I'm starting to get the old tool bug, but I don't want to become a full-fledged
collector, I've already done that with fly fishing stuff and guitars. I sold off
my high end fly rods, and all but five of my guitars. I'm getting ready for a
yard sale in a couple of weeks to flush the rest of it.
I've always had a passion for old stuff, picked up occasional tools with no
intent of building a real collection. I'm hoping with the absence of my other
stuff I don't fill the void with old tools as I don't want to leave behind a mess
for my family to get rid of.
Does anyone know of an antidote for tool collecting?

QuoteDoes anyone know of an antidote for tool collecting?

Lack of money is my excuse.

   that is a tough question to answer, but if it helps, I will give you an idea. will it work ???
   I have never really thought about it, but here is a thought.

  # 1  always carry a pad and pencil with you.

   When the time comes that you see a tool that that you are giving a second look at, sit
   down and take out your pad and pencil and write down the pro's & con's of your need
   to but it in no less than 100 words. then study your reasons and see if it makes any
   sense on you buying it.

    if your answer is 50% to 50% go back and write 150 word pro vs con, and if you are lucky,
    someone else will buy it before your mind is made up.

     just a thought, good luck.

Hey Knucklehead, do you still have any old Sage fly rods or reels? I have a friend who collects them?

Quote from: Bill Houghton on May 28, 2017, 02:11:24 PM

Quote from: turnnut on May 28, 2017, 03:06:07 PM
   that is a tough question to answer, but if it helps, I will give you an idea. will it work ???
   I have never really thought about it, but here is a thought.

  # 1  always carry a pad and pencil with you.

   When the time comes that you see a tool that that you are giving a second look at, sit
   down and take out your pad and pencil and write down the pro's & con's of your need
   to but it in no less than 100 words. then study your reasons and see if it makes any
   sense on you buying it.

    if your answer is 50% to 50% go back and write 150 word pro vs con, and if you are lucky,
    someone else will buy iy before your mind is made up.

     just a thought, good luck.

You do that and someone will buy it out from under you!

Quote from: Knucklehead on May 28, 2017, 01:27:46 PM
.........
Does anyone know of an antidote for tool collecting?

no

Why would you want the antidote for that?

One way to limit collecting is to pick a singular focus or a narrow focus if you really want to limit it.  When I first started dealing in tools, I decided that I had to collect one type of tool or I would never want to sell anything.  I toyed with pliers and wrenches, but settled on measuring tools.  I still have gone a little crazy with it (800+ zigzags, 600 tape measures, and thousands of other things), but it still all fits in one room (barely).

I plan to be buried in a large red tool box. They can put my ashes in the drawer made for the Machinery's Handbook and my favorite tools in the rest of the drawers. Then they will lower me and my forever home into a cement vault and fill the vault with 200 gallons of J B Weld epoxy to protect me and my chrome plated iron goodies.

EvilDr235

I suck at limiting what I collect.  There are certain things I really like.

S-K tools, Plomb Tools, Craftsman Crown logo tools fron the 1960-1964 catalog, egg beater hand drills, unique ratchets, Stanley planes, steel levels, and about 25 other categories. 

But I will still buy a stupid 1970's Thorsen socket set for a good price. More change in my pocket than brains in my head, I suppose.

I spent the whole day yesterday pulling out boxes of wrenches and sorting them by manufacturer. There were literally thousands (well more than a thousand,  but probably less than two) wrenches. Just the combination, doe, and dbe types. Multiple from over 30 manufacturers,  and a box of single goofy or unidentified manufacturers. Almost all domestic.

I told myself years ago that I wasn't going to collect Snap On tools. Two months ago I bought a vintage top tool box and its almost full, just with Snap-On and Mac metric tools. I got it because the deal was great. Along with the other great deals there that day I spent another $300 on. But its O.K., $60 was spent on a 3/4" S-K socket set. 22 more sockets to house.

Last year I bought two of the Milwaukee tool boxes at Home Depot, right around fathers day.  In December I bought a wide Craftsman box set. All those, in addition to the two I already had, plus the Snap-On box. Just for my "users," except one stack that holds the 1960 Craftsman stuff. I was thinking about buying another wide set yesterday.

I can't even handle a wrench well anymore since nerve loss has progressed so far through my hands / arms. Being out of the shop just left time to attend more estate sales.

Chilly

Chilly, sorry to hear about the nerve damage.   That might slow you down picking up rust at those yard sales.
I don't know any antidote to collecting stuff (i have tools AND hardware, but not enough too much of either.   I think i need a barn.

QuoteI think i need a barn.

Don't we all?? I built a small shop some years ago and it is full of sh--STUFF!

I'd bet most of us could say that our shops are full of sh-tuff. Now if you ask the wife about my shop she leaves off the uff.

Not only do I collect stuff, but my wife collects stuff also. I use to have dresser drawers to keeps my socks and underwear in. I now keep my socks and underwear in paper bags in my computer room.

EvilDr235