1919 MacLaughlin Buick $2500 CDN

[Ed Luddy]

On 1/16/2020 at 9:51 AM, Joe in Canada said:

What is happening across Canada is these cars are being shipped out of the country like all cars to newer ones ( over 6 moths old for warranty ) because of the low $ value.  A friend just sold his 1929 Packard that went to the US is an example. Do a search for brass model T for sale or for that matter any car made before 1916 and see how many you will find. Not too many is my guess. This is killing the hobby in Canada as there are fewer and fewer cars to go around. 

One of the biggest factors in cars leaving Canada is the rest of the world is willing to pay more for them! I have sold a few to Europe thanks to the internet after having advertised in Ontario Canada for long periods of time. There just isn't many people here who see the value as there is in Europe and USA. With our Canadian dollar being low makes our cars more affordable  against the USA dollar.

[1912Staver]

29 minutes ago, Ed Luddy said:

One of the biggest factors in cars leaving Canada is the rest of the world is willing to pay more for them! I have sold a few to Europe thanks to the internet after having advertised in Ontario Canada for long periods of time. There just isn't many people here who see the value as there is in Europe and USA. With our Canadian dollar being low makes our cars more affordable  against the USA dollar.

 

As I pointed out above it's not just the advantage our low $ gives international buyers, it's the overall disposable income penalty  many Canadians  are facing due to the dollar / general economy  situation. It's hard to justify money on a hobby purchase when your household is slowly loosing their standard of living due to stagnant wages, steadily increasing expenses.

  Before my retirement I had what many in Canada would consider a reasonably decent job. By the later 1990's I was actually doing quite well, bumping into the upper middle class. Then my wages virtually remained unchanged for the next two decades. Over that time as you are no doubt aware household costs for nearly everything skyrocketed. About the only thing cheap these days are consumer electronics and really how much does a family spend on that compared to things like food, shelter. insurance, taxes and transportation?

  So I conclude it is not so much for lack of interest, or not seeing the value in Canadian market hobby cars that Canadians are not buying. But rather that many, despite a wealth of interest just haven't got the disposable income they once had , and therefore have trimmed hobby spending to the bone.

 

Greg in Canada

 

Edited January 19, 2020 by 1912Staver (see edit history)

[J.H.Boland]

21 hours ago, 1912Staver said:

  I personally shadowed a couple of my project cars for 10 years or more before finally being offered the opportunity to purchase.

 The thing that frustrates me even more than a long purchase courtship is that a good number of the more desirable cars / projects are not advertised locally or within Canada. 

 

 

 

Greg in Canada

 

Sometimes you need incredible patience.Sometimes you just get lucky.

 

I knew of a pair of curved dash Olds engines that had been sitting in an old barn for many years. I finally bought them for scrap price 55 years after first seeing them.

 

My wife and I were at a local cruise night when a chance conversation led to us purchasing our '25 Buick coupe from an estate. It was going to be auctioned in the US after sitting in a basement garage for over 35 years. My offer was accepted,as is ,where is, without their aggravation of trying to get it running,etc.

 

Once they leave Canada,it's definitely an expensive proposition getting them back.

[1912Staver]

Agree completely, and once they leave they almost never come back. Local to me on the West Coast countless Jag"s, MG's  Triumph's, Austin Healey's, British motorcycles and similar vehicles have been sold to Australia and Europe / UK.  They have gone from being reasonably plentiful in say 1990 to quite uncommon today. Once the cars are gone or are so rare that prices shoot way up, the hobby overall suffers. Clubs wither and die, General awareness fades. And many people who might have caught the old car bug move on to something else. A few; short term, make some money and the overall hobby suffers.

 

 

 

Greg

Edited January 19, 2020 by 1912Staver (see edit history)

[Joe in Canada]

I did bring back a nice 15 T that is my avatar from Detroit 3 years ago. It was a good price or I would not have bought it. The savings in the price help make up the 25% $ exchange. But I agree once they leave rarely they come back.