[Newbie] Where has all the older machining equipment gone to?

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I live in the Joliet area (close to Chicago) and just have to wonder where all the older machining equipment has gone to.
I would think with all the manufacturing going overseas and across the border, that there would be more available out here but the pickings seem real slim.
My son inlaw who came from Argentina has been looking for some affordable machines and is also wondering.
 
I think it's all being horded by people here on the forum. Bwaa-haa-ha-ha (Evil genius laugh). Unfortunately, I fear much of it has gone to the scrapers, but keep your eyes open there's still some out there. Much more of it back east from what I see here. Welcome to the forum. Mike
 
look on Craigs list, i have bought most of my machines there, including old iron.
 
Many old machines are just being scrapped or warehoused. I've worked in many machine shops that went with cnc and nice old Bridgeports, Hardinge lathes and associated tooling just sits, rusting away.
 
Old American iron are like old American muscle cars. The ones folks have restored are held on to, the ones that could have survive where scrapped, and the ones that need restoration are trying to be sold for a premium. The days of buying a decent running vintage machine are scarce. What is available these days are 15-20 year old CNC centers. Timing is everything and that ship sailed 15-20 years ago. I joined eBay back in 2000 and had great luck for several years purchasing machines and tooling, I mean very good deals, but its dried up by comparison. Truth be told guys, we're a dying breed in a disposable world.
 
At an auction, three old woodworking machines came up, a big old bandsaw, a Swedish shaper and a direct drive Oliver jointer. . They went cheap. $50 each.The guy buying them was going to sea-can them to his relatives in Bolivia !
 
I was told by an employee of a machinery auction company in Minneapolis (Hoff Online Auctions) that some of the larger equipment (especially Bridgeport and similar mills) was routinely bought by companies that shipped them to Central and South America.
 
Here's a link to Lost Creek Machine. They have a lot of new and used machines and accessories. Only about 40-50 miles from Shorewood.
http://www.lostcreekmachine.com/
They offer delivery, not sure about set-up. I work near there and have been told they're reputable.
 
I passed up a truck many years back around 2003, traveling south on HWY 59, loaded down with at least a dozen Bridgeport mills on the trailer. Still had tooling hanging on the rack mounted on the column and most still had digital readouts on them along with mill vices. I suspected they went across the boarder at Laredo going to Monterrey Mexico.
 
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