Hello from Minnesota

I have been reading over the SMF site for awhile now as I Live in my own private salvage yard and have been working on a little scrapping and recycling around the yard over the last couple of years. I figured it was the right time to start doing something with all the scrap and stuff I had collected up in over 30 years. I wasn't getting any younger. I noticed that there are many SMF members that are as old as I am and older. I'm vintage 1958.

The salvage yard has always been private and closed to the public. I view the place as my home as that was the plan from the start. To create my own world that worked for me. Collecting up the many vehicles, appliances, electrical and electronic items and most everything else was all part of my hobby.

I worked jobs that paid well and never believed in credit cards and such so I'm 100% debt free with all I have paid for long ago. 30 years back the collecting and hoarding of vehicles, unwanted items and such was easy as there was a much better and wasteful society. Many thought I was missing a few parts as I would haul most anything that I figured I could do something with home.

As the years went by I saw the changes in what I was bringing home. Less quality consumer items and more throw away consumer items. Also I watched as many other changes happened that made Life at the yard here interesting and learning.



I like to "horse trade" and barter more so then getting cash as I find the entertainment, learning and motivating factors work well for me. I Live mostly a very frugal Lifestyle, but I do know how to have a good time as I collect interesting curios and have many hobbies that keep me active and entertained. I like to make my work and play one in the same as much as possible as that is what has always worked out well for me.

I picked the member name ChildhoodDream as that is what my place is. It was hatched from a plan that started over 50 years ago.

Now that I have made my introduction it's off to travel the boards and see what I might find and learn.

Welcome to the forum from Nashville.

Welcome from central Minnesota.

Welcome from the Dakota's. It seems you have lived a charmed life and get to enjoy the fruits of your labors. Good luck and enjoy the forum.

Welcome from Maryland.
Read as much as you can on maxing your profits.Check out vintage electronic forum.
30 years of hoarding you don't know what you may have.
Info is here!!! Take advantage of it. Happy treasure hunting!

welcome from iowa

Welcome from MN as well

Greetings from Wyoming!

You'll learn a lot by reading old threads. There is a ton of collective knowledge here!

Welcome from sunny and warm (I know, U don't want to read that, lol) NorCal.

Welcome from Texas

Welcome from Montana.

Here it is early Sunday morning and I have been reading over the forums seeing what I might learn so that I can get my place a bit more organized. I have learned that if someone asks me if I have something that most times I have it SOMEWHERE, but haven't a clue as to just where.

I have made a little progress in the last couple of years as I have been spending more time and energy on MY THINGS. I'm sure that there are others that are "semi-retired" as I am that have others that chase the rat race wanting help with keeping up. It took me awhile to learn that I had to start saying NO NO NO... As there are those that are related and such that just won't take NO for a answer.

It's all a learning experience for sure. But I'm growing and learning about HOW to survive in a BU$Y world where most others seem to be going in crazy like circles trying to keep up with Life and Living. I myself like to keep stress at a distance as you never know just when "stuff happens" out of the blue that you have to deal with. Best to have a BUFFER that works most of the times.

I'm a VERY private person that doesn't "do normal & popular" very well. It would be fine by me if something happened and the electronic and electrical items wouldn't work anymore. Read something about a possibility of such things to do with science and such. WHY do I think it wouldn't be so bad? The world would have to go back to a slower pace like in some of the Sci-Fi movies. Not saying that I put much thought into that direction, but the concept does seem to have it's merits and good points.

The main reason that I have kept the vehicles so long is that they are tax free storage. I don't get taxed on the mobile homes as they are considered salvage just as the other vehicles are. As long as a mobile home is not "hooked up" and properly skirted and fancy looking they are viewed as salvage. I just put things around the outside bottom of the mobile homes and it does the same for keeping the wind out. Camouflage is the secret in many ways when you have to "fit in" within the rules and laws.


Now the main point of this post. I'm interested in doing BIZ with others in the near future, but I have to know and be comfortable with those that I visit and deal with. I figure that later this year I will be wanting to "wholesale" some of the many items I have around my place. The many vehicles including some old school buses and mobile homes are all filled with electronics, electrical items, toys and I even have a few full sized cars that are filled with glass mason a other brand jars for canning food. Mostly the older ones. I even have a bunch of the old lids and such for them.

As I didn't start clearing pathways and such into the areas of the yard that I hadn't been in for many years until last year. I had all but forgotten just what all there was here. Out of sight, out of mind.

Thought I would let others that may be interested in doing BIZ with me later that there are certain ways that I go about things. I'm not motivated by money much as I view money as something that you spend and pay bills with and I prefer a more simple and frugal Lifestyle. But I do like collecting my toys and things.

So those that may have dreams of just what is here in the yard and what they could do with it, have patience and get to know me better. I will leave you with this advice. I won't sell and trade with someone unless I'm comfortable with them. I have turned down many a offer because I was not interested in dealing with the person.

I can't be bought at any price, but I can be rented on occasion,lol.

CD,
Sounds like you have a junk mans dream.
I have similar situation, but not as large scale.
Got one building I haven't looked in for years.
Looks like the thaw is on, and its time to get busy.
Your wise to take it slow. Spend as much time in the archives as you can. Research everything! Wish you luck.

I was curious if anyone figured out what my Avatar was. I notice that I can't see it very well as I'm not the best at most computer stuff with all the "language" and such.

I know what it is and I can't tell from the picture. It's not of my place. It's from a movie that is set in a salvage/junk yard.

Anyone have a idea or guess?

I have been trying to figure out the Avatar size thing and such for pictures that interest me for a Avatar. The computer that I'm using is a Dell gaming computer with Vista so it doesn't have any of the office and picture fixing things in it's software.

I don't mind as I wouldn't use such programs much anyway as I didn't on the computers I had with the software in the past.

a side note: I was wondering about the SMF Badges of Honor. I notice that some have Military Veteran as one of them. How is that accomplished?

I went in when 17 in 1976 and got out 3 years later and went on to other things so that I could put my plan for a private salvage yard together.

I liked the military in many ways, BUT what I didn't like is that in the military you HAVE to be around people that you would just as well tell to take a hike. Part of the reason that they made it clear that they didn't want me re enlisting.

I liked Living in Germany and wouldn't of minded staying there a few more years. But when you have those such as General G.W. Casey in the prior mix, then things can get interesting. No I wasn't in the mechanized, infantry or signal corps. I spent a lot of my working day in a security area. I would tell you more on that, but you would require proper security clearances,lol...