Hey Yaw If you have ever wanted to get into the parts business this is your chance. Early Ford Parts in Memphis is up for auction. this place has been here for years and is sadly coming to an end. there is no telling wants in this building. Kinda sad really. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gd9TcM5Idq4&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active
The family that owns this wouldn't sell anything to you if they knew you were a hot rod guy. from what i understand they were super strange. I am very interested in seeing what the final big is. there is no telling whats in there
Rent for the 8000 sq ft building is $1350 a month. In case you can't move it all in 3o days or you want to just stay and run the business there. That's what the auction feller says. It would be nice to see someone get this and continue. Rather than scrapppers cleaning it out.
Went there first in 1980, and many more times when I lived in M'phs. (1984-2010). The owner/founder, Dan Iseau (sp), was, shall we say, devoid of personality. He passed away suddenly several years ago and the business was inherited by his son, Mike, who was a lot more congenial. Mike also seemed to have a better head for merchandising and business than his Dad. At one time, when Mike worked there, the store had a retail-like entrance and counter area, with lots of merchandise display. The warehouse part was absolutely PACKED with stuff and lots of NOS sheet metal hanging from the ceiling. There was absolutley no inventory control, or knowledge of what was in stock, except what Dan had stored in his head. It got to the point where there was only one little path from the door to the counter, with parts piled waist deep on either side. Mike was selling off stuff only on Thursday evenings and by appointment on Saturdays, as he had a real job in IT and his time was limited. I inquired about buying the business before I retired, but since with no record of inventory, it would have been a crap shoot to place a value on it. The location's neighborhood was getting rougher by the year, (welcome to Memphis!) but the business had a good internet and phone sales. Unfortunately Dan's lack of personality and customer relations caused a lot of folks to shop elsewhere. It could have been a gold mine. Guess it was only a matter of time for Mike to say enough.
Auction ended at $31,600, after being at $7100 this afternoon . Bought by Early Ford Parts, Springfield, OH. I went by and looked it over but that figure was TOO high for me to sort , inventory and move it to East TN. LOTS (1000's) of NOS, Vintique, Carpenter and Drake small parts, in bins with Ford part number. LOTS of iron: engines, trannys, rearends, brakes, flywheels, etc. Quite a few nos doors and fenders, and probably 50 steering columns with boxes and wheels. The only 32 part I saw was a headlight bar but it was hanging in the open.
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