Sales Presentation

[60FlatTop]

I have been looking at a lot of cars For Sale while trapped at home. Does anyone have any thoughts or comments about using pictures of their cars sitting on a car trailer for their ad pictures. I might sell a car this Spring and wondered if I should borrow a trailer for the lead picture. But for me I just don't pick up those good vibrations. Have any of you done that? How's it work?

Bernie

[Matt Harwood]

Best possible way to sell a car is to take photos of a completely different car, with the car you want to sell partially visible in the background.

 

I sold this Cadillac V16 EIGHT years ago, and I STILL get inquiries on the car behind it, which was never for sale.

 

[Guest]

I usually have my best luck by showing one blurry picture of the exterior followed by 19 pictures of the 3000 watt stereo, including 6 pics of the amp and speakers and 2 more of the 24 inch sub woofer in the trunk.

[keiser31]

1 hour ago, 60FlatTop said:

I have been looking at a lot of cars For Sale while trapped at home. Does anyone have any thoughts or comments about using pictures of their cars sitting on a car trailer for their ad pictures. I might sell a car this Spring and wondered if I should borrow a trailer for the lead picture. But for me I just don't pick up those good vibrations. Have any of you done that? How's it work?

Bernie

I did that once....

[John_S_in_Penna]

And if the car for sale is a 4-door sedan,

be sure to do like Ebay sellers do:  Use a 

head-on photo as the leading photo, so 

people can't tell the body style!

[CHuDWah]

Be sure to include the caption:

DELIVERY BY TRAILER!!

(but not by seller)

[plymouthcranbrook]

Use the fanciest, biggest trailer you can find.  Shine it up and put a big price on it. The as an incentive, write “car included”. 

[Akstraw]

I don't understand the point of this post. I would think that if one were selling a car, then the photographs should be of the car.  If one were selling a trailer, then photographs of the trailer would be appropriate.

 

[JACK M]

I always think the car on the trailer ad is the guy that just bought it has the dollar sign in his eyes.

You know, he just got it and its profit time.

It may be that its one of those favorite days of ownership things.

After all it might be the only pics he has as the Junker is now out behind the shed and he doesn't really want you to see what it looks like now.

[Peter J.Heizmann]

On 4/10/2020 at 12:15 PM, GregLaR said:

I usually have my best luck by showing one blurry picture of the exterior followed by 19 pictures of the 3000 watt stereo, including 6 pics of the amp and speakers and 2 more of the 24 inch sub woofer in the trunk.

Hi, Greg.  Many years ago someone on this forum told us a “sub-woofer” was a German Shepard riding in a Submarine.

[60FlatTop]

Jack M is thinking as I do when I see those advertisements. That was the point of the post, does anyone else see these freshly dragged home, photographed on the trailer, and posted for sale by some agitated guy looking for his score.

You just see so many of them. I picture those guys driving home wiggling in their seat and making little guttural noises like our Dachshund when he hears a potato chip bag open.

[Guest]

Totally agree.

They've probably just boned some old widow out of the car for pennies on the dollar and are so excited to get the loot they can't wait so they shoot pics of the car on the trailer right in front of her house.

Anyway, that's the way those trailer pics always feel to me.

Edited April 11, 2020 by GregLaR (see edit history)

[Davlet]

On 4/10/2020 at 10:21 AM, Matt Harwood said:

Best possible way to sell a car is to take photos of a completely different car, with the car you want to sell partially visible in the background.

 

I sold this Cadillac V16 EIGHT years ago, and I STILL get inquiries on the car behind it, which was never for sale.

 

 

 

 

Is that Brian's car? 

I think Shown has it for sale.

 

[Matt Harwood]

9 hours ago, Davlet said:

 

 

 

Is that Brian's car? 

I think Shown has it for sale.

 

 

No and no.

[edinmass]

I wish I could publish all the crazy stories I have like the one Matt referenced.......much too often, my deals are off the record, and we can't really tell them in detail. Like the time I went to buy one car.......only because I knew we could flip it for a few bucks......but the real reason for the deal was to gain access to a collection that hadn't been touched in almost 50 years. We got in, made the first deal fast and easy........and then hit them with the "we would like to buy all your cars today" request. Their eyes got big, asked how we could possibly do such a thing, and how we would pay immediately on the spot..............we ended up with eight additional cars. Some of which I have posted photos here on the AACA site. But could never tell how and where the cars came from. And yes, some of the cars are still sleeping in the same collection.

[John_Mereness]

My opinion is that with rare exception the better you present your car the higher the sales price. 

 

I posted this on Friday:

Just a sidnote and my apologies for being blunt:  It KILLS me when someone puts something up for sale that they do not spends a couple hours and mount up all the loose parts in boxes - not everyone wants to come out and root for parts though boxes to see if a car is complete or not - actually, I cannot name a single person I know that wants to root through boxes.  And, while this is not an example it "DOUBLE KILLS me" when someone has a set of hubcaps in the trunk and takes photos with their car looking like S... when it is so easy to mount caps (which is a huge pick-me-up in looks) - and I understand that people are elderly, sick, or ... and cannot, but if you can operate a camera then you can mount up hubcaps - this is a recent example https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1933-lincoln-ka-victoria-coupe-2/ and my guess is the fellow took a good 10K hit for not spending another three hours to more assemble - (sidenote: also each car needs the spare wheels all assembled and put into the sidemounts.

 

I was about 14 years old when Howard Rigg (he lived in Dayton and had a pair of 31 Chrysler Imperials, several Packards, ad restored other peoples cars) pulled me aside and said when you sell a car you get the most money when you can see no rust on any single part of the car no matter how hard you look (he was pointing at surface rust on a tailpipe), always have the best hubcaps money can buy, no dust/dirt, and .... 

[Matt Harwood]

Engine bays sell cars. Period.

 

And don't paint it green.

[JACK M]

I have a close friend that is probably the largest dealer in antique Harley parts in the country.

He calls me when he hears of a stash and I call him as well.

I always ask a seller if there may be any old Harley parts and he asks if there may be any Hemi or Mopar stuff. 

Like Ed says, once we are in we never know what we may find.

I rarely buy anything with flipping in mind anymore,  I usually buy high and sell low. (unintentional)

But I am having fun. That's most important.

Edited April 12, 2020 by JACK M (see edit history)

[JimKB1MCV]

Well, I have to admit I like green cars...

[edinmass]

Buying a car and selling a car are two different skills. Having learned to sell vehicles when I was only 12 years old at the family motorcycle dealership, I learned my skills early. Having bought and sold hundreds and hundreds of machines, it becomes routine. Most dealers are like comedians......they develop a shtick. A process of working with either a buyer or seller. The biggest challenge is dealing with the eccentric owners we often meet in the hobby. Logic and reason are often replaced with unreasonable expectations and false concept of value and rarity. I laugh at ad that people place “looking to purchase” for a particular make and model. Virtually  99.99 percent of cars are rather easy to locate, and negotiate, to purchase. Fact is, there are no Model J’s that are “cheap” or a “good deal”. Want  to buy a world class or GOOD car? It’s easy, just pay what it’s worth. Barging hunters end up never having anything worth owning and usually they are such a mess they never will get sorted, restored, or go down the road. It took me a long time to realize you only buy the absolute best thing you can afford.......body style, series, and year. Good stuff ALWAYS sells, and usually very quickly. In the current market and economic conditions, cars are selling if they are “very good” for what they are. Projects, rolling junk yards, and “a mess on wheels” just never bring real money. And they are impossible to sell in hard times, unless you absolutely give them away.

Edited April 12, 2020 by edinmass (see edit history)

[TTR]

I’ve never tried the trailer approach, but OTOH, have bought/brokered/sold plenty (hundreds ?) of vintage cars to buyers who often didn’t get pictures or important details like the VIN, etc until they’ve already paid for the car and many didn’t even get to know any of that or saw the car until it was delivered to them, usually overseas.

 

While ago I brokered/sold a fairly valuable vintage (Italian) car that wasn’t officially for sale to a gentleman didn’t know before, but heard “through a grapevine” was looking for such make/model. After establishing potential availability of the car from the owner and making first contact with this potential buyer, I immediately informed latter that no pictures or VIN will be revealed/shared until sale agreement has been reached, although when, based on (my) general description of the car and its condition, he promptly made a reasonable cash offer, invitation to inspect the car in person was extended, scheduled & accommodated about a week later and then couple of days after that, the transaction was finalized.

 

And while the above example vehicle, at the time of the inspection, was sitting on the lift with its tires/wheels off, half the interior out and engine/mechanicals not ready to be started, ran or test driven, I somehow doubt having it sitting outside on a trailer instead would’ve made the sale easier/smoother or enticed the buyer to pay more, but of course we’ll never know...

 

Edited April 12, 2020 by TTR (see edit history)

[John_Mereness]

28 minutes ago, JimKB1MCV said:

Well, I have to admit I like green cars...

Glad to hear and I think plenty of people do also, but when it comes time to sell yhe problem becomes finding someone else who equally likes and equally does not expect a discount. 

[Matt Harwood]

I always enjoy the guys who contact me and say, "I really like the XXXX that you have for sale. I've always wanted one. If you ever get one that's half the price, I'm a serious buyer."

 

They are always the same guys who say, "I need a really nice one, like a #1 or #2 quality."

[JRHaelig]

deleted post

 

 

Edited April 12, 2020 by JRHaelig (see edit history)

[edinmass]

So many interesting stories to tell, but the best will give away how I became successful as a “at home wheeler and dealer”. I deal in almost exclusively Pierce Arrows..........very rare and hard to find cars.  It’s not hard to deal in cars at market rate. I purchased six Pierce Arrows recently. The hard part is to pull the trigger. Almost no one in the hobby can do it. I can value a car in less than 60 seconds.......this isn’t rocket science. It’s unreasonable expectations that cause the problems. I probably buy more than 75 percent of the cars I look at. The trick is to understand the seller before you invest too much time and effort. Recently I bought three Pierce cars, all from the same owner. Two 8’s and a 12. Took him three years to figure out I was the only customer on cars that were a mess. Sold one, and cut up two others. Fast, simple, and clean. Do you know anyone who can handle three non running partially disassembled pre war exotic cars all at once? And pay cash and have the equipment to remove them? Fact is the reality of non running cars is hard for 90 percent of the sellers to accept. Recently we got into a very old collection of cars, not driven since the 80’s. All pre war stuff. The executor got the concept, we went to the home with two rigs, and made deals on the spot, and removed the cars the same day. It works the same across the spectrum. Show up with cash, and a truck with the ability to close the deal in ten minutes. I explain their rare, impossible to find project that 10,000 people want is just a pile of metal that 99.99999 percent of the hobby can’t handle. If they are smart they never let me leave before the deal is done. Only once after driving away did I turn around after a non deal. We only went three miles and had a flat on the trailer, so while changing it on the side of the road, we went back. I always warn the sellers it’s a take it or leave it. We are ALWAYS polite, but explain out thought process, and ask them if they work for 50 cents an hour. Fact is cars are easy to find and buy. Why haven’t I bought a car in the last 20 days? I haven’t decided I wanted to. The time to score a good deal is now......never been a better time. Fact is buying and selling is hard, difficult work. No one throws money away at any price point. Ever. Ed

Edited April 12, 2020 by DAVE A
vulgar language (see edit history)

[John_S_in_Penna]

Just now, Matt Harwood said:

Engine bays sell cars. Period.

And don't paint it green.

 

How about brown?

For a long time I've heard, "If it's brown, it stays around."

Is the distaste for that color still as strong?  Is it only

for medium brown and dark brown, or is tan included?

[JACK M]

33 minutes ago, edinmass said:

And pay cash and have the equipment to remove them?

 

Yes, have the cash and a trailer.

I always find that if the wife hears the offer it is more likely to happen.

I drove away from a deal several years ago, I was over a thousand miles from home with an empty trailer and was doing a little C/L shopping along the way.

I had made a fair offer, but there was to much sentiment involved. Fortunately I had not yet reached the interstate when I got the call back.

 

Incidentally, I learned about desert cars vs. NW stuff on that one. Its a different ball game.

It made me think about the stories on here about NE stuff. (lots of it but all full of rust)  (I have never been in the NE, sounds crowded)

[edinmass]

5 minutes ago, JACK M said:

 

Yes, have the cash and a trailer.

I always find that if the wife hears the offer it is more likely to happen.

 

 

The most insightful comment ever posted here.........I just have never shared it.

[61polara]

6 hours ago, John_S_in_Penna said:

 

How about brown?

For a long time I've heard, "If it's brown, it stays around."

Is the distaste for that color still as strong?  Is it only

for medium brown and dark brown, or is tan included?

Next behind green on hard to sell.  On these two colors, the market can be hot and turn on a dime and be gone.  Look at the history of green cars from the companies.  They are hot for a few years and then gone.  A few years later, green is back but totally different greens.  You never see the same green color repeated.  If you buy green, move it quick before the market turns.

[cahartley]

On 4/10/2020 at 11:52 AM, keiser31 said:

I did that once....

 

Don't leave us hanging........did it work?......... 

[keiser31]

8 hours ago, cahartley said:

 

Don't leave us hanging........did it work?......... 

Yes. I actually sold it twice. A guy in Michigan "bought" it and decided he had too many cars and told me to keep the deposit and the truck and then added more money to it because it took a while to "do the deal". Then the following month, I sold it again. Here is the first sighting. Can you see it in the first photo? I could. I was with a friend who was driving to a parade when my eye caught a glimpse of that profile in the dark shed. The truck was sorta rare as it had twin factory sidemount spares.

[TTR]

On 4/12/2020 at 11:41 AM, JACK M said:

I always find that if the wife hears the offer it is more likely to happen.

 

 

On 4/12/2020 at 11:48 AM, edinmass said:

 

The most insightful comment ever posted here.........I just have never shared it.

Probably true in majority of cases, but I can still recall an incident 30+ years ago that went almost opposite when I was helping a European friend vacationing here to buy a vintage Harley.

 

He’d been here for several weeks, had looked at many, but none appeared priced anywhere near his budget, including “his favorite choice” he’d gone to check out twice and was now at my house, lamenting about all that.. 
So I asked him about this “favorite” he’d seen and what was he able/willing to pay for it, which turned out to be only about 35% of the “asking”.

I then offered to call the seller and after brief, perhaps less than 30 second exchange over the phone, basically just asking if he still had it and if we could come by next day check it out again, I told my friend to be ready in the morning and join my pre-planned daily activities during which will now include a +/-2 hour detour to buy & pick that bike up.

Obviously my friend was a bit astonished by my claim/statement and said that standing there few feet away from me during that call, had not overheard any mention of price or sale agreement. He also added that based on his previous encounters with this seller, who had appeared to be some kind of  “bad **s biker” who might even be a member of one those “clubs” and didn’t come across as the type one can just casually haggle with, to which I replied not to worry, leave all the talking to me and follow my lead, but be sure to have that (+/-35%) offer I was going to make already counted and separated from any other cash he may have on him when we get there.

 

Well, the next day, his assessment of the sellers appearance seemed quite accurate and after brief introductions, I proceeded to make the “offer”, to which the astonished seller started yelling insults and told us to “**** off !”
I then casually instructed my friend to turn around, start walking back toward my truck and behave like we’re leaving, but then heard the seller hollering us to stop and saying something like “*** it, take the damn thing !”. He even hurled a large wrench or something he’d had in his hand toward me, though seemingly making sure it’ll miss.

We stopped, turned, I told my friend to prepare to hand over the money quickly, grab the title, which the seller went to get from the house and load up the bike.

 

And while this was going on, there was a female standing on the porch, perhaps a wife or a girlfriend, who started yelling at him not to do it.

Her attempt to stop the sale might’ve been out of fear for the consequences she might have to endure or witness later or..., who knows... ?

And sorry, no trailers were involved with this transaction either, so no reference whether or not one would’ve helped. 🙄

Edited April 14, 2020 by TTR (see edit history)

[60FlatTop]

Might know a story similar to that biker story where the buyer also got the biker to throw in the Confederate flag hanging on the garage wall just to get an extra little jab in there.

 

A lot depends on how contact is initiated. I always like to view an advertised solicitation similar to those old fables where the vampire can't take your blood unless you invite them. Once they are in everything is fair game...... even the Confederate flag.

[padgett]

Interesting. Most of the cars I sold were on a picture of the undercarriage. Many just cannot understand what central Florida "no rust" means. Only bolts I've broken this century were 1/2-20 studs that had 12mm nuts torqued on.