I'm not going to lie! I'm very lucky!!! But I am very dedicated to searching and researching! When I say that I mean when I'm not out working on my mowers or reading the manuals, %90 of my time is dedicated to looking though heaps of different market sites. I don't sit and watch TV any more, I put it on and turn the sound almost all of the way down and just research and look for mower stuff. I have also been very thankful to anyone I buy anything off and I guess my enthusiasm and knowledge, especially on 1970's model victas (now), has infected the people I meet and they then pass my information on to other leads.
I'm very serious about restoring and keeping as many 1968-1975 victa utilities and all of the 1970's VC models weather they are Mustangs, Sports or 160's. This is a very big part of why, I think, people who have given me or passed on to me mowers that were their grandfathers and they didn't know what to do with them because they don't want to throw them away but are of no use to them.
As my knowledge of other models (PowerPlus for example) grows I find more and more models that look a bit different or abstract and I just love things that are a bit different. A lot of these retro late 60's to early 80's mowers are pieces of art to me, the older one's are too, I just prefer these other models.....
So I'm lucky but I also spend a lot of time researching meeting people and putting in the hard yards to get the rare stuff I have.
I appreciate your disappointment MF, it happened to me about a month ago. A purple VC-SPORT with catcher $25 but in Tasmania and I contacted the guy just to find out if he could hold it until the next day so my mate could get it and he said no. I offered him $150, but still no.
Thanks MF!!!!!! I had the adrenalin shakes after I finally spoke to the guy I got it off.... It's been a very good day!!!
