How cool is this... http://tracking.mecum.com/t/2650907...d=U0MwNTEzJTVGR3J1bXB5JTI3c1N0dWZm&x=4b99c058
I always get a little sad when I see a man's lifelong collection of things he loved being put out for total strangers to pick through and buy. It is so much better when those things get passed down to children and other family members to whom those items mean a lot and hold memories of the man. Whenever I have gone to estate sales I wonder about the people who owned and loved those items and I feel a little like I am trespassing. Don
Don, I'm with you on that one. I think about when I'm gone someday, will my kids love the tools, that my dad used and now I use them. Will they ask: why did he save this or what did he use that for, it looks like its homemade. Sonny
I would feel more than a little bit weird wearing Grumpy's pants and using Grumpy's tools to install Grumpy's intake and Grumpy's carb on my car.
I feel the same as most of you guys but, if the family doesn't want these things my only hope is that who ever buys a piece is doing so out of respect for him and his history. It would be an honor to be able to afford his tool box which I would treasure for life. I was pleasantly surprised to see my tool box looks about the same as his.
I agree with Don's thoughts also. That collection would be nice to see kept intact, for a man more than worthy (IMO) of a tribute, or museum of some sort. Drag racing icons of his stature are very few & far between.
That is the worst auction listing I have ever seen. Definate fishing by the family for coin. New diecast cars? Pants? WTF?
I feel the same as Don and others, but if it has to go, I'd love to own a small part of what he enjoyed. (but not his pants)
Unfortunately most peoples lives end similar to this. They had a hobby or career that they dearly loved, but the family was simply not into it. A few momento's are kept by a few family members and everything else goes. Since the family wasn't into it, they have no idea what it meant to him or the crowd he hung around with. We had a neighbor across the street from us. They had four adult sons all in their 40's or more) and one daughter (maybe 35). His wife had passed about four years ago and he remained alone in the house. The kids vistited occasionally. Last year when he died, none of the sons wanted anything left behind. The daughter kept some pictures, jewelry etc, but not much. Their was an auction (a very nice boat, a brand new camper, many many fishing poles and reels, a 12" lathe, and hundreds of items that this man had hand built (toys, guns, locomotives, etc). They wanted none of it. So sad....................
I hope that this stuff goes in a lot to a museum. Or I wish the family would have opened something to that effect. There are a few items signed by Grumpy on my hutch under glass. From back in the early late 70's early 80's. I had the honor of Lining up with him at Norwalk in 82. It has always been a real honor knowing I shook his hand and had a moment to talk to him.....
Don is soooooo right about this I wouldn't feel right digging through that stuff. That stuff does belong in a museum although that Trail 70 would be sweet to lug to the 1320.
I think we all have this dream but reality is, most of our kids dont want any of our crap, let alone to have to go through the aggravation of selling/disposing of it when they are deep in grief from our death. I am an only child. It was damn near a full time job for a coupla months for me and my wife to disposition my mothers things when she had to move into a nursing home. You could fit the few of her belongings that were sentimental to me in the back of the pickup, the yardsale wasnt worth the trouble or the pain of seeing her things go for a song for the hundred bucks we got; I took the rest to the Salvation Army and Uncle Sam ended up with her house to pay for her care. I still have a couple good years left, but have been slowly turning all of my toys into cash. I have the time to get top dollar for them, see that they get a good home. But more importantly, I dont want my boy to have the aggravation I did with my Mom when I die. <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]-->
Obviously no one in the family wants the stuff. Sell it and spend the cash on something they can enjoy.
I deal with this every day for work. Guys pass on and the kids or surviving family just doesn't share the interest. I've bought and sold some amazing collectios of cars, tools, etc. Trust me, it's the best thing that can happen. The families that don't sell it off and let it sit, usually let it all go to shit and eventually just toss it in the dump after looking at it all for a decade. At least this way the collection will get broken up and it all goes to people that actually want it. I'd love to have that tool box, and if you guys all care so much you should bid and hope to buy a piece of this great collection.
Says Dana Mecum: "What better way to honor a man who gave so much, dedicating his life to the world of cars, than to immortalize his memory in the things most dear to him" Thinks Dana Mecum: "Plus make me some money off a dead guy."
I get it. I am in a similar spot. With a significant heart problem, I'm not sure of how many years are left. Although I have two wonderful adult children, they really aren't interested in my lifetime collection of tools. The challenge is finding a good home for all of these pieces. All the best, Dale Cleveland OH
It would be nice to see the toolbox and tools end up in a Museum somewhere for his longtime fans to be able to see them. And maybe a few of the more important trophies. The other trophies might be better enjoyed by someone who drove miles to the race that it was won at just to be able to see him race that day. That would give a number of them a special place of honor rather than being stuffed in a box in a back room somewhere.
The Jalopy Journal
