Are there any "pickers" out there that focus on finding hard-to-find auto parts?

[MTProducer]

Hey there!

 

I'm wondering if anyone knows of someone that is out there on the road/internet searching for rare/unique auto parts as their business. Whether they are sourcing them for a larger business or for their own profit. Maybe they are just selling them on eBay even. I'm not looking for the parts myself, I'm looking for the guy/girl/company that does the legwork finding them.

Thank you!

[Terry Bond]

What's the purpose of your quest for such info?  Plenty of scammers/spammers around so we rightfully tend to be cautious especially of those who are unknown and have just joined the forums.  Plenty of kind and helpful folks here but full disclosure will increase the likelihood of responses.

Terry

 

[MTProducer]

Hey Terry! Totally understand that kind of sentiment.

 

I work for a company that is considering making video content following along with someone that does this job, finding rare auto parts and selling them (or using them in restorations). I've found some interesting folks in my own research, but thought members of a forum like this, deep in the automotive hobby, might know of someone out there that is worth knowing about.

 

While I don't want to post my direct contact info publicly here, I will provide it to anyone I contact directly (for verification of who I am/work for). 

[1912Staver]

Many / most of us become our own " pickers ". Millions upon millions of rare parts out there, but aquiring them makes no sense unless you know someone who needs them. 

Most people who need really rare stuff { like me } litterly spend decades searching swap meets, ebay and club adverts for missing pieces to our puzzles. Eventually quite a few give up and just make  { or pay to have made } the needed part. If I can't find something in 30 years of looking how is someone { a picker } going to have any idea of where to find one ? In the case of my Brass Era basket case all I have to I.D. things is a so-so copy of the factory parts book. { came from Harrahs library decades ago }.  Without access to my car to take measurements of hole spacing on the frame for example no one would ever know if that's the right part , or just one that is superfically similar. 

For example I have been looking for one of these headlight forks for at least 25 years. Looked at nearly 100  " similar " forks. But still no match. If you can find a  " picker " who can produce results on parts like this my hat is off to you .

 

Edited August 31, 2023 by 1912Staver (see edit history)

[1912Staver]

Side view.

 

[Terry Bond]

3 hours ago, MTProducer said:

Hey Terry! Totally understand that kind of sentiment.

 

I work for a company that is considering making video content following along with someone that does this job, finding rare auto parts and selling them (or using them in restorations). I've found some interesting folks in my own research, but thought members of a forum like this, deep in the automotive hobby, might know of someone out there that is worth knowing about.

 

While I don't want to post my direct contact info publicly here, I will provide it to anyone I contact directly (for verification of who I am/work for). 

Thanks, but it's still not clear what you plan to do with the video input you're gathering.  Are you going to produce a version of "American Pickers" with a twist? 

 

I am certain each collector has their own way of finding treasures. I know that in my area of interest I have developed my own contacts and techniques over the years.  I know of some dealers who specialize in automobilia who do it full time and travel the country to find good stuff.  Their stops often include everything from antique shops and swap meets to some of the largest antique markets n the country and even collectors who might have some things available.  I recommend attending the Hershey swap meet this coming October and meeting some of the vendors there in person to lean more.  

Terry

[1912Staver]

I would be at Hershey every year except it is on the East coast and I am on the West coast { Pacific North West }. Its not just the air fare, what do you do if you find something larger than what will fit in a backpack ? Swap meets really only work out if you can drive a truck there { and preferably have a trailer along as well }. 2800 miles each way, not really a practical situation.

[Rusty Heaps]

I used to pull parts when I would go to the junkyard if I thought I could make a buck or two to help cover my expenses. I threw in the towel on that idea since I now have a bunch of parts I don’t need and can’t seem to find a home for. Now I just pick for myself and special requests from persons I know will take them.

[TAKerry]

I commend mt producer for the thought, but for reasons mentioned I would imagine doing something like that would be a hard way to make a living. Am. Pick make their money off of tv commercials and merchandising I would imagine. I cannot fathom that an antique store in wherever they are located provided enough income to pay 2 full time guys on the road driving a brand new sprinter van, and staff to man the homefront. Let alone opening another store in Nashville. Just another unreal reality show. 

Now on the other hand if the op is looking for someone that they can bankroll to scour the country, looking for obscure parts (arent most of them), meet interesting people along the way and act silly in front of the camera, please give me a pm. I am willing to be your guy!

[pkhammer]

  I know a couple antique dealers that make a living scouring the country attending auctions, swap meets, etc. to find "inventory" to resell. Although I'm sure they exist, I don't know of anyone who does this for a living buying and selling solely antique AUTO PARTS. many of us, even on this forum (including me) are always on the lookout for bargains at auctions and swap meets that we know we can resell to help support our own hobby/projects. I have even purchased a few estate collections which is probably a bit more than most hobbyists would be willing to do, but I still only spend about a day each week on this, far from full time.

 Attending Hershey and meeting some of the BIG private vendors is a great idea. 

[MTProducer]

I really appreciate everyone's input so far!

It definitely tracks with what I've found scouring the internet. The few folks I've found that used to support themselves focusing on auto parts picking have slowed down/retired due to it not being profitable anymore or have shifted fully into automobilia/nostalgia items.

Recommending someone from the team go up to Hershey to mingle with folks is a great idea and see if we can't find someone in this space. 

Thank you, again! I'll keep monitoring this thread in case anyone has recommendations of folks to reach out to.

[Gunsmoke]

You may know that there are 6 or 7 categories of old car parts.

1. What may be referred to as commons (Model T Fords, Model A Fords, early Chev's, Dodges' etc, lookers are always interested in NOS parts if they exist (New Old Stock). A great many of these parts are being reproduced, so prices tend to be inexpensive.

2. Less common makes parts, (not made by the big 3), such as Studebaker, Hudson, Hupmobile, etc, with no reproductions available, NOS always draws interest.

3. Higher end low volume cars, where scarcity and desirability of the car makes for strong interest, Packard, Cadillac, Marmon, Imperial, Franklin, Lincoln, etc, again NOS usually is always valuable, and rebuildable parts as well. 

4. Very rare, typically low volume and expensive cars, initially seen as industry epitomes of the era, Duesenberg, Auburn, Cord, Tucker, etc. 

5. Higher end European makes, Mercedes, Jaguar, Rolls Royce, Isotta F, etc, not many parts in North America.

6. Very early (Brass era) cars, very few built, parts scarce but not necessarily a lot of demand

7. Very small volume desirable cars, like Delorean, Bricklin, Cobras, Avanti's etc. 

 

I suspect every member on here scours every barn, shed, out-building, scrap yard and closed service station and back forty, looking for anything salvageable, even if he/she has no idea what it fits. Some collect parts only for a particular model. Some hunts take years due to the extreme scarcity of a particular part. I spent 8 years looking for this tail/stop light for my 1931 Chrysler CD8 Roadster project, a one year only model, of which few were built. Finally found one somewhat by accident (thanks to an AACA member's tip) on eBay listed as just an "Early Chrysler tail light". 

 

While a genuine series on "hunting for rare old car parts" might draw an audience, I can imagine like many such reality TV shows, it would just be a matter of time before the formulas involves "salting" old barns with a dust covered rare old part and the classic "wow look at this" just before the commercial break.

 

An option might be to do talks and travels with people who have had a good time hunting for and finally finding the rare part, 

Edited September 1, 2023 by Gunsmoke (see edit history)

[1912Staver]

Brass era stuff can indeed be very low demand. During my recent move I scrapped a number of very low demand 1915 Buick parts. Rear ends and rear springs for a C55 / D 54 , 55. { the big 6 Buick }. No one around here has one of these machines much less wants a " spare " rear end housing or rear cantilever springs. They are much larger / heavier than the far more common model 44, 45 series cars. Way to heavy to justify shipping. Any survivors are probably at least several hundred miles away. 

  I have the bones of a 1914 B 55, but the springs are 3/4 eliptic rather than cantilever as was fitted for 1915 and 16 so of no use for my basket case. It all came to me in one pile.

  One of the early old car hunters in this area gathered up all the big 6 stuff he could find in Western Canada decades ago. I ended up with the leftovers once one car was " sort of " pieced together. I could have held on to the springs and housings for another 20 years, but pretty sure they would have ended up in a bin anyway. I did keep the roadster C 54 springs. They are probably rare enough that someone , someday might want them. Still have the rear tin and rear doors for a C55 as well. Not sure why I kept it, but at least it is light and easy to move. It will probably end up as scrap some day as well. Touring rear 1/2's are rare due to the number of tourings converted to light trucks over the years. But once again no one needs one within a reasonable distance as far as I know.

Edited September 1, 2023 by 1912Staver (see edit history)