e-bay Reatta pen-$?

[ronvb]

Gang,<BR>I surf e-bay daily, for me it is a great source of information;part numbers-pricing etc.<BR>Question: There is a Reatta pen on the auction currently up to $21.01-what is it really worth to a serious Reatta owner??<BR>The original owners manual came with complimentary accessories en,tire guage,and mini-flashlight and are usually gone by the time the 2nd owner comes into the picture.<BR>What is your opinion of what these accessories are worth?<BR>ronvb

[Guest EDBS0]

<I>How much ink is in the pen? Do you know the color? Is it a left hand or right hand pen?</I> <P>Without this information it is only worth what you are willing to pay.

[ronvb]

Easily,<BR>Pen cartridge is as full as manufacturer filled it,color of pen is black-typically ink is blue, and you can use it in either hand. -Or you can chew on it as you probably do when you are doing everyone elses taxes!<BR>I only bring up a question to the forum to have some fun and considering the ridiculous pricing of parts and accessories for the Reatta to see what people would pay for it.<BR>ronvb

[Guest]

I have the original window sticker and the whole manual kit with pen, tire gauge, key blanks, etc. with my '90. A few years ago I had the car at the BCA national with all these items displayed. No one mentioned them or asked about them and very few people even looked at them.<BR>So, while I am glad they came with the car, in my opinion they are an interesting curiosity but little more. Just my two cents worth, about what they seem to be worth to even the Reatta people who didn't look at them.<BR>Sour grapes? No, just what I observed.

[Guest EDBS0]

Carz60;<BR>On ebay partial kits will go for over $100.<P>Your full kit could go over $200. It is a case where the total is greater than the sum of the parts. Requires a couple of interested purchasers.<P>robvn; Also amused at prices. Don't do taxes...only dramatically reduce them. Use a komputer 4 mine

[Guest]

Hmmm, $20 for a pen? Wow, the people biding on E-bay are generous. Mine came with a pen and all the manuals too. I just wonder...<BR>If you sold the whole car on E-bay one peice at a time... $50-$60 thou?? No No I just can't do it.

[Guest]

A bit of moderately interesting trivia: The owner's portfolio came in a black plastic bag, also gussied up with the Reatta logo. The portfolios weren't completed in time to be put in the cars before they were sold. So they were shipped to the dealers later, with a letter asking the dealer to deliver them to the owners. Also in the portfolio was a postcard for the owner to fill out and send in, so a brass nameplate could be made and sent to the owner. If you look at the front of the portfolio, there's a small indentation where the name plate goes. My portfolio is in the original bag and has both the letter and card. (I'm tempted to send in the card to see if they'll make me a nameplate 12 years after the fact....)<P>Regarding price: As the saying goes, there's an ass for every saddle.<P>Jerry

[ronvb]

Jerry,<BR>What I have seen is that each year had a little different package for there owners manual.My 90 has a fine zippered leather bookcase with all folders,pamphlets,line tech sign-off card,manual,plastic temp keys and a place for pen,guage,mini-flashlight. Mine is missing the last 3-items.<BR>Why don't you send in a photo copy of that card to the dealer--just to see the response you would get? I bet it would be similar to the lack of support they provide current Reatta owners with difficult problems.<BR>ronvb

[Rawja]

How much a small, marginally useful accessory piece for your Reatta is worth, I think is somewhat proportional to how many of the these pieces you are short and how obsessive/compulsive you are about your car. If I had a mint ‘91 convertible that had every doo-dad and accessory but was missing the pen I assure you I would have bid more than $20 for it; hell, it’s cheaper than Mickey D’s and a movie! I am thrilled to be in possession of the original window sticker for my Reatta, but really I have no use for it other than it is an additional documentation item for my stupidly thick Reatta folder (which contains every paper even marginally related to the car). I just purchased a luggage strap that I assure you I will never use because... well...ummmm... It came with the car and I don't have it. Thank God I have an '89 and so am not currently feverishly searching for pens, tire gauges, craftsmen’s logs and the like.<BR> .<BR> The small stuff that the original owner probably threw away or lost because it had so little value other than having the car's name printed on it simultaneously creates later demand AND scarcity. <BR>.<BR> An owner of a '57 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham in mint condition but lacking the complimentary cigarette dispenser, flask and shot glasses (it was a very different time) would be prepared to pay a very hefty sum for those pieces whether he was an alcoholic chain smoker or not. You get a feeling of getting the car closer to its original condition with nothing missing.<p>[ 02-28-2002: Message edited by: RawjaNYC ]

[Guest]

Couldn't agree with you guys more. Is there really such a thing as "intrinsic" value -- or is just what the market will bear? Supply and demand, and all that Robber Baron stuff....<P>Incidentally, as long as we're talking trivia here, it's interesting to note that between my two ragtops, there was a change in craftspersons [note the polically correct designation!] signing the Log. On the black beauty (VIN 905430), a Tom McFarlan (horrible handwriting; can't be sure of the name) was responsible for the instrument panel, steering column and electrical system. By the time the Maui blue came off the line (VIN 907588), Tom had been replaced by Terry M'Gudd or M'Gadd. <P>One footnote and a question: I had assumed the signatures were copies and would be identical. Wrong. You can tell the signatures are by the same person, but swash, size, boldness, etc., varies between the two portfolios. Now for the question: Is that cargo net/strap advertised on eBay really a stock item? I doubt it, as I see no mounting knobs in either trunk.<P>Thought for today: Put the RAT back in REATTA.

[Guest]

Sorry; in my self-indulgent cleverness, I forgot to tell you I'm following your great advice. Just Xeroxed both sides of the mail-in card. Will fill it in and send it tomorrow via registered mail to Buick. Let's see if they even acknowledge.<P>Stay tuned,<P>Jerry

[ronvb]

Jerry,<BR>I'm still waiting to see what happened with your radio put-back-to-stock project? <BR>You know it's funny you mention the cargo straps----when I first bought the Reatta--upon cleaning it up I found those straps still in the bag and almost threw them out.<BR>ronvb

[Rawja]

I haven't seen one in person yet, but I have surmised that the cargo strap is to secure items in the "backseat" area. It hooks into the 2 small rectangular doo-hickeys sticking out of the parcel shelf and the one located above the pass-thru door. I think it was intended to keep objects from sliding around back there... Like I said, I will never use it, but at least I'll have it.

[Rawja]

I would like to point out to anyone who missed it that Jerry is mailing a COPY of the mail-in post card. While I doubt that mailing the original card would have an apprieciable effect on the value of his car, I'm guessing he can't bring himself to do it as he will know it is missing. <P> The spouse has taken to referring to my obsession as Reattarded which I suppose makes me a Reattard. Perhaps the accessory I'm really missing is an "R" logo drool cup.

[ronvb]

Rawja,<BR>I am afraid that I put Jerry up to that copy thing, because in my business we never give up an original.You know what the dealer will do with it---probably not much! Although the response could give Jerry and us a good chuckle! Just give it time Rawja and someone will come up with that official Reatta drool cup soon on e-bay. Look at Jfinn's Frankenstein- tape dispenser!<BR>ronvb

[Guest]

Guys:<P>Sent the postcard via USPostalExpress next-day. It was returned today to my p.o.box with the message that<P>"There is no such address known as:<P>REATTA HEADQUARTERS<BR>P.O. BOX 2004<BR>FLINT, MI 48501-9936"<P>Oh, well....<P>If you guys want a copy of the Buick letter to dealers and/or a copy of the postcard, let me know and I'll one to you in the mail.<P>Jerry

[ronvb]

Oh well so much for that little brass plate!<BR>It was a valiant effort though Jerry.-----------<BR>But wait- this just in --the e-bay plastic pen is up to $30.53 currently!<BR>ronvb

[Guest]

Hey guys, i sent one of those cards in in 1991 and never got a response. when gm drops a line they really drop it.

[Guest checkers]

ronvb Idont know about your pens but mine are metal not plastic they seam to work better. I have 3 R pins do you think i can retire yet?

[ronvb]

Checkers,<BR>I was only guessing about the material of the pen, as I said I am missing that item from my portfolio.<BR>And---if I had your money I would retire tomorrow!

[Rawja]

Y'know, with a samaple of the original pen, I am sure an exact duplicate could be made. My company has had custom printed pens made as cheesey promotional materials and you can probably have them made up for less than say, $ 2.00 a piece; however there are minimum order quantity requirements, and I'm not sure this wouldn't depress the value of the Reatta pen market to the point that it wouldn't be worth while. Same goes for the tire guage. There just aren't enough 90-91 Reattas out there with owners looking for these items to support the production of say, 100 pens and the pens really aren't nice enough for anyone who doesn't actually need one for the empty slot in their Owners Portfolio to want one.