For 60 years Max Jones has visited auction and collection sales across the country.
Following in the footsteps of his father, Ernie, a fellow collector, he has acquired about 1800 items including cars, trucks, tractors, motorbikes, horse drawn vehicles, engines, tools, farm equipment and far more.
Mr Jones brought them home to his property on the outskirts of Orange and built sheds to store them all.
He restored some of them, others he has left in their rusty condition.
And now it is all up for auction.
There are so many items that three days [March 16-18] have been set aside for the on-site sale.
The agents, Burns & Co auctioneer Ashley Burns said it was a “once in a lifetime opportunity.”
His team has been busy taking the items out of storage and lining them on the pathways of Mr Jones property for the massive auction.
Mr Jones said the time had come for him to stop collecting and storing, and sell the items.
“I spent 60 years, and my dad before me, collecting,” he said.
“I decided I’m better selling it, otherwise it might finish up as scrap metal.
“My father was a collector and he had his own little collection.
“I used to go to auction sales with him when I was a kid.”
Mr Jones said he began buying the items to avoid them being scrapped.
“I could see the stuff was not going to be cared for.
“I built sheds, little sheds and then bigger sheds to store it.
“This stuff, they don’t make it anymore, I guess I felt I should be buying and storing it.
“But the end of the day has come, my health is not real good.”
He said he hoped the people who bought it would appreciate its value.
“They will treasure it, it will all go to a good home.”
The collection is extensive, taking six months to be prepared for sale.
“The cost to put it up for auction is well over $100,000, just in wages,” he said.
It includes a restored 1914 Ford Model T bus, rare trucks dating back to 1911, 36 cars and 37 rare tractors.
There are horse-drawn buggies, petrol and oil motor bikes, stationery steam engines and more.
Thursday March 15 has been set aside as an inspection day while groups of elderly people will be given tours so they could reminisce.
David Fitzsimons
I am a senior journalist at the Central Western Daily concentrating on council, government and real estate issues. Before moving to Orange I filled senior roles at the Daily Telegraph, Daily Telegraph-Mirror and the Daily Mirror in Sydney. They included being an editor, news editor, chief of staff and reporter.
I am a senior journalist at the Central Western Daily concentrating on council, government and real estate issues. Before moving to Orange I filled senior roles at the Daily Telegraph, Daily Telegraph-Mirror and the Daily Mirror in Sydney. They included being an editor, news editor, chief of staff and reporter.
