For those who have sold their wagons, a couple questions: How do you set a price? There are so many variables, rarity, condition, equipment, etc. it makes it difficult to find a comparable for sale The most successful venue? Craig's list, car magazines? the local papers/classifieds?
I'll also be waiting for answers to these questions. Good post. Seems to me most Vehicles are priced way too high for sale yet when we try to sell anything we are told it's way too much. I stole a temporary V so I can type without being teased.
I think a lot depends on what you are trying to sell. If your wagon is '80s or '90s, it's kind of like selling anything from that era. Older cars, from the '40s, '50s, '60s.....they are classics, and draw a different crowd, I think. I know when my wife decided it was time to sell our 56 Studebaker wagon, she put a for sale sign on the front seat at a car show in Nevada, and a guy from Utah bought it that weekend. She asked me before the show how much I'd sell it for. I told i wouldn't take less than "X' for it, and she sold it for that amount. If I was the one who decided to sell it, I might have put it on CL, but i never got the chance.......... Bill
My wagon is a '67 Mercury Commuter. There are almost certainly fewer left than there are Boss Mustangs, but that alone doesn't give it value. I think you have to consider two different markets: niche markets and the broad car community. If you are shopping for a wagon specifically for love of wagons, a specific model, or for something that is unique, you are going to be willing to pay more to get what you want. If your just looking for something cool, or can carry stuff, or can haul lots of people, your world just got bigger. Scarcity and uniqueness just became less of a factor and and the price you're willing to pay just went down. Like anything else, price is set based upon what you think you can get for it, and no lower than the least amount you're willing to accept for it. Find the best comparables you can, and use them as a starting point. And, listen to what the market tells you about your price. The best place to sell is most likely going to be where you find your best prospects. That would be places like here. If your wagon is a classic, then car shows and other classic car sites. To get the best price, you need to find the best buyer. The best way to do that is to reach the largest audience which means advertising it in lots of places. Good luck with your sale!
People love to hate it but I've had nothing but good luck selling cars on Ebay. I would of never gotten almost 18K for my Vista Cruiser anywhere else. All it takes is two people that want the car bad to drive up the price and it's a flat fee to sell cars on there. Get the car appraised or check comparables that sold, old cars price guide can give you a pretty good idea. My appraiser girl nails the cars within a few hundred bucks of the sale price every time I or friends that use her sell a car she's appraised. Her dad was an antique vehicle appraiser for 40 years and she took over the business when he retired, knows her stuff.
I've bought 'em and sold 'em just about every way a person can - what are you trying to sell? That will determine the venues you should use. I too have had a lot of success on eBay. Craigslist is free but you get a lot of spammers trying to "help" you sell your car, as well as lots of email inquiries and then nothing else. eBay allows you to qualify your sellers somewhat. I've also used Auto Trader with success; Auto Trader also has a Classic site for older cars. If you sell it yourself, prepare yourself mentally - you'll be dealing with some "interesting" characters. Plus there's the safety factor of inviting strangers to your house and allowing them to drive your car - I've had to ask people to pull over on test drives, kick them out of the driver's seat, take them back to my house and ask them to leave because they scared the $#!t out of me on the test drive. Not fun. Your selling strategy also depends on how motivated you are to sell. If you can wait for the right buyer, you open up your selling options. Good luck! P.S. - it's always easier to buy 'em than to sell 'em!
No matter the car make/mode/condition, I think it's always a difficult decision to sell. Because old or classic cars are in limited quantities, I keep thinking "this may be my only chance to have one of these" but other responsibilities are at hand. I have had my wagon for sale on CL and no response. not even a spammer! I have had it in the local classifieds, and those come to look at are disappointed that it looks just like a 38 year old should look like! It REALLY annoys me when they give me hard time...i expressly state it is a "project car" I do need to sell is asap, so thanks for the input thus far.
From what I've seen, people typically buy old cars that are projects for one of three reasons: parts, project or drive train. If you are set on selling it, and it needs to go fast, you have to address those three audiences in the way you write your ad. Highlight the points that appeal to those three groups. And for the person looking to restore it, be sure to include a description of issues that you would want if you were looking at buying it. Detailed descriptions and quality photos from several different angles inside, out and under the vehicle will help get qualified buyers to your door.
Craigslist will provide the best bang for your "buck" as it's free but LOADED with daytime window shoppers wasting the bosses time. Ebay is a freebie too if the car doesn't sell but can be hundreds when it does. If offering on internet enthusiast sites be prepared to deal with and perhaps make a price concession in consideration of shipping. Newspapers? Haven't tried in years. The private party classifieds, even in a large paper, are nearly non-existent. Might be some bargain hunters looking though if that is your clientele. Be realistic about condition and price, asking prices of others, especially dealers, mean little. If you think your car is a "2" buyers will say "3". Try to find actual sales of similar cars. Write your ad correctly, all the pertinent facts, accurately state condition and disclose faults. Paragraphs of hoo-ha or recounting staggering auction prices of a car almost like yours will turn off knowledgeable buyers. A pet peeve of mine is sellers who refer to the car as a person, by name. I want to strangle them. If you love your car so much why are you offering it(her) to the highest bidder. "Hey, Joe. Want to buy my sister? She love you long time." GOOD pictures, especially on net are imperative. You'll be badgered for them anyway so do it now.
man! I just looked at your ad for the 1975 Matador. If that is the car that you are wondering about, it is going to be a tough sell. That rust is crazy! Being from Texas, I am not accustomed to seeing that at all, much less on a "late model" car. I am not knocking your car, but your best bet would be to disassemble and ebay parts for the next 6 months. Again, I am not knocking your car, but in Texas that would barely bring scrap prices delivered. I could not locate your craigslist ad, but did find an ad for your car with one photo. I have sold MANY cars on line. What worked for me was always posting pictures of the absolute worst features of the car as well as the rest... Then I never had a surprised pissed off potential buyer. Good luck. "How do you set the price?" How much would you pay for it? How much would you sell it to your best friend for? That is a tough one, huh?
I found your craigslist ad and see that you did include the good the bad the ugly. It is strange that the car is in such good shape except for the rusted areas.
Egads! Nothing wrong with the ad that a correct price won't fix. There were very few takers ever for those cars, now with rust in very bad places I'd say a slim market for sure. Perhaps advertise on the Kenosha, Wi. CL, a hotbed of AMC fans. See;http://racine.craigslist.org/search/cta?query=amc&zoomToPosting=&srchType=T&minAsk=&maxAsk= Look at what else $2500 buys for an AMC fan; http://racine.craigslist.org/cto/3930312073.html
I "myself" feel that WAY too many people are out of the park when selling older cars. It seems that some people think that just because they have an older car, thats its worth $$$. Like what was said before, you have to look at what category it falls into. How sought-after they are, and condition of the vehicle. Not to mention the 4-door vs 2-door vs wagon thing. Once you do a comparison of all of that, you should be pretty close. Be prepared to be "low balled" and counter, but if you keep getting low offers, that might be because you asking price is a little high. Just my $.02. Good luck on your sale.
