Is there a forum here where you can ask for someone to inspect a machine for you?
I am looking to upgrade from my ancient Leblond lathe and have been scouring the Craigslist ads around the country. I'm willing to travel for the right machine/deal but a guy isn't just going to jump in his pickup and drive 800 miles to look at a machine to see if it's worth it. If there was someone local who could do an inspection for you, even if they charged you for it, how great would that be.
I belong to several other forums. A couple of antique tractor forums, hunting forums and a vintage Airstream Trailer forum.
On the Airstream forum you can add that you are a volunteer inspector in your profile and set the type/age of trailer you are knowledgable of and distance you'd be willing to go. I've inspected trailers 3 times in the last 15 years I've been a member there.
Or on the tractor boards I've looked at tractors for others and even picked up parts. (Prepaid of course) and stored them at my place till the buyer could come and get them.
You do it for free of course but usually you can ask for gas money or you get lunch for your efforts. Mostly you just do it for the love of old iron.
I have taken advantage of it too: I bought a tractor engine at auction near Lincoln NE and a guy picked it up and stored it for me for several months till I could come and get it.
And you get a chance to put a face on a member that you only know from the forums and make a friend in the process.
Just thinking out loud here. Sorry it got so long.
