Guest JDHolmes Posted September 20, 2005 Share Posted September 20, 2005 I spent the afternoon running around looking to buy something...cash in pocket even...after having gone to look at an advertised 53 Ford Customline that was advertised as "good shape, all original except paint". Having looked at no less that 40 Central Texas (purportedly little rust through) classics, I've come to the conclusion that everyone who has a vehicle built prior to 1980 know that there is an enormous boom in the "antique" car market and are trying to take advantage of this "boom". Worst example was a 55 Chevy, no motor, no interior, primed with no locks, handles, trim, etc for $8500 or perhaps the 57 Apache with no hood or motor and in color "rust" overall for $3500. I actually saw nothing I would even consider as a possible buy and that made me come up with my question in the title, "Are Folks Crazy?" Do people actually pay these prices for junk?Anyway, just a topic to discuss as I'm bored and wondered about others experiences/thoughts on this topic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest De Soto Frank Posted September 20, 2005 Share Posted September 20, 2005 Yes, JD, apparently there are enough "crazy" car buyers out there to influence pricing..."Rust-free" stuff is highly prized here in the NE US...That said, if we apply a basic law of economics, if nobody "bites" at these ridiculous prices, then the sellers will have to drop their prices... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Green Posted September 21, 2005 Share Posted September 21, 2005 To many people watch and believe that the prices obtained at the Barnett Jackson auction on TV are of the real world and not the exception in most cases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Moepar Posted September 21, 2005 Share Posted September 21, 2005 And what bites me is that my average #3 cars no one wants to give me more than a parts car price (a few hundred dollars at most), which from what you've been seeing, is what the asking price for those parts cars should be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twitch Posted September 21, 2005 Share Posted September 21, 2005 It's like these wankers are emboldened by the low production run hemicudas that go for $100,000+ and figure everything old is highly valuable. Sad part is that this trend will continue because dummies are paying $5000 for rusted out hulks with good-for-boat-anchor motors that will need $30,000 put into them to be worth $20,000. Be patient. It may take a while but a decent car for a fair value is out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest De Soto Frank Posted September 22, 2005 Share Posted September 22, 2005 Twitch made a good point: "patience is a virtue"...When I was younger and more impulsive, and "just had to have something" right then and there, my Dad used to try and temper my reckless enthusiasm by reminding me that (in most cases) "there'll be another one", at the right time, at the right price.As I've gotten older, I've found that the old man was fairly correct...( a helping of Mark Twain, anyone?).Moepar,Yeah, I'm kinda frosted by that phenomenon too...a vehicle's "always worth a million bucks" when somebody ELSE is selling it...On the other hand, if B-J is becoming reality, maybe I can turn over some of the hulks I've been sitting on for twenty years and then live a life of leisure... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ex98thdrill Posted September 22, 2005 Share Posted September 22, 2005 For the street rodders, this is a good way to get a straight car. Who cares about engines, transmissions, etc. when they have no plans to keep the car stock to begin with.The problem is, that kind of thinking is what kills the rest of us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Moepar Posted September 23, 2005 Share Posted September 23, 2005 "The problem is, that kind of thinking is what kills the rest of us"This is true, as well as the hobby itself. Folks in the AACA are an aging bunch with not as many younger people getting invovled. With prices going outta sight for even the fixer-uppers, the 20 & 30 somethings don't stand a chance at a purchase plus the boot to fix it up. If they do have the boot to fix it up they don't have the time from busting their butt earning that kinda money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RVAnderson Posted September 23, 2005 Share Posted September 23, 2005 Very true, that. The AACA has been seen, with some justification, as a sort of wheeled-and-well-heeled AARP. The best way to get a start is to inherit a car, but the kind of "inbreeding" that results from that isn't good for the hobby either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest imported_PackardV8 Posted September 23, 2005 Share Posted September 23, 2005 I've been at this hobby for over 30+ years. In that time i have only bought 14 collectible vehicles of which only 8 were 'keepers' and only 4 of those are running. However i am a bargain hunter too. the "crazies" are not crazy. they are looking for a sucker.Here is my anaylsis:1. the 'wild goose chases" can be just as much fun as owning one. Keep it that way.2. Most 'barn finds' are NOT found in barns or rural areas. They are inner city or sometimes suburban. There are reasons for this. 3. 1 in 100 news ads are promising possibilities, learn to read them and talk to the owner over the phone.4. Do not be afraid of obscure makes (so-called orphan cars ). 5. if u read about it in People Magazine u can forget about it.6. Don't be timid or civil about going after estate collectible. If u don't THEN SOMEONE ELSE WILL and they will probably be a sucker looking for a sucker.7 Dealing with woman on 'inherited'(death,divorce etc) vehicles or the elderly or low income rural people is nearly impossible. Point 7 above is NOT chauvinistic!!! Quite the contrary. There are many reasons behind the claims in #7. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest De Soto Frank Posted September 23, 2005 Share Posted September 23, 2005 I guess that depends on who we're really calling "crazy": the folks who are setting the astonomical prices, or the folks who are actually paying them...? I would also attribute some of the blame to E-bay...I think that has helped inflate prices, and not just with cars...but I have found some stuff for my De Soto on the Bay that would've taken me years (if ever) to find otherwise... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest AlK Posted September 23, 2005 Share Posted September 23, 2005 <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I would also attribute some of the blame to E-bay...I think that has helped inflate prices, and not just with cars...but I have found some stuff for my De Soto on the Bay that would've taken me years (if ever) to find otherwise... </div></div>I would be skeptical at using E-bay as a scape goat, it is not much different. Case in point. If you have a 55-57 chebbie, any corvette, any high-dollar foreign car E-bay might be the place to go. Last year I had a 1954 Plymouth 4dr sedan. 80% stock. There were some dress up items on it and if someone wanted to complete the street-rodding of it by throwing in a small block mopar that would have had a nice unusual ride. The car was in "come in and drive it home" condition even with the stock 6 cyl stove bolt engine in it. I had the opening bid set low(i think $25). True I had a $7,500 reserve set on it, but that turned out to be a moot point. The highest bid I got was $47. Hell that did not even pay my insertion fees. I wound up selling it to an Ill. dealer last November at the annual Moultrie, GA. meet for a heck of a lot less than my reserve but more than I paid for it(not much more). I currently have 2 cars for sale and I won't even waste my time and money putting them on E-bay because I have looked at the completed auctions for these two cars and the bids and accepted bids don't even come close to what I want for them and I am not asking for anyones first born male child for these cars. But your right they want to pay the cond.#6 price for a cond#3 car. Sure so would I but I also have a certain amount of common sense and not all vehicles can be stolen because a jilted wife want get back at her scrounge of a husband. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amphicar BUYER Posted September 23, 2005 Share Posted September 23, 2005 There is an Amphi on eBay that must have $30k in cash in the glovebox. They want $50k for it! The body line lips found along the bottom of the body line dissappear near the rear wheels so they just put flat sheet in there, so that tells me about how quality the body work was. Maybe it's the OOOOGleeee hot pink interior?I have sold the last 6 or 7 Amphicars via word of mouth. Last one went to the UK. SO I don't need to spend $ on eBay or any other means either. I like it that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted September 23, 2005 Share Posted September 23, 2005 All the good cars are sold by friends to friends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil w Posted September 25, 2005 Share Posted September 25, 2005 And a lot of the good ones are sold via restoration shops by getting the buyers and sellers together. And the buyer knows who did the work and how good that work is and the shop keeps a customer. It's usually done for a case of beer for commission.Phil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Green Posted September 26, 2005 Share Posted September 26, 2005 Quote; "All the good cars are sold by friends to friends."I believe you may be on to something with that statement having just given it some thought with what I have bought and sold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JIM KEENAN Posted September 26, 2005 Share Posted September 26, 2005 I am currently not a aaca member, but have been in the past. I attend several aaca events each year with friends who are members.One thing that is noticable is the amount of younger men and women who are into the old car hobby/lifestyle..but remember that thier idea of a old /antique car issomething from the 70's or 80's..which in reality are already 25 yrs old car.just as "we" thought back in 1955 about the model A's..Its your age showingjim keenan aarp./bca./wpc./aswoa./npc. and local clubs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JIM KEENAN Posted September 26, 2005 Share Posted September 26, 2005 RV--I disagree with your # 7 reason..I deal in old cars and especially older wagons..and I have found out thru trial and error that the country folk and or the older widows, divorcees are easy to deal with..in fact I would rather.I have been active in this "hobby" since 1955, when I purchased my firstold car..(at 15)..a 29 buick..since then its been uphill /downhill.your # 3 reason is dead on the money..check with the local small town prints--there are some super deals out there..Great point in # 1 the chase (journey )is as much fun as the destination..I am retired and at 66 go on many a wild goose chase..but a lot of time the goose is worth chasing. Jim keenan -- easley so. carolina..rural, lot'sa barns, several old widowsall part of the the hunt..and I am chauvinistic ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twitch Posted September 28, 2005 Share Posted September 28, 2005 It's hard to get people to see that we all view things relatively to our passage through time. Since I saw tons of 50-60s cars growing up during those times they don't feel particularly old to me. 30s cars do. 30 year old people born in 1975 see 60-s 70s cars as very ancient. Now if I could swap my nearly 58 year old body for a 30 year old one I'd be happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest AlK Posted September 28, 2005 Share Posted September 28, 2005 I'd settle for attaching a 30 year old body to mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Block Posted September 30, 2005 Share Posted September 30, 2005 $30,000 for $20,000 car is probably consertive. I look at my complet 42 Pakard Limo. And the only way it will ever get freshen up is If I learn to do Dash wood graining, the ineterior and paint myself. Otherwise I beeter off to sell the choice parts off of it and sell the the cars as 90% there for $8500 after taking the hard to find parts off for another $5,000.It sad it has come to this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Block Posted September 30, 2005 Share Posted September 30, 2005 Someday, I would like to get an Amphicars or at leave go for a boat ride in one, that has got to be a real rush.Packard Joe the 42 man/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amphicar BUYER Posted September 30, 2005 Share Posted September 30, 2005 Joe - When you are here in the States (Saudi Arabia has no Amphicars, we have one in Lebanon though), you contact me and I will find you a club member who will gladly (or by force!) take you for a ride. We pride ourselves on always having an open door ('cept when on the water!) policy. I have given hundreds of rides, ranging from 17 day old niece to a 99 year old gentleman names Enus.I gues the answer to the quest, YES WE ARE CRAZY! John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom M Posted October 5, 2005 Share Posted October 5, 2005 Had to post this site Out of this world prices on GoatsOnly if i kept my 70 Goat with the 455... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Moepar Posted October 6, 2005 Share Posted October 6, 2005 Guess we shoulda kept ours too. The clapped out one is asking way more than what we sold our nice low 2 car for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amphicar BUYER Posted October 6, 2005 Share Posted October 6, 2005 Good thing I was sitting down when I saw that page! Good luck to him. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JDHolmes Posted October 6, 2005 Share Posted October 6, 2005 I can only say "WOW". However, I'd have to say that the only people who really made any money were the ones doing the resto. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest De Soto Frank Posted October 6, 2005 Share Posted October 6, 2005 Simply ridiculous.Outfits like this are preying (I chose the word carefully) on "car buffs" who either have lots of liquid cash (not likely) or high credit limits and lot's of unsecured debt, and in either case, "just HAVE to have THAT car NOW !"...(These are also probably them same sort who are buying Hummers, and other "whim" vehicles...)The car vendors aren't necessarily crazy; they're trying to capitalize on what they perceive to be a market niche and a business opportunity. That makes good economic sense.It's the people shelling-out this kind of dough that are "crazy", IMHO.( I have to wonder if any of these priceless Pontiacs are actually selling at the prices on the website...)Personally, I'm still worried about paying for heating fuel this winter, plus possibly having to replace my boiler (found a cracked section this week, while cleaning it )...If "Judges" are fetching such astronomical prices, perhaps my garden-variety four-door sedans are worth at least $30,000 each, and I can sell them and spend the winter warm and toasty... "Fools and their money..."Maybe it's the "grasshopper and the ant" fable up-dated... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oxnard Montalvo Posted October 6, 2005 Share Posted October 6, 2005 The buyers are loopy. It's too bad because they skew the market.Wasn't the Judge a stripped GTO marketed to bring the price down? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom M Posted October 6, 2005 Share Posted October 6, 2005 Do frame off restoration really cost that much? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twitch Posted October 6, 2005 Share Posted October 6, 2005 Yeah the Judges were considered cartoonish to the owners of 64-67 GTOs. The 68s were plumping up and the 70s were even fatter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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