First Auction of the Year
There have actually been plenty of auctions so far this year, but this was the first one in town, and on a Sunday so I didn't have to take time away from the shop to attend. There were several things that I was interested in, but I was working with a very limited budget so I had to let many of them pass. The auction was half-over before I finally bid $1 on a replacement keyboard for my computer at the shop (the current one has a flakey shift-key, which can be problematic, especially when entering passwords!)
There was a beautiful painting of wild horses at a sea-shore that I really wanted, but of course there was one other person who wanted it more than I could afford, so I was outbid on it. I got an excellent deal on a full case of Quakerstate 10w30 motor oil, and a brand-new (still in the wrapper) roll of snow/security fence, for $25 - less than the value of the oil alone! I know from shopping around that the fence was worth well over $80 as well; I need the fence to put around the septic pit to make sure that The Munchkin stays away from it.
I've been wanting a weather-station on the shop (like the one that we have here at the farm) but didn't really want to pay full-price for one. I picked one up at the auction for $12.50, so I'm pleased with that. I nearly didn't get it though; They were trying to sell some stuff that no-one was interested in, so they kept adding stuff to the pile. One of the assistants dragged the box with the weather-station to the pile (much to my annoyance) and that's when I bid on it. As I started to collect the stuff together, he tried to tell me that I hadn't bid on the weather-station, but on the sprinkler that had been in the same box. I told him NO, I had been bidding on the weather station, and that it was all in the same pile. Fortunately, the auctioneer knows me pretty well, and he backed me up.
My final purchase of the day was the most expensive: I picked up a Toro single-stage snow-blower. This is one of the larger single-stage machines, and at a whopping $60 I got it for about 1/10th of its value! Single-stage machines are excellent for smaller areas, or for when you've only got a small amount of snow (like an inch or so) where it's a pain to shovel but not enough for a big two-stage machine. The question now is whether to keep it for my own use, or polish it up (it's actually in great condition) and sell it in the "Used Equipment" part of the shop. Either way, it was a great investment.
The weather has improved (at least temporarily) so I'm hoping the roofers will get the shop's roof done before the weather turns again. I lost two days of mechanical work thanks to water pouring in from the leaking roof because those guys didn't do the shop first. There's a chance of a thunderstorm this afternoon, so I'd really like to see some progress made.
There was a beautiful painting of wild horses at a sea-shore that I really wanted, but of course there was one other person who wanted it more than I could afford, so I was outbid on it. I got an excellent deal on a full case of Quakerstate 10w30 motor oil, and a brand-new (still in the wrapper) roll of snow/security fence, for $25 - less than the value of the oil alone! I know from shopping around that the fence was worth well over $80 as well; I need the fence to put around the septic pit to make sure that The Munchkin stays away from it.
I've been wanting a weather-station on the shop (like the one that we have here at the farm) but didn't really want to pay full-price for one. I picked one up at the auction for $12.50, so I'm pleased with that. I nearly didn't get it though; They were trying to sell some stuff that no-one was interested in, so they kept adding stuff to the pile. One of the assistants dragged the box with the weather-station to the pile (much to my annoyance) and that's when I bid on it. As I started to collect the stuff together, he tried to tell me that I hadn't bid on the weather-station, but on the sprinkler that had been in the same box. I told him NO, I had been bidding on the weather station, and that it was all in the same pile. Fortunately, the auctioneer knows me pretty well, and he backed me up.
My final purchase of the day was the most expensive: I picked up a Toro single-stage snow-blower. This is one of the larger single-stage machines, and at a whopping $60 I got it for about 1/10th of its value! Single-stage machines are excellent for smaller areas, or for when you've only got a small amount of snow (like an inch or so) where it's a pain to shovel but not enough for a big two-stage machine. The question now is whether to keep it for my own use, or polish it up (it's actually in great condition) and sell it in the "Used Equipment" part of the shop. Either way, it was a great investment.
The weather has improved (at least temporarily) so I'm hoping the roofers will get the shop's roof done before the weather turns again. I lost two days of mechanical work thanks to water pouring in from the leaking roof because those guys didn't do the shop first. There's a chance of a thunderstorm this afternoon, so I'd really like to see some progress made.