Any car guy loves to amass parts, tools, die cast cars, signs, project cars, etc. I have been an enthusiastic swap meet shopper for years now myself. I used to just buy anything that tickled my fancy, and I have been accused of needing Craigslist Anonymous many times.
But, even the most hard core Swappers need a reality check sometimes. One day, I found myself swimming in a sea of a dozen unfinished project cars sitting around a towering mountain of parts. I finally realized I needed to sell some stuff.
It's hard to let go, but it will do good things for you. Unless you are independently wealthy, collecting cars and parts is a pretty good way to burn up all the cash you could be saving, investing, or putting into a single project that actually has a chance of completion.
It takes time to prep and sell stuff, and unless you have unlimited patience to hold out for top dollar, you'll have to haggle on your prices. Everyone wants to feel like their getting a good deal. Some swap meets are home runs, but others are duds. It can be frustrating dealing with lowballers and flakes, but you'll forget all about them when you're heading to the bank.
I go through phases of buying and selling, but I pretty much buy only tools and useful equipment to help my productivity anymore. Since I work on cars for a living, I can justify more tools, right? Rationalization for hoarding is all it is, really. But, if you must hoard, take it easy and make it valuable stuff you can liquidate easily, or things that are useful. Collecting something like beanie babies is about as useful as collecting fly poop.
I still have fair bit of stuff and a few cars to move along, but eventually I'd like to end up with only one or two decent rides. Having a collection of cars is a huge investment of time, money and energy. It's not for the faint of heart, and it's definitely not as easy as you might think.
All stuff is pretty much just stuff, and we are in this world to live and experience all that life has to offer.
Living simply is simply better.
But, even the most hard core Swappers need a reality check sometimes. One day, I found myself swimming in a sea of a dozen unfinished project cars sitting around a towering mountain of parts. I finally realized I needed to sell some stuff.
It's hard to let go, but it will do good things for you. Unless you are independently wealthy, collecting cars and parts is a pretty good way to burn up all the cash you could be saving, investing, or putting into a single project that actually has a chance of completion.
It takes time to prep and sell stuff, and unless you have unlimited patience to hold out for top dollar, you'll have to haggle on your prices. Everyone wants to feel like their getting a good deal. Some swap meets are home runs, but others are duds. It can be frustrating dealing with lowballers and flakes, but you'll forget all about them when you're heading to the bank.
I go through phases of buying and selling, but I pretty much buy only tools and useful equipment to help my productivity anymore. Since I work on cars for a living, I can justify more tools, right? Rationalization for hoarding is all it is, really. But, if you must hoard, take it easy and make it valuable stuff you can liquidate easily, or things that are useful. Collecting something like beanie babies is about as useful as collecting fly poop.
I still have fair bit of stuff and a few cars to move along, but eventually I'd like to end up with only one or two decent rides. Having a collection of cars is a huge investment of time, money and energy. It's not for the faint of heart, and it's definitely not as easy as you might think.
All stuff is pretty much just stuff, and we are in this world to live and experience all that life has to offer.
Living simply is simply better.
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| Hoarding in action. 1926 Oldsmobile Landau sedan. Yes, it was once my car.... |
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