If that burger had been stored in a barn for 20 years, your offer might have been accepted. Although come to think of it, new old stock often commands a premium.
I don't negotiate. Like some others, if something is priced right, I'll buy it. If not, I keep moving. More than once this has led to sellers voluntarily lowering their price. But I don't have time to worry about the couple of bucks I left on the table here and there. "NOS" doesn't mean what it used to. Saw a guy selling "NOS Model A parts" that were obviously a few blown up engines, a transmission and a twisted up fender that had been sitting in a pasture.
From my experience selling most anything personally on the internet is going to bring out the lowballers. I don't sell in the HAMB classifieds as I don't have a lot that fits the criteria of the classifieds to sell As far as shipping these days if it won't fit in a USPS priority box with a set price I would rather wag it to a swapmeet. I've beat myself up on shipping too many times in the past few years and just don't want to deal with it and loose money on it anymore.
From where I sit, it’s plain as hell—the early Ford market is in a slow-motion nosedive, and it’s been heading that way for a couple of years. I keep tabs on prices like a degenerate gambler, and even once-sacred stuff like ’32 Fords aren't commanding the same coin it used to. Every day, there are fewer of us in the game. Less interest means less demand—and the value follows it right down the drain. On one hand, I find that kind of thrilling. It makes the whole thing feel smaller, tighter, more accessible. Like we’ve shaken off the tourist crowd and it’s just the true believers left. But then I think long-term. The market’s thinning out because the next generation doesn’t live this stuff the way we did. That part hits hard. It’s not just the prices dropping—it’s the culture bleeding out. And that’s a hell of a thing to mourn.
I Have Had Excellent Luck Selling On The H.A.M.B. Classifieds Over These Years And Occasionally Run Into A Lonesome Soul Who Wants To Talk About His Life And Has No Intentions Of Purchasing Anything But It Helps To Gather Information For The Amateur Books I Write....Bonus and No Shipping/Packaging To Deal With.....
Guy had a Muncie "M21" listed an hour or so from me. $500. A good price for a working trans. Problem was, the shaft is one ring but the case is an A case. I'm no expert but that in general doesn't align. Was listed for awhile. I acknowledged I was low balling but offered $300. He came back at $400. I declined. Another week or so and he said $350. Appears to be in nice shape. Did I low ball him when no one else offered more? Now what pisses me off.......i had something for sale $200. Guy offers $75. Kinda hard to sell item and after answering his questions I accepted his offer. He then decided he didn't want it. I have NO problems with an offer. If accepted live up to it though.
I don't mind a lowball offer, I just say no. but don't harass me if I don't accept. had 2 issues selling on a vintage bike forum, one guy even chased me over to ebay.. I got him kicked off both ebay and the bike forum
It's a thing to mourn but it's inevitable. My grandfather's stamp collection would have bought him a house 60 years ago. It was everything to him. I inherited it and it would probably get me a set of Coker tires if I'd sell it today. Vintage cars and many other passions/hobbies/lifestyles will go the same way as people get old and interest vanes. We won't see it happen in our lifetime but it will happen.
Friend of mine liquidates people’s collections/hords. Buys cheap. Sells cheap. Moves lots of old parts. The market needed a market correction I understand cheap. Low ball offers don’t faze me a bit. Period builds are fading and I kinda like that. Parts seem cheaper. Every shop I visit is full of projects and has a waiting list. The cruise ins are full of younger than me folks. The cut off year mentality seems to be dying. Or at least I hope it is. (Only referencing shows. Not this place)
I hate to say it but a lot of the thinning out was at least partially the doings of the hobby itself and guys pricing stuff so only the wealthy could participate in the types of cars and parts really associated with the core of hotrodding and customizing.
Sure… One of the only reasons we were able to pull it off in the ’90s was because all the old-timers had moved on - building street rods.. That left the good stuff - Strombergs, top loaders, flatheads. etc - sitting forgotten and cheap. Nobody wanted it, so we scooped it up. Maybe, just maybe, as the herd thins again and the prices sink with it, the next wave of kids will get their shot at this madness. Because when it comes down to it, that’s the mission. Always has been. Keep the torch lit—and pass it off before the whole damn thing goes dark.
^^^ facts. I get a lot of cool parts from the LS swap guys. The gold chainers where I live still build street rods. So I usually get their leftovers. Swap meet prices are generally too high. I buy very little from em. Marketplace usually has much better prices.
I think this scene is gonna be a perpetual ebb and flow... I wouldn't start mourning yet. Lots of young guys (and girls) starting to pick up the slack. I am 30 now and have seen plenty of guys younger than me poking around with trad stuff. Accessibility is the question.
I prefer selling on the HAMB over anywhere else, priced to sell has moved stuff along well. I'm always looking and have found great deals too. As for prices coming down...I can't say I have seen that at all here in my neck of the woods. I do get lucky once in a while though and seem to find what I need occasionally.
I agree on Marketplace having the best prices, I guess probably due to shear volume. My last 4 vehicles have come from there (Toro, Nash, Stubby & The Avalanche) as well as pallet racking & a whole bunch of parts. If you think the price of traditional hot rods has softened, just think about the old guys with the Model T's & most of the "A"s as well! I transport bunches of them & the good folks can't get anywhere close to what they want (for the most part) for them, because there is just not a market for them. I never had an issue with a lowballer, I just say no thanks & move on. I also agree with @ClarkH that there is always one "Dick", but fortunately our hobby has very few of them & they stick out like sore thumbs, so you can avoid them like the plague. God Bless Bill https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...ar-transport-hauling-open-or-enclosed.614419/
I will admit that I will shoot an offer most of the time just out of habit but that who I am. I won’t lowball anything just make a reasonable offer, what’s the worst thing to happen but get a no or more than likely a counter offer.
I’ve only sold one item on HAMB , sold for my asking price and actual shipping cost. I was happy to get a few bucks the buyer was happy to get the part fairly cheap. I’ve bought a few items here with very good luck, made friends along the way also, worth way more than the price of admission. I’ve offered low ball for items at swap meets when asked “what will you give me for …” or when a price includes OBO. If the price is stated Firm I don’t negotiate. I love negotiating- part of the fun but also I never want to offend someone. Sometimes I’ll look at an item with no intention in purchasing and tell the seller so. True story a fellow HAMBer had some BBC stuff listed here for what I believed was a very good price did I say really good stuff L88, LS7, heads pistons and a run of the mill 454 block. I contacted him saying I wasn’t interested just curious, he PMd his phone number I called him we talked engines and cars for maybe a couple hours. Before I hung up he tells me he’ll cut the cost by what my fuel costs would be. WOW I was floored, what a generous offer WOW. I didn’t take the offer I would’ve if I thought I could use in the near future, hoping someone here could get a rowdy engine for a 1/4 or a 1/3 of the cost of a crate 350. This is the true beauty of this place! Dan
....All I'm saying is that the "dealers" that are on here solely to sell cars and parts and not contribute in any other way, should pony up the $50 to be an Alliance Member.
I don't mind offers, even low ones. Many are accepted, some are turned down flat, others are countered. It's a good way to gauge interest. Sometimes the offers come with a nice story about why it's needed, occasionally that helps grease the wheels. The only ones I don't like is when the buyer is telling me that I'm wrong or crazy or greedy for asking whatever it is I'm asking, acting like they'd be doing me a great favor by paying their much lower price, or how a friend of theirs got one cheaper so mine should be cheaper too. Those people can fuck right off. I'm a professional, I know how to price shit.
When I picked up my AA for $4500 I had a bunch of guys telling me I got ripped off because they had bought theirs for $500 or $1000 or whatever, neglecting to consider that I am not an octogenarian and it hasn't been the 80s for a while.
I’ve sold on here a couple of times and honestly what I was asking for the item was next to nothing because I was either needing it out of my way or I just wanted to pass the project on to someone else. Basically giving a fellow HAMBer some HBO (Help the Brother Out) Now I love me some classified action to the point that it’s almost an addiction and I have bought a bunch of stuff that I couldn’t live without, or that’s what I told the wife. I don’t do FB or any social media for that matter and stay away from Craigslist for the most part because of the scammers. This is the one place that I really trust because of the hard work the moderators do and vigilante justice that can ensue if you jack someone out of their hard earned money
I've sold stuff here, FB, Craigslist, and wherever I need to based on the item. I pretty much suspect there are dip shits everywhere when it comes to selling stuff. I expect them to offer less even though I price stuff very fairly. I can always say no thanks, and have many times. The ones that get me are the dip shits that agree to purchase and communicate with you on the item. Either call, or text, and then, it's crickets! Nothing! Like they fell off the face of the planet. Why did you call or text if you didn't mean to buy my item. Had a guy call me on an S10 trans I had for sale. I was only asking $75 for a good trans. He offered $50. I said ok as I just wanted it gone. He said he was coming to my shop. I waited for him for a couple hours. He never showed up, no text, no call. Month later he calls again, still got it? Yup. Then doesn't show up a second time. Calls third time and asks if I have it. Nope scrapped it! I've got enough bullshitters and time wasters in my life I'm not looking for another!
I have sold a lot of stuff through Fakebook, newspapers, Ebay, and other online classifieds. If I have a price of $100 on something, and I get a response like "25" - no other words, no units, nothing, they get no reply from me. I have learnt that they are dopes who never buy anything or turn up anyway. If they can't string a 5 word sentence together, I don't want to waste my time with them. What do they expect? Free delivery as well? And then they send another message saying that they are waiting for my response. When the price of gas goes down to 20 cents a gallon, I will get back to them. If I get a response like "How does $70 sound?", I will negotiate. This crap has only happened since internet sales, but there are not really many other ways (except swap meets)to sell stuff.
I have bought and sold here lots of times and it always goes well. And, I’m good with the lower prices of the 30’s Fords. I can come closer to affording one than ever.
Put my avatar in the classifieds for 17 grand. Did a couple of TTT's and got an offer of 16. Put it on Ebay, $50 flat fee, one week and got over 18 grand and guy was super happy. Draw your own conclusions.
Well Stated Ryan. I am seeing the same trend as you. Although a member here has told me I'm not attending the correct car gatherings. I believe I have one of only two genie 32 Ford bodies in the state of Louisiana. The other is a nicely completed driver. Mine is very much a project. At one-point folks were clamoring just to check it out, now not at all. Most guys have what they want or need. Advancing AGE is the common denominator. Thats what I believe. denominator. I literlly
That's EXACTLY it, cheap cast offs in the 90s because of MANY years of Street Rod popularity. Sadly this "Traditional" idea, theme, old movement has become the new Street Rodding.......it always happens (in every trend). But some kid in the future will like his older brothers, uncle, neighbors car or music (and wants to be different) and it will start again albeit a little different then we know it. My .02 I'll be that old, weird, uncool, throwback that won't let it go in the future, because it's more then a trend to me.
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