How is anyone else doing who is trying to sell any of their cars this summer?

What you see is a vision of the future. Rich guys with antique cars, yachts, properties, businesses, hiring peons to work on them. Everyone else on welfare. Nothing in the middle.

I would rather see a thriving middle class with good jobs, no poor and dare I say it, almost no billionaires. America the way it was from the thirties through the sixties.

It is the vision I see now. There are a lot of "peons" that live pretty well working for rich guys. Every rich guy I have known (including one who was a billionaire) started with nothing. They all worked their tails off, were smart and got lucky. These days that seems to be a crime.

+1

Auburnseeker:

Try parking the car somewhere in Lake George where vacationers will see it. Also, does your cable company have a 'cars for sale' channel? We have Cablevision here and are allowed one free car ad per year.

I actually have a shop on rte 9 just outside of Warrensburg, about 7 miles North of Lake George. (10,000-15,000 Cars a day go by according to the newspaper). Of course many are people who commute but many vacationers use it as one of the main corridors to the Adirondacks. I put it out there, but the way the weather is I only get to put it out a few hours here and there. I won't leave it out in the rain. The Chrysler I won't leave out without keeping an eye on it as well. Has anyone ever watched what people do to old cars that are left out and unattended especially ones with for sale signs on them. I had to put please don't touch on the Plymouth after someone stopped and started opening and slamming the doors. He never even came to the door at the shop. You can see what it needs without opening the doors and the price was posted along with everything done to it so you know he was just there to irritate the seller.

That leads me to another thing I've always wondered. In the old car world I was always taught don't touch. (ask the owner if you can open a door or do anything else to the car)I would expect that to be a rule of thumb in general. Even cosmetically challenged cars.

Is that expecting too much or have we as a culture just lost all respect for everything?

I have always had good luck selling cars at Hershey in my space, so far I am 4 for 4. But I bring it down to sell it not fish for the highest price, and 2 out of the 4 I got paid to deliver it!!!! If your going to Hershey I would bring it and get some ads out NOW so people will be fresh on paper when they get there.

The Mopar factor might be playing a role in it a narrow market and a limited available sorces for parts. I have run into the same situation with an mid 70's "H" body Buick. If it were the Chevrolet version it would have sold 3 months ago for 2K more then I am asking. Same car, just a different badge and a much better engine! I had advertised it in the fall and the most responce I had was both the Buick Club and the AACA, then the winter came! I am putting the ads back in and this time I am mentioning that I can deliver it to Hershey for free, maybe that is an idea for incentive? the shipping is becoming a deciding factor for some. I had three guys on the west coast very interested in the car but the shipping got em!

Really good thread, lets keep it on topic

"That leads me to another thing I've always wondered. In the old car world I was always taught don't touch. (ask the owner if you can open a door or do anything else to the car)I would expect that to be a rule of thumb in general. Even cosmetically challenged cars. Is that expecting too much or have we as a culture just lost all respect for everything?"

Sadly the word respect simply does not exist amongst the younger generation. Not sure what went wrong but when sports are played without scores and people think that correcting a child will damage their ego they don't turn out so great - surprise.

I have been looking for a nice Model "A" to take on trips - long trips. I am getting too old to do a lot of grunt work so am looking for a car that is regularly driven 50 to 100 miles or more. I expect the usual dings, scratches, chipped paint, etc that this type of usage creates. Many of the sellers don't want to take the time to answer basic questions like do the motor number and registration match? is the car currently registered? who rebuilt the motor? Basic simple questions I'd like answered before driving for a couple of hours to look at a car for sale. There have been a couple of fully restored cars for sale where the registration is still in the previous owners name, one had been purchased fully restored 20 years ago from another state and none of the paperwork had ever been done. No registration in his name - he said he just threw some plates on it every couple of years and drove it around for a half hour or so. Can't begin to imagine what the oil looks like after 20 years. Another had just completed a full restoration but again - he wasn't going to put the registration in his name.

Just venting a bit .... I didn't think it was going to be this hard to find a decent Model "A" that I wouldn't have to negotiate with the DMV just to get registered - especially in the upper price ranges.

Seeker, avoidance of tire kickers is another plus of consignment, each of the cars we sold that way went to distance buyers who were comfortable with the deal. I only showed one to a local guy through the dealer, yep a long afternoon, a nice ride in the countryside, all spares inventoried and discussion on shckle bushings that I had but needed to install. Two legal pad pages of notes followed by "do me a favor please do not sell until I have had a chance to consider my offer" followed by.... crickets.

A few days later "say what ever happenned to joe blow?" "Oh, the heard squeaking in the rear suspension and thought that was not the car for him"

Translation: Joe blow had a free afternoon and figured he would kill it dreaming...

Been there, done that, work enough that my free time is more valuable. Everyone's situation is different, and I know you can kind of comingle business with the hobby but expect this for every serious buyer that you get.

I can see why foreign buyers might like to deal with

an honest, reputable dealer. Advertisers in Hemmings

have some especial credibility, because Hemmings will

not take ads from people and companies with bad records.

For myself, I would MUCH rather buy from a private seller

who has owned the car for many years, who is active in

a club, and knows a car's strengths and weaknesses.

He likely knows parts sources and the long-term history of the car.

If you've driven your antique over many years, you know it

far better than a dealer, consignment shop, or auction house would.

I have another twist on the "why is it hard to sell" question. I look at the home first. As case in point, my wife and I have decided we want to buy a Full Classic, open car, preferably with a rumble seat. We found one for a steal and were ready to hock our 401K to do it. Then we had a late night talk and realized we just could not jeopardize our retirement for a toy, no matter how much we want it or how good the deal may be. It came down to making a dent in retirement or taking on a payment roughly the same size as our mortgage payment...for a toy. That was a tough sell, even to a very willing partner. I suspect that a fair number of people are making similar decisions. So here is the deal. We collectively need to decide which is more important, making a profit on the car or preserving the hobby for the next generation. I am by no means trying to skewer those who are in the business as a business. I shutter to think what would happen to the hobby without "profiteer" people who actually service the hobby with aftermarket parts and services. Despite this, I also am very much aware that this is a graying hobby with a fair number of younger people who simply cannot justify the asking prices of many cars when they consider their budget. This is not political, just economics.

I had no lucky this year. But I put the good cars with the project cars.. They had to buy it all.. No one has a ten stall garage. so I am going to work on one car at a time.. Here is My new purchase. If you can sell them fix them....get her done...

Eric,

very well said! I think also society has changed which has an affect on a hobby like ours. When I was growing up my father had a Model A, and we did something every weekend with that car and fellow club members. He worked only 5 days a week, my mom was a homemaker, he had the time to play. Now we are in a dual income household where everybody works at least 6 days a week. Where I live I have not seen a kid on a bike going to his little league game in 20 years, the parents are driving the kids everywhere on their day off. I see this with my sons. I gave one of my sons one of my Dads cars when he passed away, a nice 54 Chevy turn key driver if he has the time to take it out 4 times a year it is a lot. He even said he can not set the time aside with everything going on in his life, and he grew up like I did around the hobby every weekend, even though he has the money he just does not have the time. He is one of many.

This hobby besides interest takes time, money, and patience. The advent of the internet with instant information we have an entire generation behind us that might have interest but lack the other three things needed, and sadly I don't see it getting any better.

Selling a car now has changed, classified ads are really a thing of the past, when was the last time you read "SSAE" or send $1.00 for pictures. Our parents were the last generation who did not need a computer, nor care to learn. We are the last generation to use a cell phone as a phone.

I think that Auburn Seeker has really stimulated some thought with his problem which we all will face.....

But remember that famous salseman line

"There is an ass for every seat, you just got to find him"

The hardest part of selling is the realization of the fact that you are going to get less for it than you put into it.

Nobody is going to give you back the money that you spent on your entertainment.

Once that you realize that the buyer doesn’t care how much time you spent on it, you start feeling sorry for yourself and must say, well it was fun,

now it's time to move on and buy the next toy.

Eric Mac, you and your wife made a good choice. I think people tend to forget in this hobby, for some unknown reason, that 95% or more of our cars are not investments. Buying and selling in the 5% that are, really requires a different approach, a lot of money is at stake and understandably so, the collector needs to consider that through all steps - purchase, ownership, sale. Even open Full Classics are subject to market fluctuations - if you need to dip into your 401K or other savings earmarked for critical life events, you are smart, IMO to not do that. Enjoy the nice group of cars you already have, and focus on that Lincoln - a true standout for that era. Someone above mentioned is sucks to save for your own retirement, well I would argue that in the traditional pension world companies would calculate that cost into one's overall compensation and one would not even have the option Eric Mac considered, retirement has always been earned, not given. Good for him for making what I am sure was a tough, but right decision.

The nice thing about this hobby is that while we cannot all own a Stutz Bearcat or '60 MB 300 SL, there are great cars available at all levels - but that is a whole other discussion. The issue is that these things are not liquid in a sense that you have a guarantee of getting your money back in short order even with a desirable model or bodystyle, hence the reason for Eric Mac's wise decision to forego a Full Classic till he can afford it through some other means besides retirement funds.

Sometimes you get lucky - would be good to be a '70 Porsche 911 owner right now if you picked up the car for $15K a few years back, right? Other times, one scratches their head wondering what happenned to their market - say '55 - '57 Tbirds. I do not think Seeker is even suggesting this but if you expect to profit on each sale, you will likely be dissapointed more often than not. For what we are discussing here, I do think a factor is a flat or even declining market for non-Full Classic cars of this vintage, even the price of open Fords has leveled off if you follow them over the long haul.

Anyway on Seekers dilemma, IMO if you have been marketing a car at a given price for six mos or so, and had no real interest, the decisions are pretty simple: 1) Change your approach - consider consignment, auction, etc.; 2) adjust price 3) adjust your expectation on timing of sale, and be willing to hold the car as long as it takes to get your price, or 4) take car off the market. The question is how badly you want to sell, or if you need to sell. Heck some of us sell at a loss to liquidate quickly - - so we can buy another car! Crazy, right?

Demand for collectibles is down and the stock market is up that's where the money is. a lot of things have been overvalued for a long time real estate being one. collectibles being two. inflation will correct all so get ready. if you want to sell something nowadays and a decent offer comes along do it. I have sold a few cars and always sweetened the sale price for me with thoughts of the tax free pleasure I derived driving it. good luck to all buyers and sellers, realism has set in here in the USA. Buy it have some fun, whats that worth, and sell it.

Auburnseeker is finding that buyers aren't reasonable people (they usually are bright and intelligent, but not about buying an old car--none of us are!). They're caught in an emotional ping-pong game between being really, really excited and really, really scared. They probably want the car, but they also want to be talked out of buying it. It's always safer to do nothing, right?

My wife is quick to point out one simple fact when I get frustrated because the low-dollar cars are MUCH harder to sell than the expensive ones and usually require extensive hand-holding over a longer period of time. She's right when she says that when a guy buys a $150,000 car, it's a tiny fraction of his net worth. The guy buying a $15,000 car is probably wiping out his savings to do it. That can definitely be scary and looking at it from that point of view has given me a bit more compassion for these kinds of buyers. They're just terrified of making a mistake with ALL their money.

I don't want to engage the political discussion, but that says volumes about everything we've discussed in this thread...

Bingo !! Since I am an active buyer seeking a low dollar common car (Model "A" Ford in the $12 to $20K range) let me explain what goes through my mind in one of the more common areas - rebuilt engines.

If someone tells me that the prior owner told him the engine was rebuilt but he doesn't know who rebuilt it I am going to judge it by how it sounds and "feels". While running a compression check is nice it doesn't tell me the condition of the bearings or the amount of rust that may be lurking in the water jackets. I am going to play best case, worst case as far as the engine is concerned, as well as for anything else in question after a test drive.

When the most likely figure comes up $4 to $6 K in probable repair costs to make a safe, reliable tour car out of a car on the upper end of my price bracket, they do not seem like bargains after all. At least around here most of the cars in that $15 to $20K mid range are not well documented - the work was done by one of the last owners.

If I were in a position to buy a mid 30's Packard sedan in the $50 to $75K range the "probable" repair costs may be higher than a Model "A", but not necessarily that much higher because in most cases the work is well documented and hopefully of a higher quality. I know that's not always the case, but on average it is a much more likely scenario than with a Model "A".

Auburnseeker has done a wonderful job with his descriptions, and if I were in the market for a Plymouth convertible I would feel confident that I could pretty well estimate the cost to complete it the way I want it and not have to worry about the nickle dime stuff that adds up to real money.

Just my thoughts

Matt, nothing political there, just a great fresh perspective on this - these are different markets; and your description helps drive that home. That, along wiht Roger's comments about funding someone elses fun really boil the market down. Seeker wants full retail for his car which is understandable, and finding the right guy who is comfortable taking the plunge is the challenge - all that mechanical work SHOULD outweigh the cosmetics, but it takes a while to find that buyer. I bet he is a guy who will need handholding and a reminder of the math behind that car.

I once sold a 'vette with a big crack in the nose, among other obvious needs. The advice from older, wiser (as in they never would have bought the POS I foolishly had to have at 21) vette guys was to clean up the car, wash, wax, dress tires - "well, yes but it needs this, that etc." "yes, but people like shiny and can envision themselves in it easier, kid" Your selling an image as well as a machine. Good advice, I have learned over the years.

Eric Mac, you and your wife made a good choice. I think people tend to forget in this hobby, for some unknown reason, that 95% or more of our cars are not investments.

Well said! They are not investments, they are expenditures. Obviously, we all try our best to make out on them at sale time, but I think that honestly viewing them as expenditures going in will pay dividends. ( pun intended)

Auburnseeker,

I understand your irritation at people touching (or more) a collector car parked by the side of the road or elsewhere. I greatly enjoy looking at cars (collector cars especially), and, when at a car show, I walk around either with my hands clasped behind my back or with my hands in my pockets. If the owners are nearby, I'll talk to them about their car, and if they appear to be in a good mood, I might ask if I could open a door for a better look at the interior. If the hood is closed and the owner tells me to go ahead and "pop her open", I just step back and ask him to do it for me (I've learned from my own cars that hoods of old cars can be somewhat cantankerous in their operation and require a special touch to operate without causing damage). If the owner is not around, no sign is needed: I do not touch the car or anything associated with it!

With that said, I believe that putting a "For Sale" sign on a car either parked by the side of the road or in the "cars for sale corral" at the local car show is a rule changer. The "For Sale" sign invites examination and certainly opening of a door to better scrutinize the interior. I won't try to open the hood, and I certainly don't slam the doors ... I treat the car with respect ... even if it's some groty lookin' old Rat Rod (I like Rat Rods but don't own one). If, along with the posted "For Sale" sign, there is a "Don't Touch" sign, I don't touch.

Please correct me if you think I'm wrong.

Cheers,

Grog

This is an interesting discussion and I'll offer my opinion as a guy trying to buy a car. For as long as I have been around this hobby, I think you could feel pretty comfortable that you could get your money back out of a car providing you bought it in reasonably good condition. I'm not saying it was an invesment, just that prices were generally flat or increasing. There was some security in the belief that you probably wouldn't sell the car for less then you bought it for.

We are now in a period where sellers out number buyers. And, this will likely continue for a prolonged period, if not permanently. That means the economics of buying a collector car are not that much different from that of buying a new car: it will likely depreciate. This realization has changed my outlook dramatically because in addition to trying to figure out what work a car might need, I now need to guess what the decrease in value will be.

My dad, who rarely lost money on a car, had an expression, "you're not paying too much, you're just buying early". We are now in the era of "You're not selling for too little, you're just selling too late."

I want to thank you all for chiming in Especially Matt who took quite a bit of time to answer some of my Questions. I'm working on revamping some of my ads. We'll see if that does the trick. Maybe I just scared off the potential buyers with info overload. As one of my Friends mentioned with alot of people, maybe not much on a site like this but others (especially on ebay or Craigslist) when you start getting technical and telling everyone everything you replaced and every little detail that isn't big obvious stuff their eyes glass over and they have no idea what you are talking about. Pretty much making it a wasted breath and making them start asking well what's he not telling me about.

New strategy is to hold the buyers hand and show them all the fun they are going to have and just brush on the reasons why it will be a good reliable car in as few words as possible.

I'll let you know how it works.

Time to change gears from Mechanic/ die hard old car guy with 30 weight in his veins to Salesman.

One more thought.... Have you considered a quick, inexpensive paint job (like Maaco or a local shop that will shoot the car inexpensively)? It's a light color so the bodywork doesn't have to be perfect. You can adjust your price upwards to reflect the added expense.

One more thought.... Have you considered a quick, inexpensive paint job (like Maaco or a local shop that will shoot the car inexpensively)? It's a light color so the bodywork doesn't have to be perfect. You can adjust your price upwards to reflect the added expense.

Recent shiny paint immediately eliminates a car to me. Unless it was an over the top documented paint job that I feel will last 20 years I assume the seller was shining it up to sell.

I second the no new paint comment. I generally get the impression the new paint is to hide something. Old paint ; even if needing new, is better as you can get a honest look at the state of the body. You can either live with the old paint as is , or do the repaint properly. I pretty much always walk away from recent paint cars, there are just too many unknown's.

Greg in Canada

I also recently passed on a very tempting vintage purchase. It was a great car for a very fair price, and local {a big bonus as I live somewhat distant from most sellers}. But retirement is closing in , and my wife brought me back to reality. Her comment of great car" , but you will end up working for two more years to pay for it " was all to on the mark. It was a bitter reality check, but in the long run for the best.

Greg in Canada

Recent shiny paint immediately eliminates a car to me. Unless it was an over the top documented paint job that I feel will last 20 years I assume the seller was shining it up to sell.

That's understandable coming from a car person. The mass market, however, is more swayed by shiny paint than freshly honed cylinders. The quick repaint is standard operating procedure at many collector car dealers.

Old school,,,,,A kerosennne rag will do wonders

especially late nite,,,full moon,,,Cheers,,Ben

I agree with most of the other posters that a

new paint job is a red flag--especially if the quality

of the rest of the car isn't compatible.

Why should I pay extra just because a seller put

a poor "Maaco" paint job on it, I would think to myself.

That poor quality paint job is something I'd want to

REMOVE, not pay extra for.

I'm happy to buy a car needing paint. The price will

reflect the condition, and then I can have it painted well

and even select a new color.

I can make paint so rough it looks like concrete blocks shine. The problem with the Plymouth is the missing paint.

I don't think there are any cheap paint shops around my area any more. Paint jobs around here all start at about 5,000. If I had the desire and alot more time I would just strip and paint it my self. Creamy yellow is a pretty easy color to paint. You could probably paint it in a tractor supply portable garage outside on a dry calm day. The finish is all in the wet sanding and buffing when you are done.

I changed my Plymouth ad here on the forums and local craigslist. Any thoughts on it, good or bad.

OToole Senior Member <dl class="userinfo_extra"><dt>Join Date</dt><dd>Sep 2006</dd><dt>Posts</dt><dd>6,246</dd></dl>

[h=2]Re: How is anyone else doing who is trying to sell any of their cars this summer?[/h]

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Is the rag used on the paint, or placed over the mouth of a potential buyer?

Sorry, I couldn't resist...

Old school,,,,,A kerosennne rag will do wonders

especially late nite,,,full moon,,,Cheers,,Ben

Reading them for the first time, I think they both read very well. I didn't see them the first go-round, so I'm not sure what you changed. But if I were in your area, your posts would lure me out for a look. Good luck with the sales.

I changed my Plymouth ad here on the forums and local craigslist. Any thoughts on it, good or bad.

Reading them for the first time, I think they both read very well. I didn't see them the first go-round, so I'm not sure what you changed. But if I were in your area, your posts would lure me out for a look. Good luck with the sales.

I took Matt and some other members suggestions and took away all the little details and stuff that the casual buyer wouldn't understand anyways, Pulled the detailed shots of any of the flaws, then emphasized more on the fun you are going to have with the car and how nice the top chrome and interior are as well as how great it drives in a Flowery sort of way just like the dealers sold it when it was new.

I thought about it and they were right you are selling the experience to the casual buyer.

Hard core guys like myself and many of the other members here probably aren't going to buy it anyways. Why raise concerns with a new buyer about stuff they normally wouldn't worry about that serious guys would know to look over anyways.

I have a guy coming Monday to take a look. I told him make sure it's nice so we can put the top down and go for a spin. Thursday is the backup date if the weather isn't good. We'll see.

Surprisingly it's a guy that was interested before and saw all the extra photos as well as detailed list of parts and repairs. I think the new ad sparked a renewed interest in the car.

Now I just have to get those Chrysler photos and rewrite that ad.

I am trying to sell off a few things (looking at life and where I will be in 10 years) experienced the same things. The silly low offers without seeing the car are what annoys me the most.

I think many of these potential buyers watch too much TV are all looking to buy and flip, and with internet it is much easier to send an e-mail with a low price with hopes they catch the person at the right time or wrong time. Sure is an abundance of bottom feeders. The "I have cash in pocket" line I find insulting. Do they think I am desperate?

Another factor I think there are a lot of cars showing up on the market due to an aging hobby, so the supply is saturated, I noticed this when I inherited my fathers toy collection. Just a lot of stuff on the market at once again supply and demand.

I was at a local cruise night last night, great weather and crowded but I did not notice many people under 55 years old, there is a lack of younger hobbiest looking for the entry level stuff.. I don't buy into the economy being weak, the stock markets were booming the past few years, so there is money out there. Maybe the hobby is just running it coarse like many other hobby's have and we are just starting to see the begining of the end of it. It's not going away but I think there will be a lot less people doing it in 10 years

I think it might be worth mentioning that the "I have cash in hand" comment might not be a reflection at all of a buyer's estimation of a seller's economic situation. Often, in my limited experience, the deal sounds solid enough, up until it is time for cash to change hands. Then all manner of "problems" come to light, including the one where one never hears from the potential buyer again. It would give me confidence, as a seller, to hear those words. I would not take it as insulting, at any rate, unless he were seriously low-balling me. Just another POV. Perry

I agree with Perry. The last car I sold had a lot of lookers and a lot of "buyers" who either asked about time payments or needed "just a few days" to get the rest of the money. I've been around long enough to know that "a few days" turns into weeks and on and on .... and no -if you need a loan go to the bank. if they won't loan you money why should I?

I do agree that "Cash in hand" has a certain connotation to it that is unfavorable. I chose to use "Serious buyer - have cash - no games" in my Model "A" wanted ad and hope that it doesn't offend anyone.

One thing that has always bothered me is dealers who run "Wanted" ads stating "Top Dollar Paid" and on the next page is their "Sell" ad stating "Lowest Prices in Town" - I avoid those places.

Ladies and Gents

lets mention also that the last 10-15 years has seen a huge increase in purchase price, look at the price of new cars. These shows on TV distort value of car. Once the price of a car passes a point it eliminates potential buyers. You can go look at NADA but don't hold your breath. The biggest part of the problem is the economic situation. Many , Many found out about it when selling real estate. How many people can pay 75k for a 57 something. If you want top dollar it better be nice and you will wait. Most buyers are having problems raising cash and most sellers are completely unrealistic.

Ken

In the old days, people bought cars and drove them, and a few nicks in the paint or worn upholstery wasn't as big a deal.

Now, just like real estate "location x3" for cars it's "condition x3".

Let's take your convertible/roadster as an example. One post touched on the paint issue. If someone bought it and wanted to paint it, then the bill is high four and into five figures. Then, once painted, all the other cosmetics have to follow, so now a guy has 10K in paint, 10K in upholstery, 10K or more in chrome, and so on....so it's just not economically feasible, unless one really loves that particular car and has money to invest knowing it will never come back.

There are some people out there that would enjoy it just as it is, and do slight upgrades as they drive it, but it's not the same market. I took my unrestored '37 Cord phaeton to the ACD festival a couple of years ago, peeling paint and all, and estimate that 85% wanted to know when it was going to be restored since it was a shame to leave like it is, 10% were glad to see it there regardless of condition, and 5% studied original details and were thrilled to see some of the things that were untouched.

I think it might be worth mentioning that the "I have cash in hand" comment might not be a reflection at all of a buyer's estimation of a seller's economic situation. Often, in my limited experience, the deal sounds solid enough, up until it is time for cash to change hands. Then all manner of "problems" come to light, including the one where one never hears from the potential buyer again. It would give me confidence, as a seller, to hear those words. I would not take it as insulting, at any rate, unless he were seriously low-balling me. Just another POV. Perry

I forgot to include it always came with a low ball insulting offer.

I've always wondered about the guys who try to tempt me with cash. I guess for a private seller that might be appealing if you're sticking it under the mattress or burying it in the back yard, but for me, every deal is ultimately cash one way or another. Nobody's driving out of here in a car by paying me with a check. Even if you finance it, it's ultimately cash for me because the bank pays me in full. In truth, cash is problematic because I can't pay employees or rent or utilities with it, so I have to deposit it and depositing a large wad of cash is problematic (deposits greater than $10,000 trigger an automatic IRS audit, by the way--ask me how I know). Telling me that you have cash doesn't really do much for me except to tell me that you've got some money to spend.

The real implication with "cash" is always that they want a deep discount for using it as opposed to... well, I don't rightly know what else they would use. Chickens? Magic beans? Tulip bulbs? As soon as I hear a guy say, "How much would you take, cash money?" I know he's looking for a deep discount and will probably not be a buyer.