Admanfrd Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 I have found a man on craigslist who has sort of come to terms that he is a hoarder. When i asked how he had acquired all the stuff on his property, i got a "I just want to get this stuff sold and move on with my life. So, we found some hammers, files... and a beautiful post vice. Me and my dad dug through about 500# of stuff to get to it, and the second he saw it, he said $200.00 No less, BUT, "i'll give it for $150.00 because I like ya. We said no, then he thought a moment and said. "well, you are not obligated to buy it. We continued to scavenge, but every time we thought we found something useful (tools), He snatched it and said that he was going to sell tools in bulk. We got some scrap metal and a piece of RR track for about $25.00 but he wanted insane prices for things. 2500.00 for some gas station sign, 10,000.00 for a trailer, and other insane prices. Will it be possible to haggle with this man? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan C Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Probably not, if someone doesn't offer what I consider a reasonable price in the first place I don't waste my time. Doesn't sound like he really wants to sell anything. When I'm on the fence about selling something I might price the item high enough so if some actually does buy it I make a killing. Then I feel better about selling it and have enough $ to replace it or get something else I really wanted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Reference The Gambler "If you're gonna play the game, boy, ya gotta learn to play it right. You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, Know when to walk away and know when to run. You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table. There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notownkid Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 it would appear you paid $25 for the privilege of sorting his junk for him. No matter where they are they are all the same, everything is worth a million when you show interest. Watch the Obits maybe you'll do better when the place gets cleaned to sell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Give your card to his wife and tell her that you will pay more than the scrapper when she wants to get the stuff cleaned out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSW Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 I blame some of these picker shows that give many people the idea everything is worth a fortune if it's "old". However you also have to understand the mentality of some horders. The reason they held on to something was because it was "valuable" to them for whatever reason. You have just vindicated their evaluation of an item if it's of interest to you. Hence they either want to hold on to it and name a super high price to discourage you from wanting it, or they assume that it must be "valuable" and want top dollar even if the price they want is insane. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 In the past I have been able to educate the seller into better prices. I am a born yakker, soooo it is easy for me. In a lot of cases they think age = $$$$. I have shown going prices for similar items, let them know I am not a reseller, informed them that people actually use some of these old tools, and in some cases the conversation was rewarded with stuff in my vehicle. In other cases I have had to walk away. Sometimes showing a Franklin, or a dead president's portrait is enough to release the grasp. A lot of it comes down to reading the persons personality, and figuring out the right strategies for a deal. Case in point, I purchased the entire Kennedy top box with riser full of top quality machinist tools from a retiring machinist for $550. He told me that he would rather sell them to me at a lower cost that the resellers would give him because I was going to use them, and I do every day at work. That is the set of tools that I took to where I work. I totaled the contents up using MSC,and other supplier catalogs, and came up with $6,000. Yes , a new Interapid .0001" test indicator is $240, but I was buying them at auctions at that time for $20. If you can show current prices for comparable items it may help. In this case I would keep in touch, and let him know that when he is ready to actually make a sale that you will make him a reasonable offer. Sometimes people get attached to things for any number of reasons, so I always stay respectful when negotiating. He may end up letting you buy some stuff if he thinks it is going to a good home. In some ways I am like him myself. I have acquired a fair amount of $tuff myself, but I have also given away items that I paid several hundred dollars for-if I thought it was going to someone who deserved it/earned it/would give it a good home. I am doing a lot of evaluating myself lately, as I realize that I have a lot of funds tied up in my inventory. Some of the car,and gun parts I squirreled away years ago have gone up quite a bit in value, in other cases the years have devalued them, sooooo decisions decisions. I want to start another business this year, and the extra vehicles, tools, parts, etc could fund it easily. For me, I would rather be self employed than sitting on stuff that I probably won't use now. This may be another approach that you can use if you find out that he has something that he could use the funds for. Does he need something done that you could barter? These are all things that you need to find out, or if it isn't worth it to you, it is time to just walk away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arftist Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 . Will it be possible to haggle with this man? Not if you think $150 is too much for a post vice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admanfrd Posted January 21, 2014 Author Share Posted January 21, 2014 it would appear you paid $25 for the privilege of sorting his junk for him. No matter where they are they are all the same, everything is worth a million when you show interest. Watch the Obits maybe you'll do better when the place gets cleaned to sell. That last line. Genius. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan C Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Thinking about it, if the post vise is a decent size and in good condition $150 isn't a bad price. Search online for a brand new post vise and you'll find they go for ~$800. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Well depending on where you are at I'd say that US$150 was a fair price or DOUBLE what it should go for; though even in tool shy NM I've bought post vices for $30 in recent years and 6" ones for $75 since I moved out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admanfrd Posted January 21, 2014 Author Share Posted January 21, 2014 He decided to bump to $175.00 and i have found antique [1800s] post vices on ebay in (supposedly) Great condition for ~$90 There are some little dents and a coat of rust on this vice. nothing compromising. this may not be worth it BUT I may have an approach. I plan on saying something to the effect of "Do you really want this stuff gone? because i wont lose any sleep about not buying this, but you may. I can take it right now for $100.00, a fair price, and you can get it out of here and make a little dent on this mountain of jems you have here. What would you want me to do to get this vice out of here today for $100.00? I help you, and you help me. I will use it, and heck, next time i come, and i will, i'll bring back a knife that i made using this vice. Deal?" thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWooldridge Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Barter is often successful but there are no hard, fast rules and the outcome really depends on the individuals and how the business relationship develops over the course of "the deal". I began accumulating tools in the late '70's and put ads in the local small town newpapers looking for blacksmithing equipment. This was long before the Internet or Craigslist so the local paper was the only way to go other than word of mouth. I got all sorts of responses: One guy had an entire blacksmith kit from either Sears or Wards that his grandfather bought in the 1930's. He was willing to part with everything except the anvil because it had sentimental value. I didn't push the issue because he let me have a large cast iron forge, the matching blower and a vise (all in new condition aside from years of barn patina) for $70. We were both happy with that deal. Met another guy who collected power hammers. He typically went to farm auctions and always outbid everyone else then hauled the hammers home and put them in front of his house for yard art. It was impossible to buy a hammer from him but he'd be happy to waste an entire day of your time talking about his treasures. A more patient person might have talked him out of one but it wasn't worth the trips and wasted breath to me - life is too short...I found good power hammers elsewhere and bought those for competitive prices. Talked to one farmer who had an old shop made forge which had a wooden frame lined with concrete and a cast iron pot. It was about rotten and probably would have collapsed in the move. He told he that he really wanted a trailer and would trade the forge accordingly. I replied that I didn't have a trailer to trade and what would be the cash price - he casually answered that he thought $1800 was fair. Needless to say, I politely excused myself. In conclusion, you might eventually get something of value from a hoarder or collector but a lot of it will depend on your level of patience and ability to persuade. I have a low tolerance for BS and always adopted the philosophy that there are no Mona Lisa paintings in the blacksmithing world so another choice will always turn up eventually but I will also admit that tools are becoming more scarce with time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admanfrd Posted January 21, 2014 Author Share Posted January 21, 2014 Sooooo... Not a good approach? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Depends on the guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWooldridge Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Depends on the guy Bingo... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admanfrd Posted January 21, 2014 Author Share Posted January 21, 2014 Well, I will try my idea and see what happens. He's 70 and i'm sure some kind of deal could be struck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy Ivan Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Bring 10 and 20 dollar bills because if you offer $100, it looks better as 10-tens or 5-twenties compared to 1-one hundred dollar bill (seeing more bills seems to look more appealing to an apprehensive seller). With things like tools, explain how they are still used and not especially valuable just because they are old (especially with anvils, some people think they are made out of gold). On the point of you seeing post vises on ebay in the $100 range, (and they can be found fairly cheap) that may not be a good example to use in bartering because everyone knows with shipping costs, you will have to pay another $50-$100 so you will be paying $150-$200 at the end of the day anyways. If that and everything else listed above does not work, plan-B... Watch the Obits maybe you'll do better when the place gets cleaned to sell. -Crazy Ivan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Another method is to tell him you can't afford it as you want to buy more than just the postvise and ask him if he has another one a bit cheaper that might be usable. (or get him to throw in something else on the deal like a swage block or cone....smile) Personally I try to buy post vises missing brackets and or springs as they are simple to make and can cut the price down substantially. What I never do is to buy one with a worn or broken screw or screwbox unless they getting rid of it at scrap rate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Yates Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Give your card to his wife and tell her that you will pay more than the scrapper when she wants to get the stuff cleaned out. Ol Thomas you just made me fall in the floor with that comment yet it is very true I have the T-shirt from it very wise advice . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWHII Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 First off you have to realize, hoarding is a form of mental illness. Then remember your might be talking to a crazy person. Then tell yourself the only person crazier than a crazy person is one who will argue or haggle with one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 I have a good friend who when he was younger---in College---kept stuffing stuff in his mother's garage: metal lathe, mill, large screw press, anvil, tools and tooling, etc. I kept telling him that I was going to show up in my battered old truck and offer to "clean out the garage for $100---Shoot I'd even offer her $200!" We've all heard the horror stories about tools going to the scrapyard because a family didn't know who to call to sell them for more. Get some cheap instaprint business cards and make sure they mention Blacksmithing on them! to hand out so folks know who to call! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Hoarding is definitely a mental disorder, and it comes in varying degrees. Those folks you see on tv shows are basically off the charts crazy. My mom's got hoarding tendencies and we make a family joke out of it. "I've got glassware that's very old and probably worth hundred of dollars." "Oh, yea, well how come you've never got it appraised or tried to sell it? Can't use hundreds of dollars?" Seriously, though, I wouldn't try to argue or negotiate. Watch the obituaries and move in when you see he's died. For all the time and effort you'll go through otherwise, you could pick up kit at flea markets and yard sales. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yahoo2 Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 You cant have it both ways, I find people that are really willing to get rid of possessions have nothing worth buying, they usually take it to the rubbish dump. Around here there is quite a few farmers that like to "tidy up". Tidy up consists of, pile everything they have not used for 10 years in a heap, toss a match in it and burn it to the ground, drive over it with a bulldozer, then bury it in a deep pit. They wont sell any of it because it is theirs and they can do what they like with it. Hey, they are obviously fine upstanding citizens because they are not hoarders, no clutter or dust in their sheds. No such thing as a barn find on a farm like that, even the barn has been burned and bulldozed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Please Note that "hurrying up" the estate sale is frowned upon by all right thinking smiths! However buying the fellow a Quadruple Bacon Cheeseburger and super sized fries is allowed... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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