Projects What the heck happened to asking prices??????!!!!!

Bought back into this hobby last fall.
I found that good looking, running driving cars were cheaper than rusted out projects, once you factored in getting said project to a safe driving standard.
$13k for a older restoration or $7500 for a $1500 project jalapy? Several of the cars that I passed up are still for sale, and I am still glad I don't own them.

 

Same/Same. You can go without for the rest of your life. Then again, I'd like to see you negotiate a better price at the fast food drive-thru. This where you tell us you don't eat fast food to solidify your stance, just to let you know we're keeping up...

 

Again, there is a big difference between you asking a price and someone offering a price.

A few years ago I was given a Mercury flathead (8CM) it had a huge crack in the pan rail (full of water and froze).

The crank measured standard mains and rods. I call an acquaintance of mine who is flathead guy to see what is was worth.

He offered me $300.00 for it, he offered that much I didn't ask.

If he had told me it was worth $300.00, I would have asked about $150.00 at a swapmeet.

This is a sideline and helps fund my projects, and I view it as helping the next guy.

Somewhere along the line it got cutthroat people have lost sight of the fact that we are car guys and instead of helping one another out it's all about is how much money they can make on a part or a car.

I would rather trade/barter and will give parts to someone who needs them and is going to use them.

My family got forced out of oval track racing about 25 years ago because of the price and cutthroat behavior, and I turned my attention to period correct hot rods because of the comradery and guys being willing to help each other.

Now I am back into oval track racing with vintage cars because the guys help each other out.

A couple times guys in the club have given me pick-up truck loads of parts to help me get my car finished.

Last summer one of the guys bent the tie rod on his car the other competitors were helping him work on the car, bringing their spare parts over to get him back out for the feature, and that is getting lost in the traditional hot rod scene.

 

Last year I wanted a Winter's quick change rear axle but only had $2K. So I saved a year and now have $3K. But the Winters remains the carrot on the stick and now cost nearly $4K. So I'm still priced out of the market and, I'm back to searching my local bone yard. Lots of good advice above. If one has the talent to fab, those with $$$ will come. My advice, stay in the game.

 

Great quote I'm porting in from another thread

 

I see and recognize those who mention how we're sort of zoned into helping each other (more than 1 reply). I have a short list of "You need it, take it." peeps. Why not everyone? Because if I have to pay up why can't I collect as well? How do I fund my needs if I stick with 1980s prices in 2022? Can't do it. This never was for the "faint of wallet" whether you're a kustom guy, vintage racer like TROG, plain ol hot rodder, nostalgia drag racer. Should we piss n moan at what it costs to build a Cacklefest engine? Why can't I screw together a 417 Donovan for chump change? Not fair! New parts, why so much now? Priced raw materials lately? Labor rates? Delivery costs? Manufacturing costs have gone up as much as 20% in some sectors.

I hate this cliche but it is what it is now. Need $$$$$? Sell. Theres buyers, try to reach em. I hate to admit it but theres a huge world of folks just like us that aren't here in TJJ land. Just sayin...

 

I built mine out of cast-off parts for WAY less than that.

I even have a magnesium center section and side bells.

 

Check your messages.

 

Wow... This is a topic I run through my head regularly. Guys having cars built by professionals ($85-?) per hour. I get that the workmanship is amazing. Rusty crap parts for ($350-?)... really. How many guys are really in the market for a $120,000-50,000 hobby car. There was always top shelf cars, but the base was all ways back yard the guy.
We all drooled over the magazine cars. It's weird how many of these hi dollar car owners idea of hot rodding
is setting in lawn chair next to cars at a cruise night or show. I guess when you spend that much, reassurance is what is needed. I don't care how much was sent on you car, if it looks right it's cool. A few guys get what a hot rod is, but many do not, it isn't about mine is bigger than yours (dick). The dollar going away. You guys holding out for big money better be ready to own that car for a long... long time. The simple hobby that it was, will live on and
maybe you high dollar guys will rediscover the basic fun of it all. (if rubs you the wrong way... I made my point)

 

The problem is... for most of the sellers I see (including some of those who advertise here), the oft-used phrase can be modified to fit: "Common sense and reality have left the building." I've noticed that a lot of the pricing is ego-driven, as in "I built it myself, and it's perfect, and I'm just as good of builder as those $150/hour shops. If you don't believe me, just ask me." Those are the same guys that will beat you down on everything you try to sell, so they can make $$$ off you. Others will price high and sit on it, listing stuff over and over for months or even years, and complain that they can't sell. Ya think maybe your price is too high???

 

Oh, I forgot.... a lot of guys figure their garage time is worth what a high-end shop charges. Well, if it's how you make your living and where you make your living, that's fine. But if it's a "hobby" then your time ain't worth much! Suck it up Buttercup, you aren't Chip Foose!

 

I've always found that apathy or desperation on the sellers part makes for the best deals no matter where the market is at the time. Money in those situations doesn't just talk, it shouts. Due deligence and cash in hand is the ticket to a deal. Oh, and leave your emotions at home.

 

I can understand, really. Not all of us are active buyers and sellers all the time, so it's easy to lose track of prices. I sold the Morris Minor earlier this year. It was damage control, so I needed to get as much as I could for it. I tried to get an idea of going prices online as best I could, but there are so many variables, and the local market is too small to give me much of a workable sample. If I pitch the price at X, would people just scroll past? If I pitch it at Y, am I shooting myself in the foot?

In the end I picked a price near the upper end of my online sample: R45K (about US$3075) because the car was complete and basically sound, but had some small structural and brake issues to sort out, stating that I was open to offers. There was some interest, more asking for my "best price" as if I were the owner of a Durban running-shoe store and thus haggled as a matter of course, and three people trying to pull the exact same scam, apparently unbeknownst to each other. That came to nothing, so I re-advertised at R35K (about US$2390). More of the same, but a sale eventually came out of that, for R26K (about US$1775). I let it go for that because burglars had broken in the night before and stolen the battery, coil, voltage regulator, flasher unit, entire wiring harness, and everything else they thought might have copper in it. Luckily they do not seem to have known that radiators had once been copper.

The guy who bought the Minor is likable enough. He calls me from time to time to brainstorm on the stuff he's fixing.

State-induced artificial scarcity which functions to the structural benefit of an elite industrial establishment doesn't describe a free market to my mind, but be that as it may ...

 

Exactly. I know of such a guy locally. Retired guy with his own hobby machine shop. Hes always offering all the local gearheads machine work on his milling machine or lathe....but quotes professional shop prices ($200 an hour), when he is on a hobby cash basis out of his garage. He is also the type of guy will whine and complain on anything he wants unless you give it to him for free.

Still gotta find somebody who can roughly machine out a couple clamp blocks for me.....meh

 

That certainly holds true in the pre-retail and retail sales market.

It, however, does not hold true is the secondary, post-retail market.

Person-to-person sales are free from any link to the vicissitudes of governmental price and/or supply controls.

They are closer to pure Capitalism that any might find in any developed nation.

...And here we have a whole thread of folks complaining about it.

 

Not what I was referring to, but pursuing it would get the thread closed down.

 

DING! DING! DING! DING! DING! Folks, we have a winner. EX-FUCKIN-ZACKLY! Some pimple faced D student on Wall St can NEVER monkey around with the finite resources of our personal and TANGIBLE assets. Why does a car like a Duesenberg gain 25+ % when the economy sucks? Why do the rarest of parts, vintage art, even memorabilia/petroliana do it too? THEY DON'T MAKE IT ANY MORE. It's also not something that's in any sector of regulated business. The dichotomy is that "our stuff" can be financed now because a few financial institutions have recognized the value. Yes, you can get a loan now for a 32 3W, a Packard, and even a Duesy or 300SL Gullwing.

Get this man a coffee. And hey, I'm not bitching, for those keeping score...

 

Well what’s your over/under number ?

 

We can extol the virtues of a free, unencumbered market all day long, and we can dance precariously near the edge of political debate regarding capitalism 'til the cows come home, but the question still remains.......
"What the heck happened to asking prices??????!!!!!"

 

Folks are naturally opportunist. Couple that with the amount of spendable cash many seem to have today and the market is ripe for prices to climb. I know lots of people that have the mindset that everything they own is for sale. They don't need to sell but will if the price is right. Also, buyers are seeing prices rising on everything and figure the longer they wait the more that it's going to cost them.
Actually, great conditions for both savvy buyers and sellers.
I'm more concerned with the "getting price" than the "asking price". Not really even concerned, just curious.

 

For what?

 

If your parts stash partly pays the expenses of a project it might be wise to do research before pricing, on the other hand if tired of tripping over an item & funds are not an immediate concern use good judgement & price it accordingly.

 

This was me years ago with my 53 Chrysler . Was at a bar one night sitting at the patio , my car parked right in front with the windows down . A older fellow was looking the car over n over walking around and admiring it. He asks if anyone owns it?
I said I do!

him - is it for sale ?

me- sure , throw out a number .

him - about 4 times what I had in the car !!

me - SOLD !!!!!!

my wife ( girl friend ) at the time and my buddies all looked at me in shock that I would sell “ my baby”
I saw the money and 2 options , I could go out snd buy a similar priced car snd bank a bunch of cash or blow the whole lot on a really nice car !
I did the first as I have and always will prefer a decent driver .

 

Tell ya the truth, I don’t recall. Went back and reread your post and have no idea what was running through my mind.
Insert a head slap for me.

 

In mid 2020 I bought a 2016 Sportster for $4500. Yesterday I checked KBB and average retail on this bike is $6900. This was only a 10k bike when new.

 

What happened to the cost of living, world wide? There has always been a % of folk selling (what ever) items & priced them sky high. And TRENDS will also boost prices. But this year it's different, you can see it. And feel it.

 

The answer to that question would land squarely in topics that are expressly forbidden on this board.

The discussion of the functions of numerous and various economic systems and their outcomes is already outside the fences of what would customarily be allowed on a rod and custom discussion board, such that I am surprised that it is being allowed to continue.

 

Greed or ignorance is the answer to the OP. Given the bounties outlined, there is no other answer as to why some things are priced (to some) insane. It's Catch-22. Not really the real world (here) but a hobby/lifestyle/& a bit of folk that do make that money w/this culture as a primary. K.

 

Prices are more of a concern now, as many have less money to spend, due to unmentionable external forces.

 

Most folk are not ready. Another answer to why so high is a pre-emptive to the all too common low baller's. Just had that today.