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D.C.Area Machine Shop Auction - 12/15/07

AntiqueMac

Hot Rolled
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Jun 17, 2003
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Florida Mountains!
From another list, this was posted:

"Listing in local paper for a Machine Shop auction this Saturday (Dec 15) in
Manassas VA. Starts at 10 AM, whole place is being liquidated. Address is
7100 Gary Rd., Manassas VA. For more info and pictures go to
arringtonauction.com. Got mills, lathes, tooling and lots more."

This is not too far south of Washington, D.C.

The URL is < http://www.arringtonauction.com/auction_detail.php?ID=374875 >

Good luck!
 
Yea someone also posted it on the CAMS list serve also. None of them even think about the ramifications of their blabbering....like you say, they had no intention of going.:(
 
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I am a newbie to this forum, although I have 35 years plus experience in metalwork, so I want to be careful what I say.

I am trusting the complaints of posting the information on the auction were in jest. The purpose of the forum and al the discussion is to benefit all who participate.

It is very self centered to keep auction information private in the interest of keeping down pricing hoping we can get a bargain. I freely share auction information even when I know the person I am sharing with may bid against me.

By making certain auction information is known among our peers so that all have a chance to participate we are raising the overall level of our avocation.

Just my 2 cents
 
First of all, I don't see why this auction was even posted here. Nothing antique is going to be sold at it, as far as I can tell from the listing.

I am trusting the complaints of posting the information on the auction were in jest.

Nope. And I'd probably be annoyed too, if there was a good auction near me and someone who had no intention of actually going was spreading word about it on the internet.

By making certain auction information is known among our peers so that all have a chance to participate we are raising the overall level of our avocation.

We are also raising the overall level of auction prices, which I don't think anybody has a burning desire to do. You are right, it is self centered to not advertise an auction for the reasons mentioned. I don't see anything wrong with hoping to get a good deal on something, though. You share auction information with people who you know may bid against you, but you probably don't broadcast information across the internet about auctions you have no intention of going to and no reason to publicize.
Posts like this are the reason that I don't post links to eBay auctions until they are ended, even if I'm not interested in bidding on the item.

Andy
 
This issue definitely goes both ways, a while back rivett 608 got a good flaming, for not posting an upcoming auction on here. He didn't post it because the person who told him about it, didn't want it publicized, but there were people on hear that wanted to know about it. So maybe you just can't win.
 
... but there were people on hear that wanted to know about it...

Well for the people "who didn't know about it"...too fooking bad. I invest time looking for "good deals" and uncovering things that the general public overlooks. If they would invest the same time doing the same thing, they might have found it about it. Now when some guy who thinks he's doing everybody a favor tells the whole world, its pissed my efforts away.

All you who are watching items on ebay hoping to get a good deal. Let me know what your watching. As I want to "biditup" also. How do you feel about that?

In my book its entirely OK for a seller to advertise his auctions. he's the one selling and efforts to promote his own will yield him a higher selling price. But then the people who are the buyers want the lowest selling price. Thats the whole idea. Then some guy who thinks he's a do-gooder tells everybody, increasing the bidding pool and inflating prices.

So if you see an auction, or somethin nice on ebay, and your not the seller. Do everyone a favor and keep quiet about it till its over.
 
I always tell all my friends here local about auctions that I want to go to. They never have time to go. Then I go alone and get some stuff. And then they see it and ask where I got it. And I tell them I got it for such and such money at the auction over at this or that place, and they say, "I wish I would have know about that auction. How's come you didn't tell me?"

http://arringtonauction.com/auction_detail.php?ID=374875

They have a 24 inch Steptoe shaper. That's antique. That qualifies it for this forum.

Steptoe photo

There was an auction of a machine shop 15 miles from me a few years ago, and I didn't know about it until a month after it was over. I wish someone would have told me. No one I know around here knew about it.
 
I am trusting the complaints of posting the information on the auction were in jest. The purpose of the forum and al the discussion is to benefit all who participate.

It is very self centered to keep auction information private in the interest of keeping down pricing hoping we can get a bargain. I freely share auction information even when I know the person I am sharing with may bid against me.

By making certain auction information is known among our peers so that all have a chance to participate we are raising the overall level of our avocation.

Just my 2 cents
FWIW, your assertions are ridiculous and have been properly rebuffed by others already, but would add the bit about "self centered" is humorous, as we all are "self centered" in the final analysis, so that is a moot point. Even Mother Theresa did the good she did because it made *her* feel better about herself.

Re making auction info known "raising the level of avocation".....just the opposite, since they blabbing raises prices so much only the well heeled, emotional, and/or those ignorant of prices, buy anything.

And finally, you have to realize that we are not just a small number of folks chatting amongst friends. The vast majority of PM users never register as members....thousands of lurkers out there reading these posts. And all it takes is one extra "more money than sense" doofus to show up at an auction and blow the whole thing for the others. And I'm not exaggerating when I say that...I've seen it happen many times, where one person makes all the difference in the world in the final outcomes for everyone else at the auction.
 
M - How about posting this in the posting rules? I'd also rather not have auctions posted here unless it's by the involved party.
 
We should be careful about this, I am as guilty as anyone I like going to an auction that nobody knows about and making some really good buys, and I grumble like hell if someone lets the cat out. I don’t do it on line “I just make a lot of grumbling remarks about it to my wife who tells me to get over it”. I do agree the items on this auction a newer than I like and should have been posted else where. On the other hand If we exclude things that are on eBay and Craigslist some of us would miss out on some very nice equipment, One of our members posted a real nice 20's vintage Wysong & Miles pillar type sensitive drill here which I bought, Had he not have, it would have gone to scrap. How many times have we seen something that needed to be saved????? Where do you draw the line???? I thought we were here on this site to keep this old equipment running and from being lost!!!!
 
How many times have we seen something that needed to be saved????? Where do you draw the line???? I thought we were here on this site to keep this old equipment running and from being lost!!!!
You draw the line where the line is obvious. It's obvious a general auction like the one that started this thread is going to have enough attendance without further blabbing about it that everything will sell at above scrap value no matter what. (esp in the DC area where machinery tends to sell high anyway)

And yet when one or a few old, ugly and/or heavy machines show on Craiglist priced at less than scrap value sitting in the middle of nowhere in Kansas, it's equally obvious that they may not sell and hence chatting about them here is ok.
 
There will always be those...

...who for their own reasons seek to limit knowledge. Generally it's not an admirable trait since it includes the possibility of skullduggery, influence peddling, politics, favoritism, personal profit and a whole host of other undesirable traits.

There are also those who for their own reasons seek to widen knowledge. And those reasons are generally the more high minded ones like being of generous spirit, saving a unique piece, saving others from an unfortunate purchase experience, or knowing their own limitations financially (and counting themselves out) and instead put it to others to carry forth.

At times I've revealed a "source." I could have jumped on a certain Brown & Sharpe #0 Mill that appeared locally on Craiglist. But I had another project underway and B&S mills are not that rare. So I didn't and instead shared it with others via this board. It's now in the hands of a person who is more capable in it's restoration than me. And he likely values it more highly - and that's important too.

At times I've been uncomfortable with revealing a "source." Not so much in the fact that I might be outbid (to be truthful I probably already am before I begin) but rather in sympathy with others I know who may have an interest. We're talking the discussion of the "Big Time Collector" here. (you can search on this term and find it.)

I limited information because I knew the seller was not ready to sell. As a friend and supporter of his "mission" I thought him the best judge of when to strike his hammer.

Now likely there were those on this board reading both above who were disappointed in me. I've also seen those who attempt to "cut" the front of the line in gradeschool and I was disappointed in them in return. But in both these cases above I had a chance to keep things on the high road and I took it. And I'm pleased with the result.

Others have done me the same courtesy. (Thanks Peter!)

Thus I've made my value judgments on information. Others will no doubt be making their own value judgment. But it's to their standard and no others.

When it comes down to an open forum you cannot control what others will do. If you try then you're either going to a.) Show others those unfortunate traits I've mentioned above and in time people will connect those with your name. or b.) drive like minds off of the board.

Now either of these eventualities are sad since I've found the board generally to be an asset to my tool interests. If anyone thinks they know all there is to know about tools and machines - and don't need to share - then the flamethrower is your best friend. Better yet, save the flames and instead just go off by yourself with the sum total of the world's knowledge in your head and have fun all by yourself.

If anyone is not totally sure and think they have something to learn and can tolerate some dissent in the discussion then all parties can learn from the discussion. But you have to keep continually in mind that the discussion won't always be what you want to hear. The free passage of information is like that.

The board is a double edged sword.

It's like you're at a party. An antique machine party. We're all standing around in our shop clothes with a drink in our hands talking about what interests each of us. Walk through and you can hear the threads as they start and the replies as they stack up. You can pick up a conversation at will, contribute, and leave it as you wish.

Or you can hear only things you want to hear, contribute nothing, complain at length when you do reply, and think everyone else at the party is conspiring to keep you from having a good time.

In that you may be right. What goes around comes around.

There. I've said it. Anyone seen the party platter? I'm almost out of beernuts. Hey, careful there, you're getting machine oil on my bib overalls!

Who invited that guy over in the corner with the napalm tank?

Best,
Joe in NH
 
Interesting--- I've been guilty of posting unusual machines I've run accross on Ebay or Craigs list because I was to far away or they were a local pick-up only listing. In my little pea brain I figured there might be a member here looking for that machine in an area close to them & they could take advantage of the information even though I could not.

While it's true someone might be interested in 1-2 machines at an auction it's doubtful any one person would be interested in all an auction has to sell.

I guess I,like some others here, felt that sharing this information with the others wasn't a violation of trust to the general population of visitors to the forum. I've seen older machines listed for sale go without a single bid --anyone care to guess at their fate? The older machines were/are usually held by someone that could appreciate them---when that person dies their family usually couldn't care less--they just want the big ugly lump out of the garage/barn/basement-- If it sells great--If it doesn't the scrap guy will come get it--no questions asked. In order for something to sell, at least one person has to want it(and know about it being for sale)--hopefully that one person isn't the stupid scrapper.

I've been on the other side of the fence bidding on something and hoping it remained a well kept secret til the end--sometimes I got lucky--usually not--

I really was surprised at the reaction this simple posting raised.

Dave
 
I will agree with the points made about announcing older obsolete machines might actually be a good idea in the sense they are more than likely headed for the scrap pile if they don't sell, and very few people are actually interestd in the purchase of them.

But announcing more popular and more modern items, esp in areas where the pieces will go for big $$ (like the Wash DC area), I think is where the line has to be drawn. Its not real clear where exactly that line has to be drawn. I think its best to think about the given situation of the particular auction, and the ramifications of announcing it or not announcing it. I think in most cases the person who announces it means quite well, but is not fully cognizant of the ramifications (to others) his announcement will make - especially when said announcer will not even be part of the auction.
 
Well, don't change...

...just because of some little discussion, will you?

I really was surprised at the reaction this simple posting raised.
[Unquote]

It's that same discussion, feeling, and action from a board participant that brought one of my most prized machines into the stable. Call it a convergence of "wills" - it all smacks of divine intervention. And (at least in my mind) NO ONE is more qualified or better situated to be the owner/operator/restorer of that machine than I am. I'll get to more on that later.

Meanwhile, just do what seems "right." If something somewhere seems like it should be somewhere else, then let it happen.

And yes, someone somewhere might be pissed off at having missed something somewhere because of you. And someone somewhere will blame you for having spilled the beans. Well maybe that someone somewhere just wasn't meant by fate to be the owner. And maybe that something somewhere was better off in the hands of someone somewhere else. And the ultimate someone somewhere else will thank you instead.

(This paragraph sounds like I'm the Secretary of Defense! It's not what we know, etc. etc.... Logically the paragraph makes sense but it's a bear to write, read, and understand.)

To summarize. You get run up one flagpole as a hero, and you get torn down from the other flagpole as a heel.

But meanwhile you've done the right thing.

Anyway, the gist is just do what seems right. It probably is.

Best,
Joe in NH
 
Well said, Mark.

I didn't know about the auction until it was posted, but there are 2 lathes there that I'd be interested in. The shaper would also be nice, but I already have a 12" machine and limited space.

I did get myself on the auctioneer's mailing list for the next one.

I still feel that it shouldn't have been announced. If there's somebody I know interested in something there; I wouldn't want to screw them out of it at a decent price.

Marks' right, stuff at auctions in the Baltimore Washington area usually commands a premium price. A sale like this one will draw some dealers because it is mostly machinery, even though it is a Saturday sale. That's another problem in itself. The dealer will bid the item up, too.

If I'm self centered, oh well.

Mark,

How's the shaper tool holder you got from me? I hope you're getting some use out of it.

Andy Pullen
 
Well maybe that someone somewhere just wasn't meant by fate to be the owner. And maybe that something somewhere was better off in the hands of someone somewhere else.
Just for my curiosity, do you actually believe that ?
 








 
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