selling my toys

[EastWest Gal]

I know a private vocal teacher and a flute teacher who have their houses set up for private lessons, with an area large enough to host a group of students. The vocal teacher did house recitals, including closed circuit to the living room for overflow audiences of parents and grandparents. I say did because her husband keeps getting new jobs-dean, provost, and they keep moving!

 

[Music Lover]

One of our upstairs bedrooms has been converted to my music room filled with guitars, basses, keyboards, amps, and recording gear. No car has ever parked in our garage since we moved here because it's filled with all my woodworking equipment. Fairly large office with all my computers and parts for building more.

I have 2 practice spaces in my basement where 2 different bands rehearse. Both spaces have PA, drums, amps, and other assorted gear. Band members bring their stuff but also leave some stuff left here between rehearsals. Add a pool table and suddenly an 800 square foot basement is barely enough room.

That's one of the reasons I'm getting rid of excess music equipment. I've never been into collecting gear...it's just accumulated it over the years as I've upgraded or looked for something different. But now that I've got good quality gear that I use exclusively, the other stuff just takes up space in a spare bedroom.

 

[Cobra9777]

I have 2 practice spaces in my basement where 2 different bands rehearse. Both spaces have PA, drums, amps, and other assorted gear. Band members bring their stuff but also leave some stuff left here between rehearsals. Add a pool table and suddenly an 800 square foot basement is barely enough room...

That sounds like fun. No basements in Texas, but we also have a 500 sqft playroom, currently set up as a home theater that we don't use very often. I keep telling DW that I'm going to build a drum riser and get a set of drums and a PA system and move the rest of my toys into that space. She gave me "that look" which means it's never going to happen.

 

[Mulligan]

I dont have many toys, but I bought one this past month. An old school 1971 Gottlieb pinball machine titled “Lawman”. It is just amazing what is under the hood of these things. Already learning how they work and tweaked a few things that needed it. And good thing the internet is helpful as there are very few people out there who repair pinball machines.

 

[aja8888]

I dont have many toys, but I bought one this past month. An old school 1971 Gottlieb pinball machine titled “Lawman”. It is just amazing what is under the hood of these things. Already learning how they work and tweaked a few things that needed it. And good thing the internet is helpful as there are very few people out there who repair pinball machines.

My stepson-in-law is a pinball junkie and maybe has 20 machines as we speak. He is also a master repair person and buys and sells machines. Crazy, but it's his thing. If you want a specific machine, I can check for you. All of his are restored and some have newer electrics installed.

 

[Mulligan]

My stepson-in-law is a pinball junkie and maybe has 20 machines as we speak. He is also a master repair person and buys and sells machines. Crazy, but it's his thing. If you want a specific machine, I can check for you. All of his are restored and some have newer electrics installed.

He is way ahead of me! Im just hoping to keep this one running, lol. Funny, I stumbled onto the “play counter” under game board. I guess they had them to make sure someone wasnt stealing the nickels and dimes. Anyways, mine has been played 198,000 times and still working fully functional. Its not restored, but I put all new rubber parts on and fixed a few lights and waxed the game board.
That could be a very nice business for your stepson in law, as I here they are in demand to repair them....Sadly I found I am as predictable as they come. Articles have shown pinball machines are now mostly popular as in home purchases from older people who played them growing up....That is exactly me!

 

[aja8888]

He is way ahead of me! Im just hoping to keep this one running, lol. Funny, I stumbled onto the “play counter” under game board. I guess they had them to make sure someone wasnt stealing the nickels and dimes. Anyways, mine has been played 198,000 times and still working fully functional. Its not restored, but I put all new rubber parts on and fixed a few lights and waxed the game board.
That could be a very nice business for your stepson in law, as I here they are in demand to repair them....Sadly I found I am as predictable as they come. Articles have shown pinball machines are now mostly popular as in home purchases from older people who played them growing up....That is exactly me!

LOL! I want my 1965 Corvette again! If you ever need another pinball machine, just PM me!! (it's a disease, I hear)

 

[Michael Moore]

The beginning of June saw the end of a 15 month process of emptying my 500 sq ft of warehouse space of all my vintage dirt bikes and related parts. It was traumatic getting rid of things, especially when some had been around for a couple of decades. But they weren't getting worked on (20+ minute drive to the space from the house) and after 45+ years of racing/riding those bikes which had been new on the showroom when I started, I didn't have a lot of interest in them now.

Now everything is at home, I've got three modern project bikes and money to put into them from selling stuff off and room to work in the garage from a pretty ruthless elimination of all the vintage or dirt bike related stuff.

I'm more into fiddling/building than riding so even if I finish the bikes they probably won't see a lot of riding time. Besides, Bay Area traffic is a lot scarier than being on a race track, one or two couple hour rides in the middle of the week middle of the day would be fine.

13 years of retirement coming up next month, and it is still better than being at work!

cheers,
Michael

 

[kgtest]

at 65, I faced reality that those things in enjoyed when younger years don't have the appeal they one did. I sold my motorcycle Friday. i've been riding since 1978. Riding saved my mind and soul so many times. it was therapeutical. it was a life style. riding has becoming increaseingly dangerous, especially in Florida. I've gotten around that by not riding at all in fla and trailering my bike to the mountains and riding there for a week or a month at a time. what I will miss are the riders I meet on the road.



Then yesterday, I sold my sailboat. I still love to sail, but I found yesterday that I cannot step the mast by myself anymore.


that leaves me with my white water kayak and associated paddle gear. I bought brand new a couple years back in another attempt to regain my youth. I still have the skills, but not the desire.

This has got to be a tough grievance. My dad crashed the motorcycle at 64 and he needs me to come with him sailing so I can get his mast up.

He's replaced the motorcycle with a bicycle and I keep telling him to trade in the sailboat for a cruiser, we'll see. I do really enjoy sailing with him. He did get out on skiis last year and we are planning a final ski trip to the alps this year. Getting old sucks!

 

[ychuck46]

The wife and I are 65 and 64 respectively, and we still like our main toys, the Harleys. But we are riding less and less, mostly due to the heat here in TN during the summer months, and we tend not to go out at all if it even hints at rain. We are also into traveling a lot during the year for months at a time, so the bikes are not suitable transportation for those trips (the resorts we stay at do not allow trailers, otherwise we could take them). Like I said, we love having them, but not sure how much longer we will be keeping them if we are only putting on 3-4000 miles per year.

 

[Red Badger]

I donated my mountain bike a few weeks ago. I used it mostly to go to the grocery store ~3 miles away. BTW - our city is not very bike friendly with minimal bike lanes.

Anyway, here's the catalyst. DS and I are having lunch and sitting outside and close to the street/intersection. We observe probably a quarter of the drivers are on the phone, texting, reading, etc. I thought about it for a couple of days. In the end, I decided that I did not want to accelerate my organ donor process. So, the bike's time to go had arrived.

 

[Denverite]

I understand that. I have a bunch of baseball, football, and other cards, mostly from when my brother and I accumulated them in the 60s and 70s. I had another spurt in the late 80s, and I have a few newer and older. I bought my brother's share out maybe 20 years ago.

I've done very little with them in the last 10 years. I have a shelf that displayed some, but quickly took it down when I realized the sun was hitting it. Now I've tinted that window but never set the display up again. One of these days I'll do that again so I can rotate some favorites and see them as I pass by.

I have the impression that there is not much demand anymore. Maybe as I get older the hobby will catch on again and the value will go up and I'll sell them. My son doesn't seem to have much interest though I think he'd at least keep them preserved. Anyway, I'd take a look at what you might really get for them and decide if even the occasional browsing of them is worth more to you than what you'd get. You have a more complete collection than me though, and probably in better shape since mine went through my childhood. We didn't put them in bike spokes or flip them but there were still handled quite a bit.

Interesting point about the demand. Are baseball cards yet another collectible that the millennials have shunned? I've heard that same point about other antiques/collectibles. The millennials just aren't interested.

 

[CRLLS]

In our mid sixties, we've been thinking of downsizing and simplifying. For me, that means giving up years of car repair, restoration and car building, and the related tools. Maybe, just maybe, we would be "normal" and get our daily cars into the garage. Fortunately, I took on one more neglected British car project yesterday that should last me a few more years. It looks like my tool collection will have to stick around for a while. Maybe in a few years......

 

[Mulligan]

Interesting point about the demand. Are baseball cards yet another collectible that the millennials have shunned? I've heard that same point about other antiques/collectibles. The millennials just aren't interested.

I saw that same issue play out on Pawn Stars....Autographs from famous but long dead celebrities. Authenticator stated the prices were dropping with many of them because the people who were alive that valued them are dying off and younger autograph seekers have little interest in those people.

 

[Ronstar]

I'm thinking of how to painlessly go about selling toys and downsizing. I came across "Everything but the House" ebth.com - a company that auctions off your stuff, collects payment, ships items and gives you a check. For us, this solution looks like it could lessen the hassle of downsizing.

But the problem is that I see a lot of things on their auction site that I would like to buy.

 

[Breedlove]

DW and I got rid of our bikes in the spring , it has just got too dangerous. We moved from the old hulking Harleys a few years ago to sport bikes . It seemed every time we were going out we wanted to haul ass. She had a Ninja and I rode an FZ6 . A few weeks ago we found a 2002 mustang V6 manual with 70k miles / original owner . The price was very good so we bought . Since then we have joined a Mustang owners club and are enjoying that.

 

[Gearhead Jim]

Two quotes about when to sell your toys, one about selling too soon and one about selling too late:


"We don't stop playing because we get old, we get old because we stop playing."


"A man's got to know his limitations." (Dirty Harry)

 

[Lukeee]

Earlier this year I sold my 1976 VW Rabbit that I had loved and maintained most of my adult life. I spent most of last year restoring it to the best of my ability, but when I was done I realized it didn't have the appeal to me it used to have. Life With My VW Rabbit - Anthony Watson

I had hoped to find someone who would appreciate the work I had put into it. Unfortunately, the passion I had for the vehicle meant nothing to the younger generation. They just wanted to tear apart everything I had spent years working on and use it as sheet metal for their own projects. I couldn't even get a "good job", just lots of insults and negative feedback on a car I had spent my life caring for. The whole experience was bitter and emotional for me. Now I'm just happy it's gone. I sold it to a young guy who acted respectful to my face, but he probably painted it pink and put clown wheels on it.

Wow... I read your link. Thank you for sharing that. I hope you find the passion in the Jetta... or a different hobby.

 

[Breedlove]

Yes we bought the 2002 Mustang V6 really nice shape 2500.00 70,000 miles We bought it from the original owner . We will be taking it on our first poker run this weekend around lake Conroe . yay ! Used to do these on Bikes but it seems now people have got older and are using their cars .