Estate sale find

[Mjdd23]

296848
Was checking for any estate sales in my area this morning and saw one advertising hunting and fishing equipment. It was the last day of the sale and there wasn't much left of the hunting and fishing items. Mostly camo clothes and some old rods. I was about to leave when under a pile of camo bags and pants I spotted an rcbs pro melt and it was full of lead! I put it to the side and kept looking. Wound up finding a wheeler fat wrench and a lyman 450 lubrisizer with heater attached. It was half priced on everything because it was the last day of the sale so, $15 for the promelt $10 for the lubrisizer and she gave me the fat wrench for free! I also got 2 pieces of pewter and a book on winchester rifles for under $10. This has to be one of my best finds in years. I'm very happy.296849

[Outer Rondacker]

Nice!

[Winger Ed.]

Oh yeah!

You have more than earned the right to gloat over that!!

My Pro-Melt didn't look that good 25 years ago, and its still on the job.

[Mjdd23]

I was thinking of getting a lottery ticket tonight but after this a think my luck is done for today.
The light on the switch isn't working and I thought it was not going to work but I plugged it in outside and checked it a half hour later and the pot of lead was melted. I drained it so I can give it a good cleaning. I'll get to it next week. It's not new but it appears to be working ok.

[Winger Ed.]

I drained it so I can give it a good cleaning.

Don't make extra work for yourself. Plenty of other people are more than glad to do that for you.

Take something to stir and scrape the sides and bottom as you flux it.
That's probably all ya need to do.

[ShooterAZ]

Fantastic score! Sometimes it pays off checking out the estate sales, it gets to be habit forming though. My father had to build himself a barn to keep all his "stuff" in.

[sharps4590]

Good fer you!!! Stuff like that never happens to me...:(

[Baltimoreed]

Super find.

[lightman]

Thats a Great Score!

[dverna]

I am getting old and soft headed as well as soft hearted.

The lady may have lost her man, or got divorced. I would have offered her half of the value of new stuff after telling her what is worth.

I suggest you sleep on it and decide if you are ok with what you did. If you have regrets, go back and give her $200. She probably needs the money more than you do.

[imashooter2]

Congratulations on it being your turn! [smilie=p::drinks:

[TurnipEaterDown]

I just have to say: SCORE!
All I ever find at estate sales is piles of glassware, records from the 30s & 40s, old pipes, and women's clothing that reminded me that smoking pipes isn't necessarily the purview of old men...

I might say respectfully: the stated price is what it is. Maybe they just wanted it all gone, and it wasn't when the last person showed (the OP), so I guess the market wouldn't bear much that day over what he paid. I have a relative that when gone, I will be convincing my siblings that we need a 40 yd dumpster. And then, repeat until empty. No lie.

[remy3424]

Well done!

[Land Owner]

Seriously, THIS an example of what NOT to do to family - i.e., following an untimely demise, leave them to dispose of hobby equipment, without knowledge of its use, or value, in a garage-sale negotiation that both sides EXPECT to amount to PENNIES ON THE DOLLAR, just to be rid of it on the one hand, and to go "Weee, weeee, weeeee" all the way home on the other.

The LEAST a Hobbyist SHOULD DO is create and periodically refresh an Inventory and an Estimate of Replacement Value:
1.) value everything as new; the Net and on-line Suppliers make finding current value simpler.
2.) for insurance, in case of disaster
3.) as a portion of personal/household Net Worth
4.) as an interesting - what if I had to purchase everything today?
5.) as a Note to Self/Family - How much 'stuff' do I have, where is it, in what condition is it, what is it worth NEW, suggest its minimum value as USED (this is handy in garage-sale negotiations), and who, if any in the family, gets it?

An inventory and estimate should be refreshed from time to time (annually, bi-annually, max - every 5-years) to reflect its dynamic Status and Present Value. Excel spreadsheets are perfect for formatting an inventory and estimate of cost. So too is paper and pencil. Print/scan/store it, electronically, as a PDF. Make reference to it (Last Will, Hobby Assets, who gets what, etc.) for survivors.

I do not blame the OP!

[trapper9260]

You did great , glad it work out for you. Not a thing that happened on a common bases . It was ment for you to get it .

[LenH]

I need to do what an older friend did several years ago, he had a tag with a dollar amount on said tag. He was in his early 80's and didn't want his family giving it away or
selling it off cheap. I bought several things before he passed away and gave him what was on the tag.

[yetavon]

What scares me.... the corn muffin lead bars... I have acquired alot of Cast Iron stuff over the years...

[Mjdd23]

Thanks for all your responses they gave me some things to think about. The inventory is one which I will have to do. I tell the wife and kids not to scrap the lead and pewter but to put an ad in the pennysaver or online.
Most of the time in my area of NJ the estate sales are run by a company or service. This particular sale was at the home of one of these people who run the sales. She had passed away and the house was being sold so they were trying to get the house cleared out. The person who owned these things prior to this woman was several sales down the line I suspect. I would never intentionally rip someone off especially an old widow.
I'm chalking this up as a win for me. We go to quite a few sales and this was a good one for me. I really have to cut back and be more selective. I try to only buy the things I will use but I can't pass up a good deal! I am retiring in a month so maybe I can get the garage inventoried.

[bimus]

Some times people will pour lead in coffee cans and set it outside and the can rusts away and years later some one else finds this this when selling everything and not know what it is or what to do with it so it helps to ask .

[Mjdd23]

I've never found lead like that. I've found plumbers ingots and rolls of solder mostly and fishing sinkers. The scrap yard was good for me but prices are too high right now.

[remy3424]

Inventory? That will be a great way for your widow or family to spend maybe a year (or more) of their time trying to scratch out a few extra dollars (if they even decide to try selling it). Unless this is pretty much the only assets you have, I wouldn't spend too much time. Around me, I don't know another caster within 30 miles of me, I assume there are some. This will require them list on an internet site, manage that (emails, photos etc), pack & ship, not an easy job on items such as presses, melters and lube/sizers. I have a pile of stuff I seemly can't find the time to deal with. They could look for a person (one of your friends, assuming you have some) that would buy the collection, someone that knows what it is and then let them find new homes for your treasurers and make a little money too. For at least the last year there is a lady with a couple tables of guns and misc old reloading crap (stuff) at the one of the local gun shows. The firearms are priced at a premium (looks like someone had giving her top of the market prices) and the rest she needs to just put fire-sale prices on. I feel sorry for her everytime I walk by her tables...not a thing I think I could possible get any use from. Maybe a better idea is to get to selling (giving away) the equipment you are no longer using, I really need to get myself on this program! If you have a son/daugher, in-law, brother, cousin, etc that is into this hobby, make it known to give it all that to them and everyone's worries are gone. Maybe if I make it to retirement, I can get my excess gone and create some usable space for more worthy retirement projects. I have slowed down substantially on dragging crap home that I think I could use or is too good of a deal to not purchase. What I really need is to bump into a local that has been bitten by this bug...I could really get them up-to-speed quickly!

If you have a decent firearm collection at your demise (no intensions of selling yourself), and no family is interested in those, have a auction company familiar with firearms and shooting related equipment handle it with an estate auction. That will take care of things and fetch good prices on everything. Gun auctions drag-out every shooter it seems! If they do the on-line also, the entire world can attend.

[yetavon]

Some times people will pour lead in coffee cans and set it outside and the can rusts away and years later some one else finds this .

I have one of them... I wondered how they got it out...

[farmbif]

your very lucky, I've never ever even seen any reloading stuff at any yard sale

[Eddie Southgate]

Congratulations .

[Eddie Southgate]

I am getting old and soft headed as well as soft hearted.

The lady may have lost her man, or got divorced. I would have offered her half of the value of new stuff after telling her what is worth.

I suggest you sleep on it and decide if you are ok with what you did. If you have regrets, go back and give her $200. She probably needs the money more than you do.

Only thing he did was paid what was asked for something that was for sale . Nothing wrong with that . With the internet it is not hard to find out the value of anything , either they didn't want to be bothered or didn't care and just wanted it gone . Nothing wrong with that . They are happy and he is happy. Nothing wrong with that. There was no "what you did" involved .

[dverna]

Only thing he did was paid what was asked for something that was for sale . Nothing wrong with that . With the internet it is not hard to find out the value of anything , either they didn't want to be bothered or didn't care and just wanted it gone . Nothing wrong with that . They are happy and he is happy. Nothing wrong with that. There was no "what you did" involved .

I will share a story. I lady came to the club looking for help in getting rid of stuff her husband left after he passed years earlier. A buddy and I decided to help her. Her husband had left the club many years ago and I did not know him but no one else was interested in helping her. Relatives had picked over what they wanted but she was moving to a smaller place and wanted to sell what was left. Like most people, she had no idea what the stuff was worth. There were about a dozen guns and a bunch of reloading stuff.

When we went to her home, I took the Blue Book of Gun Values and helped her determine a fair price. Told her to price stuff about 10-15% higher and bargain down from there as people always wanted a "deal".

I got a call from her about 3 months later. All the guns sold except for one. She asked me to come over and take another look at it. It was a 94 Winchester that had a bit of rust on it and initials scratched into the stock. I had told it was worth about $175 and to ask $200. No one had offered her anything for it.

When I got there, she asked me if I wanted it. I told her I had no need for it as I had two other .30/30's. She said, "You can have it for helping me." I had $135 on me and gave it to her. I got a big hug along with the gun. BTW still have the gun and have never shot it.

When I commented on this thread, a picture of that lady came to mind. A widow who needed help...but it could have been a mother who lost a son....whatever. When I face my maker, I have a lot of sins to answer for. Hopefully a few of the "right" things I have done are on the ledger as well.

I am done on this thread. Enlightening, and not in a good way.

Good lesson for others. If you do not want your heirs to be taken advantage of, put together an inventory with values added, and/or find a friend you trust to help your family when you pass.

BTW, the buddy who helped me value the assets of the widow came to me a couple of years later. We were at a Trap shoot and asked me to sit with him in his car. He had something serous to discuss. I am thinking, "He has cancer so something!" He handed me a document asking me to help his wife get rid of his stuff when he passes. I asked him if he was sick but no, he was planning for the future. In the document he bequeathed me a gun worth about $11k. He is one of the men who bought me to Christ. I told him, "Gordy, I owe you a lot. I will sell the gun and give the money to your wife. See you upstairs some day."

[Bmi48219]

I’ve got the firearm inventory finished, still have to address the reloading / casting stuff.

I’m more concerned about my wife’s collections particularly precious and semi-precious stones. To bring the point into focus; she bids on lots of costume jewelry (and the like) on line from national charities. Mostly jewelry boxes that are donated because they didn’t move at estate type garage sales. It’s surprising how many items are actually genuine. Her $10 max bid has paid off well. She buys settings and mounts a lot of them for gifts.
I wish she would at least identify the stones because I’ll never be able to. Statistically husbands precede their spouses so I may not have to worry about it.

[ddeck22]

Only thing he did was paid what was asked for something that was for sale . Nothing wrong with that . With the internet it is not hard to find out the value of anything , either they didn't want to be bothered or didn't care and just wanted it gone . Nothing wrong with that . They are happy and he is happy. Nothing wrong with that. There was no "what you did" involved .

Yes, estate sales are generally just trying to clean everything out. There was no swindling involved. If he didn't buy it it probably would have ended up in the trash.

[TurnipEaterDown]

Don, in the few posts of yours I have read, I have formed an opinion that I respect you. I still do.

What you describe in this post about selling off the property of a husband who was a club member at the same place you attended is laudable. It is an admirable thing, but I must say, it strikes me that you were fulfilling the position of a broker there. A person approached you to sell the items she had after a death (husband). This speaks to me that you had a Duty to take your task seriously and perform to her best interest. In the legal world I think this would be called feduciary (sp?).

In the case of an existing estate sale, or yard sale, the prices are what they are, and are set by the seller or seller's agent. It is a very different role.

In this second set of conditions, it is like entering into a used car transaction, or a sale at an established retailer. I would not expect anyone to offer more than asking price.

I used to work for a used car dealer and everyone wanted you to go lower. It is a Competition in the market place. So, it is different. The seller, if employed or direct, should extract most value for the bereaved. They should often expect that negotiation is employed if common in marketplace. Here, I don't even think the OP negotiated. Just selected some items, and paid what was asked. A good deal, yes. Cheating, no, paid exactly what was asked,yes. Timing, luck, call it what you will but I won't say it was even taking advantage. There seems to be no intent to make take advantage (my assumption, fair enough).

I have not read every post, maybe there are some boobs here, but overall what I have seen in the post reflects the differing roles and expectations in an exchange.

Me, someone gives me too much change or forgets to ring up an item, I tell them. Someone asks me to sell something for them I tell them what to expect and fight for them. I approach a seller, I either pay what they ask if the price is right, walk away, or talk them down with respectful reasoning that what they ask for is too high.
I would be gleeful about a find at a yard sale too, just like getting some meat at reduced price 2 days before the grocer throws it away.

I think there are differing view points here at play as to role, not dishonest dealing (for the most part, again, did not read every post).

[ulav8r]

Was yard sale-ing a couple years ago. At the last stop bought 4-5 items for next to nothing. Turned down one item that I have invited my wife to kick me for not getting. It was a small air compressor, 2 or 3 gallon tank. It looked rough but the guy said it ran and it had a hose with a brass extension double sided chuck. The guy said that when we left he was taking the leftovers to the dump. I should have spent the $1 for the compressor and chuck, instead of him having to haul it off and have a dollar less at the end of the day.

The OP paid what was asked to an "owner" that only wanted to get rid of it, a perfectly laudable action.

[Land Owner]

Inventory? That will be a great way for your widow or family to spend maybe a year (or more) of their time trying to scratch out a few extra dollars (if they even decide to try selling it)...This will require them list on an internet site, manage that (emails, photos etc), pack & ship, not an easy job on items such as presses, melters and lube/sizers.

I make the recommendation for an Inventory and AGREE with your assessment from the side of ==> Been There and Done That. I am BURNED OUT after the year of moving, storing, and selling guns, reloading, and casting equipment from an estate I bought from my boss' mother. I made an inventory of everything his Pop had that his mother wanted moved to the curb immediately for the garbagemen to take away FOR FREE.

I asked him to ask her to wait so that I could value all of it and make an offer, which was accepted. Cases of loaded 22LR ammunition, 40-guns (not to the curb or free), loaded ammo, brass, components, calibers that complemented my own, others I did not load, lead, primers, powders, machines, equipment, and decades of accumulation. I valued the guns in 1.5 hours, in a spreadsheet, through photographs and descriptions provided.

My boss valued the guns again, through his "friend", by paper and pencil. The other's total value of 40-guns took 3-weeks and was within $450.00 of my 1.5-hour total value. He sold me the estate, less a few cherished pieces he kept. Then the REAL WORK you describe started...

[Bmi48219]

Don can’t be faulted for helping someone in need.
Everyone has a valid opinion on Estate Sale finds. It’s really a matter of perspective.
Market Value vs what an item cost when new, gouging or stealing, depends on whether you’re buying or selling.
For example:
If you find two thousand SP primers at an estate sale with a price on them that’s half what the deceased paid in 2018, would be pleased you got a deal OR insist on paying the $85 / thousand as shown on CCI website?
Or again:
Would you advise someone you care about to sell their departed spouse’s stash of primers and powder for around what they actually paid for it, or base the price on current market value?

I don’t go to many sales. When I do I expect to buy for less than market price. Not looking for freebies, just a good deal.

[Eddie Southgate]

Nobody is saying Don did anything wrong . Never had that kind of thought . On the other hand there was no reason to infer that the OP had done something wrong by getting a great deal at an estate sale . The stuff he bought would have ended up at a thrift store or the dump had he not bought it . That's where the unwanted remains of my in laws estate went after the two estate sales we held.

[uscra112]

My stuff will all go to auction. If somebody gets a bargain, well hey, what do I care. Family doesn't want any pf it, and they don't need the money either.

From wherever I am I'll enjoy knowing that some lucky lad got a bargain.

[MT Gianni]

I had a gun show table last month for my nephew's FIL. I had stuff I thought would never sell gone in 5 minutes and H110 powder for $35 a lb and no takers. You can never figure people out.

[Shawlerbrook]

I still love picking through old gun treasures. Gun shows, estate sales, flea markets, garage sales......

[jaguarxk120]

At Estate Sales you have to know more than those running the sale.
That is your advantage (knowledge).