OK – how does one go in search of a simple item (ergo a grease gun – which you would logically expect to find at an auction of automobile and farm items) and not only NOT find the item – but end up with a truck and a half load of “stuff”. Now don't get me wrong the “stuff” is not actually “stuff” but hundreds (ok thousands) of really valuable things, most of which I need, have needed or will need sometime in this lifetime. The fact that I don't have a home is immaterial AND some of the items are valuable antiques which I'm certain to garner I tidy profit from once I get the other couple thousand items sorted and out of the truck/s. Like a circa 1926 Stimpson Calculating Scale or a turn of the century Crescent Mfg. Co – Cash Alarm Drawer – No. 56, so who's laughing now …..The problem, of course, is I might really like these items and be unable to part with them so I'm determined to move fast before I grow attached to a 85+ pound scale that I have absolutely no use or room for.
I already made a good start by selling one of three power drills purchased (don't ask me why when I don't even have power), to a friend – doubling my money and then some in less than 4 hours. Even more impressive was the drill weighed something like 60lbs, was gleaming stainless steel and had three handles! A real he-man's drill and I sold it non-the less.
So the bidding ended with my truck and a friends – filled with thousands of car and electrical parts that were brand new and still in box's – and such a high number because I thought I was bidding on a rack of wires and connectors, (actually got a great deal), but unknowingly was bidding on the entire display carousel which included EIGHT racks (3' x 6') and an entire box of spare/s. This is the BIG rack you find when you (or if you) go into a place like NAPA or AutoCare and see in the front holding everything from 50 different kinds of zip ties to voltage testers, fuses, switches, lights, etc., etc. etc. Needless to say if anyone needs a deal on auto parts – e-mail me!!!
PLUS a 150lb, 9hp, two phase generator ($15 I might add), a bale of some 100+ burlap sacks (clean and smelling of an old hardware store – remember Farmers?), a scale, cash drawer , tools, files, drills, something that looks like an alien anal probe (the looks on the guys faces when I made that observation was pretty much “priceless”), the aforementioned “two pry bars and a square” and god knows what else. I'm heading home around 11pm (mind you I left at somewhere around 9am) and realize I didn't get one thing done I planned on, am a couple hundred dollars in debt to Dwayne who I promised to pay on Monday (he owns the auction company and was visibly laughing at me during the day as I floundered around as a newbie in the auction world and all in all ok with life.
Last thing before I turn off is I just remembered the last time I went to an auction (I think) was about 40 years ago and I caused a bit of a problem for my mother and Dad by raising my hand there as well!!! Some things, I guess, never change – perhaps that's why both mother and Dad sounded so distraught when I called today to tell them about the bargains.
