I was going to post a thread a couple of weeks ago and it was to be titled something like "I wanted to cry all night long". But events have changed so drastically that I just had to share this story. My apologies for it's lengthyness, but its a horrible story with a happy ending. A couple of weeks ago my friend came down to visit me, and he told me of an auction at his hometown that was coming up (high school selling off woodworking tools). I had already made plans to do a show to sell my "wares" so I just told him if he seen a large bandsaw going cheap I wanted him to buy it for me.
The day of the auction he tried frantically to contact because the stuff was selling dirt cheap. I didn't have a cell phone so I couldn't be reached. That night I called him about the auction and he told be everything went dirt cheap. What's dirt cheap I asked? Large Delta Table saw, 40.00, large bandsaw, 40.00, large planer, 25.00. etc. I had previously told him the week before I wouldn't be interested in anything 3 phase so he wound up buying only a 12 speed floor model drill press for 25.00, which he said I could have for what he paid for it. This part of the story was to be the crying all night long part.
Fast forward two weeks
I had a free Saturday (this past one) so I decided to travel to see him (165 miles away), stay the night, and pick up my consolation prize (the drill press) but first I would make a stop at a dealer and he wound up buying 450.00 worth of my cutting boards. I get there to my friends house and thought about choking him on mine and all fellow woodworkers behalf for not buying the tools at the auction. We joke around about the missed opportunity, his son is there (he was the auction as well) and he verified what the pieces went for. I wanted him to verify this for me because I had been doubtful as to all of this being true. He substantiated it all, and at one point I put my hand over my ears and didn't want to hear anymore...
now for the roller coster ride...
I looked at my friend and said are you sure you don't know anyone there at the auctions name that might have bought the bandsaw? He thought for a moment and just like a lightbulb went off he remembered the guy who bought the bandsaw.
I again apologize for the length...but this really gets to be almost unbelievable. We call the guys house, wife answers and say's she believes he'll sell some of them. She gives us his cell phone and he agrees to meet us at his house (8 miles away). He's at a cattle sale and we beat him there. No tools. Panic is setting in...the guy arrives, and says we've passed up the building where the tools are. We back track and look to see a gooseneck setting outdoors full of tools (rusting away, already been 3 weeks). I start seeing a Rockwell/Delta 20" bandsaw, Rockwell/Delta turning lathe w/varible speed handle, heavy duty metal cutting bandsaw, 8" old Powermatic joiner, and a model 20 Delta drill press. By this time I'm trying to keep my composure, and before we can talk prices, he say's oh by the way I have a real nice table saw in the barn you need to see. I'm starting to feel like I've stepped into the twilight zone, almost in a state of shock...we get in the vehicle and drive to the barn, open the doors and there sets a late model unisaw.
Lets back up just a little bit...Earlier, before he arrived, we kindof looked around at his farm and his collection of what I would call junk and I thought he could go either way, either want a fortune and just set on the equipment or sell it for very little.
State of shock...I sheepishly ask him want he wants for all of the pieces and he says $_______By this time my head is swimming and my knees are about to buckle, so I restate that I want to buy it all. And the price he quotes is for it all. I get out my checkbook, write the check for 50.00 over what he asked because I got him to throw in a table and delivery of the tools to my friends building.
To close...next morning he arrives with the tools, we unload, and everyones happy. The best I could do for the meantime was to spray wd-40 and all the tables, gears, bearings and leave them there to pickup in the next couple of weeks. I could clean these up and resale for a Hugeprofit, but I've decided to keep the unisaw, 20" bandsaw, and lathe. My brother and his son have been looking for a table saw, joiner, so I thought I would bestow my 10" Grizzly TS and the powermatic joiner to him for a fraction of what their worth, with the stipulation he has to offer to sell to me first if they decide to ever get rid of them. My neighbor across the street I'm going to give the metal BS if he will haul back all of this for me. Another friend and fellow woodworker is interested in the Large Drill press. I'll probably try to just get back my money on it.
Pictures...didn't have a digital camera, so I bought a disposable. Just got the pics back today, and have had a hard time trying to get them on my computer. I have a couple low quality pics I'm going to try to upload in this post. Once I get them home I'll be able to show more...
Robert
footnote: to my friends credit the reason he didn't buy at the auction was because I specifically told him I wasn't interested in anything 3 phase (which most of these were). My instructions was based on, what I thought was a mutual understanding of anything 3 phase going for high hundreds/thousands I wouldn't be interested in. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine them going for less than 40/50.00 a piece.
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Congrats on that once in a life time deal! Now get out there and clean that arn up! Jim.
Originally Posted by Chris Giles
