Up Next: Buy Gone Classics
At Buy Gone Classics they provide opportunities to relive and keep memories alive. Buy Gone specializes in purchasing and selling classic collector cars, trucks, and Americana collectibles. Jeff Tiedke, owner of Buy Gone, based in the village of Mazomanie, is passionate about preserving cars and classic collectibles. After hearing stories of each item, he sees them in a different light and works hard to bring back life into each piece that comes into his shop.
He grew up surrounded by classic cars and Americana collectibles. Some of the items in his family were old cars, jukeboxes, arcade games, vintage guitars, audio gear, and cool gas station memorabilia from his grandfather’s stations. For years before Buy Gone, Jeff taught public high school in the Milwaukee area. During summer months off, Jeff was buying and selling classic cars and trucks, as well as building a fun collection of memorabilia to display in his house and garage. Buy Gone then launched once he realized he already had a business model in place for many years; he just needed to give his vision a chance to prosper.
A majority of Buy Gone's sales are from classic cars and trucks from the 1950's to the early 2000's. The remaining sales come from a wide range of Americana collectibles such as jukeboxes, porcelain signs, gas pumps, arcade games and pinballs, and vintage high - end stereo gear. Jeff's goal with the preservation process is to use techniques to keep a vehicle or collectible looking and working its best, in its original state, for as long as possible, while keeping further deterioration at bay.
When purchasing a collectible from Buy Gone, you aren't just purchasing an item, but a story. Just like hearing a certain song can take you back in time to a particular moment in your life, classic cars and collectibles act as a time machine for people as well. With that emotional sentiment in mind, any time a vehicle or item they have for sale has a story with it, Jeff goes to great lengths to document that story. For example, with vehicles, the story helps explain how a 1970 Camaro Z28 was ordered with very rare options, or how a 1996 Bronco ended up with under 20,000 original miles. With collectibles, the story helps resolve how a near - pristine 1959 Wurlitzer jukebox ended up being lovingly cared for in a West Allis, WI rec-room since 1962. Jeff takes pride in letting buyers know the history of what they're buying from Buy Gone because the story of an item becomes a part of the buyer's story, too. The emotional connection to items they sell, along with their stories, is usually the driving force behind a purchase.
The evolution of Buy Gone has been nothing but a success story of turning a hobby into a successful business. From Jeff tinkering in his garage to relieve stress, to running the business out of his home for a year, to purchasing a shop several years back, it has all been a natural progression for him. The ability to run Buy Gone full-time has helped the business continue to grow at a healthy rate. This past summer Buy Gone launched their new website, where buyers and sellers can read more about the history of Buy Gone, check out items for sale, and dig into some of the positive feedback they have received from recent customers. Jeff looks forward to restoring more classic pieces and helping their story live on.