OK, I don't believe that for a second - and there are many here who have been impacted who would also stridently disagree. However, I attended a swap meet in New Braunfels, TX this past weekend and the prices on the cars were ridiculous. I wish I could remember some exact examples, but I was really stunned about the coin requested for some real POS vehicles. I understand that what's on the windshield is (usually) a suggestion, but more than double (typically) what I've seen the same vehicle sell for is just too much wiggle room. Has anybody else run into this same phenomenon? On a side note, I hope these crazy folks are not at Pate
Watch out for the politics discussions.....FYI I agree with your price issues COMPLETELY. I see doors for my 49-52 Chevy going for 200,300, and EVEN 400 DOLLARS!!!! WTH? I too see POS cars going for top dollar, I even had a guy agree to sell me a 2nd Gen Camaro rear for 100 bucks, went home, dug it out, THEN looked on EvilBay and came back and said "Oh, these things aren't a dime a dozen anymore....so I want $300." He said it with a straight face, I told him to go f**k himself. It's not just applying to cars, but most everything. To keep it on topic, I think that some of these guys think that since they're losing money on other things, if they raise their prices then they can make up the difference. One douchebag started this, then others caught on, deciding that if one guy did it then hell, they can too. Then the next guy prices his based on guy 2....so on and so on. It's just like the housing market bubble. I just pray that this bubble bursts soon....otherwise I'll never finish my car.
I would bet that you see the same stuff and folks at Pate. Lots of folks use NB as a warm up to Pate. There was some interesting stuff at NB this year including a Thickstun PM7. Everybody is hurting and trying to make a buck. Saw gas up to $2.75 so it looks like the summer screwing on prices is beginning.
I run a fabrication shop in which we build production race parts for imports. Our sales have been up over 60% over last year for the last three months. I think things are going in the right direction. also i have added three more welders two who have been out of work for over 12 months
I noticed the same thing when I went to the Amherst swap meet last Sunday. Although I found some good deals on parts I needed, some people were so far out of touch. Many cars were way overpriced and Ive also noticed a huge increase in the number of 4 doors at the show.
I'll agree with the above post about car auctions. I've been saying for yeas, "The worst thing to happen to our hobby is Barrett F'ing Jackson"! Every Tom, Dick and Harry with grandpa's Oldsmobile thinks he's gonna retire when he sells it. I just came from a Swap Meet on Sunday where I saw what looked like a nice 49 Chevy Pickup. Good project material, maybe even make a nice driver with a little work. Not for $10K on an S10 chassis. WTF? Keepin' it Real since 1977, Andy L. Kaempfer St. Louis, MO
all you have to do is look in the HAMB classified section..........there are some people out there trying to get over top dollar for their rides. And at the same time - you will find some killer deals that are swept up in a matter of minutes.............. it is just individual people. I can tell ya from a person that sells stuff to consumers on a weekly basis we are still waaaay down from last year. And the year before that was down from the previous year as well.............
I've been saying for a long time that the TV auctions have jacked up collector car prices, regardless of the vehicle condition. Whether or not cars are selling is another story. In areas of the country where things are not so great, I do notice that cars go for less than comparable cars do in better financial areas. Bob
For sure, BJ/Mecum/etc. hurt prices for the regular guy. Suddenly EVERYTHING was a classic The worst part is, I'm looking for a 4 door, and even they are getting stupid stickers attached. It seems that the worse the condition, the farther out of line the price is. Nice looking cars are still 'reasonable', but fixer uppers are not. I should have bought my dream car 4 years ago, but didn't pull the trigger, now I'm going to pay the price.
you keep following the real estate market and all the folks still losing their places. part of the reality is things weren't really as good as we were told just act the assholes at goldman-sachs that are having their asses finally probed by the congress. the projected image fooled too many folks. as to the vehicle prices the high priced vehicles aren't selling and the junk is being scrapped.
yeh if every body is asking that price then thats market price. just sucks cuz the prices just go higher and higher for the same dam thing. last month this guy had a nice 28 A radiator shell i wanted for my rpu. he had 175 on it ! WTH! i can get a crappy repo for 80. and the thing was beat to hell. it needed work. so i offered 50! screw him. so he started goin off how he got 250 for the same one two days ago! i dont care how you ripped someone off. yeh but any ways you go to swap meets to get deals. where people go to sell off there parts that are just lyin around. but now the business men get it there and want top dollar for their old parts!
Maybe the recession is over near you guys in the southwest, but not here. You want good deals? Come to the midwest. Michigan, (where I'm at) and surrounding states. I've got three nice straight and solid vehicles for sale at very reasonable prices...but they aint movin' too fast. And I'm not the only one. Last year's local swap-meet was a disaster...lots of parts and nobody buying. I know of three local shop-owners that are barely hanging on. They may end up closing.
For sure, that's what I do. I noticed that there wasn't much activity around those vehicles. Probably because, NB is a warm-up to Pate, most of the guys are going there anyway, just hoping to unload something beforehand. If not, no biggie, many more days @ Pate to try again Of course, I'm probably screwed anyway, I'm not getting there 'til Sat. morning, most of the good deals will be gone by then.
I'll be in Northern Mn. this summer, the only problem is the salt really tears 'em up there. If you get a really nice, summer driven car, it's great. If it's a fixer upper, it's a FIXER UPPER
I don't think the prices are run up due to thinking the economy is better. Some people just think their crap is worth more than it is - don't buy it they will figure it out. The e-bay auctions do run up prices on parts but only because there are at least two people willing to pay the price, so maybe thats what its worth. I have seen quite a few cars on Barrett ect sell for way less than it woud cost to build -not the right year or model parts and labor costs are still the same. A couple cars back I kept a spreadsheet of all expenses nuts, bolts, grinding wheels, oil filter, down to the penny, don't recomend this it can ruin a good hobby. I think that trade and barter options can be the best way to get what you want, plus the wife cant bitch much if you trade a tunnel ram for some wheels
I don't think the prices are run up due to thinking the economy is better. Some people just think their crap is worth more than it is - don't buy it they will figure it out. The e-bay auctions do run up prices on parts but only because there are at least two people willing to pay the price, so maybe thats what its worth. I have seen quite a few cars on Barrett ect sell for way less than it woud cost to build -not the right year or model parts and labor costs are still the same. A couple cars back I kept a spreadsheet of all expenses nuts, bolts, grinding wheels, oil filter, down to the penny, don't recomend this it can ruin a good hobby. I think that trade and barter options can be the best way to get what you want, plus the wife cant bitch much if you trade a tunnel ram for some wheels
Come to California to buy your cars. They are all cheap. I cannot believe the deals that can be found on craigslist. Out here everybody is unemployed and desperate so it seems.
That is true. I know a guy, a nice guy, who goes to shows and cruises and puts a crazy price on his car. Why? He doesn't actually want to sell it, but he's willing to part with it if he finds someone that dumb. I don't like it, but I can't tell him what to do.
Problem is, I can't afford to go to CA, let alone buy a car when I get there. Two years ago, I was making twice what I am now. Ten years ago, I was making more at my day job (4 day weeks), plus working on the side, plus had a rental that was making positive cash flow, and sold for a $95K profit after 3 years. Now, I'm working 40-50 hours a week, and still selling stuff off to pay bills. Last November, I bought 4 tires for my Customline, to have installed after Christmas... still waiting for cash to make that happen. Glad the "hope" and "change" stuff is working out so well for me... I see some deals out there; I'm just pissed that I can't pick 'em up! </snivel> -Bill
There are a few folk down San Antonio way who think their rusty old projects have gold underneath and price accordingly. I asked one once why he was so out of range and he said that eventually someone would buy them. I will note also however, that non-car folks here in Texas think anything they have older than 1985 is classic and worth LOTS of cash. Check out craigslist in any of the cities.
Ebay,Barrett-Jackson, RM, Pickers or whatever the cable program is, all this makes people think they are sitting on a gold mine. It used to be Hemmings that convinced the sellers of an item's inflated worth, but with all the other sources reinforcing this belief, you can't win. On a different note, I posted on another forum that the recession must be over also. My wife and I went to a home show and filled out two contact cards for plumbing companies to give us bids on a tankless hot water heater. Seems that the warranties state that they must be installed by a licensed plumber. No big deal, that's life. Out of six plumbers there, these two were probably the most established and sounded like they knew what they were talking about. And they specifically asked for contact information to set an appointment to give on on site estimate. So it's not like I filled out a card and dropped into a box. Here we are a month later, NO calls back. And I refuse to call them and beg for someone to take my money. I'll keep shopping. As a P.S., I talked to another heating and cooling company there regarding a 90+ furnace and a 16 seer A/C unit. He told me a ROUGH price was between 10 to 15K to replace my 80% and A/C in a ranch house with a basement built in 1994. Somebody's smoking the good stuff IMO.
Its spring, the prices always go up when the weather starts getting warmer. Its not just the swap meets either. Go check out the prices in the hamb classifieds and you will see some of the same things. I've been watching them all winter and the last couple weeks everything that was new jumped in price over similar listings a couple months ago. LOL
No doubt, some parts of the country are hurtin' for certain. I see that in cars for sale in online ads. When it comes down to keeping food in the icebox and the lights on for another month, cash is king. That $5000 gem in the garage goes to a new home for maybe $1500 if a taker comes along. Bob
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