8/13/14.....

In the yard right now:
'51 Dodge 5 window truck
'65 Bug
'66 Singlecab
'82 Rabbit Truck Diesel from CALI
'86 Doublecab W/T
'91 Vanagon carat/wolfsbrg.Tiico
'88 Dodge Ram pickup
'11 Jetta Wagon

[vwracerdave]

Here is my advise for everybody out there. As you get into your senior years it is time to let your hoard go while you are still alive to move it on to a better home. Lots of estate sales end up shoveling unknown stuff out the door for pennies of their worth. Most of the junk is only valuable to the person that owns it. Get rid of your junk while your still alive.


So the guy had a few shifters worth a couple hundred bucks. The total time and investment for the family to sort thru and get rid of unknown stuff is not worth the few hundred dollars after they spent several months and thousands of dollars cleaning it up.
_________________
2017 Street Comp Champion - Thunder Valley Raceway Park - Noble, OK
2010 Sportsman ET Champion - Mid-America Dragway - Arkansas City, KS
1997 Sportsman ET Champion - Thunder Valley Raceway Park - Noble ,OK

[hazetguy]

There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, one man's treasure is another man's trash.

[djkeev]

Yeah..... we're dealing with this now.
We have a large four bedroom Ranch home in NJ we still live in. Large garage, full basement, attic and three sheds outside.

We've purchased a 676 sq ft retirement home, 26x26 with full basement and small garage.

We have the new home furnished and set up to live in.
When the day comes, what do we do with all of thus crap?!?

Our kids don't want it.

And eventually my tools!
Mechanics, Carpentry, Electrical, Plumbing, Concrete, etc etc etc.

Kids today just want to hire people! They don't want to tools to DIY!

I need to adopt me a multi talented protege !
Someone who will appreciate what I'll leave behind for them.

Dave
_________________
Stop Dead Photo Links how to post photos

Ghia
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=392473

Vanagon
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6315537#6315537

Beetle
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482968&highlight=74+super+vert

[skills@eurocarsplus]

[Zundfolge1432]

I went to a local estate sale today, everything all the contents up for grabs. The man had died 25 years ago and the wife recently passed. Doors opened at 9 and people were waiting like vultures to get in.

They descended on this place and began stripping it, whatever is left will be half price tomorrow. I bought a few tools at giveaway prices. The house and contents looked like a 60s time capsule, lots of mid century and period items. This scenario plays out every day and it’s necessary. The people buying the stuff seemed happy the surviving family members are happy to be getting rid of these items they don’t want. I can’t see a downside to this.

*update* I went back today Sunday January 19th and the remaining stuff is half off already cheap, I spent 10 bucks and got more tools but the major score was in these glass jugs, it’s been unavailable for decades.

[67 Florida Deluxe]

[oprn]

This subject is close to my heart being an avid hoarder myself. Dad was too and so was my brother. It stems I suppose from growing up poor-ish and having more dreams and ambitions than bank accounts. You scrounge and make things yourself.

Dad and I worked together for many years on mutual projects and I was a bit more affluent than he was so much of the tools and equipment ( welders, drill press, hydraulic press, specialty tools etc.) in his garage were actually mine. When he passed away it was not understood by the rest of the family so it was all split between myself and my brother. Ok, no problem, we got along, no hard feelings.

Last June my brother passed away unexpectedly and before you could say Jack Schmitt, the scrap metal dealer had come and gone and nothing was left. Yes he had 2 boys and 2 son-in-laws but apparently they have no ambition outside of the Wallmart/garbage dump cycle.

I am facing the same thing. I have one son and 3 son-in-laws, none of which really want any of my stuff either (a number of antiques involved) so my job over the next few years it to clear it all out so they don't have to deal with it.

Just reality...

[67rustavenger]

I turned 60yo this year.
Looking at the responses to this thread. I likely need to get my shit together and make future plans for when I no longer walk on top of the soil.

My tools, will likely make it to my SIL's ranch where they will be put to good use for many years.

The Bug's and Porsche (parts cars or projects)? They likely will be scrapped. Just like in my opening statement.
I have a stash of parts in the attic space above the garage. I have labeled some of the parts too for value and what they are for.
Maybe I'll just leave a note on them, "Please call XXXX parts breaker to sell this stuff"

My driver 67, hopefully will live on with a new owner. Who knows.

Carry on!
_________________
I have learned over the years.
Cheap parts are gonna disappoint you.
Buy Once, Cry Once!

There's never enough time to do it right the first time. But there's always enough time to do it thrice.
GFY's Xevin and VW_Jimbo!

[Typ3nut]

WoW !! ...
Where do you start.
"One Man's Junk is another Man's Treasures" or "One Man's Treasures are another Man's Junk".
I Buy and Sell Vintage Muscle & Vw car parts, accessories, literature, toys and the such, for many years. Belong to five different Car Clubs and we have all noticed the trend of , there's NOT a lot of young people getting involved with the old school stuff. Just look who attends the Car Shows and Swap Meets and who's spending the money. The car clubs I belong to, I'm always advertising that I buy car parts estates and I have been through many. The problem I see is a majority of us old school collectors love our era of stuff, but most that purchase items never really have a purpose but an intent to use these items someday. Swap Meets and estates are about the thrill of the hunt for good finds and awesome deals. Many buy but never sell and when they attempt to sell their thinking it's worth a fortune or their just blowing it out to get rid of it, basically giving it away because their "family" has no intent to sell or give it away, just becomes scrap. Seems like everybody loves money but they don't want to get involved selling someone's "Junk" because they don't have an outlet of someone that maybe interested in purchasing, know its value or that it takes up too much of their time. I understand Buying, Selling, Storing, Unpacking, Setting-up, Repacking, Storing on and on and on... TIME = $.
You really never own it, you just have it for awhile, eventually someone else will have it or it becomes Scrap.

[vwracerdave]

Many years ago a buddy had to move his VW shop. He thought it would be a great opportunity to sell stuff and make a bunch of money. After the auction he lost his ass. The auction Co. bill was more then the total sale of the auction. He would have actually made money if he would have hauled it across the scrap scales himself.
_________________
2017 Street Comp Champion - Thunder Valley Raceway Park - Noble, OK
2010 Sportsman ET Champion - Mid-America Dragway - Arkansas City, KS
1997 Sportsman ET Champion - Thunder Valley Raceway Park - Noble ,OK

[skills@eurocarsplus]

[obus]

51yo here. Married with a disabled Wife and no kids. 3 grown Nieces would have to clean up our mess. A basement full of VW spare parts and matchbox and hot wheels from the early 90s to early 2000s. Plus my Wifes Tchotckes from throughout the years. Hoping to make some VW shows this year and start selling off some of the bulk items i don't need and ditch the stuff thats not really valuable. Tired of looking at it all
_________________
July 1959 Mango Standard Bus aka Obus L346 L347 https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=256592&highlight=
June 1973 Pumpkin Orange Thing aka Othing L30H
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=711775&highlight=
1960 Paprika Red Karmann Ghia Convertible aka Schatze L452 built 5/20/60
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...highlight=
66 21 window bus built 8/31/65 https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=777273

[mark tucker]

I sold off a pile of my stuff last year,got $26000 for it and still have more to go .if I die off the wife will just call the junk man. she dont give a shit whats what, but she sure did like spending almost half of what I sold off that was to be my 356 $ to finish it.... well atleast I did manage to but a nice under powered shiney car ( roadster) with ac for my daily driver. and she hates it. witch makes me smile. she is banned from driving it.