Missed out

[captndan]

A couple days age I saw an ad for a beautiful 28 Buick and I thought the price was right.  I ask my wife if I could buy it. We do share this kind of stuff.  Big hollering match followed. I backed down.  Her final comment was and with much anger ' I know you'll buy it if you want it'.  The big surprise was the day after when she said with all sincerity and no malice ' Did you buy the car?'

 

 

 

[Guest]

Easier to ask forgiveness than permission.

[John_S_in_Penna]

4 hours ago, captndan said:

I ask[ed] my wife if I could buy it. 

 

How a family handles large purchases depends on a family's circumstances, its finances, etc.

Yes, it's appropriate to discuss these things beforehand, letting her see the fun to be had

and the reasonableness of the price.  Winning her over in advance means that she might

take some interest in the car.  And after all, you wouldn't want her buying a mink coat

or investment real estate without telling you.

 

However, I wouldn't phrase a family agreement as "asking permission to buy it."

Dan, obviously you're an adult and the head of the household!

Call it concurrence instead.

 

 

Edited May 27, 2017 by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history)

[Joe Cocuzza]

As newlyweds we always did everything together and that included getting involved in the old car hobby.

(Way) back then, because we were just starting out, there was a tendency to "ask permission" to buy a car. 

I think that was done only to keep the peace - otherwise you'd sleep on the couch.

Now, many, many years later sleeping on the couch doesn't seem so bad. As a matter of fact it is quite comfortable. The mutual interest in the hobby has waned and now I am into it myself. My kids aren't even interested in the car hobby - only "how much are they worth?"

My point is if I want to go buy a car, as long as I can afford it and have a place to keep it (not hide it !!!), then I will go and buy it.

The one thing I MIGHT do beforehand is ask her opinion about the car - condition, etc - because we all know that us old car guys see

things through rose colored glasses when looking at cars.

As a matter of fact, the last 4 cars I bought she did not know of or see them until I got them home. Guess what. She thought they were all cool cars, too.

The only question I was asked is "Where are you going to put them?" I told her not to worry about it and that was that.

 

 

[leon bee]

I try to hide em for a while, and I ALWAYS lie about how much I paid.

[trimacar]

One of my latest acquisitions is a 1937 Pierce Arrow Travelodge camping trailer.  While in decent condition, it needs to be restored, and due to lack of some original parts, upgraded in areas.  For example, the original heating system was a cast iron pot belly stove, which is both missing and difficult to find, as it had "Pierce" cast into the door (but if anyone has one for sale, please let me know!).  So, heating will be upgraded for sure....

 

I made the deal for it, and feared my wife would rant and rave about it.  Instead, she was very excited, and started talking about not only fixing it up but using it to camp!  We do camp now in an Aliner camper, so it is a good fit.....

[Curti]

10 hours ago, leon bee said:

I try to hide em for a while, and I ALWAYS lie about how much I paid.

There are three prices you pay for a car.

-1 the price you actually pay.

-2 the price you tell your wife you paid.

-3 the price you pay when she finds how much you actually paid. 

[mercer09]

I never ask the wife.......................

 

why?

[Guest Skyking]

Just do what I do........   tell her it's money in the bank!  I prove myself right every time.

[CarFreak]

17 hours ago, John_S_in_Penna said:

Dan, obviously you're an adult and the head of the household!

 

Why would you say that he is obviously the head of the household?  

 

[captndan]

15 hours ago, Joe Cocuzza said:

As newlyweds we always did everything together and that included getting involved in the old car hobby.

(Way) back then, because we were just starting out, there was a tendency to "ask permission" to buy a car. 

I think that was done only to keep the peace - otherwise you'd sleep on the couch.

Now, many, many years later sleeping on the couch doesn't seem so bad. As a matter of fact it is quite comfortable. The mutual interest in the hobby has waned and now I am into it myself. My kids aren't even interested in the car hobby - only "how much are they worth?"

My point is if I want to go buy a car, as long as I can afford it and have a place to keep it (not hide it !!!), then I will go and buy it.

The one thing I MIGHT do beforehand is ask her opinion about the car - condition, etc - because we all know that us old car guys see

things through rose colored glasses when looking at cars.

As a matter of fact, the last 4 cars I bought she did not know of or see them until I got them home. Guess what. She thought they were all cool cars, too.

The only question I was asked is "Where are you going to put them?" I told her not to worry about it and that was that.

 

 

I have been talking about a new garage (large) for sometime.  The present garage is full of cars.  When I ask the question about buying I was instantly hit with 'what's next a new garage?'  I think that is the real problem not the car its self.

[auburnseeker]

If you need to build a bigger garage to house anything else, unless this is the bargain of a lifetime or a car you have always dreamed of and can't pass it up,  skip the car and start building the garage.  6 months later I'm still trying to get the paperwork all signed off to build my new garage and I'm in a somewhat rural area and the garage won't be seen from the road.  I never dreamed this part of the process would take so long and be so aggravating.  Read my garage thread and you will see the red tape and political BS that may happen especially when you are talking a real garage.  Mine is going to be 60 by 72 feet.   If I wanted a little 2 stall or even 3 that probably wouldn't have been such an issue. 

[Bhigdog]

I don't question and I help with my wife's follies. She does the same with me. We are contented..............Bob

[Joe in Canada]

An older friend now 80 asked his wife about buying another car. Anyway she told him if he buys another car she will leave him. They both kept their word as he is now single now and has a nice 62 Chevy bubble top with 21,000 original miles in his building. That was a couple of years ago and his building is now full. He bought a brass car last week an had to put his daily driver outside and is working on filling his three car garage now. I do not think she is coming back anytime soon. True story!

Edited May 29, 2017 by Joe in Canada (see edit history)

[cahartley]

I guess when I'm hot on the trail of something my body language gives me away.

I wouldn't even mention anything and my wife would ask "What are you going to buy now?"....... 

I'm pretty lucky.

My wife never ONCE questioned any of my purchases.

I think her rationale is I am not like her first husband.

There are a lot of places I COULD be but am not.

The icing is one piece I bought quintupled in value within five years.

Instead of being stupid I figured it was payback time.......we've lived in our new house for 6 1/2 years now........  

Had she questioned my every move we'd still be living in house with 17 stairs to climb....... 

 

[8E45E]

8 hours ago, Joe in Canada said:

An older friend now 80 asked his wife about buying another car. Anyway she told him if he buys another car she will leave him. They both kept their word as he is now single now and has a nice 62 Chevy bubble top with 21,000 original miles in his building. That was a couple of years ago and his building is now full. He bought a brass car last week an had to put his daily driver outside and is working on filling his three car garage now. I do not think she is coming back anytime soon. True story!

He's probably never been more happier. 

 

Too bad it took him so long to get rid of her, but he might make it to 100 now.

 

Craig

[kings32]

My wife has bought every car we own .I always want to think about it ,if you do it will be gone . So we buy . The last car we went to look at was to much work . King32

[Jim Bollman]

Not one to buy different/additional old cars all the time, it doesn't come up often. Last time was about 8 years ago and I found a truck like I had been looking for on eBay after the wife had gone to bed. I exchanged an eMail with the seller and sent off a message to a friend that was about an hour from where the truck was located to see if he could go see it, then went to bed. The next morning the phone rang and my wife picked it up, it was my friend. She walks over and says it's Deane he wants to talk to you about the truck you're buying.  Is it in addition to the Ranchero or in place of? I said in replace of and she handed me the phone. Still have the truck and the wife :-)