SNOOZE- YOU LOSE. This oft heard phrase is most often in reference to being slow off the starting line in a DRAG RACE. There are also those moments in life where one has ‘thought about it’ for too long. One of those times happened in the last few days.
A customer came out to the Chrome N Rust world headquarters last Saturday to have a ‘look around’ for parts. In particular, he was looking for red colored interior parts for a Chevy truck, as he was contemplating an interior color change for a project. I know that it sounds like a sales pressure tactic to remind someone that the parts they are looking at may not be there the next time they come back. Then again…
Monday rolls around; the phone rings. The fellow on the line is looking for dark red or maroon door panels for a GM truck. I told him about the red panels I had, but I would need to look to see if they had manual, crank-up handles. Long story short, the customer came out later that day and gladly shelled out my asking price for the panels.
The lesson here is like they often say on the ‘American Pickers’ tv show: “If you see it- buy it. Because you don’t know when the next time (if ever) you will get another opportunity.”
ONE THING I have been hearing lately is that places like mine don’t exist anymore. One of the biggest reasons is government regulation/ intervention caused mainly by the encroachment of ‘urban’ people in rural areas. Another factor here is the ‘greying’ of the auto enthusiast hobby. Simply put, some of us are getting old- too old to want to put in the effort and expense to maintain a ‘junk-yard’. Most young people are not into cars/ trucks, grease, or things mechanical. Therefore, there isn’t another generation to keep ‘places like mine’ going.
WHILE I am aware of the economic realities most of you face, I am also in the same boat. Maybe even worse, because what I hope to sell and make an income from is primarily a want rather than a need. I am hoping to complete the restoration of my 1 ton carrier truck so that I can start hauling scrap vehicles again. I will also begin thinning the inventory of boned-out donor vehicles.
Maybe then, I won’t have to call in a crusher.
ALWAYS GOOD TO START THE NEW YEAR ON A POSITIVE NOTE. Somewhere in one of my other writings I observed that “At one point in our lives, life begins to take back some of the things we gained.” It could be our health (or some things we simply have less of as we age), our… Read more »
LETTING GO: Over the years I have turned down a number of offers for my ’62 Bel Air- sometimes less than politely. Lately, I have had a change of heart- the old girl needs a new caretaker. Notice I didn’t use the word ‘owner’? There is no doubt in my mind the Bel Air will… Read more »
AFTER having missed the entire Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale event, I have to admit that the whole thing pisses me off. We used to be able to watch hours of coverage on television. Seems that no network was willing to pony up the cash to cover the show- BUT, we can live-stream it on our computers or… Read more »
Tis the Season of Giving. You begin the month by giving your bank or landlord a big chunk of your last paycheque or savings. And then, there are all of the sales like BLACK FRIDAY and Boxing Day that seem to go on throughout the month. Needless to say, I’m NOT falling for it. We… Read more »
Leave a Reply