This is What Happens to Barn Finds if Nobody Buys Them

One of the most exciting categories of YouTube videos has to be that of barn finds. There’s just something so alluring about a car that has hidden in plain sight for so long, potentially providing great value or excitement. These cars might be tucked away in someone’s garage, stored for years with the unfulfilled intention of restoration, or simply abandoned behind a barn and left under a cover, eventually forgotten.

What happens when a barn find is never discovered, though? What if the owner never gets the opportunity to reach out to someone who can appraise and potentially purchase it?

In a recent episode of “Barn Find Hunter” by Hagerty, we get to witness the fate of cars that are never sold or found and are left sitting until an estate sale. The video takes us on a tour of Owls Head Museum, which features various modes of transportation—whether by air, land, or sea. Toby, a museum representative, guides us through the place, explaining how such a facility operates. Owls Head Museum is a delicate balance between generating revenue to sustain its operations and the passion for showcasing the stories behind different forms of transportation. Selling anything under their roof can prove to be challenging due to their attachment to preserving these stories but can prove necessary to retain the ability to tell those very stories.

The allure of barn finds lies not only in their potential value but also in the rich history behind each vehicle. The joy comes from uncovering the tale that accompanies these machines. However, some barn finds remain undiscovered, hidden away from the world, until circumstances put them in a wonderful place like this.

This episode of “Barn Find Hunter” offers viewers a glimpse into the Owls Head Museum and highlights the intricate dance between preserving history and sustaining a museum’s operations.