In short they get fucked out of so much of there earnings there aint any money left to afford a luxury like a hot rod!
and I don't see anything wrong with that. Ive usually got a few thousand dollars cash seed money. And I never ever pay full retail. Nope I try to buy at bargain prices. If I cant buy at my price I walk away. If I have the cash something else will come along. Last night at midnight our Social security Ponzi check was deposited. Today My wife will mail the electric and Phone bills. Buy grocerys fill her cars gas tank and spend the remainder at Wal Mart and such. If I want any money I must buy really cheep way below value and sell at below market price. Either that or walk along the road collecting aluminum cans? Actually Ive been a trader most of my life. And No trader will ever pay the asking price. Most are like me and have done it so long we are expert at what we do. Yep I always tried to save 10% that is my seed money.
History repeats it self, just like 60's,guys who are now 40 got married , had kids and their family dont fit in a hot rod, so customs have made a strong come back. In Europe, it's a different deal, hot rods are as hot as ever , but I said hot rods not street rods. They cant even register a street rod anymore, the cars have to have real bodies and frames and suspension and drive trains. 30's and 40's stlyed hot rods are whats in over there. So its not good news for the guy with the dated street rod and most mileneals dont even want a car. Blame it on their hippy teachers who taught them that cars are evil and us not passing the torch and getting them interested in out hobby. We are kind of like the weezers in the model A and T clubs, nobody wants to build a stock model A. As for the guys building 80's cars, wait ten years till that trend goes away and the shit hits the fan. Old cars are much like the stock market, buy when the market is down, sell when it's high, but most important buy what you like and you wont be in such a hurry to sell it.
I knew a old Trader named Darrell. Seemed kinda low IQ. He always had something going. He located timber for several sawmills got a finder fee. He bought and sold almost anything. Had a goofy look and laugh. His favorite saying was That's a really good price! If you can find someone stupid enough to pay it! Surprizinly he could hurt folks feelings and still buy their item. I only got him one time. He had a H Farmall. needed a rear tire. 12,6 x38. I had a marginal one mounted on a rim holding air. leaning against a tree. Ole Darrell asked about it. I stated $50. He looked it over and came back spouted his favorite saying and with the goofy laugh added its got a boot in it! I stated we aint charging anything extra for the boot the rim & tube is worth $50 take it or leave it. He left. But he came back a week later and paid the $50. Traders and folks who can sell and not lose money are not very common.
Work hard, save your money, and budget. Hobby cars are a fun EXPENDITURE, not an investment. If you live and operate with this in mind, you don’t need to worry about pricing or sales trends.
The entire market is in the tank right now..So what,if you're in this to make money you need to alter your thinking.Grampa is dying,the kids are converting his toys into cash,and they will take a beating to do it.Looks like that gold in you're garage just turned to shit..cest la vie..I build my own,and enjoy them for what they are,not what someone will pay for them
expecting to break even on a hot rod hobby car is as unlikely as you could become rich drag racing or running a dirt track stock car. You will most likely lose lots of dollars on all of those (investments)
simple reason hotrods ain't selling now is cuz they don't slip down the chimney, fit under the tree, or stuff well in the stocking hung on the fireplace mantle.
After World War II all the guys came home & had babies(post war Baby boom..). Now we are dying off Generation change................... Gene in Mn
Here in New Hampshire any car over 60 years old doesn't even need an inspection sticker. Which is good because my windshield is so short it would take more than half of it up. "LIVE FREE OR DIE"
What a fantastic amount of posts! Heard from young and old! I know This is about building, but, we have Built them, now it's time to sell them For what ever reason.. I know you Can never get your labor, but it seems The best you can do is get .40-.50 cents On the dollar$. If you're lucky!!! Thanks for all the posts....
my 2 cents, this is just the start of the big decline in older hotrod prices. Up until now (or recent) their has been a large population of people into hotrods. The babyboomers and their parents had cash and interest in old cars, as those people now reaching their late 60s thru early 80s they are just about done with the scene. many have multiple cars sitting in their garages or collections. Today's younger generation (40s and 50s now) dont have as much free cash and there are fewer of us into older cars. it is even worse with those in their 20 and 30s right now as most have zero interest in the old cars (pre 1970) they seem them as their grandpa's hotrods, out of their grasp due to prices and how much it cost to build a nice driver. (they wants cars from their generation and have just as much fun, just different type car shows). In the next 10 years we will see a flood of cars coming onto the market, the best will get bought up by some of the remaining old guys (over 60s or those with money as they will be seen as a great deal but prices will continue to drop until supply and demand balance) and the rest will flow down to those now the 40/50s (will then be 50/60s) but with so many cars come becoming available and with less cash available, the prices will have to drop . Unless you are unloading in the next few years, I do not see it as being a great investment owning many of these cars, many are now or will take big hits in the wallets when they go to sell (only the best of the best will hold value). This is why cars are sitting or just being traded. look around, there are plenty of nice cars forsale on the internet, on specialty car lots or just at car show. 90% are going unsold.. Cant keep the cars forever, so to sell you have to keep dropping the price until someone thinks they are getting a good deal. Its a supply and demand situation and we are at the top of a bell shaped curve getting ready to start the slide down the backside
Funny food for thought... How many of you try to help the younger generation out, or give them tips and tricks? How many of them do you stop your conversation with short and say hi to a friend and brush the young folk off? I am pointing out a flaw alot of probably have been guilty of a time or two in our lives... I can go to a car show and see that happen 20 times in a day... I had an angle grinder in my kids hands at 10, taught to weld at 15... He loves the older cars, financially its a bit out of his price range at the moment, but I'm sure he will get into one soon... Inspire, don't be too harsh when they mention stupid wheels or additions, they get caught up in fads just as all kids do..... Sometimes someone saying negative will put them off completely.. This is a traditional/custom/stock forum, I am with all yall as keeping it as such... The RR stuff, street rod, touring stuff, one thing you have to remember is that many folks started off doing something associated with a fad... People grow and evolve in this hobby. It is the truth, billet valve covers, maybe a set of mag wheels back when, maybe LED tail lights, little things or full easter egg paint jobs, someone in here is guilty of these for sure, but It led them down the path to where we are right now... I loved Packards and Dusenbergs since I was 5 years old, Its not really obtainable and deff would take me living in a van by the river to afford one, but end of the day, one thing stuck with me. Think about the guys who had some big motor hot rods, who downgraded to more of a stocker, or ditching a big block for a flatty? This shit will always be cool, its cooler when you get older, respect the engineering of things of the past. Sorry for the winded reply... Just felt this needed to be said...
A friend of mine is a long time member of a large car club, he told me most old time members are trying to sell their street rods and are replacing them with 50-60's cars. As I buy, build and sell cars most of which are Tri 5-64's Chevies almost all the prospective buyers are in the late 60's and up age group. I attribute this to cars they relate to from there youth. Younger buyers almost never show any interest. Just my observations of the current state of our hobby. Don't think anything is going to change much in the future. We are definitely in an Old Mans hobby.
Amen to that. When it got to where a set of competitive tires for my dirt track car cost more than what it cost me to build the first couple of cars, it was time for me to get out.
Drag Racing is lots of fun to participate in but causes you to spend lots of money to impress people you don't even know.
I just looked at sold listings on eBay for Fords, 1923-1965 (to keep it HAMB friendly) A mere 929 old Fords sold. https://www.ebay.com/sch/Cars-Trucks/6001/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=Ford&UF_single_selection=Make:Ford&UF_context=finderType:VEHICLE_FINDER&_sacat=6001&_stpos=72751&_fspt=1&Model%20Year=1923|1924|1925|1926|1927|1928|1929|1930|1931|1932|1933|1934|1935|1936|1937|1938|1939|1940|1941|1942|1943|1944|1945|1946|1947|1948|1949|1950|1951|1952|1953|1954|1955|1956|1957|1958|1959|1960|1961|1962|1963|1964|1965&rt=nc&LH_Sold=1&LH_Complete=1 In Chevrolet, same year range, only 984 https://www.ebay.com/sch/Cars-Truck...|1957|1958|1959|1960|1961|1962|1963|1964|1965
I am in the middle ages of the hobby and what I see from other people my age is that we all have either a car done or close to it, AND multiple project waiting patiently. I do, and so do all of my friends. So if there are so few of the real young generation interested and the ones in the middle have plenty of projects to last their lifetime, that makes the pool even smaller. I do look for a lot of parts, but if they are too highly priced I just make a replacement. Like it has been said, its just a hobby, and I just cant afford to overpay for parts. So I have taken the time to learn how to make just about anything I need to. Street rods are the last thing I'd be interested in buying, the whole car would have be stripped down, cut off a bunch of parts, blasted and rebuilt and repainted. Not to mention what is under all the paint is a lot of times less than stellar, sometimes downright scary.
I don't know if the hobby is dying or not. I don't go to many car shows anymore but I did go to Bonneville this last summer and there were a lot of cool cars there. I think one issue for younger guys is just like when muscle cars came out in the 60's, new cars are amazing! Let's say a young guy scrapes up $15K to but a hot rod then realizes he can put that money done (or less) and finance a new Mustang, Camaro, Challenger, etc. instead. Here is a car that will do everything better than a hot rod and he can use it as a daily in comfort. All I can say is, I'm 63 now and have been a hot rod freak since I was a little kid. I feel very lucky to have lived through a time when hot rods were cool (I think they still are) and been able to have some pretty nice cars. over the years. Have had some great times and attended awesome events with thousands of hot rods prowling the streets and fairgrounds. Got to meet some big names in the industry and seen some incredible cars. Was in a club for many years and had some really good friends. But like they say, all good things must come to an end. The club disbanded, people moved on or passed away, events started letting in late models, and well, we all got old. I have a good buddy and we used to go to Bakerfield every year. The Kern County fairgrounds has a road that loops around and everyone would cruise it at night (to frigging hot during the day!). We'd cruise all night and were always the last ones there at about 1AM or so. Now, everyone clears out around 9PM! If the hobby is going to die there isn't much we can do about. I'm just glad to have experienced it and have it be a big part of my life. I think I'll go watch American Graffiti again now.
I find this truly amazing, that many Hot rods got sold on E-Pay! I've tried A couple of times too sell, it costs me $100 listings fee, no sale! I guess it all gets Down to, how much $$$$$ are you Willing to loose!
Took me a year to sell my bird for 7500, didn’t really think I was asking too much. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
There is the problem most people have--they think of their old cars as an investment. They are not investments but toys. I've had my '55 Chevy 15 years. I have driven the crap out of the old car and have seen many, many things with it. It has been paid for since the beginning and it has paid me back by being reliable and a great deal of fun. I've already got my money out of it and I still have it. Look around at your other toys. How much will you get for a used bowling ball, wheelbarrow, or propane gas grill or any other thing you buy except, maybe, a house? For the record--any item is only "worth" whatever someone else is will to pay for it. The buyer determines the "worth" not the seller.
I agree with so many of these statements. But I feel that saying someone is trying to steal something is unfair. The market will handle what the price is worth at the time. Supply and demand like several others have said in the past,,,I know that is not too comforting to hear,,,but it is still true. I have never gotten all my money out of anything,,,,just unlucky I guess. I usually always lose money on stuff,,,,terrible business man I guess. Like one of my friends said years ago,,,his dad told him a story about supply and demand. His dad said, “ Son,,,I don’t care if you have a diamond as big as a horse turd,,,,but when you go to sell it,,,if all you are offered is 5 dollars,,,that is all it is worth “. LOL,,,,I guess the moral of the story is if you need more for it,,,don’t sell it yet. Tommy
The quality of the car being sold dictates the price. Nothing more nothing less. Cobbled up Junk doesn't sell period.
I go to a auction sale and buy a truckload of junk. Take it home and sort it out and it becomes valuable Merchandise!
Sold 3 in the last few years. All 100% home built so if you hold your mouth right I made a little money on each. Sold this Elky (grandson's) so he could finance move from Calif to Texas. $17,000. Sold this '53 Chevy king cab in 2017 for $15,000. Sold my Mysterion clone @ Sotheby's Hollywood auction in 2018. The right car in the right auction (Kustom Kulture theme with lots of Roth and Von Dutch original art), and most important to any auction, 2 interested bidders. $220,000 gavel price.
Its pretty simple in a general sense. When guys get in their 50s they lust over what was cool when they were 18 but couldnt afford etc. When they get to that age often they are in a position to relive their youth. I'd wager a lot of members here lusted after cars from the 30s when young, maybe the 40s. Now move forward to today and those guys in their 50s are buying late 60s and 70s muscle whilst the younger guys are buying 80s and 90s. Demand is going to get less and less for hotrods, even with young crew coming into the hobby. You only have to look at the lower prices of 32s from even 10 years ago to see that and its even worse for the restorer guys. If someone has a nice 30/31 A coupe for sale, I may be the buyer you are looking for
Traditional rod,Street rod, Custom rod, Rat rod, Barn find rod. Name it what you want. If you can not find someone else who loves it more than you , it is NO SALE ! plain and simple. Supply and demand in it's simplest form. The only time I have had luck selling a car and making good money was when I was not thinking of selling and someone else made me an offer I could not refuse. Cars where usually fresh builds. I do not build cars to fit a certain time frame or style. I build cars that seem to fit into what I have learned to be a timeless style. For example if we are talking 32 fords it would be the Doyle Grammel coupe from 1963 which would have been cool in 73,83,93, 03, 2013 and today. Timeless sells, everything else including Traditional needs the right guy at the right time. Larry
The Jalopy Journal
