Ramblings - My Trip to an estate sale

[Gary]

The past weekend I went to an estate auction sale in Raphine Virginia. The dearly departed was apparently a long time wooddorker, for he had 2 LARGE barns full of tools. He apparently had an affection for hammers and hand saws. He had approximately 60 various types of hammers and about as many hand saws. Machinery was mediocre at best, mostly well worn Crapsman, but exceptional quantities and a few gems of handtools.

I was drawn to the sale because there was advertised a large selection of planes. Well there wasn't all that many. All he had was 3 number 7 sized jointer planes; one Stanley, one Blue Ridge and one no name. He also had a nice number 5 Stanley plane which caught my eye. Well they placed all four planes in front of the auctioneer's stand, and started off with the blue ridge. Not many were interested in it so it went for $11. At that point this S.O.B., no doubt from somewhere north of the Mason Dixon, run up front, grabs all 4 of the planes, and tells the auctioneer that he's "taking all four, same money", including the number 5 I wanted They just as quickly he runs out the door with them. Well, that just spoiled my day for the rest of the auction, Damn Yankee!

I did buy a used but pretty good conditioned Crapsman Belt and Disc Finishing Machine and stand(6"X48" belt and 9" disc) for $105. It works well but needs new sanding belts and discs. It has a broken plastic dust collection shield at the end of the belt. I called Sears part store to order a new one. The said the cost is 16.99 which isn't too bad, but Sears wants $7.99 shipping and handling, for a $17 part!! I told them Wal-Mart doesn't charge shipping and handling and it didn't make sense to me why they should. The part is not essential but would make the machine a lot less messy, so I'm not sure what I'll do.

All in all, it was a pretty good sale. There was way to much stuff to sell in one day, so they are selling the other barn full this coming Saturday.

Gary

[Bob Brogan]

Well, having gone to a considerable number of auctions and bought a lot of tools that way, I'd be surprised if any auctioneer let this guy take the rest of the planes for the "same money"(that's the same price for each of the rest of the planes for the auction challenged) when they were auctioning off ONE plane only.

I'd more suspect that you may have missed the auctioneer saying they were doing the planes "as a group" but you bid on one and take what ever number, and the rest are offered to the second bidder at that money.

I'm assuming of course that you looked at the planes beforehand. Did you notice if they were in a "lot" of 4 planes? That would be the litmus test.

Maybe. I'm not pointing fingers, but that's what it sounds like.

OTOH, it doesn't sound like you lost much anyway.

[bugbear]

In the UK this is referred to as "selling the WITH THE OPTION"

This mystic "with the option" phrase is easy to miss, and is completely unintelligble until it's explained.

It's most commonly used (at my local auction house) when selling pile of (say for example) 50 planks. The first plank is sold "with the option". This establishes a price, and the winning bidder is asked how many planks he wants at the price. If he doesn't take all 50, the process is repeated.

BugBear

[David Hall]

If I am not mistaken, you can order such parts through the store and go there to pick them up with no shipping charges. At least that was the case the last time I ordered Sears parts for my snowblower. Shipping only applied if I wanted the parts shipped to my house.

Dave Hall

[Charlie Self]

Dave Hall responds:

Seems to me that's true, Dave. Shipping to one's house is a service WalMart doesn't offer, so they don't charge for it. I used to pick up stuff at our local Sears' store. Now, though, that's 35 miles away, since all the franchise stores were closed.

Charlie Self "There are two ways of exerting one's strength: one is pushing down, the other is pulling up." Booker T. Washington

[Gary]

I tried online and I tried calling on the telephone and both indicated that I had to pay the $7.99 shipping. The lady on the telephone insisted that I had to pay shipping and that it would be shipped to my home even though I told her that I wanted to pick it up at the parts store. I called an 800 number and got one of those central parts order places probably in someplace like B.F.E. There was not list a local number for our local Sears parts and repair store. Maybe if I go there and talk to a real human being I'll have better luck.

Thanks for you advice. Gary

[Gary]

Nah, it wasn't such a big deal other than the rudeness of it. The auctioneer definitely as not aware of any special "with the option" offer. The asshole told him that one of the floor hawkers told him the sale was "with the option" and being a nice guy not wanting to intterupt the auction, he let him take all four. Just observing the asshole's behavior, I could clearly see that he was pulling a fast one and buying (stealing) a premium plane at a junker price. BTW, I mistakenly said it was a number 5. Looking at the blood and gore (?) page, I now think it was a number 1. It was about

6-7" long and the plate stuck out in back where the handle mounts.

Gary