So what's a 1932 Packard like this really worth??

[trimacar]

Well, since we're on sayings now, "Never buy anything you have to paint or feed....."

[Steve_Mack_CT]

I have had cars I believe hated me...

[Woodfiddler]

I double checked this morning. The CL ad is gone. Hmmm. Sold? I doubt it. Decided to keep it in family another 30 years without doing a thing to it - my guess!

[JACK M]

I'm with trimacar. I only come to play once.

If a guy asks me how much I want for A car and he says 'would ya take?" I ask if that's an offer and does he have the money with him. Usually not and it is almost never an offer.

The 'Would ya take' line really bugs me as it is a snoop, and does not constitute an offer. Now, if I say 'would ya take' it is in fact an offer and if a guy says maybe, I show the cash.

[auburnseeker]

Nope it didn't sell,  they just reposted it http://syracuse.craigslist.org/cto/5127483651.html

[trimacar]

"wouldja take" is right up there with "cash money"....and if they start waving hundreds in my face, then the price goes up.  Yes, it's impressive you have the cash money, but that isn't an influence on price. 

 

I'm no dealer, never have been, but working my way up the old car ladder have bought and sold about 200 cars in the past 50 years. 

 

When selling, cash doesn't impress me, pointing out every little flaw doesn't lower the price, and when one tells me they can get a better deal somewhere else, I offer to drive them there.

 

When buying, I am and have been respectful of the would be seller's property, am understanding that they may have a value in mind that doesn't meet my expectations, and understand that acting like a gentleman can get one much further than acting like a fool.

 

I've also learned that parking your trailer in front of the would be seller's house and drooling as you look at the car leaves one little bargaining power......but that's another story...

[alsancle]

I agree with everything Dave just said for both buying and selling.  When somebody places a stupid ad, like the subject of this thread, I don't even bother calling.  Otherwise if I spend the time to go look, I will be honest but about why I might only pay a certain amount,  but will never denigrate the car.   Also, cash may be nice for smaller transactions,  but are you really going to buy a 50k or more car with cash?  

[zeke01]

Several years ago, my wife and I drove to Cleveland OH on July 4 to look at a '32 Plymouth PB roadster. Six hour drive getting there at 9:00 pm. I walked around the car three times and decided it was not worth the asking price and thinking that there was no room for negotiating. Besides, I hate to make an offer on someones stuff.  We left Cleveland at 11:00 pm, spent the night in Columbus and got home the next day. Unbeknownst to me, a friend went up within twelve hours of my visit, looked at the car, and made a reasonable offer, based on price guides and bought the car.Maybe I should have thrown out a figure. You never know. Zeke 

[auburnseeker]

I think making offers depends on certain things.  If the guy says the price is firm,  then offers aren't really appropriate.  I've dealt with people on my own stuff that I gave them my penny less and you will leave without it price then they try to offer me less.  That pretty much gets the seller Po'd.  I know that's how I feel. 

If they say well make me an offer,  then it's up to you to determine how much less you think is appropriate.  If they tell you they really need to sell it or if they have a little wiggle room, that opens it up to 2 different types of offers.

  I looked at several cars this spring and everyone except one was very overpriced.  Atleast 100 percent over what I thought they were really worth.  They were all buried in the corners of various garages and you could only inspect edges or sides and had to assume the rest would be OK.  In that case,  I figured after they dug them out got them cleaned off and found out they wouldn't run the prices would more than likely come down.  I've already seen one of them advertised and what they wanted 10,000 for in the corner is out and cleaned up and advertised for I believe 7,000.  I told them call me when they get the rest out.  I might be interested but wanted to see the rest of the car first.  They didn't call me so who knows.  I didn't need them anyways.  I bought a nice convertible one year newer than the 4 door they were selling for less money.  I'm better off I waited.

  Many of the cars we get the chance to buy are fairly common and if we are hesitant,  there is probably a good reason and should pass.  I trust my gut instinct.  It knows better than I do what's a good deal and what's just mediocre.   Rarely are we missing something that wont come along down the road or be surpassed by something better.  Someone on here before told me if it isn't a car that you are worried about someone scooping out from underneath you while you are getting the deal secured then it's nothing special.  I found this to be true.  My cord I about lost sleep over as I did with my 60 Fuelie Vette and more recently 39 Buick convertible. 

  I also despise when people start throwing the price guide numbers around at my cars.  Few fall into any one neat number.  Well it needs paint so the convertible I want 15,000 for is only worth 7500.  Wait all the chrome is new,  the drivetrain is completely rebuilt and the interior and top are a 2.  How many come up in that exact condition that change hands for 7500.  Um none.  That's what I thought.  I tell them if you can buy that car in number 4 condition and it's the same exact shape as mine for 7500 why are you looking at mine.  Well the other one I found,  doesn't run, all the chrome is pitted,  mice ate up the interior and the top is rags.  Oh so it's the same car though right?  Please go buy that one and you will see the value in spending the 7500 extra up front is. 

  I remember not too long ago I used to laugh when the price guides pegged a 32 ford 3 Window coupe in 3 condition for under 20,000.  Most 32,s were actually under 20,000.  Wow I guess no one was following that the bare stripped bodies were selling for that much. 

Edited July 18, 2015 by auburnseeker (see edit history)

[trimacar]

I learned a lesson early on about buying antique cars.  A long time ago, I fell in love with a very nice 1955 Chevy Nomad, and it was one of those "had to have it" deals.  The owner had put some money in it, and based on his investment, he wanted $4500 (I told you it was a long time ago!).  The car wasn't worth that, at the time, but I paid it because that's what he had in it.

 

Lesson learned, the amount of money an owner spends on a car has no relationship whatsoever to the market price.  This is true whether he's spent well over what it's worth, or paid well under what it's worth.

 

I owned the car for a while, and the market finally caught up with my investment, so I didn't get hurt.....but did learn the lesson.

 

If interested in a car, I'll tell the would be seller what I'd be willing to pay, within my idea of a fair market price range, low end if I can live without car and high end if I really like the car.  Then, let the would be seller do with that information what he will, he can say no, yes, get PO'd, what he does or feel is not the issue, either you're in the game or you sit on the bench.

[alsancle]

Good point on the price guides.  I feel they are 100% worthless but perhaps I'm being extreme.  I think that there are too many private transactions and the cars are too varied to put things into a nice little 5 bucket list.    Perhaps for cars that sell all the time and are fairly homogeneous they provide some value but I guarantee for prewar big C Classics they are utterly useless.