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Hoarder needs help

colson04

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2016
Messages
2,057
Location
Delton, Michigan
I had a great uncle that was a hoarder. Born in the depression, raised up up dirt floor poor, nothing gets thrown away. He ran his washing machine drain into a barrel and watered his plants with it. He would go to auctions all over, not bid on anything, and then make a ridiculous offer to buy something that didn't sell for mere pennies, and more often than not, his offer would be accepted so the item didn't have to be handled again. When he passed, there were only paths between rooms in his house. He had an antique thunderbird in his garage that I never laid eyes on because it was piled over and around with 'stuff'. He had every newspaper he had ever bought, along with many he had been given.

When I see your barn picture with various parts organized about, I don't see a hoarder. I see valuable parts that have an actual use and market for re-sale. By contrast, my uncle's place was full of junk with few odd rarities of value.
 

DMiller

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2010
Messages
16,432
Location
Hermann, Missouri
Occupation
Cheap "old" Geezer
Got into the shop and cleaned up a bit this morning, ALL the scraps of building tin, 2/3 panels, sections of corners(In and Out), J rail, sprues and cutting tabs, etc finally got too me, ALL Gone down to Undrilled FULL panels I have three of and some full size sections of trim. Took three buckets of metal cuttings and offal where had just over 500 lbs, tins not such a good pay right now, got $11.35 for it all, told the guy to keep it as I was glad to be rid of the crap.
 

Vetech63

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2016
Messages
6,362
Location
Oklahoma
Got into the shop and cleaned up a bit this morning, ALL the scraps of building tin, 2/3 panels, sections of corners(In and Out), J rail, sprues and cutting tabs, etc finally got too me, ALL Gone down to Undrilled FULL panels I have three of and some full size sections of trim. Took three buckets of metal cuttings and offal where had just over 500 lbs, tins not such a good pay right now, got $11.35 for it all, told the guy to keep it as I was glad to be rid of the crap.
You may have just given our Georgia friend a heart attack! LOL
 

Truck Shop

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2015
Messages
16,556
Location
WWW.
I keep very little, I better have a damn good reason to keep it. For years I lived very portable, I did have a collection of Ford hi-perf parts that was monstrous. One day I decided good by to it
and it was gone. If you have to look for it that means you forgot about it and didn't need it anyway. Years ago when I worked for a repair towing company we had a yard with about 150 cars
and pickups in it, some on the rare side. The boss/owner was in the yard after a abandon car sale and this guy who had been pestering him for 5 years about two mustang front clips was there
pestering him again about selling them/he wanted them for basically nothing to add to his pile of stang parts. Don was and had not been feeling well for several days had had enough of this
guy. Don climbed on the crane and dropped a weight on both front clips laying side by side. Don said there you can have them. Guy went haywire. But two days later Don woke swung out
of bed and had a stroke, ended up in a wheel chair until he died in 99 eleven years later, Don was a hoarder also.

When his third son took over at 29 he decided to clean the yard, a portable smasher came through and crushed everything in the yard. Kevin said we need the money more than we need that
junk, The crusher asked about the two Studebaker Hawks which had no engines-both Golden Hawks----Kevin said CRUSH THEM, I'm not ending up in a wheel chair like my dad who was broke
but had to keep everything.
 

DMiller

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2010
Messages
16,432
Location
Hermann, Missouri
Occupation
Cheap "old" Geezer
Pretty sad ends to what could be money making deals, but some do not ever get that it only lasts so long. We die, machines rust away, interest wanes can all be deciding factors.

Mertens quarries had dozens of old Allis machines, NOBODY could get them to give as much as a price to buy and just sat on them, until scrap went ballistic then all were gone. Could have sold them for the same money to interested parties but determined they would not ever be used again. Not a piece was salvaged from them that they themselves did not use up.
Saw yards full of HE go to Grossman Iron and Steel, went thru the shredders not five years ago, parts no one has no one can get even if well worn rebuildable but ended up in those cheap priced pieces of crap sent back by China made of expensive scrap sent to them.

Down by Rolla MO used to be a Military Scrapper, had DOZENS of the old M4 undercarriage prime movers for artillery transport, he died, kids did not care to set on them and they too went to scrap. A year later a guy that had tried to buy them prior stopped by amazed as all were gone asked to where and about passed out when told. Had offered THOUSANDS for the old intact machines for Museum pieces, and was told NO by the old man, junked they brought a few hundred apiece.
 

DMiller

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2010
Messages
16,432
Location
Hermann, Missouri
Occupation
Cheap "old" Geezer
No D5s here, mainly Junk Allis or well aged GM. Did back in the day cut up a number of old Cable Pans that had outlived any chance of Hydraulic Conversion.
 

Truck Shop

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2015
Messages
16,556
Location
WWW.
I did haul two loads of prepared scrap out of that yard before the crusher. Mainly radiators, electric motor winding/armatures, lots of engine blocks complete and incomplete and a pile
of automatic transmission parts. Hauled them to General Metals Tacoma, It was fun watching the magnet drop 8 SBC/BBC at a time from a height of 40'.
 

Old Doug

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 16, 2013
Messages
4,485
Location
Mo
I have alot of stuff most is to scrap when i get time but i also have lots of spare parts for the rigs i use. I have several f600s and several 50s and older Jeeps. I dont under stand why a guy wants to save so much but i have done it.
 
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