I had a deal with my best buddy that whichever one of us was left would help the departed's wife parcel out all the junk..................the bastard died first! The car stuff is relatively easy, though he left her with ideas of value that don't fit today's market conditions. The tougher stuff is the shop equipment. She's 150 miles away so I can't work through the local ad thing as that would probably take a few weeks. My advice to her (and like Mike's comment, there is a small cost) was to get an estate auction house that is experienced with tools and machinery to handle the appraisal and sale. The whole deal would be over in a matter of a day or two, she'd get more money on the more desirable pieces, and maybe less on the least, but it would all be gone. Coincidentally another rodder's widow lives near her and has a similar situation, so perhaps combining the two, with the proper promotion, would bring a sizable crowd.

As for my stuff, I've started to take a more realistic look at some of the "I might need that some day" stash and started to trickle it out (mindful of johnboy's admonition). Interesting to note that for whatever reason(s) sales (or just inquiries) have slowed to a trickle this summer. Probably driven by bigger economic conditions/beliefs.

It has been fascinating to watch a lot of "barn finds" and part treasure troves creeping out onto the market as folks our age and a bit older have to grapple with infirmity, medical bills, and death. Stuff that many thought 20 years ago we'd never see again, all of a sudden the hoarders/collectors are freeing them up. As has happened before with other oddities of interest, those of us that live long enough may see the time when we wonder where all the buyers for this stuff have gone......................nah.....too depressing...................carry on!