krugerandsmith Posted September 20, 2018 Report Share Posted September 20, 2018 On 18/09/2018 at 22:51, Gordon R said: I ended up in Wigan tonight, buying a MAC Tools top box full of mediocre tools. I find the obsession to acquire even more tools almost impossible to resist. 80% of them - at least - will be going to a charity, which one of the clay shooters at Rishton is involved in. Few decent Snap On bits. I was stood talking to the lad - his father had died recently and he was clearing his house and garage. He mentioned he was having trouble shifting all the contents - he said his father restored old bikes. They turned out to be British motorcycles up to 1970ish. He said a local dealer had kindly cleared the garage of all bikes, without charging him a penny. I said that was very kind of him. He replied that the dealer had actually given him £1k for a bike that was in bits. He wasn't boasting, but he seemed quite pleased about his business acumen. After several more questions the bike turned out to be a Vincent Black Shadow - probably worth at least 50 times what he got. I felt sick. I have always promised myself a Vincent Black Lightning if I win the lottery, but this was close. Got home, Googled away and felt worse. The only way I could have felt worse was if I had been the one who let it go for a grand. I'm practically in tears reading this please don't tell me that there was a Velocett Venom and a Scott Squirrel in there as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon R Posted September 20, 2018 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2018 (edited) The lad seemed to know little or nothing about the others - just old British bikes. I was tempted to push him for further details - even the dealers details (which would have been totally inappropriate), but I honestly felt stunned. There was a horrible feeling of wanting to shake him and ask him if he knew what he had done, despite his upset at losing his dad. PS - a Velocette Venom, a Scott Flying Squirrel and a four valve Rudge Ulster would have just finished me off. Edited September 20, 2018 by Gordon R Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince Green Posted September 20, 2018 Report Share Posted September 20, 2018 (edited) On 19/09/2018 at 20:09, Gordon R said: I can do motocrossers stood on my head, but haven't the skill to properly restore an old British bike. I have a couple of friends who do restore old bikes to as new standard or better, so they would have been busy. Motocrossers are easy. I can do the engines, frames are easily sprayed - even with my standard of spraying - and the rest is just mainly bolt on plastics etc., whereas with older road bikes, you have to also know how they looked originally and exact colours. A Vincent is not an easy bike to put back together even if it was you who took it apart. But in bits, depending on condition, it could have fetched £20K, maybe more at a classic bike auction or if advertised on Vincent Owners website. Its not hard to sell old bikes or parts, there is always an owners club. 13 hours ago, krugerandsmith said: I'm practically in tears reading this please don't tell me that there was a Velocett Venom and a Scott Squirrel in there as well My mate had a Velocette Venom Thruxton, I bet he wishes he still had it. Mind you I can't speak, I sold a BSA A65 Spitfire Mk3 for £200 about 1974 because my then girlfriend wanted me to get a car. Edited September 20, 2018 by Vince Green Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mice! Posted September 20, 2018 Report Share Posted September 20, 2018 What would be worse, the dealer taking the bikes or the lad skipping them not knowing anything about them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12gauge82 Posted September 21, 2018 Report Share Posted September 21, 2018 9 hours ago, Mice! said: What would be worse, the dealer taking the bikes or the lad skipping them not knowing anything about them? Neither, the dealer should have told him what he had. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon R Posted September 21, 2018 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2018 Quote Neither, the dealer should have told him what he had. In my heart I know you are right. I talked him through the tools he had - honest appraisal. Having clean them up, the Snap On was pitted, almost all the tools were rusty. Took me a day to wire brush them to something like. 80% are still destined for charity - albeit, a bit cleaner. Box actually needed a lock and a bit of work. He got a fair price and I got a little carried away feeling sorry for him. Much as anyone loves a bargain, I could not have taken the Vincent and the British bikes, without telling him what he had. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12gauge82 Posted September 21, 2018 Report Share Posted September 21, 2018 6 minutes ago, Gordon R said: In my heart I know you are right. I talked him through the tools he had - honest appraisal. Having clean them up, the Snap On was pitted, almost all the tools were rusty. Took me a day to wire brush them to something like. 80% are still destined for charity - albeit, a bit cleaner. Box actually needed a lock and a bit of work. He got a fair price and I got a little carried away feeling sorry for him. Much as anyone loves a bargain, I could not have taken the Vincent and the British bikes, without telling him what he had. And I think that's the conclusion anyone decent would come to. Now it sounds like you did him a favour buying those tools at the price you did, funny how people can be so different, the dealer sees a vulnerable person and takes advantage, you see the same and do him a favour. The world really would be a nicer place without a minority of individuals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lloyd90 Posted September 21, 2018 Report Share Posted September 21, 2018 (edited) Feel sorry for the bloke, but can’t help feel what a fool he has been. As soon as you said the name, whilst knowing nothing about the bikes, I was able to type the name into google and see a very good one sold for £113,000! Now if someone then offered me a grand for one I’d know they were taking the mick. Just amazed that someone could be that naive ... Edited September 21, 2018 by Lloyd90 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ehb102 Posted September 21, 2018 Report Share Posted September 21, 2018 (edited) I can understand a dealer not offering full value for something, finding nuggets amongst the dross is how they make their money. Sounds a bit unfair though. Untrustworthy karma biting unfair. In a similar vein, I have a vintage moped that needs selling now my father is downsizing. 1963 Triumph Tina of all things, still running. Any recommendations where to send it? Edited September 21, 2018 by ehb102 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12gauge82 Posted September 21, 2018 Report Share Posted September 21, 2018 (edited) 39 minutes ago, ehb102 said: I can understand a dealer not offering full value for something, finding nuggets amongst the dross is how they make their money. Sounds a bit unfair though. Untrustworthy karma biting unfair. In a similar vein, I have a vintage moped that needs selling now my father is downsizing. 1963 Triumph Tina of all things, still running. Any recommendations where to send it? There's a difference between a bit under value and paying 1k for something worth fifty to hundred times more, twist it anyway you want, that's called ripping someone off! Edited September 21, 2018 by 12gauge82 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amateur Posted September 21, 2018 Report Share Posted September 21, 2018 (edited) 1 hour ago, ehb102 said: I can understand a dealer not offering full value for something, finding nuggets amongst the dross is how they make their money. Sounds a bit unfair though. Untrustworthy karma biting unfair. In a similar vein, I have a vintage moped that needs selling now my father is downsizing. 1963 Triumph Tina of all things, still running. Any recommendations where to send it? The Tina was a scooter, not a moped and was inflicted with a belt-driven automatic drive in lieu of a gearbox and a very fragile kick-start, so when that broke you could not even push-start it. From my sad experiences of that underpowered apology of an attempt to beat the Italians, I would suggest that the scrapyard is the kindest place. - if only to avoid inflicting it on some poor unfortunate who might otherwise believe that he is buying a "classic". They were absolute rubbish and the only two-wheeler upon which I was overtaken, uphill, by someone on a push-bike Edited September 21, 2018 by amateur Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted September 22, 2018 Report Share Posted September 22, 2018 9 hours ago, amateur said: The Tina was a scooter, not a moped and was inflicted with a belt-driven automatic drive in lieu of a gearbox and a very fragile kick-start, so when that broke you could not even push-start it. From my sad experiences of that underpowered apology of an attempt to beat the Italians, I would suggest that the scrapyard is the kindest place. - if only to avoid inflicting it on some poor unfortunate who might otherwise believe that he is buying a "classic". They were absolute rubbish and the only two-wheeler upon which I was overtaken, uphill, by someone on a push-bike 😂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveboy Posted September 22, 2018 Report Share Posted September 22, 2018 I hope the dealers next **** is a Hedgehog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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