What do you want for it?

[Pomeroy41144]

 

 

It happened again. 

 

"What do you want for it?"  I get this question every now and then.  Do you? 

 

Not sure why, but unsolicited offers to purchase my antique car really annoy the hell out of me. 

 

Might be left over from my old Cadillac days.  I had such nice old Cadillacs, people would literally chase me down the street to ask me to sell them my car. 

 

Those were the serious ones; I would bet 99% of the offers are not.

 

I am getting better.  Other questions that I cannot stand:  "What did you pay for it?" or "Are you going to put a 350 in there?" 

 

 

Edited January 6, 2017 by Pomeroy41144 (see edit history)

[joe_padavano]

2 minutes ago, Pomeroy41144 said:

 

 

It happened again. 

 

"What do you want for it?"  I get this question every now and then.  Do you? 

 

Not sure why, but unsolicited offers to purchase my antique car really annoy the hell out of me. 

 

Might be left over from my old Cadillac days.  I had such nice old Cadillacs, people would literally chase me down the street to ask me to sell them my car. 

 

I am getting better.  Other questions that I cannot stand:  "What did you pay for it?" or "Are you going to put a 350 in there?" 

 

 

 

I don't know why this annoys you either.  I get this occasionally.  My response is that I have waaaay more money into this car than they likely want to pay. Frankly, if someone wants to double my money, I won't be able to hand over the keys fast enough.

Edited January 6, 2017 by joe_padavano (see edit history)

[Guest Skyking]

I always find everyone wants to buy your car until you put a sign on it!

[GARY F]

After I tell them a price they are speechless. Maybe they thought it was just an old used car.

[Pomeroy41144]

37 minutes ago, joe_padavano said:

 

I don't know why this annoys you either. 

 

I guess it just seems phony and not genuine.  Just a way to make small talk. 

[joe_padavano]

2 minutes ago, Pomeroy41144 said:

 

I guess it just seems phony and not genuine.  Just a way to make small talk. 

 

Life's too short to let stuff like this bother you.  I think most of these people are looking for a miraculous bargain that they can flip for a million bucks like they see on all the (un)reality TV shows. Of course, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

[Pomeroy41144]

Yeah, you are right.  I said I was getting better, and I am.  Believe me, I go out of my way to be nice. 

 

My brother is down right rude sometimes:  "Do you see a for sale sign on this car?" 

 

 

 

 

7 minutes ago, joe_padavano said:

 

Life's too short to let stuff like this bother you.  I think most of these people are looking for a miraculous bargain that they can flip for a million bucks like they see on all the (un)reality TV shows. Of course, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

 

[huptoy]

I am 74 & I show a 85 year old car. 

I must look really old as I get the question "Did You buy it new?"

At first I would say no then I would say "Think about it" and now I just smile and reply "Yes".

Some people realize my condescending answer to a stock question.

 

Yes, I get pushy people who want to know it's worth by asking what I want for it..

My answer is a value of 5 to 10 thousand above the price. 

Then I just ignore further inquires.

 

The question of "How do you value an older car?" gets the following answer.

The price is close when the seller thinks they are giving it away and the buyer believes the seller is giving them the shaft.

Most people smile and reply good answer.

 

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

5 hours ago, Pomeroy41144 said:

 

I guess it just seems phony and not genuine.  Just a way to make small talk. 

 

 Well, what is wrong with that?

 

  Ben

[Joe in Canada]

I do very few cruise shows and I remember a fellow at one show extremely aggravating to me wanting to know the value of my car. He finally left in a real huff. I would rate him a 10 for arrogance insisting for a value for no reason.

[Rusty_OToole]

"It's worth $250,000 but I will sell it to you right now for $50,000 and throw in a set of dishes"

[keiser31]

I never get angry when anyone asks me what my cars are worth or what would I take for them. I simply tell them what I think they are worth at the time they ask and tell them they are not for sale. Why get mad over something as silly as a question? If I tell them what the current value I think is appropriate, they look stunned. If I tell them they are not for sale, they usually understand and either walk away or add to the conversation. No harm, no foul. Nothing wrong with curiosity.

[cahartley]

1 hour ago, huptoy said:

Yes, I get pushy people who want to know it's worth by asking what I want for it..

My answer is a value of 5 to 10 thousand above the price. 

 

 

$5000 more than it's worth....... 

[Joe in Canada]

1 hour ago, keiser31 said:

I never get angry when anyone asks me what my cars are worth or what would I take for them. I simply tell them what I think they are worth at the time they ask and tell them they are not for sale. Why get mad over something as silly as a question? If I tell them what the current value I think is appropriate, they look stunned. If I tell them they are not for sale, they usually understand and either walk away or add to the conversation. No harm, no foul. Nothing wrong with curiosity.

I had a guy that was adamant to know the selling value. Hung around for 10 min. repeatedly asking and getting angry I would not tell him. It takes all kinds and he was not a car guy.

[keiser31]

There was one time when a guy and his wife followed me home to talk about my 1967 Dodge A100 truck. The guy wanted it to haul his newly ordered Harley around. I told him it was not for sale. We started talking about old cars and I mentioned the 1929 Chrysler roadster I had in the garage. He HAD to see it and then HAD to have it. I told him that I was selling it to my buddy in Michigan who wanted it. I told him I would ask my buddy if he still wanted it and I would call him and let him know. The guy calls me the next day after I talked to my buddy who said, "Yes", he still wanted it. He said, "I'll be right over with my trailer and get it."  I said, "No....my friend still wants it". The guy gets all whipped out of shape and yells in the phone that he cancelled his order for the Harley and wants the Chrysler. I said that he had made a huge mistake and that I had checked with my friend who still very much wanted the Chrysler. All of a sudden, I was the bad guy and he had to get back on the waiting list for another Harley. He offered me three times the price I was going to sell the car to my buddy for. A promise is a promise and I sold the car to my buddy in Michigan. Some people cannot take no for an answer.

[George Smolinski]

15 hours ago, Pomeroy41144 said:

 

 

It happened again. 

 

"What do you want for it?"  I get this question every now and then.  Do you? 

 

Not sure why, but unsolicited offers to purchase my antique car really annoy the hell out of me. 

 

Might be left over from my old Cadillac days.  I had such nice old Cadillacs, people would literally chase me down the street to ask me to sell them my car. 

 

Those were the serious ones; I would bet 99% of the offers are not.

 

I am getting better.  Other questions that I cannot stand:  "What did you pay for it?" or "Are you going to put a 350 in there?" 

 

 

It may be that some of those people are just trying to start a conversation because they like your car. I'm sure you can probably tell the difference between the know it alls & just regular folks. Maybe if you're decent with the ones that seem genuine, they won't think of you as the arrogant owner. Besides, isn't a value question better than someone pointing out all the flaws, imagined or real of your car? Or worse yet, having them whisper/mumble to their buddy that it's a POS?

For the record, I've been on both sides of cruises & car shows as owner & spectator, & there's jerks on both sides. So we have to ask ourselves: Do I want to be decent when a question is asked, or a jerk? Being decent while putting someone in their place shows your class rather than your rudeness & stupidity.

[mercer09]

my answer is always the same- a wry smile and then I ignore their question.................... seems to work pretty well!

[dei]

In a reverse of your situation I was at a car show with my all original '51 Nash Canadian Statesman and sitting back with my wife, watch a guy really going over the car. Finally approaches us and he starts with small talk and eventually asks what my plans are for the car? I offhandedly said, with the fleet I have not sure I can afford to have it restored so enjoying it the way it is.

He replied by saying "not" to restore it that it is worth more the way it is. 

Not sure at first where this was going (maybe a new approach to ask if for sale?) The fellow stated he was a "Panel Maker" for a large well known restoration company and started explaining the original cars were becoming more rare because owners wanted a perfect car to show and most did not come out of the factory with perfect fitting bodies due to technology at the time.

His comment that "he wants to see cars like this for his trade as examples to be guided by" admittedly was a rare one to me but sure made that none judged general type car show a great experience.

 

Now, do I had a swelled head of what I think it might be worth?

Naw.... have all the more reason though to keep it as long as I can and see how long it takes for someone else to really appreciate it's worth!

 

[R Walling]

 I bought a 30 ' reproduction of a mississippi steam boat once that I paid $600 for. I installed an engine and a paddle wheel on it and everyone would ask if they could buy it.

 

 I got very tired of them asking  so when some guy asked how much, I told him $5000.00!  He said, I'll buy it! Then I told him that it was not for sale, he asked why not, and I said that everybody goes away when I state that price.

 

 I did sell it to him a few days later and to my surprise, he hired me to do some fancy restoration to it and pilot it for him. He then  told me that I could use it anytime I wanted to, which I did for two years.

[60FlatTop]

My cars are usually seen in public places like a restaurant or diner parking lot, a street in one of the local small towns, not so much hobby events. The guy who asks always looks the same. I could draw a picture today and pull it out of my pocket next time I am asked. I have know these types for decades. Asking how much it is worth or how much you would sell it for implies they they can buy it, especially on a whim standing in the street. And they feel good because they believe it.

 

How much is your car worth? More than a sane person would pay.

 

How many cars do you have, anyway? More than a sane person would have.

 

Bernie

[oldcarfudd]

dei - You don't have to wait any longer.  I appreciate it right now!

 

Gil Fitzhugh

[dei]

THANKS Gil! Much appreciated.

 

Now ask me what I think it is worth. Oh wait, I believe I answered that. 

[padgett]

It is always an interesting issue, happens to me nearly every time I take the Judge or the 'Vert out. So best to have two numbers in mind:

1) what would it cost you to replace with a better one ?

2) what would you be willing to accept for it ?

 

How close the two are depends a lot on attachment, mood, available space, desire for something else, & messages from "The Boss".

 

Of course only one of mine even makes it to the mid-five figures and next car will probably be a retractable so few candidates). I tend to be very selective but have oddball tastes & each fills a need (well one is a bit redundant & need to figure out what to do this year).

 

So it is best when someone approaches to have two prices in mind and I've learned never to judge by appearance, particularly at a car show, attitude is more important.

[John_S_in_Penna]

22 hours ago, Pomeroy41144 said:

Not sure why, but unsolicited offers to purchase my antique car really annoy the hell out of me.

 

Consider it a compliment.

If you drove a modern 4-door gray sedan,

you wouldn't be getting those questions--

or even a second look!

 

You might then add, "Sorry, I'm having too much

fun with it."  Someone newly interested in 

old cars, and curious about them, might go away

pondering how much fun old cars can be.

Edited January 7, 2017 by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history)

[Paul Dobbin]

With a lifetime in this hobby, I've learned to have fun with those questions.

What's it worth?   Reply:  Worth or what would I sell it for?

What'll you take for that old car?    Reply:  How much do you have?

You want to trade?  Reply:  Well it's possible, how many acres do you have? or I'd have to see your house first.

When the say would you take $XX,OOO?  Reply:  Is that a question or an offer.

This usually gets a chuckle and I then say,  If you want to buy it, you'll have to offer me a lot more than it's worth

                                                                     because, I still enjoy it and am not ready to restore another.  Did you

                                                                     know you can probably buy one finished now for less than the cost

                                                                     of restoring one, unless you are like me and like doing them. 

[1912Staver]

I have had two different co- workers ;separated by about 20 years,  who were very interested in my reasonably original but far from pristine MGA.  I have always pointed out that MGA's are far from rare, and that they should find one that the owner does want to sell and buy it.  The one that was interested years ago went as far as offering somewhat more than the car was worth at the time , but I explained I liked the car and had spent a lot of time sorting it to a state where I was quite pleased with it and politely declined his offer.

  The second , more recent one is more persistent. But he thinks I will be tempted to take his lo ballish offer as the car looks quite rough. I have pointed him to eBay's sold listings  a few times . He doesn't seem to think the cars are worth what they generaly are selling for { to be honest I find it hard to justify myself } and asks me when I am going to sell him either my driver or my similar car I have in storage or one that belongs to a friend also stored along with my pair.  I think it bothers him that there are a trio of them "just sitting there" when he does not have one. { but is unwilling to pay the going price}

  My MGA owning friend and I are both very long time MGA guys, having both owned and driven many of them since the mid 1970's.  Neither of us have ever paid anything close to todays price for any of the dozen or so we have owned between us , and if our current cars were sold I don't think either of us could justify having to re - buy at todays value. My co worker does not seem to realize that once my friend and I retire ; next year for me and a couple years later for my friend , the MG's are close to the top of our priority lists. They are just taking a nap until a pair of pretty demanding employment situations are over.

 

Greg in Canada

[padgett]

Sounds like the "persistent one" is a member of the "entitled" generation. I've had a '55 RHD MGA and a MG 1100 and liked both of them at the time. Great cars and the twin cam was even better. OTOH my current herd suits me better. Must admit as I get older, the driving is more to my liking than the fixing.

[Jim Bollman]

Be careful throwing a big number out for a car you don't want to sell. Years ago a friend of mine that had a nice Crosley FarmOroad was asked the question. He threw what he thought was a big number out and the guy pulled out his checkbook and started writing a check. My friend started back pedaling but the buyer would not let him off the hook. My friend had not kept up on the value of the FarmOroad and his number was just a little over instead of a lot over the value and this fellow really wanted one.

 

I stopped throwing big numbers out when someone thanked me because he had a similar car to sell and I just made it a very expensive car that would never sell. So now I just say not for sale and maybe throw a number out that he might be able to find one for if he really wants one.

[Pomeroy41144]

4 hours ago, John_S_in_Penna said:

 

Consider it a compliment.

 

Thanks, I will. 

 

 

4 hours ago, John_S_in_Penna said:

 

You might then add, "Sorry, I'm having too much

fun with it."  

 

Yes, that would be a true statement. 

 

 

 

I have thrown out the big number in the past.  One guy, who saw photos of my car on Ford Barn, asked me via FordBarn (he never saw the car in person),  "What do you want for it?" 

I told him $50,000.  He said, "It ain't worth that much."  I said, "You did not ask my what it was worth, you asked me 'what do you want for it?'" 

 

 

 

 

[Curti]

I don't mind people asking what is it worth.  I have sold a couple of cars when people (guys & gals) have made me an offer I couldn't refuse.  The speedster in the avatar draws the most attention.  I just say that one sold a couple of years ago at auction for 1.2 million. (Which one did)  Heck, it isn't like I am selling my dog, or a family heirloom. I enjoy building them. It is just a hobby !

[padgett]

But would you take two $50,000 cats for that dog ?

[junkyardjeff]

When asked to sell my 55 sunliner I tell them they could find a restored version much cheaper,I tell them that my dad bought it new and will not listen to offers until over a half million so that usually sends them away.

[Larry Schramm]

I get a number of requests about how much my Buick truck is worth and if I would sell it.

 

It is fairly easy to say that I do not know as most Buick trucks are passed down through the families and not sold so there are no really good value references.  Secondly my trucks are not for sale as they are already spoken for my our offspring after we are gone so they are not for sale.

Thirdly, we are having too much fun with them to even consider selling them.

 

End of discussion on price/worth of the truck but sometimes it does go into more interesting discussions.

 

Price questions really don't bother me. 

I will usually go into the challenges and how much it costs to keep an old vehicle like this drivable and on the road for touring. No trailer queen.  That discussion usually leaves them with their mouth hanging open.

Edited January 8, 2017 by Larry Schramm (see edit history)

[MyJetstar1]

Although difficult at times, I'm sure, try to consider it a form of flattery or appreciation. Many of you have beautiful examples of museum quality cars, and I believe often times the person inquiring is just trying to correlate a monetary value, with the vehicle in front of them. Maybe with the hopes of one day having the means to acquire such a vehicle. On the other hand, my poor Oldsmobile must have a perceived value of about 800 bucks. I get some genuine offers of really ridiculously low amounts, or trades. I just smile "Thanks, your 92 Taurus is one of the cleanest ones I've seen, but I think I'll just hang onto the Olds for a while". No sense in being mean, besides, you never know when two fools will meet, lol!    

[JACK M]

To me its like a guy asking how much do you make.

It is a bit rude to discuss money, especially with strangers asking for curiosities sake.

I do drive a couple of cars with for sale signs in the window. I had a guy (he was driving a newer Mercedes) ask me if the trunk was full of gold.

I said no, but its got the original hemi under the hood. I went on to say that if he were to buy this car and drive it for ten or fifteen years and go to sell it, it would have been a much better investment than his MB.

 

Buy high sell low. Works for me most of the time lately.

[Chris Bamford]

Like Keiser31, I don't mind the "How much is it worth" question, but I generally make them work for the answer a bit by asking them to first say what they think the car is worth. I find the uninformed estimates are usually much higher than fair market value, often by a factor of two or three.  I don't own any conventionally-popular collector cars so offers to purchase are rare.

 

Not unsurprisingly, I've had zero offers to purchase my '47 Dodge during 25 years of ownership although I've been told a couple times that Jay Leno would easily give me $20,000 for it, maybe even $30,000!

 

 

[padgett]

I prefer "buy low, sell reasonable" but a car every year or two is not going to make any money & never count my labor. It is nice not dealing with rust though.

 

ps suicide doors and a roof rack. That's gotta be desirable.

Edited January 8, 2017 by padgett (see edit history)

[mike6024]

50 minutes ago, Chris Bamford said:

Not unsurprisingly, I've had zero offers to purchase my '47 Dodge ...

 

That's a double negative, therefore is the equivalent of :

 

Surprisingly, I've had zero offers to purchase my '47 Dodge....

 

That is what you meant, isn't it?

[Chris Bamford]

No way Mike, that weren't never what I don't mean to say no how. 

 

[Plyroadking]

I usually joke that I'm going to give it to one of my grandchildren. You wouldn't believe the looks I get, My first son isn't due for another three months....