On Sat, 17 Nov 2007 10:47:15 -0800, charlieb wrote:

A good story, Charlie, and an excellent character reference..
It's nice to hear about folks "doing the right thing" and you did just that,
IMHO...\You also touched someone and got touched back.. good karma all around..
Good on ya, Charlie, you did a GOOD thing..

taking advantage of widows

I'm at the other end of the spectrum.

I saw an ad in the paper - "selling deceased husband's tools".
Called, made an appointment and went to check it out.

Sat with the widow and listened to stories about her now
deceased husband and his hobbies - one being woodworking.
After a while, she took me out to his "shop" - a small add
on to the garage. We had to clear some spider webs as
we entered - the space obviously undisturbed since the
deceased last left it.

Took a while to figure out how to turn "the lights on"
- an overhead bulb - unplugged from a wall socket.

The Dearly Departed must've been a jack of all trades
for there were all manner of tools - most from Sears.
We talked about the various unfinished projects left
on benches or sitting on a tool chest and I got a feel
for this guy - and how his wife loved him - and missed
him. I wish I'd had the chance to meet him - he sounded
like an interesting fellow.

Eventually I asked if I could poke around and explore
a bit and the widow said "Sure.".

Most of the stuff was "tradesman" tools that Sears
probably sold in the late 40s or realy 50s but there were
some gems in the mix
- a 1" Stanley Everlast socket chisel, clearly used, and
at least once - abused - some nice nicks in the edge
the top of the handle clearly hit more than once with
a metal hammer
- a Miller Falls Co., Miller Falls Tools, Founded in 1868
Greenfield Mass. Made in the USA No. 5A hand drill,
the knobs and handle in actual rosewood - a compete
set of the original drill bits inside the threaded wood
twist on and off top of the handle.

I asked the price of the chisel and hand drill.

"Oh a buck for the chisel - and two fifty for the drill."

We took the two tools outside and we sat in the lawn
chairs in the driveway.

"Mam, this chisel, in this condition, goes for anywhere
from $15 to $30. And this hand drill is probably in
the $30 to $50 dollar range, given that it still has a
complete set of drill bits in the handle - see. So let's
split the difference - call it $23 for the chisel and $40
for the hand drill and I'll round it off to $65 - for Sales
Tax."

The lady's expression went from shock and surprise
to a fond smile as she no doubt cursed and blessed her
dead husband.

"DONE!" she said. "And let's make it a nice round $60,
since you're such a nice young man." (I was in my mid
fifties at the time so you get an idea of the lady's age).

We spent the next several hours putting stick on
price tags on the rest of the stuff that I had some
idea of how much they were worth. And during that
time she told me about her husband - and their life
together. They must've been one hell of a couple.

When I was about to leave she handed me back the
$60. I protested. She was incistent - "You've been
a big help and I want you to have those two tools.".

We finally settle on $30 - and the stories were worth
at least that - so the tools were free. Oh - and a glass
of cold home made lemonade was thrown in as well!

A Win-Win situation.

There are far more angels in this world than assholes
- not that I consider myself an angel by any means
- but I do try to not be an asshole.

What Happens To My Tools - and machines and tooling

I've got a drawer in my shop full of receipts. Figure
my boys should know where their inheritence went
- if they want to total things up. Will also give them
a starting point when pricing the stuff they don't
want to keep. I suspect the hand tools and cordless
stuff will go to my contractor son and the bigger
power tools - and WOOD! will be used by the one who
chose college and got a degree in international business.
He's the woodworker of the two.

BTW - if you put The Manuals AND the receipt in a
ZipLok bad and tape to the stationary tools it'll
make it a lot easier on your "heirs" - and can kick
up the price a bit when negotiating their sale.

Since You Can't Take It With You - at least make
an effort to ease the work on those Left Behind
(or Below - if you've done it right).

Good thread Arch - as usual.

charile b


mac

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