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So the phone rings at 11am. It's a guy I didn't talk to before, asking if I want to make an appointment to go take a look at the bikes and stuff.
I asked him if anyone else has already gone through everything and he tells me two guys were there all-day yesterday.

I just said; "Then I won't be interested in looking, thanks anyway. That wasn't what I talked with your partner about."

He was obviously dumbfounded, stumbling for words, but I just said thanks anyway and hung up.
I damn sure am not following two bike guys that spent all day. I bet I know them and will soon be hearing about their scores.

Oh well.
Believe it or not..sometimes people STILL have no idea what is good..I went to look at a "pile of bikes" that had a grail in the pile..when I showed up to take the whole pile,the guy said "yeah some guy came to look at the Columbia yesterday"(NOTE..An OK bike,mid 50s 5 star w/o tank) but I about puked..I panicked ..Did he grab my grail??.. walking up(Now at a FAST pace...) NO..NO he didnt..as a matter of facy..he freakin PASSED on the 5 star with locking springer w/key at something like $25 or $50!?!?
Point being.. someone might not understand or care about what youre interested in...

BTW..heres the bike he didnt even give a second look.... thankfully..
20240423_123844.jpg


I used to go yard sailing hard core BITD.. and was usually like "Forget it! Its after 12..everything good is gone" (Whhaaaa 😆)
Until the day I stopped at a yard sale LATE in the day and they had 3-4 vintage Aurora dinosaur models with boxes!! they were semi-built.. BUT..uh.. $2 EACH!!!!!$$$$$$ So I dont poo poo so much like I used to back in the day ..also my Japanese war time civil defense sword I scored late in the day for $50!!$$
Point of the yard sale stories is ya gotta try because you really never know..I mean unless its a giant hassle to go,etc..if its not in the cards..then thats different..theyll ALWAYS be more
 
Believe it or not..sometimes people STILL have no idea what is good..I went to look at a "pile of bikes" that had a grail in the pile..when I showed up to take the whole pile,the guy said "yeah some guy came to look at the Columbia yesterday"(NOTE..An OK bike,mid 50s 5 star w/o tank) but I about puked..I panicked ..Did he grab my grail??.. walking up(Now at a FAST pace...) NO..NO he didnt..as a matter of facy..he freakin PASSED on the 5 star with locking springer w/key at something like $25 or $50!?!?
Point being.. someone might not understand or care about what youre interested in...

BTW..heres the bike he didnt even give a second look.... thankfully..
View attachment 2236761

I used to go yard sailing hard core BITD.. and was usually like "Forget it! Its after 12..everything good is gone" (Whhaaaa 😆)
Until the day I stopped at a yard sale LATE in the day and they had 3-4 vintage Aurora dinosaur models with boxes!! they were semi-built.. BUT..uh.. $2 EACH!!!!!$$$$$$ So I dont poo poo so much like I used to back in the day ..also my Japanese war time civil defense sword I scored late in the day for $50!!$$
Point of the yard sale stories is ya gotta try because you really never know..I mean unless its a giant hassle to go,etc..if its not in the cards..then thats different..theyll ALWAYS be more

We have a guy in Des Moines that infamously pays for right to first pick. Been hoarding since the 70's, has two houses full and a couple businesses upper floors completely full of bikes and parts. Mental tic type stuff.
Most likely him. A friend of Alan Kinsey's if those that know, remember him.
The ad on FB had a wonky title so I was hoping it slipped by the casual old bike search.
I can see how a couple hundred for first pick could be quite tempting.
But.
They'll need a couple hundred more to pay scrappers to haul away the rest.

About the guy I'm talking about above:
He's only a couple years older than me so I probably won't be around when his hoard gets dispersed but man O man will there be glitch in the matrix that day.
His death (far in the future I'm sure) will most likely permanently crash the old bike market.
 
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If you’re somewhat close, I would still check it out, ya never know

I hear ya.
I've been "antique-ing"and buying low, selling high and now they call it picking, as a managed addiction (functional addict 😄) for 20 years. Just a collector and junk stacker before that.
The thing I hate most is knowing what WAS there by what has been left. When mid grade gems are left next to shadows and other signs of "what used to be there" I just leave the rest.
By now, I'm just going to flip and pass on the goods to others, I've dispersed most of my piles. In my age, (I'm not that old) I only want the cream. I've downsized to the point I don't even have a storage locker anymore.
Besides, they blatantly renegged on our spoken deal. I can't bide that. A spoken deal still means something to me.
 
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