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A Word From Your Moderator re Buy/Sell


MrEarl

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When replying to Buy/Sell posts, please be mindful of the rules and what effect your words may have to the sell/purchase of the subject item. Many other Forums have disabled altogether the ability to reply to Buy/Sell because of the bickering and exchange of words between the seller and others. There is a lot of good discussion within most of the Buy/Sell posts here on the Buick forum and I would not like to see that happen here. Please re-read the Guide to Buy/Sell http://forums.aaca.org/f117/please-read-guide-buick-buy-sell-343863.html and govern yourselves accordingly. Especially this part.......

Please do not post opinions of prices being asked or the condition of a For Sale item etc, it will only lead to bickering and hurt feelings. Again, use PM's to communicate with the seller or others about such information. If you want to know how much something is worth or how much to ask for something, post it in the Buick-General Fourm

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I agree and understand the person is trying to sell a car. The last time I saw something a little dopey I created a thread in the General Forum called "How much is that car? I ain't telling you." That divorced the comments from the owners attempt to sell his car with a secret price.

Here's something interesting. After owning way more cars than any sane person, I have found that the personality of the previous owner carries over to your relationship with your car. Those ads carry indicators of the sellers personality and I know the ones to avoid.

I have four cars:

One came from a really nice guy that I always enjoyed talking with and I liked a lot. The car has been my "friend."

One came from a person I have known all my life and never liked. He was mean and unfriendly when I was 12 or 13 and wanted to see his cars. That car I don't drive much although it is nearly perfect.

One car is a rescue job, benevolently neglected by its previous owner. Not to cosmetic deterioration, but multiple mechanical issues. Fixing them made the car perk right up and I think the PO would be as happy as the first owner.

One car is sometimes unfriendly and we "get along". The owner listed it for sale after giving up in desperation. Then developed an attitude toward me because others offered him more than he asked me. He felt cheated and the car is a bit bitchy even though I have spent money like a drunken sailor on it.

They all reflect the previous owner. I'm sure thankful none were stupid. I'd hate to own a stupid car.

Bernie

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What? No bickering? Sigh.

To that end though, there should also be some onus on a tentative seller to not list something for sale without having first researched its value. If you don't know what it is worth and want to get rid of it, you may need to be willing to take scrap price or a bit higher so long as it finds a good home.

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There are some who honestly don't know how much they want for their car. They inherited it or got it really cheap and just don't know. I have run into that over the years with cars and parts collections. That's when you sit on the porch step with them and ask "Well, if you had some extra money is there some special thing you'd like to buy?" If they say a Kawasaki 900 or a new washer and drier you can say "I know how much they cost. I'll pay for one and throw in an extra $50 to take your wife out to dinner." You know that I know it works, don't you?"

Around 1984 there was a nationally advertised 1935 Nash Advanced Six Victoria, one of two of this two door model known. Jim Dworschack would remember it. The owner lived near me. The ad asked $3500 at the time. I looked the car over and offered him $1700. His wife needed a washer and drier. He wanted to buy a 30 megabyte external hard drip for his Apple computer (Remember when computer stuff was expensive? I have 16 gig in my pocket right now). Anyway, he had enough plus and nice dinner from the sale. Some sellers are just more fun to work with. Two cars I wish I hadn't sold, that was one.

Bernie

Edited by 60FlatTop (see edit history)
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Guest Rob McDonald
16 gig in my pocket right now

Hey, now you're just bragging.

And, by the way, I'm taking Mr. Earl's sage advice and will no longer offer even kindly contrary advice to Forum friends, regarding any asking price they choose place on their old car. That's totally between the would-be seller, the NADA price guide, and whoever responds to their ad with an actual intent to buy.

Edited by Rob McDonald (see edit history)
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Hey, now you're just bragging.

And, by the way, I'm taking Mr. Earl's sage advice and will no longer offer even kindly contrary advice to Forum friends, regarding any asking price they choose place on their old car. That's totally between the would-be seller, the NADA price guide, and whoever responds to their ad with an actual intent to buy.

Lets face it. As much as we may love our cars they really have little intrinsic value. Everyone of them is worth exactly what a willing buyer will pay a willing seller and very little more..........Bob

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Guest Rob McDonald

Mr. Earl and I have discussed this in a couple of Private Messages. Here's where I think the moderators are headed with this: when a new friend comes on here and asks for help in setting a value for their old car, sure, let's provide some constructive opinions and refer them to the various value guides that are out there. My favourite is NADA - Classic Car Values & Specs - NADAguides.

However, when someone has a firm idea of what their car is worth and they offer it for sale at that level, let's please keep our critical opinions to ourselves. 99% of us are not potential buyers of that car, at that point in time, so what we happen to think of the asking price is irrelevant. Let the real shoppers and the seller work that out between them. Try not to think of this as a gag order but rather as a means of keeping forum peace.

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My wife just read this and said "I bet I know which one the bitchy one is". It gets four new tires and the NOS aluminum wheels go on it tomorrow.

I wonder what the next owner will think carries over personality-wise.

Bernie

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Guest Rob McDonald
One car is sometimes unfriendly and we "get along". The owner listed it for sale after giving up in desperation. Then developed an attitude toward me because others offered him more than he asked me. He felt cheated and the car is a bit bitchy even though I have spent money like a drunken sailor on it.

Hmm, there seems to be only one car with aluminum wheels in your signature photo. Careful, she's listening, although many of this sort love to cultivate the image. Keeps them on top, pecking order-wise.

How did you ever convince your wife to read a forum thread? More to the point, why would you ever let her?!

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Guest Rob McDonald

How do you manage to stay so wicked, at your age? WIFEOFFLATTOP, you're welcome to answer this.

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