Auction gloat but with a heavy heart

[Wes Billups]

Almost 1 year ago a good friend who taught me quite a bit when I was starting out passed away. His widow gave me all the wood he had been collecting over the last 30 years as she wanted to be able to park in the garage again.

This weekend, I took my wife and kids back to my hometown for their Arbor Day festival. We had planned to leave early Sunday morning but my mother mentioned my friends wife was having an auction Sunday afternoon. She showed me the ad and I saw a few items that were interesting but assumed that his adult son had taken most of the woodworking tools based on the ad.

After it had been raining all morning the sun finally showed 5 minutes prior to the auction starting. I won't list everything nor tell you what I paid, so you'll have to trust me that it is gloat worthy. The very poor advertising and weather didn't help his widow get fair value for anything. Looking back I could/should have bought more but let the guilt prevent that.

Router table with Jointech lift and fence plus 3 hp PC router
288623

Festool Domino + Festool vacuum that I can't upload picture
288624

Leigh dovetail jig with finger joint attachment
288626

Flat full of Starret squares and Bridgecity tools
288627

Approx. 40 router bits plus two cabinet making sets

[Frederick Skelly]

Ill bet your friend would be glad you got all that. And you can think of him every time you use it.
Fred

[Mike Cozad]

At least they went to you, someone who will appreciate them for more than the gloatworthy price. I have a few things I use that belonged to my dad and grandpop that I could probably replace with new, but I just enjoy using them because of who they belonged to and the history of things made with them. Something my dad doesn't understand. He is in his 60s and is purging his home of everything he doesn't need. He keeps giving it away to the goodwill and such because he sees no value in it to anyone. He cannot conceptualize someone thinking of another just by simply picking up an object.

It may sound sappy, but I have a warm thought everytime I pick up my trusty Stanley try square. He gave it to me 20 some years ago when I got into woodworking. He is one of my heros and it warms my heart to use his tools.

[Phil Thien]

I agree w/ the other comments. Every single thing you purchased brought them more money than the next highest bid.

And I think your friend would be happy that you have and will use the tools.

[johnny means]

Personally, I wouldn't have gloated on this one. Not that your wrong, but I would have erred on the side of caution.

That being said, You Suck!

[Wade Lippman]

You didn't buy more because of guilt?? That is a bit silly; had you bought more, the widow would have collected more; perhaps the actual buyer would have outbid you!

That said, it does sometime feel creepy at an estate auction fighting over a dead man's stuff. Never let it stop me, but it is creepy.