Projects What the heck happened to asking prices??????!!!!!

May be a sellers market, but it's only worth what someone will pay for it. Price it high, sit on it for over a year and hope for a sale.

 

It’s a seller’s market, every year the pick’ns get slimmer on all the parts and pieces to complete a project.
There is plenty of junk for krazy prices though…

 

My son tried to make an offer on a late model car recently, but the dealer refused to budge on the asking price, even though it's been on the lot for a few months. Odd when you consider that not many people want or know how to drive a stick shift these days,

 

We live in a free-market economy, and that is what sets the rules.

If you don't like it, consider the alternatives.

 

It isn't just something that is happening in the States. Exactly the same thing happening here in NZ.

 

Another thread on high prices. Donuts are now $12 per doz.

 

I don't think it will take that long....

 

I have a car posted in the for sale section. A 1938 Ford Coupe listed for sale at $14500 cdn.


Same price for three years and no interest in dropping that price either. I'm in Edmonton Alberta. Same price here as I show no favorites.
38 standard Coupes... How many do you think are around in the fields? Not many to very few, I know because I've been keeping score. 2 have popped up over the last five years.

Noticed one last fall sold for a grand missing doors, trunk lid, front end sheet metal. Someone will learn about the cost to finding and procuring parts or... bought for remaining parts it's soon to be a goner.

Funny thing about good credit and or disposible income, you can buy stuff. I'm sure there is a lesson there they don't teach in school but the fact remains, what does owing one say? What does owning two say?

Broke ass SOB's who want for free... screw that. Screw them. I can't afford steak I don't buy it. But I like beef so I enjoy my burger and make do.

The have's who can afford to have do, but does it drive the prices up? Maybe? But they also are as mentioned going to die off. So there's the rub.

Unfinished, un running typically brings the sharks to feed. Right place, right time and the right opportunity I'll bring out the cash from the line of credit to buy. But that said, I'm tight for parking at the moment.
Those who don't have but want, they quickly discover they either can't afford or they try the hamburger.

When they can buy that $205.00 shot up field car missing everything, pay the $100 to tow it home, then spend the hours,days... gas and expense to find the missing then start again with the doing part, they might just realize there is a reason for the asking price. It's called labour.

One off bulding anything cost more then a mass produced something. Don't follow, think China.

We are in the modern age of manufacturing, and a NEW 40 Ford body is what, $14500USD? Then it has to shipped $$$ to site to be completed. And that's if you really want a 40 Ford to go with the pain? Convert that yankee dollar to maple leafs and your pushing with shipping a solid $20g.
So yea, In light of that I think my asking price is quite reasonable, as is most these days, but it's not to say you couldn't also buy some nice stuff for that money and have a decent OT fun car to drive either.

The featured ad was for a 38 Ford Truck at $6500 when I logged on. But it's all apart, and let's face it, all apart is a broken toy and who want that in the garage? Not many. But for a guy who isn't afraid to take the risk and spend another 5 to 10 doing the vast majority of the work himself, it's a real deal.

Could be why prices are high is the yard with the cars is asking for some of what the rich won't allow in their neighborhoods to build?

I don't think the prices are high... just that everyone's going broke. Cost of living is through the roof, economic future is uncertain, and if you ask me, everyones in charge but no ones responsible.

 

I know a guy that is selling a GMC longbed, circa 1965, with the original 350 V6, complete, for $6500.

I told him he's not asking enough, but that is all that he wants.

 

I have seen some cars priced at what I thought were good prices that are not selling. parts seem to be going up faster than finished cars if they are even available. 40 ford grills have doubled whole cars seem to me not to have went up much. priced a new building exactly like I purchased last April for $22000 shocked at the price of 35000 + quote was only good for 2 weeks was told price increase 10% May 1rst. told them I would wait & see if it came back down some

 

We are our own worst enemies when it comes to this kind of thing. We want Barrett Jackson money for them when we sell, then we bitch, piss, and moan about the price's being so damned high when it's time for another project! We need to remember that we're doing this for fun, not to get rich!

 

EXACTLY.

 

Switch over to restoring tractors, that market is down.

 

We seem to see that a lot here in the PNW on both sides of the mountains. I'd say that some of the sellers have binge watched too many episodes of Pickers or other cable shows. I'd bet some of the prospective sellers bought the rigs for pocket money and now have them advertised for 20 times what they paid for them without doing anything except dragging them home and in one case don't think the guy has even moved the truck. Bought it, paid for it (Maybe) and trying to flip it for big money without ever laying a hand on it.
The guys who spot something you have from the road and stop and ask about it sure aren't making big offers on stuff though. Had a guy offer to "do me a favor and haul that old truck off for free" a while back implying that he would haul it off and not charge me to do so. I figure that he thought that anyone living on a farm on the rez wouldn't know what something might be worth.
Could be that guys are so tired of lowballers that they jack the prices to compensate in some places. Need 6K ask 10 and get lowballed to 6500.

I think we have been looking at the same adds from opposite sides of the mountain. Great Patina usually means that it is a roached out rust bucket and barn find means that they don't want to wash it as they think the "barn dirt" adds a 100% automatic markup. Had some clown show up at an early event in Yakima last year proudly displaying his barn find dirt on some old more door. I never hoped for a cloud burst at a car show before but would have sure like to have seen it then.

On the other hand a gal posted a highly desirable in the PNW boat that she inherited from her dad that obviously needs a bunch of work and mostly a serious bath and interior clean out. She probably cost herself 5K by not spending a day scrubbing it and emptying out the inside. There are bargains out there.

 

While there's a lot of factors that affect the value of these old heaps, at the end of the day it generally boils down to 'How much?'. If you don't have any buyer interest after months or years, it's too high, no matter how much 'value' the seller thinks is there. The only times I know I've screwed up is when I get a lot of calls and it's a race for the first guy to show up and he buys with no haggling. I've left money on the table, but that's the way it goes.

The last car I bought the seller acted like I was stealing from him with my offer... but I was the only buyer that showed up. He decided he wanted the money more than the car.

 

Yep.

Humans, hey? Hard to live with them, and apparently illegal to kill them with a hammer......

 

Yep... Ain't it a Bitch...

 

You have to be in the ball park with your prices if you want offers.
I sell and buy at swap meets.
If I want $200.00, I am not going to ask $400.00 or $500.00.
I build in a little cushion $10 maybe $15 on a $100 or $200 dollar sale.

If someone is asking double what the going price is I am not even going to make an offer.
I can't remember what the part was but I asked the price the guy told me a ridiculous high price to the point everyone looking at his stuff walked away.

He yelled to me "I am open to offers"
I told him "We are so far apart there's no point."
He didn't sell a thing and loaded everything back up when it was time to go.

I see some of these guys with these wild pie in the sky prices two or three times a year, year after year with the same parts that never sell the parts look a little worse every time I see them because the have been loaded and unloaded so many time banged around in the back of a truck.

 

Guys its not just Hot Rods, its boats, atvs, mini bikes, campers, RC cars you name it. When the lockdowns hit folks started looking for "hobby" toys and all of these things started selling for higher prices and it hasnt stopped. Yes there are still good deals to be had but as a whole the market is crazy lately.

 

Some people are just plain bat shit crazy though. They feast off of the rich and ignorant while a poor bastard like myself watches. I'll do without before I let my stupidity show and pay the ridiculous prices that some of the stuff I need is bringing. $1200 for the 4 pieces of trim around the top of the bed on my El Camino?? That's been hammered for 60 years with everything that's been thrown in the bed?! C'mon man! A fool and his money soon part ways. I'm no fool, I'll weld every hole and call it custom

 

Price a new carburetor- I dare you
They ain’t $300 anymore

 

Jeez, I can remember when a brand new 600 Holley was $60....

 

I know right! They're $225 direct from Holley I bought 2 recently, street warrior 600. Returns, but there's nothing wrong with them, their website says that it's 90% installer error and adjustment. I love them!

 

Funny thing is, when I was growing up I'd go to farm sales with my Dad. The cars that are very desirable now were junk then sold for nothing and nobody wanted them. They were just wore out old cars. Now what does a REAL henry ford 32 coupe sell for thats trashed. I still wouldn't buy it. Simply because I saw them when nobody wanted them. Can't bring myself to do it. yes I guess I'm weird. Lippy

 

I remember when Holley 3310- 780 was $50.00 and a set of 4.57 gears were $40.00. Should have stocked up.

 

Your not weird Lippy, but how much would you pay for an Isetta ?

 

It is a luxury market. There seem too be a lot of new players willing to pay more than what things are seemingly worth, and they drive asking prices up, and a lot of old guys at swap meets stuck in 1984. Sorry, I would pay 1984 prices too, and do often. It simple economics. I will not pay a high asking price on anything, but when I sell I am high. A 2000 dollar car can be found in a remote location, but by the time ,I buy it, and bring it to where the buyers are, Im in it for gas and other expenses, cost that people grumble about, but would still have to pay. For those who don't like high prices at swap meets, you are fools for walking away without making an offer. I low-ball, or make reasonable offers all the time, and get the parts, and naturally start high when selling. You may be surprised at what stuff sells for. I also leave and let my wife sell stuff. A holes are all over her thinking they can rip her off. She sells most of my worthless junk to fools because they think they are getting her. By the way, if you look , there are still realistically priced alternatives to everything, and free to. Lots of property being bought and old cars for pennies. And I have seen several 32 five windows for less than 10 grand in the last year, projects for sure, but realistic. Compared to most out there

 

Its not that your car is worth more, its that your dollar is worth a lot less.

 

I held out on 2 postwar cars in the last 5 years. Coulda sold either for just over 1/2 of asking too many times to recall. So what fuckin good do I serve a market where the rest didn't compare in quality and were priced the same or more than mine? To whom do I OWE AN OPPORTUNITY and further, WHY? You can bet your fucking Edelbrock block letter heads I'd have to pay up to get em. "Pickers..." "Barrett Jackson..." "TV shows..." Bullshit. Those shows exist because we do. "People only street race cuz them Street Outlaws shows..." but, but, but, I street raced decades ago, waaay before reality TV. Haters should dump it all and leave it for the rest of us. And guess what, I do a little jig-iddy-jig inside when I make money in this stuff. Not a spec of guilt.

 

A guy in Fort Worth offered me $2500 for this car. No engine, tires shredded, bent up and beat up