Don't be greedy

It causes bad carma. Ever since Hot Rods and other old cars went on TV it seems everyone and their sister want to jump on the wagon and rake in $$. They way over charge for stuff you know doesn't cost near what they are trying to sell it for. And yes, I know about development costs. They musta been drug dealers in a previous life.

I used to buy repro signs from an old guy who made them at home in batches. He must have retired or kicked the bucket as now the "new" owners have tripled the prices for stuff that's been around forever.

They have priced themselves out of the market as far as I'm concerned. I went back to signpast to buy some more for the garage, but no way will I pay $100 for something I know can be sold at a profit for $30 - $40 cause that's what the old guy did.

So I dunno, they may think they are going to make money, but in the long run they'll run the business into the ground from over charging is my bet. It's just like the guys on Ebag selling "vintage" Offy valve covers for $1200 that can still be bought new from Offyparts for $350

Don't be greedy cause once the rich people who use $$ rather than talent are done you'll never sell anything. Just look at all those million dollar cars bought on the tv auctions 5 years ago now selling for $150K That's carma in action and I say HaHa!

 

Meh, I don't worry about the internet/TV stuff. I keep close to the dirt, buying and refinishing old stuff. Don't like repro stuff, especially Hecho en China stuff. Just my personal policy. My cars are "just" drivers.

 

You ain't seen nothin' yet!

 

Capitalization breeds greediness. But it beats the alternatives.

 

I was watching Me*** this week and I felt the prices were pretty low.

 

I agree with you, but I can also see it from the merchants point of view. If I had a choice of selling a few signs to people who REALLY knew about them or sell a lot to the yuppies who just want something that's old, I'd try and make my money off the yuppies. What they know or don't know wouldn't bother me at all. It's business, after all.

But, I also see the days of crazy mark ups on old cars and related hardware reaching a peak soon. I don't know what it is, but there's something new coming on the horizon for the folks with more money than taste.

I'm also waiting for the reality TV ******** to get tired of hot rods and all things old. That **** has diluted the minds of non-old car folks for too long. I cheered when Boyds show stopped coming on. Only a couple more to go. "American Pickers" and the storage shows have also got people thinking the **** in their attic is priceless.

 

Do punctuation and grammar breed greediness too? I believe the term is Capitalism.

 

Bam!

 

I agree, just getting into my first build and like most new guys i am probably paying way too much for some of the stuff i am getting here on the HAMB, once i got my direction down on my ride i tried selling some of the items i won't be needing, the offers i was getting were 25 - 40% lower than what i just paid for them, but it all works out in the end --- KARMA

 

Useless post, sorry I contributed.

 

It has nothing to do with being greedy or karma. It's just the beauty of a free market. It's simple, things are worth what people are willing to pay. If someone asks too much then they better be willing to sit on it for a long time or drop the price...or someone else will come along with the same or similar product for less.

When you use the term "greedy" to refer to someone you think is asking too much for something, then it implies that you think someone owes you something.

If you think it's funny that some "rich" person lost their *** on an investment, then I would consider the karma that you might have coming to you.

BTW, these so called "rich" people who pay for a car instead of building it themselves keep a lot of the shops owned by HAMBers in business.

 

What he said...

 

Ya know, if you spent more time building friendships with other folks involved in the same stuff as you than on the internet complaining about how expensive stuff is, you might just find parts getting cheaper.

 

It's just like the guys on Ebag selling "vintage" Offy valve covers for $1200 that can still be bought new from Offyparts for $350

it is the stupid buyer who jack the prices up. I sold a Moon breather that sells for about 30 bucks brand new for $120.00 a few years ago. 2 guys had to have it and were not smart enough to look online and see if it was still available new.

anyone who has an item that could sell for $100.00 but sells it for $40.00 really would have a bad case of **** for brains where I come from.

 

Maybe. Maybe not..........
http://andrewleyshon.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/leyshon_thrift_tcs-paperoct_postnr-changes.pdf

 

Hey I used to pay $1.39 for Gasoline once too.

The new owners had to pay something for the business. They aren't going to be paying off loan if they keep charging what the old guy charged.

The old guy probably had very little overhead. These old timer guys paid off all their stuff years ago. So now they can afford to charge low prices if they want.

Its not about Greed. Nowadays if you don't at least triple what you have into something you might as well close the doors because you aren't going to make it.

I'm not rich. But I don't hate the rich. Why should I? Everything the rich buy gets built,***embled,fixed,repaired, or installed by working folks like us.

 

You can always lower prices if you start high, but its MUCH harder to raise them if you start low.

On the flip coin, I sure do get tired of trying to sell something Im barely breaking even on, and then getting lowball offers on top of that.

And yes, worthless thread.

 

there should be a special section for threads like this one. it could go with the 5 page thread about removing sharpie marker from paint or the best soap to use.

 

i have alot of parts and a few cars and a few bodies. i also have a bunch of engines. i also have a bunch of friends who give me deals on stuff because they know if i do need to sell something i wont stick it to the next guy.in fact ive lost my *** on alot of things because they were going to younger hotrodders or some guy trying to build a car and has 16 kids to feed...make friends with people and you might be suprised at how prices seem to go down!!

 

Get out and find the stuff before it makes it to the guys selling it. You can still get real good deals on cars and parts. It's a lot of work and some time a lot of waiting to get these deals. Do you honestly think the guy that sells a model a for 5000 on that auction site paid that much for it. He probably got it for half that or less. You have to find good deals now. More and more think they are sitting on a pot of gold with their old car.

 

Ok.

 

People can ask what they want for their stuff....doesn't mean you have to buy it.

 

If not for greed we would still have stone age techonology and die at a very young age. Now purposly lying or misrepesenting in order to sell is wrong. As you go through life you should strive to not take unfair advantage or do others out of the way. Also you should try to not let others take advantage of you . A buisness must charge enough to make a fair profit. If they dont they wind up just swapping nickles. A person cannott give away what they do for a living.

 

Tell you what, when you start paying my bills, I'll stop trying to get top dollar, or at least fair market dollar, for my stuff.


Oh, wait, we already have that in this country, it's called Welfare. You want to pay me up front or pay me via Uncle Sam? I can just sit here and collect and sell the stuff for s**** money instead.