Dealer sign on E-Bay

[jonlabree]

E-Bay #120537033399

check it out. Is it worth that much?

[MrEarl]

E-Bay #120537033399

check it out. Is it worth that much?

Buick Reatta Dealership Sign ( RARE ) - eBay (item 120537033399 end time Mar-29-10 17:19:32 PDT)

[eyetimer]

I paid $750 for mine, but mine is absolutely mint. It was never hung in a dealership. The one listed on Ebay seems to have some issues.

[Guest Lisa Courtney]

Oh yeah it is worth it ! Seeing how rare they are. I don't think it is a big issue with it, looks like he is just trying to be honest about it. I also think he is fishing for a price being that it is a make offer auction. It could be worth twice as much to some people and not worth 2 cents to other doesn't matter the conditon it depends on the collector of the Reatta memorbillia.

[Roadster90]

GEEEEEEEEZE........

1300.00 ....... Haven't seen one for sale in a loooong time. They are offering free shipping which cost the seller of my sign 200.00.

Will definitly be an interesting sale to watch ......

Edited February 28, 2010 by nic walker
spelling mistake (see edit history)

[Guest steveskyhawk]

I agree with Lisa that it should be worth the money but we are in a depression and money is the hardest thing to come by nowdays. Goes back to the old rule that somthing is only worth what someone is willing to pay.

[Guest Lisa Courtney]

Your exactly right Steve that is probably the only reason they are selling too is the depression we are in. Everyone is tuffin it.

[Guest steveskyhawk]

I think alot of people (particularly some of the responsible politicians) are afraid to use the word DEPRESSION.

[Guest Lisa Courtney]

LOL well it is surely depressing.

[Booreatta]

It looks like that the most sought after items that everyone is looking for is the same year after year.

1. The big Reatta sign

2. The pewter Reatta on a base

3. The complete portfolio with all of the stuff

4. Select 60 hood emblem from 1988

5. Plastic Red Reatta model (pretty common at the present time)get one while you can

There are a few other items from time to time surface,but if you don't have these items, good luck most are hard to find

[Guest Lisa Courtney]

Hi Booreatta,

Do you think the most sought after items are the same year after year cause the Reatta was only produced for 4 years ? Due to the rarity of them? Also,

The numbers #1 thru #5 is that the order they are desired in that order?

[Booreatta]

Lisa who knows why these items continue to grow in value but they do

I don't think the order that I listed them in has anything to do with the rarity of the item. The portfolio is still fairly common but getting a complete one is getting harder. The Red plasitc Reatta model is still very common and it pops up from time to time on ebay. The Reatta Dealer sign seems to show up every year or so and I think that it will continue to inflate although I think that $1300.00 may be at the top of its value but who knows if someone wants one bad enough and have the money then it can only go higher. The Pewter model has continued to increase in value, no body has been able to find out much about it but I have not seen one for sale for the last couple of years, but keep watching one will show up one of these days and it will sell for big bucks. The s60 hood emblem is also very rare and I have only seen 3 for sale in the last 6 or 7 years. The last one came up just this past week and it was damaged, the sunburst appeared to be broken on the bottom half so it would be hard to say what it was worth. Nothing to me. As with anything else some one out there has one of more of these items and will sell them from time to time, so stay tuned

Chuck Kerls

[Barney Eaton]

I like Chucks list but would like to debate the order........... Based on rarity alone and not desireability. If you use desireability first then the list changes.

My order or rarity.

(1) Select 60 hood emblem..... they were made for just the 1988 SS60 cars, we don't know how many they ordered but there were only 55 cars made.

(2) Pewter Reatta model.... again I have had no luck finding the manufacturer or the number made but our best guess is somewhere between 200 and 500

(3) 36" round lighted "R" ...not ever dealer received this sign, somewhere I read there were around 1800 Buick dealer across the US. My guess is 1000 signs

(4) 1990-1991 Owner portfolio (zippered) with all components, mainly the tire gage, pen, and flashlight. The number of these should be 10,000+ but every owner of a 1990-1991 probably wants one.

(5) Red plastic Reatta model Again every Reatta owner should have one and they must have made thousands. Remember they were done for the introduction of the car in 1988 and the dealers purchased them by the case (24 or 36 my guess) and either gave them away or sold a few. About three years ago, I was doing some research on the pewter model and talked to a guy that sold advertising "stuff" to the automakers (he was in Troy MI)

He said they had just disposed of pallets of the models..... they were storing them for Buick and Buick no longer wanted to pay the rent.... he indicated they were wholesaled to model shops, hobby shops, etc He did not seem to remember the total number.

Watch Ebay and you can pick them up for around $10 plus shipping.

One additional Reatta collectable is the back lit sign that had a coupe or convertible that you could interchange. It had a black frame and it was about 18 X 24 .... I don't have one so I don't have the exact measurements.

[Guest Lisa Courtney]

Does someone have a pix of the Select 60 hood emblem ? Yeah I was curious, I guess it depends on the colllector reguardless. It is Interesting though !

[padgett]

Well I might consider it as a down payment on my $10,000 Jaguar dealer sign.

[Barney Eaton]

here are some pictures.........

* Reatta two sided key chain

* SS 60 emblem

* Reatta cut-away by Kimble (two sizes made)

* Lighted "R" dealer sign 36" in diameter

* Pewter model on walnut stand

Edited March 1, 2010 by Barney Eaton (see edit history)

[johnemac]

The front fog lamps must be very rare because I see someone trying to sell them for $100.00 each on ebay:D

[Guest mhuffy]

I realize my memory is not always 100%, but I think I read somewhere that the S60s were not shipped with the special Select 60 ornament. The badge was replaced by the dealer upon receipt. It was also stated that some of these may have never been replaced.

Unfortunately, I cannot remember where I read this. Maybe someone can shed additional light on this.

[Booreatta]

I realize my memory is not always 100%, but I think I read somewhere that the S60s were not shipped with the special Select 60 ornament. The badge was replaced by the dealer upon receipt. It was also stated that some of these may have never been replaced.

Unfortunately, I cannot remember where I read this. Maybe someone can shed additional light on this.

You are correct that was posted by Barney several years ago when everybody was looking for one. I still have not found one. I would bet that most were just tossed in the trash

Chuck

[wws944]

One 'collectible' that came with my car is a "Kroupana sueded pigskin care package". Basically some shampoo, applicator, and some brushes. There is also a memo to Buick dealers that these kits should be distributed to Reatta owners because of comments from dealers and owners that the suede trim is "easily soiled". It also states that the kit would be included with all cars with suede seat trim on/after April 22, 1988.

The kit never made it to its intended car, and they must have just tossed it in my car to get rid of it. (If any lurker has VIN 1G4EC11C7JB901394, PM me - because I have your kit. The VIN is not in Barneys database.)

If anyone is interested, I would be happy to scan the memo, along with the instructions for cleaning the sueded interior trim.

Edited March 2, 2010 by wws944 (see edit history)

[Barney Eaton]

The suede care package would be a novelty and only the early 1988 Reattas had the suede trim. Using the database as a guide, the tan interior with suede fased out around 901800 and the other colors followed as the supply ran out.

Some people believe the suede was discontinued because it did not wear well and/or soiled.

If that were the case, Buick had experience/history with the suede as it was used around 1983 as an Riviera option. I think it was pure cost. Whatever the reason, only the early cars had the suede.

On the Select Sixty emblem. Chuck is right, every source I could find indicated the emblem was not ready when the cars were .... so the cars were shipped without the SS60 emblem.

This was just another car to sell for the Buick dealer and if there was a buyer waiting, then the dealer sold the car and probably forgot about the emblem when it came in the mail.

Tom Payette was a dealer in Louisville KY at the time and says his 1988 did arrive with the emblem, so lets say the majority of the 1988 Select Sixty Reattas (they were all black with tan interior) arrived at the dealer without the emblem.