Topic: Reflections on Estate Sales, Life and Death and Good Deals

[demon78]

And we had a fire that burned up all my grandmothers photos and a flood that destroyed a lot of my mother and fathers photos that I was going to pass along to my kids for their kids so that there was continuity for the family I find it really  hard to think of the estate pitching their history, really bloody hard.
Bill the demon.

[MoMo]

And we had a fire that burned up all my grandmothers photos and a flood that destroyed a lot of my mother and fathers photos that I was going to pass along to my kids for their kids so that there was continuity for the family I find it really  hard to think of the estate pitching their history, really bloody hard.
Bill the demon.

Yea, Bill, I agree, it is like, "what the hell were all those years about"?  when no one wants the family history.  Sorry to hear about the loss of your family history...Larry

[scrapvalue]

And just because you don't "believe" in something, doesn't make it go away.

Goes the other way as well. 

Anyways, did the people buying the lifts not realize they could just go get a new one for cheaper?  I feel that defeats the entire purpose of going to an auction.

Believing in it makes it go away?

And just because you don't "believe" in something, doesn't make it go away.

Goes the other way as well. 

Anyways, did the people buying the lifts not realize they could just go get a new one for cheaper?  I feel that defeats the entire purpose of going to an auction.

Some people just go through life without enough information to make the right choices.

[nccb]

And just because you don't "believe" in something, doesn't make it go away.

Goes the other way as well. 

Anyways, did the people buying the lifts not realize they could just go get a new one for cheaper?  I feel that defeats the entire purpose of going to an auction.

Believing in it makes it go away?

Not following. Believing doesn't make it real.

I don't care either way if someone does or doesn't believe in something, but there are equal reciprocals to circular logic.

[Raul CB750K1]

There were some spanish bike manufacturers after the spanish civil war, now they are all gone. A while ago I managed to buy a full family album. It was advertised as "old photographs, many of "brand" bikes. I'm a collector of that brand and had to buy it. At euro 100 I was the only bidder, but I knew I shouldn't let it go. For the pictures I saw I knew it was the family album of some Alfredo Isanda, the only distributor of the Marque in Mallorca back in the fifties. Along with family pictures, there were pictures of the grand opening of his dealership, races, and so on. Even an autographed picture of Umberto Massetti. When I asked the seller where did he get it he told me "on a lot I bought". No doubt the man died and the family got rid of everything that wasn't valuable -if they only knew somebody would pay eur.100 for the pictures....- 

I still believe the man died without offspring or they were in a bad relationship. Otherwise I cannot understand why somebody would get rid of his dad's pictures, if only to pass them on to the grandchildren...

[MoMo]

I learned something today Raul,  I was unaware there were other Spanish bike manufacturers other than Ossa, Montessa and Bultaco-of which I've had them all and admired the workmanship. That looks like a very cool bike..Larry

[Raul CB750K1]

I learned something today Raul,  I was unaware there were other Spanish bike manufacturers other than Ossa, Montessa and Bultaco-of which I've had them all and admired the workmanship. That looks like a very cool bike..Larry

Indeed there were. The ones you mentioned are the ones that made it outside spanish borders. In fact they are reputed to have invented the offroad bike- at a time when the motorcycles in Spain were outsold by the cheap car and bike manufacturers needed to create a new use for the old commuter bike.

The one in the picture is a Sanglas, the only 4-stroke spanish marque ever. They were active 1942 to 1982, to be bought by Yamaha. I have a couple of Sanglas bikes besides the 750 Four and the CB350K1

[MoMo]

I learned something today Raul,  I was unaware there were other Spanish bike manufacturers other than Ossa, Montessa and Bultaco-of which I've had them all and admired the workmanship. That looks like a very cool bike..Larry

Indeed there were. The ones you mentioned are the ones that made it outside spanish borders. In fact they are reputed to have invented the offroad bike- at a time when the motorcycles in Spain were outsold by the cheap car and bike manufacturers needed to create a new use for the old commuter bike.

The one in the picture is a Sanglas, the only 4-stroke spanish marque ever. They were active 1942 to 1982, to be bought by Yamaha. I have a couple of Sanglas bikes besides the 750 Four and the CB350K1

You may be right about the Spaniards developing the dirt bike, they are the first full-blown dirt only bikes that I remember.  thanks for the info...Larry

[754]

Raul there is a section for our old bike photos, perhaps you can post some in there.
 Here is a Bultaco from 70

[BobbyR]

I used to buy Vintage Stereo equipment and resell it. I did pretty good for 10 years. I went to Garage and Estate sales in places i knew had an older population that was pretty well fixed.

I would walk through the rooms and I could get a sense of the people that lived there from the things they had. Some of the Women did sewing or other crafts and the men had good quality tools, and some unfinished projects showed they had skill.

I bought projector and it rattled, I opened the drawer and found family photos. I walked back in and said to the kids "I bought a projector, not your memories". They were so grateful they gave me my money back. Not all kids are cold and indifferent. 

[MoMo]

I used to buy Vintage Stereo equipment and resell it. I did pretty good for 10 years. I went to Garage and Estate sales in places i knew had an older population that was pretty well fixed.

I would walk through the rooms and I could get a sense of the people that lived there from the things they had. Some of the Women did sewing or other crafts and the men had good quality tools, and some unfinished projects showed they had skill.

I bought projector and it rattled, I opened the drawer and found family photos. I walked back in and said to the kids "I bought a projector, not your memories". They were so grateful they gave me my money back. Not all kids are cold and indifferent. 

You're right, Bobby, It is the minority that does not seem to want any memories.  It may be that in the estate sale I went to no one in the family had any interest in drag cars and motorcycles.  But I have gone to quite a few flea markets, estate sales, yard sales and auctions where it seems as though no one from the family wanted anything that belonged to the deceased.  I have been looking for a vintage amplifier/receiver but most of the prices are out of control.  Since my shop contains mostly 70s stuff an appropriate stereo piece seems to be in order...Larry

[754]

 Buy it the same as bike stuff.. At source.. Attic fresh.. At a reasonable price. Just another barn find scenario.. And like bikes prepared to listen to their fond stories..

[BobbyR]

I used to buy Vintage Stereo equipment and resell it. I did pretty good for 10 years. I went to Garage and Estate sales in places i knew had an older population that was pretty well fixed.

I would walk through the rooms and I could get a sense of the people that lived there from the things they had. Some of the Women did sewing or other crafts and the men had good quality tools, and some unfinished projects showed they had skill.

I bought projector and it rattled, I opened the drawer and found family photos. I walked back in and said to the kids "I bought a projector, not your memories". They were so grateful they gave me my money back. Not all kids are cold and indifferent. 

You're right, Bobby, It is the minority that does not seem to want any memories.  It may be that in the estate sale I went to no one in the family had any interest in drag cars and motorcycles.  But I have gone to quite a few flea markets, estate sales, yard sales and auctions where it seems as though no one from the family wanted anything that belonged to the deceased.  I have been looking for a vintage amplifier/receiver but most of the prices are out of control.  Since my shop contains mostly 70s stuff an appropriate stereo piece seems to be in order...Larry

Larry, try and find a nice 70's Yamaha Natural sound. Solid units and u can get them reasonable
 

[MoMo]

Thanks Bobby , what is a reasonable price range?...Larry

[Don R]

I have some thoughts also as I just bought a 750 sandcast at my late friends auction. I did tell a lot of people it was a sandie. I wasn't aware of the sale until a couple days before it. Only two of them came and one didn't bid against me. On the up side for the family it would have sold for half of what I paid if I and another guy hadn't fought over it.
 The family was so impressed I was invited by a son to make an offer on the drag bike which his sons were going to keep. I will offer to let them out of that deal if there is friction in the family over it. That and I overpaid for it, then they sold some of it's parts in the sale after the deal. They weren't supposed to be in the sale bill but were.

[Don R]

Anyway, I learned he never even put the sandie in his name, or really worked on it. I wanted something that was his but this one really wasn't something he was attached to, except it was bought new by his friend that passed away.
  He got a great deal on it from the original owners widow. And so on it goes. The next guy will get it in better shape but I hope he's not getting as good a deal as either of us did.

[Duke McDukiedook]

Thanks Bobby , what is a reasonable price range?...Larry

Just know that any 70's stereo equipment you buy at minimum will need a power supply recap and a check of dc offset at the outputs. Some of the coveted yammy receivers can go for a decent chunk of money depending on what you are looking for.

[Don R]

How about a silvertone quadrophonic 8 track, am fm? L0L.

[Raul CB750K1]

In many cases a hobby turns into an obsession that affects the rest of the family. The space and time taken away is so big that no wonder the kids doesn't want to know anything about the things that stole his dad away from their childhood...

[Don R]

My kids shared my passion for cars we still race together and they refuse to let me sell my 40 chevy to fund our racing. This Honda thing happened before and after kids at home.

[BobbyR]

Thanks Bobby , what is a reasonable price range?...Larry

When I was buying I was paying $20 and getting $80 to $200 depending on the Model. It is like fishing, I used to leave 6am on Saturday and hit 20+ sales by lunch.

I imagine sellers got smarter, but deals can be found. What I found is being outside the NY Metro area there we more Audiophile stores than you would find in the rest of the Country during that era. Outside Metro areas the good stuff was only available mail order.

I kept some, but I actually use a Carver I picked up a few years ago. You have to put in the hours and u can find good stuff. I paid off the Mortgage and stopped, it was a 20+ hour a week second job.

[MoMo]

How about a silvertone quadrophonic 8 track, am fm? L0L.

throw in  an 8 track of Iron Butterfly's InnaGaddaDaVida and I'm buying ...Larry

[MoMo]

In many cases a hobby turns into an obsession that affects the rest of the family. The space and time taken away is so big that no wonder the kids doesn't want to know anything about the things that stole his dad away from their childhood...

My kids shared my passion for cars we still race together and they refuse to let me sell my 40 chevy to fund our racing. This Honda thing happened before and after kids at home.

Don's is the good result, bringing the family together.  In my case the obsession that divided the family was alcohol-father and mother spent most every moment away from work and their children at a local bar.  None of us wanted much when they passed, of course from spending so much on booze there wasn't much left...Larry

[Don R]

 That's a rough one.  I spent the day imagining my buddy that owned this 69K0 looking down on me from where ever people go and laughing while I cleaned up the mess he avoided.

[MoMo]

That's a rough one.  I spent the day imagining my buddy that owned this 69K0 looking down on me from where ever people go and laughing while I cleaned up the mess he avoided.

I am sure you'll do his bike justice-closure is a good thing...Larry