Disbursing tools

General question for all you tool folk out there...
I have a friend who is trying to disburse her father's estate. He was a mechanic of sorts. He had/has a HUGE pole barn and although the bulk of his tools are big ticket items (which I understand have been sold)....they are looking at how to clear out all the smaller hand tools.

I had been in the barn last summer and from my experience of being gal that ran estate sales - I didn't see a lot in the hand tools that were worth big bucks. Mostly beat up old hammers, screw drivers, wrenches and the like. She called me yesterday to ask my opinion as to how to get rid of all of them. She said there are like 300 screwdrivers, 20 sets of sockets, a pile of hammers.....

My suggestion was to get them all in like piles... perhaps pull out a few for individual pricing that are in better condition and worth a few dollars and price individually.

Then make box lots containing - one of every kind of screwdriver (lg, small, phillips, straight), hammer, saw, level, assorted box of fasteners, needlenose and regular plyers, socket set, ruler, etc - and advertise them as a 1st time handyguy or gal tool set....great for 1st time homeowner, college student, young teen... and price the box as a lot - $10- $20 or so.

I also thought make a box lot of items for those creative people who make things out of old tools... I guess I'll have to go look and see what seems appropriate for that purpose.

They could also let people make up their own box lot...

So, my question is: does anyone else have any good ideas for moving this huge lot of non-descript tool stuff??

Thanks!
Cheerio,
Leslie

 

sounds ok....
or a yard sale..... advertise ...used tools only....$2 each...
and make sure there are no $50 hammers there..

 

Thanks Komokwa,
We went over to look at it today... A BIG pile of non-descript tools. Without picking up every piece; I didn't see much of any big value. We did comment on things that looked like they could get a few dollars more. They plan to open Friday... I don't see that they will be "ready"... but they apparently REALLY don't care how much they get; they just want it GONE! So, wheel and deal away!
Cheerio,
Leslie

 

then donate the lot to habitate for humanity........ or a local shop class..!!

 

Habitat would take the pile, no problem. I'd hold a big tag sale: used tools $2 each or some such. With any luck the punters show up and clean them out. Make them cheap enough that the buyers won't hesitate, because mistakes won't hurt.

 

The $2 per piece sounds like a great idea. It’s rare to find practical things at a garage sale. I often see rusty eggbeaters for much more than that.

When my grandfather, a tool and die maker, died several decades ago, I couldn’t carry his heavy tools across the country, so I donated them. I kept many of his smaller precision tools, and still use them.

 

That's a legitimate problem. Tools weigh. A lot. Small precision tools are a godsend. I do keep granddad's 2 foot screwdriver though. Useful it's not, but that thing 'wrenched" on a lot of steam engines in its day. It's not going anywhere.