Help with Studebaker items

[Bullet_Nose_Son]

Hello -

This may be a familiar story. My father passed away almost 6 years ago, and he was a Studebaker enthusiast and collector. He had a nice 51 Commander 4 door, hence the handle. The rest of the family didn't share his enthusiasm, but we have treated his collection with respect. My mother is ready to sell his collection now.

My dad had about 50 promos of different models, a couple of banners, and quite a few parts in various condition, mostly good, and some in the original boxes. There's also some chrome to the 51 Commander that we didn't sell with the car. We'd like to see the different items in the collection go to people who would value and enjoy them. I was really close to my dad, and would want to see his collection valued.

The idea of eBaying stresses my mom out, and I was looking for suggestions on how/where to advertise the collection and perhaps a meeting where we could set up a booth? She'd like to take care of most of the collection at the same place. We are located in East Tennessee.

I would appreciate any ideas or suggestions that you might have.

[mbhdesign]

website and information on the event and on registering as a vendor.

It would be a bit of a drive from East Tennessee. For an option closer to home (?) here's a link to the Middle Tennessee Studebaker Driver's Club website, too.

Hope this helps in your endeavors.

Michael

[rockne10]

I think Michael's idea of contacting your local Tennessee Chapter may be your first best move. Try to generate some sort of inventory list to respond to inquiries. There may just be someone in your area who is a regular club vendor interested in adding to his/her inventory.

[Deaf Mute]

There is a very active Studebaker Toy Collectors Club also, I am sure several would be interested in the promo cars. Perhaps an ad in TURNING WHEELS???

[58PackardWagon]

EBay is the best option. It draws the largest crowd and the best dollars especially with the promo stuff and smaller parts. I you don't ebay it, it is possible that you may get taken advantage of. Just my two cents

[70Avanti2]

John Birchetto is the guy to help you. Maybe somebody has his tele #. Don't think he is active on the form.

[StudeRich]

Here is a good place to list them for free and get World Wide coverage!

http://www.studebakerswap.com/swap/swap.php

[Jessie J.]

It really depends on how much time, effort and expense you are willing to expend on disposal of all of the items.
Listing and selling piece by piece, the desirable items will be bid up and go fast, others not in high demand may take years to find a buyer. if ever.

Swap meets have the same problems and more. Unless you are a hobbyist/dealer with plenty of leisure time, and a huge inventory, your travel expenses will quickly eat up any profits.

The third option is a bulk sale to an interested dealer or hobbyist, they will come to you, look over what you have and make an offer for your entire collection.
You will not receive the highest price possible for each individual 'choice' 'rare' item, but will gain in not having to devote yourself to being a peddler, and exposure to a likely negative cash flow. This would be my choice based on 5 decades of Studebaker collecting.

I am presently facing a similar dispose or not dilemma myself. At age 66 I am recovering my second heart surgery last week.
Wife, family, and friends are becoming increasingly concerned about being 'stuck' with the disposal of my 4 Studebakers, half-dozen engines;
and a 50 year collection of Stude sheet metal and trim, a lot of which was NOS purchased at the Factory.

It is very difficult to surrender ones life-long hobby and dreams. In my case I am now doing quite well. Might have gained only another year ....or possibly twenty.
I am by no means presently disabled, and if the latter, I'm certainly not yet ready to throw in the towel.

[58 Hawk]

I am the editor of the Toy Studebaker Collectors club and I can help you advertise your 50 Studebaker promos in my national newsletter ITS FREE TO YOU
you can reach me at my cell 330 502 5930 or email me joebetsy6@gmail.com
hope I can be of help
Joe

[studegary]

John Birchetto is the guy to help you. Maybe somebody has his tele #. Don't think he is active on the form.

I assume that you are referring to John Brichetto of Tenn. If so, I believe that he died many years ago. (It would be nice if I am incorrect on this and I am sure that someone will tell me if I am.)

[bob40]

I started my own business 9 years ago for situations exactly as yours.My first client was very much like yours.
The only advice I can give you...and advice is worth the computer screen you read it on...is that you spend the time to make a inventory list and evaluate each item.
Get a range from low to high per item and after that you could break it down to groups such as toys,engine,interior etc. There are enthusiasts out there who specialize in each and are not after other items.Treat it as a business.You can negotiate better with a real idea of value.Having a record of what the items are worth also protects your mother and your family from the other reason. Family "friends" who try and buy stuff for nothing thinking they have a in.
Another option is to find a ebay seller locally who through references can be trusted and knows automotive selling.You may get the most profit that way.Having a third party sell your stuff gets rid of the one thing that causes the most trouble.Sentimentality.As far as I am concerned I do not care about any item.It's just a part or banner or promo model and my job is to get the most value.Your seller can take pictures of items and pick them up after the sale for shipping if you do not want him to remove inventory.
I have clients who let me bring everything to my facility and send them checks while others have me sell and pick up items.On a few occasions after getting a total financial overview I helped sell a entire collection as a package.There have been times when after a discussion the sellers did not want to deal with any of it and offered me the whole mess for a price.I call it a mess as not everything will sell unless it goes to public auction.
Thanks for asking the question.Many should read this and start planning.

[studeclunker]

Okay... how do I put this? I will warn you 'Son' that I can be blunt sometimes. You say your main interest is that your father's collection be treated with respect. Be honest now. Does Mom want the best dollar or to see that Dad's collection is treated well? Neither of these is anything to be embarrassed or ashamed of. However if the intention is the latter, then take some care whom you contact. Start with the local chapter and people who actually knew your Dad. Whilst you don't want anyone taking advantage of your mother, you also want to make sure the "collection" goes to the best location as well with the least stress on dear old mom. The local chapter will likely be able to help you there.

Now, if your Mother wants the best possible price, she is likely going to have to accept that there will be items your Dad collected no one else will want. You will have to deal with those a bit more pragmatically. As to the rest, take a good hard look and send them off to the 'Bay. e-bay them yourself and don't get your Mother involved till they are sold. She is going to have to trust you and let these things go for what the market says they are worth. People who pay market value for these things will respect them. Those who get them cheaply or for free might not, even those people who actually knew your Dad. So, tell Mom to take a break and let you get on with disposing of this stuff. She must let go. You must let go. The money people spend on this stuff will best guarantee the "collection" is taken care of.

the other alternative, best I can think of, is to contact the Turning Wheels staff and see if they will allow you to sell the collection in their publication for a lump sum. This will gather the least amount and will likely get the type of people who will break it up and sell the individual items at a much higher price (the term is commonly, "Flipping"). There are a lot of people who support their hobbies this way. Now, another way to look at this is that your Father just might have approved of this kind of arrangement as this would help support someone's Studebaker addiction, uh, I mean, hobby(LOL, sounds to me like the old fellow would 'get' the joke here).

Six years is a long time to hang on to stuff you neither have any interest or involvement in. There has to be a motive in this you are not addressing in your post in a fully open way. Or I'm too dense to see it, which is also quite possible as I can be obtuse at times. Still, six years... honestly. I could understand if dear old Mum liked Studebakers too, but this doesn't seem to be the case. Sell it, send it on to those who appreciate and value what can be sold. Everything else... Well maybe the local chapter knows someone who wants it.

Best of luck with this in any case. God bless and guide you and your Mother through what might be a painful decision put off for far too long.

[Bullet_Nose_Son]

Everyone, thank you very much.

I really do appreciate your advice, everyone. My dad always had good things to say about the Studebaker community and I can see why. Based on what you've said, it looks like a specific inventory has to come first. I think for my mom, profit margin is a whole lot less important than having people be happy with getting these things (with the caveat that she doesn't want to be taken advantage of). It's taken a long time for her to take action about this, but everyone experiences grief in different ways. Thanks again.

I don't know what the rules of the forum are regarding things like this, but one thing I think I could help her do would be to put together a web page of the inventory and then post a link here so that those of you who have been kind enough to respond could have the first look at it. I teach full time, though, so it would probably be a spring break or summer project for me.

Jessie J, I hope that your surgery went well and that you continue to benefit from it. I had 2 stents placed in my coronary arteries in 11/14. I hope you get to enjoy our own collection for a good long time.