Bequest problem

[voiceoverman]

Hi all, I wondered if someone could help with some advice?

Sadly my father passed away a few months ago at the age of 94. He discovered woodworking and furniture making in the 1960s and it became his passion. In his will he left the entire contents of his workshop to a charity. They had visited and agreed to take the lot.

The charity has changed since the will was written and are unable to use the tools and equipment. We need to sell it and generate as much money for that charity as we can.

Has anyone else had to deal with this kind of scenario, can you offer any advice as to routes to sell (other than ebay)

We are talking 50 years of tools, from the simplest of saws and hammers through to Coronet Major, band saws, pillar drill, planning table plus all the necessary accessories

I appreciate your help and advice in advance

 

[Baldhead]

When my brother in law died suddenly his wife contacted an auction house to value his model railway items, they sold them in one of their auctions, if you decided to take that route you could donate any proceeds to charity.

HTH

Baldhead

Edit: If you go to auction it may be of interest to members who live local, I would post the auction date details on this site.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

It's as Bh said, best to go to auction. The cash will be better for them anyway, as if you are a taxpayer they can reclaim the tax. Watch the local press for any auctioneers doing builders materials, workshop clearances and the like, as some will have no idea how to "lot" the tools and will not make as much as they could.

 

[wizard]

put most of it in a local auction it will fetch good money but any small high value bits may go missing so it may be best to put them on ebay

 

[AndyT]

If you do want to clear all the tools to auction, a local firm may be the answer, but there are two specialist tool auction outfits in the UK who might be better - worth a phone call at least. They deal in everything from the ordinary to the rare and collectable.

David Stanley - based Leicestershire - http://www.davidstanley.com/

Tony Murland - based Suffolk - http://www.antiquetools.co.uk

 

[voiceoverman]

Thanks so much for the great advice ...I will call David Stanley today! I am a little unclear what "but any small high value bits may go missing so it may be best to put them on ebay" means Mr Wizard?

 

[CHJ]

...I am a little unclear what "but any small high value bits may go missing so it may be best to put them on ebay" means....

It is not unknown for small, especially collectable items (to a tool collector) that look tatty to the general public to walk out of a sale room before a purchaser can collect them.

No different from display items walking at show venues.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Thanks so much for the great advice ...I will call David Stanley today! I am a little unclear what "but any small high value bits may go missing so it may be best to put them on ebay" means Mr Wizard?

Some of the people who handle the stuff before the auctions are devoid of scruples.

 

[RogerS]

Sorry to hear of your loss.

You could also try Howard Pugh. http://www.hjpugh.com They do general workshop auctions like this fairly regularly. I think David Stanley might be a bit too specialist?

 

[Terry - Somerset]

You could try contacting a local woodworking or woodturning club. They will probably be able to provide some good advice and members may even want to buy some items if advertised by the club

Rgds

Terry