My 83 year old father died last year after a bout with cancer. He led a full life, had a wonderful family, and my sister and I were at his bedside when he died.
Among his passions in life were his Winchester M-94 .30-30 WCF purchased new 1961 for the princely sum of $49.95, and a 1970 Mercedes 240 diesel sedan originally purchased for thousands of dollars.
He loved Mercedes automobiles and had three when he died, but the old diesel was, for reasons I could never understand, his sentimental favorite. He kept it maintained and drove it occasionally. It was loud, smelly, underpowered and, in my view, an eyesore. Even so, after he died I could not bear to part with it.
Last week I had the diesel towed away. The clutch had failed, I could not shift gears and I decided it was time for it to go. I could not bear the thought of getting rid of it after he died, but that was almost two years ago and you can't keep everything forever.
So.....I paid $60.00 to have it towed to my mechanic who was able to sell it for $50.00! (That's not so bad. I could have paid $1,000 to fix the clutch and get it running and the carit would have been worth $500.00!
)
The value of the Model 94, purchased for $49.95 almost half a century ago, has increased to several hundred dollars today. The value of the Mercedes, purchased for thousands in 1971, declined to the level of the original prrchase price of the Winchester in 1961.
I had to pay to have the Mercedes hauled off. I will not have to pay anyone to take the Winchester.
