OK, I have always thought that the springtime is the best time to sell a motorcycle, boat, or convertible......but what about a hot rod? I would guess a project car would sell well in the fall (winter project). Has anyone noticed any trends or anything? Or does it just not make a damn bit of difference? Thanks!!!! - Ben
<TABLE id=HB_Mail_Container height="100%" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0 UNSELECTABLE="on"><TBODY><TR height="100%" width="100%" UNSELECTABLE="on"><TD id=HB_Focus_Element vAlign=top width="100%" background="" height=250 UNSELECTABLE="off">Yeah, like when you have a byer or lots of money. Rags </TD></TR><TR UNSELECTABLE="on" hb_tag="1"><TD style="FONT-SIZE: 1pt" height=1 UNSELECTABLE="on"> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Personally i think it's more the car in question being sold then when. I've sold a few higher dollar car's in the winter when i never thought they would sell. Both for the time of year and price. One was a 32 3 window, another an all original unrestored 63 Impala and the third a 33 ford pick up.. Then as an example of the opposite, i tried to sell a real nice 57 Pontiac during the summer when everyone was hard into the car scene and had no luck.. I'm sure timing has something to do with it, but from my own personal experience it's been more the car being sold. If the car being sold is a desirable model, a well built car, or if it's apart is a solid foundation people will buy regardless of what time of year..
I think the current Hot Rod market is following the housing market. It's a terrible time to sell and a great time to buy. Anyone else notice the prices coming way down?? I know you were asking what time of year.... but I think if you can afford to hold off on selling you'd be better off.
There is no right or wrong time. I've seen guys with $50,000 on their handout, and $30k cash in an envelope drove it away. I've seen used car salesmen sell a wreck in the dead of winter for more than twice what it was worth, and then got 2 years of interest on top of that. You have to know what you want, have good eyes to see past the wow, and focus in on all the short-cuts they took. Then bid appropriately. Some guys want their cars to go to car guys, and not bird brains. When I look at a car, I consider the engine, ******, rear-end, and brakes to be complete **** unless they can prove otherwise. That's about $15k right there. You can sell a car for top dollar if you spend time and money on the detail. Take it to the best detailer in town, and spend $300 on it. They will wow the bird brains, and they are the ones with the money. The bird brains are out all year round. They don't go to hot rod shows though. Take your car to the park on fathers day, or mothers day. That's when you get the bird brains in a flock.
What is happening right now is there are alot of cars on the market, especially out here where people took money out of their houses to buy toys. Well the bank is calling and the toys have to go to make the payments... I have seen some nice cars for about 10k less than they were getting last year and the high end market is taking it hard. There were alot of driver camaros and chevelles getting over 15k for them last year and now alot of them are for sale.. As the housing market gets worse there will me more toys for sale.. Just wait..
I've been trying to sell two cars for a couple of months. I must be way high or maybe it's a bad time. Oh well.
Best time to buy is when a guy has lost storage, lost interest, or has to move away - that can happen any time during the year. Best time to sell? There's no particularly good time but people do tend to look more in the fall for winter projects and in the spring for summer drivers and summer projects. I've had cars advertised for sale for literally years. If your car is less than perfect and you don't want to give it away for nothing, plan to take as long as six months to sell it, and advertise the hell out of it. Some cars it just takes time to find the right guy for.
1. The market will tell a seller what a car is worth. What he has in it is immaterial. 2. As a seller, never get in a bind where the car has to be gone or the money has to come in. Put a price on it, put it out there with plenty of advertising and let the market make the decision. 3. If it doesn't sell the first time, think it over. How much is it going to cost in insurance, storage and aggravation to keep it? Lower the price or spend more on advertising. The only two reasons a car doesn't sell is it is priced too high or not widely advertised. 4. As a seller, keep quiet and listen to the buyer. He will sell himself if you give him a chance. Listen to the questions behind the comments, and listen for the questions not asked. Only then, begin to nudge him in the direction he already wants to go. The typical seller has too much ego in the car and chases away many buyers. 5. As previously mentioned, hot rods are so individual, even the belly-****on turnkey roadsters, there is no best or worst time. You only need one buyer to fall in love. Just my opinion and fifty years of experience. thnx, jack vines
Easy, Best time to buy................When you have money, Best time to sell.................When you dont have any money. I thought it was easy?
a real estate agent gave me advise years ago that i live by. the time to sell is when you have a buyer, just that simple,
if your hot rod/custom is nice, clean, well built, and drives right, anytime is a good time to sell. Try pricing it with the thought of leaving a little bit in it for the next guy. Taking half what it's worth works good too. Afterall, the money is already spent, so unless you've taken out a loan to finance your hobby, the money is already gone. Going for that last dollar kinda drags it out. Oh, and another hint. Don't let anybody else sell your hot rod/custom. The only time that works is if you have a generic something and don't want to be bothered yourself.
i believe that it depends completely on the area you live in...im in michigan where every type of market is crashing hard..houses..cars...shops that build customs...but if i had to pick a time to sell a rod..everyone up here goes out looking when they get there taxes back..or after christmas so the kids still get presents you can sell any car at anytime, but the market isnt flowing with buyers all the time...so you have to watch the economy of your area or where ever your trying to sell the ride at..right now gas is way overpriced..idiots are paying to have rust sprayed on there cars...and with all the attention from the police directed torwards trying to cut out the grandfather laws of no seat belts-using ancient brakes-and trying to tighten the noise ordinence's on what muffler you can run....it tends to shy certain groups of buyers away from a type of rod..so you have to know what p[eople where you sell are into and want...sorry for the long post..just the ramblings of a disgruntled builder
Actually, the worst time to sell is when you dont have any money because if you NEED the money then you will take way less than what you would really like to get out of it, just to have some money in hand.
I would think the best time to sell is when the car is fresh and new and somebody ask you about buying it,,,usually ya don't want to sell it because it is a new toy,,,, I had 3 different guys ask me to put a price on my truck at Piegon Forge, Tenn.,,I don't want to sale ,,yet. I have learned ,,or should have learned,,,,that if you really need to sell you will probably be hurtin' for cash and you will not get the best selling price,,, It's a great formula if YOU are the buyer,,,rarely do I fall in that group ,, HRP
Yup, I was gutted good and propper. Looking for a new project now I can afford, anyone in the LA area got a steel 30-31 coupe body to sell me?
As a former dealer who spe******ed in sports cars for some years I always seemed to get the best money in Winter as that was when buyers thought they would be cheap so were in the market in bigger numbers. The middle of summer was a bummer as most had bought and where out driving them. The other big factor is the economy as we are talking about toy money here and if things are tight toys are the first thing off the buying list. No matter what you are selling detail the hell out of it, get great photos (if you can't take really good ones spend a little to get a proffesional to shoot it), research prices and set a realistic one with a little wriggle room and be prepared to wait a while as our type of cars have a small market.
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