Saturday, I went to an farm auction sale. Tabiner Marshall was a collector for many decades and seemed to have one of everything. He'd buy anything at an action if it was a bargain. He died from a heart attack about a year ago. He was 67. Tabiner was a farmer and also ran a saw mill on his place near Charlottesville Virgina. He had three barns full of "stuff" stacked to the ceiling. Also sold was approximately 30 to 40 thousand boad feet of rough sawn, stacked and stickered lumber, all under shed in the dry. It had been stored at least a year, since that's how long he's been dead. Although it was mostly pine, there was a considerable amount of oak; maybe a third?. There was also as advertised 200 bf of walnut in one lot and 700 bf of walnut in another. I seriously estimate that all of the pine and oak brought less $1,000 total. I saw stacks of 8" to 12" boards, 16 foot long, stacked 16 feet high sell for $75. Others 8 to 10 feet high go for $50.
I was interested in the walnut. Of course that brought a hefty price. The
200 bf lot, was made up of 8' lengths, about 8 4X4 post, and approximately 20 1" boards 8 to 12 inches wide. Beautiful lumber. That 200 feet sold for $575, which I think is not too bad for nice air dried walnut. I didn't buy it.The 700' of walnut was mostly culls with a lot of bark edging and irregular shapes. Still there was a heck of a lot of good wood in that lot. It went for $50. I wasn't present when that lot was sold, SWMBO was and told me what it sold for. Sure wish I had jumped on that.
Several times Saturday I thought, Tabiner must be rolling over in his grave, all that hard ass work given away. Rest in peace, Tabiner.
Gary