I know the majority of us here know what our stuff is worth and what we'd pay for a car. But what about the NADA report? Do any of you read it, or use it when buying or selling? Either as a referance or a baseline ballpark idea? If so, do you find it accurate and helpfull? Do most people think its a joke, or do you find sellers saying, "according to the NADA my vehicle is valued at..." ? Just curious what your take on the NADA is Look up your car. Scroll down to read the "low, average and high" descriptions. Which does yours match? Is the estimated value accurate? (choose CLASSIC CARS from the blue tabs on top and then choose COLLECTABLE CARS to get started) http://www.nadaguides.com/home.aspx...&l=1&w=28&p=0&f=5000&m=1065&c=7&z=97233&da=-1
Most of the dealers out there use the NADA as it rates vehicles at a lower value than Kelly Blue Book. That works OK for the newer vehicles but Kelly only does newer vehicles. Unfortunately NADA is one of the few guides that have editions specifically geared toward older cars. Make sure the guide you are using is a recent one as values change practically every year. It's a good baseline but the seller, if they know what they are talking about, should know himself if it is worth less or more. If he says it's worth more have him justify the reason he thinks so. May be a lower demand car (unpopular model) but was really expensive to restore. Maybe he used all NOS parts which would raise the value etc. Due to them being unpopular models, I already have twice what NADA values them at invested. It's more of a ballpark reference value than anything.
What bubblehead...I mean Vet said. Base only, doesnt entail all the whos and hays, just takes a national sale average for the car make and year and condition, and frankly..everybody interprets conditions differently. My conditions...shitty, not so shitty, needs work, and why you selling it?
I believe NADA and Kelly BB, receive there information for Auctions such as ADESA and Manhiem, along with sales data from Dealers and other sources. The correct word is "GUIDE".
Well, if I could pick up some of the cars I entered for the prices that were coming up I would not be able to get my money out fast enough. That guide is a joke.
I am a dealer. I sell both current models and classic cars. I don't use NADA for any guidance. I use Black Book and Kelley Blue book for my late model cars. I use Old Cars Price Guide, Black Book's Cars of Particular Interest and sometimes Collector Car Market for my classic cars. I feel it is important to KNOW the market, know the trends and use them ONLY as a guide. I spend lots of time getting a feel for the market and have found these sources to be the most credible places to look for guidance. I can tell you that when I see a NADA price guide on a car for sale I usually run away. I find they are usually not printed in accordance with the condition of the vehicle and are simply used as a ploy to sway your thinking.
I am an insurance adjuster and I agree with all said above. NADA is widely used by insurance companies, especially on newer vehicles, but once you click on the classic tab, disregard anything you read. It will tell you things like mid-eighties Celebrities are worth $3500. WRONG! I don't feel that any of their classic prices are accurate at all.
I've never looked at any NADA values of cars in the 30's or 40's, so I can't comment on those. But most of the NADA values on 50's and 60's cars are completely out of line. When I see a seller mention something about NADA value in an ad for their vehicle, I know their is no chance of buying it at market value. I don't know where in the world they get their values! They wouldn't even bring close to that at BJ!
Been dealing in cars for some years now. I don't think NADA is a strong source for values on old cars. Most of us sell our cars amongst each other where they can't get a true read on what is what. Right now they're not even close on vehicle values with the fuel cost and the economy. I've seen the little economical cars selling at the big auctions for what NADA calls retail value, while trucks and SUV's are being given away.
ok, thanks for the advice. I was going to list some kind of creditable reference with my 65 fastback, but it sounds like most of you would look the other way if the NADA was mentioned in the ad.
I only use www.collectorcarmarket.com or www.manheimgold.com . Collector car market is realistic and gives you a good idea based on the categories. They also use info from many different sold vehicle types and locations. I find KBB and NADA to have more vague definitions and always seem high.