Thread: Putting parts back in circulation

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Dave's "someday" build thread kind of got me thinking in the other direction.

Over the last couple of years I finally decided to starting thru the pile of stuff I'd been collecting over the years and thinning some of it out. You know the left over stuff from past projects, or the stuff that was thrown on the shelf.......well because it was too good to throw away. It's not so much the money (although that's nice to finance some projects), but more I've finally realised I'll never do anything it.

I do some craigslist and a swap meet or 2 during the year.It's really been kind of nice to see some of this stuff finally go to someone who will actually use it.

Anybody else finally doing some house cleaning?

i had some fenders and dashboards etc.
when i found posts asking for those particular items.
i pm'ed the person and told him he could have it for free.
good karma

I do....If I know it's something I'm never going to use I'd just as soon have the parts in the hands of someone who'll use them as laying forgotten on a shelf someplace!!!!!

Timely post Mike P., I have just started cataloging "stuff" that I won't be using. I won't be doing another 34 so I won't need those 2 other grilles etc. etc. etc LOL.

I guess it's time to learn how to do C-List.....

So far I've found a free home for all the original parts that I've pulled off my '56 Jimmy
due to my adding chrome parts, dual carbs and headers. I'm sure there will be more later.

I've been doing a swap meet or two a year for about 10 years. When we decided to move, about 3-4 years ago, really concentrated of ridding myself of unneeded treasures so put the push on. Welllll that home search is still going on, most of those treasures are gone. BUT, they have been replaced by their next of kin. My shelves are like what we learned way back in school - nature abhors a vacuum - and those shelves - same thing and are no longer empty. So again, am putting together another BIG sale trip soon. And those dollars I get from my sales - well of course are put aside - for - you guessed it, replacements but "better".

Yeah Mike, I go through that phase every so often it seems. But then White's Disease sets in and the empty space sucks in more junk.

I think your thoughts reflect a reality that is creeping through the hobby. A lot of neat ol' stuff has been showing up on the market the last few years. Stuff that 10 - 20 years ago folks said "you can't find anymore, it's all gone." Well, those that became old farts were just "hoardin'", or preserving if you wish, those little bits of historical automotive detris. They are either passing away and leaving their family to deal with it, or looking ahead as you seem to be.

My problem may be that old habits are hard to break. Like Dave I have a separate fund for the car stuff, been that way for decades. And the way that fund grew was a combination of inflation and parts recycling. I'm sure most of us have done something like this. Need some vintage drums, come across a complete rear end that, because of it's bulk is often hard to sell so you get it "cheap" cause the seller just wants it gone. Buy the whole rearend, check the drums, if you're lucky they still have life in them, then part out the rest of the stuff making back what you laid out initially, maybe a little more, and......the drums are "free" (well, ignoring the sunk labor value). Except some of the pieces don't find a home right away.........meaning something less than 10 years.

I've been running ads on CL pretty regularly for the past year and a half, and occasionally on some other classified online car sites (kinda backed away from ebay since they turned somewhat less friendly to non-business sellers). Sales have slowed this year compared to last, though I don't know if that's regional or national. I've noticed that the older the part, the younger the buyer..............that traditional thing I guess. I've enjoyed meeting some of the younger local guys, they have a real enthusiasm for this rod thing, refreshing.

Once I was ready to sell all my parts, cars, tools, everything and not even go out in the garage.....It was the worst 10 minutes of my life!!!!!!!!!!!!