Grandpa's things

**Stargazer** · 08-30-2010, 10:36 AM

My wifes grandfather passed away not to long ago.My M.I.L. told me to take a look in the garage and see if there was anything I wanted.Just about every tool with a power cord was tagged with a family members name.So after looking in dusty draws and shelves this was my picking.

2 Diets lanterns
2 hand saws
2 anvil's one a piece of train track,the other looks like old I beam
1 hand drill
2 sharpening stones
1 camp ax that looks like it was well used.
1 log grate that is going to work well in my fire pit.
1 long handle file
When my wifes aunts and uncle looked at I wanted they kind of scratched thier heads and said sure if Joe wants this junk he can have it.I am hoping I am able to spend some more time taking some more JUNK out because there are some more files,hand tools that it looks like no one wants.

I cant post pics now.Dont know why but I will as soon as I figure it out

**Justin Case** · 08-30-2010, 10:50 AM

Originally Posted by Stargazer

My wifes grandfather passed away not to long ago.My M.I.L. told me to take a look in the garage and see if there was anything I wanted.Just about every tool with a power cord was tagged with a family members name.So after looking in dusty draws and shelves this was my picking.

2 Diets lanterns
2 hand saws
2 anvil's one a piece of train track,the other looks like old I beam
1 hand drill
2 sharpening stones
1 camp ax that looks like it was well used.
1 log grate that is going to work well in my fire pit.
1 ong handle file
When my wifes aunts and uncle looked at I wanted they kind of scratched thier heads and said sure if Joe wants this junk he can have it.I am hoping I am able to spend some more time taking some more JUNK out because there are some more files,hand tools that it looks like no one wants.

I cant post pics now.Dont know why but I will as soon as I figure it out

Those ong handled files are rare !

**Stargazer** · 08-30-2010, 11:28 AM

I don't know what you are talking about

**Rick** · 08-30-2010, 11:54 AM

First, my condolences on the loss of your wife's grandfather.

I love stuff that has a known history. How many times did he use those hand saws? I'll bet you can see him using it today in your mind's eye. Maybe wiping off the globe on a lantern. Finding a score at a yard sale is one thing but acquiring something that has a known history can speak to you in so many ways. Nice picks.

**crashdive123** · 08-30-2010, 12:10 PM

My condolences on your family loss. I'm sure that he is happy that the tools and things that probably meant so much to him are going to be put to good use and stay in the family.

**Stargazer** · 08-30-2010, 12:49 PM

Thanks guys. The thing that gets me worked up is that of all the things the family wanted tv's,radio's,all the old furniture etc no one wanted the photo albums I found on a closet shelf. You hear all the kids taliking about how great of a father Anibal was and the great memories.But when push comes to shove all they wanted was what had any cash value.I wanted them so I could give them to my MIL and was told no by the family.All of a sudden they wanted them for themselves. I know they had seen them while they were going through the house because other items in the closet had been spoken for.

(Ken stop reading here) So when no one was looking I lifted a few of the pictures of gram and gramps when they were in their 20's.And a few pics of gramps when he was in the Army.Once the fighting over the valuable items stops I will had these picts over to my mother.I know she will apreaciate them.

I for one cant wait until this is all over and the house is sold.I have never meet such a money hungry family as my wifes aunts and uncles.One day they will learn that when all the cash is gone they will have nothing left but memories to remind them of their parents.

**Ken** · 08-30-2010, 01:44 PM

Originally Posted by Stargazer

(Ken stop reading here) So when no one was looking I lifted a few of the pictures of gram and gramps when they were in their 20's.And a few pics of gramps when he was in the Army.Once the fighting over the valuable items stops I will had these picts over to my mother.I know she will apreaciate them.

I for one cant wait until this is all over and the house is sold.I have never meet such a money hungry family as my wifes aunts and uncles.One day they will learn that when all the cash is gone they will have nothing left but memories to remind them of their parents.

Okay, I stopped reading there. By the way, you made a typo in the word "appreciate."

**Winnie** · 08-30-2010, 02:30 PM

My condolances on the loss of your wife's Gramps. Families divvying up the inheritance always reminds me of a flock of vultures at dinner. It's not just your wifes family. Happens all the time. Good to hear the important stuff is going home with you.

**finallyME** · 08-30-2010, 03:19 PM

When my grandfather died, I walked away with a lot of stuff that no one else wanted. Mostly hand tools like you acquired.

**Batch** · 08-30-2010, 06:45 PM

Y'all ever wonder how you'll be remembered?

Who will take what?

I wish I could be there to see the diviup. LOL

**Rick** · 08-30-2010, 07:48 PM

I would imagine it will go something like:

"What are we gonna do with all this crap?"

**Swamprat1958** · 08-30-2010, 08:11 PM

Originally Posted by finallyME

When my grandfather died, I walked away with a lot of stuff that no one else wanted. Mostly hand tools like you acquired.

I did the same with my maternal grandfather. Unfortunately on my dads side of the family there were over 150 of us in the first three generations and by the time I got back home it was picked clean. He had some old cream separators, tools, etc. that I would have used. Now they are antiques in one of my family member's home and will never be used again.

**Camp10** · 08-30-2010, 08:29 PM

Too bad greed brings out the worst in people. A death in the family should bring the rest of the family together but it seems so many times it does just the opposite.

My father died young..he was 50 and he and my mother were on vacation at the time of his death. My older brother had my father's firearms in his gun safe before my mother even made it home. Our family was pretty tight before his death, we rarely talk anymore.

**Rick** · 08-30-2010, 08:43 PM

The sad thing is that in most cases the monetary value is a pittance but the emotional value is often of untold value. I love the things I have that have been handed down. I don't look at any of them for the monetary value. Some of it is worth some money but the real value to me is in knowing how that "thing" lived, who's hands made it come alive. Like my grandmother's quilting rack or my other grandmother's shoes. The shotgun my dad hunted with. The .38 my uncle carried when he was on the force in Portland. The lantern my grandfather carried to the outhouse and back each night and when it was cold. If we don't listen to the stories things like that tell us then we have missed a great connection to who we are.

**crashdive123** · 08-30-2010, 09:09 PM

I never met my grandfather on my dad's side, and my grandfather on my mom's side passed while I was at sea, early in my Navy career. I've got some pictures and a pocket knife from around 1900. Every time I hold it I think of his time as a fishing boat captain on three masted schooners. That knife has seen a lot.

**Old GI** · 08-31-2010, 08:51 AM

When both my grandfathers passed, I was out of the country and couldn't make it back. They knew I hated the vulture scene and tried to set those few things that meant something to me aside. All gone,

When my father died I was on my way to Panama and an aunt that was caring for him stayed in the house. When I returned to the states, I went by the homestead to find that the vultures had struck. I had three generations of fishing gear in the garage and nothing was left. My aunt said "Your aunt and uncle cleaned out the garage for you" with a sad wink.

Moral of these stories for me is: Memories become more important than things over the years.

**Aurelius95** · 08-31-2010, 11:26 AM

Sorry that you're going through all of this Stargazer.

My grandfatehr died when I was less than a year old. My grandmother remarried and I have had a great relationship with my step-granddad. He's 97 now. I know I posted about this previously, but my father gave me my granddad's Marlin 60 .22 rifle. I know they're only worth about $75, but to me, I wouldn't trade it for anything.

**trax** · 08-31-2010, 12:18 PM

My condolences as well on your loss. I just wanted to share a little bit about this past weekend. I was up at my son's house about two and a half hours northeast of me and on the way back noticed a garage sale sign pointing off the highway, so I thought what the heck, just take a peek. Well, 3 miles of dirt roads later, following the little cardboard direction arrows, friggin' Nirvana.

An entire barn full of antiques.

I spoke with the couple, nice people both 40ish and they said that the wife's Dad had advancing Alzheimer's and they'd had to put him in a care home. He had traveled south central Manitoba his entire life apparently going to estate sales, auctions etc and it was all the stuff he'd collected over the years. There were antique tools, housewares, all kinds of glassware and the ubiquitous assortment of tobacco and cigarette tins and those old tin advertising signs. Limoges figurines. Old camping gear, lanterns, man everything. I had like $19 on me. I picked up an old canvas shoulder bag, a straight razor (like new condition, still kind of scared to shave with it tho' lol) and a folding knife. So, what with talking with these folks, they're doing this every weekend, I'm going back. I wouldn't be surprised if a few antique retailers and/or collectors get wind of these folks, they'll swoop down and clean them out