Jump to content

1925 Sport Runabout to be auctioned Nov 7-9th Greensboro NC


Franklin31

Recommended Posts

  • 3 weeks later...
  • 5 months later...
  • 2 months later...

Sorry to say, I've seen lots of dealer 100% mark-ups.

It may be standard practice for some.

Perhaps he had to put a few thousand dollars into a car

to get it ship-shape; but what good does such a dealer

do the hobby? I think all it does is take a car away from

a person with a $19,000 budget.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry to say, I've seen lots of dealer 100% mark-ups.

It may be standard practice for some.

Perhaps he had to put a few thousand dollars into a car

to get it ship-shape; but what good does such a dealer

do the hobby? I think all it does is take a car away from

a person with a $19,000 budget.

There is a role for dealers in the hobby but I wish they would be more cognizant of the importance of keeping this a broad based hobby for everyone to enjoy, not just the wealthy and not just the investor. I really lament that the ordinary working family man has been priced out of many aspects of the pre-War hobby. Fortunately, Franklins tend to remain affordable. If we are a "best kept secret", I hope it stays that way.

A dealer's role is very much appreciated by anyone who does not want to go through the trials of selling a car on their own. The marketing, fielding of inquiries, accommodating visits. . . . only to have most turn out to be dead ends. Lots of elderly people just don't want to do that which is why the prospect of selling the car to a dealer for what they think is a reasonable sum is appealing.

I think it is not ethical nor is it healthy for the hobby for dealers to buy a car dirt cheap from an unsuspecting owner, only to turn around and double the price. And hang on to the car in a "for sale" state indefinitely until that price may be met through inflation or sold to another dealer. Cars should be on the road and in the hands of owner-operators. That's how the hobby will remain strong.

The "good dealer", in my opinion, would be someone who sells a car on commission. He might counsel the owner on what he feels the market value of the car is, and tell the owner that whatever the car sells for, the dealer will retain perhaps 10% as his fee for services. Or perhaps there would be a sliding scale of commission based on selling price. That way everyone understands everybody's motives , the owners don't get screwed, the dealer gets a profit and can remain in business, the cars for the most part are kept with the owner until they pass into the hands of the next owner-operator, and the hobby remains strong.

Why this would be good is that perhaps an owner understands the importance of affordable cars being available for ordinary working family men to use and enjoy. Perhaps the owner might be content with a selling price on the low side of the market so long as the next owner is a genuine enthusiast. The commission-dealer would still get his fee and the gratitude of everyone involved for finding a worthy new owner for a beloved car.

I think this is a good business model. I wish we had more dealers who would agree.

--Scott

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well said, Scott. I believe most dealers get into business

because they love old cars. If their business model requires

a 100% markup, then they need a different business model.

Selling on commission, as long as the commission is reasonable,

seems like a good model to me. And honesty is paramount.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...