Seems to me parts prices are rapidly going up and car prices rapidly going down. I'm no brain surgeon but a single 32 sedan front seat for 1000.00 or a very rusty 3 window seat pan for 1000.00 seems a little excessive? I know the theory about supply and demand but really?
I agree--parts are getting too pricey and some near impossible to find. Car prices are all over the board as well but good ones still seem to do ok.
Parts prices are high because lots of guys are hoarders who love their treasure.IF they part at all its at a dear price.Once they are gone their grow kids often throw it all away to clean the place up for sale.We would all be ahead to sell something at a reasonable price to get the part back out on the road.
As long as people are willing to pay the skyrocketing prices the parts will continue to escalate, I remember what Randy Nash (Deuce Roadster) use to say -You NEVER pay too much for 1932 Ford stuff You just bought it too early. HRP
People can ask whatever they want for a part. That doesn't mean thats what it will sell for. Don't pay their prices and the prices will come down to a reasonable selling price.
I saw the ad for the $1000 front seat!! Wonder how much it would have been if it had the adjuster? I'll sell the pair in my sedan for that, and they even have upholstery.
I always figure that there is that certain group of would be sellers that figure they are going to get rich off the ol car Rubes and hope that someone is desperate enough for a specific part or tired enough of hunting for sai part that they are willing to pay beyond premium price for it.
now that im retired, im finding out fast this stuff is getting out of my pay grade! the nice roll and pleat, is turning into a Mexican blanket!
It really is hard to hoard , you run out of room. Myself , I like the hunt of parts gathering and enjoy looking at my parts especially if the have a story , rare or just cool pieces . Prices are a befuddling conundrum because you want a fair price as a buyer or seller so you can keep on doing what you love. When a seller gets an high premium, others think " well my part is just as good or better" . If you price say a nice original pair of '32 Ford fenders at half of new repops is that fair? Then you have resellers of cars and parts that try to bs you "it's not worth that" until it's out of your driveway then all of a sudden it magically increases in value. One of my most enjoyable experiences is with a good friend. We both are into swapping straight up for equal value and and are open and honest with each other ALWAYS. That is the same way I like to deal with all people. Unfortunately , you have to deal with cheats, liars and con men so that pisses you off dealing in this hobby.
Lastly, I don't expect to get rich off my hobby , I just want honesty with all people. I guess I am just of the premise that your either a good person or one I don't want to bother with .
I don't believe reproduction body parts fit in that chart though. Look what repro body parts, fenders, windshield frames cost at Brookville, Drake etc.
Guess you don't get it.....if there were no reproduction parts, everyone would have to bid on the original stuff.
Yup, just today I was at the swap meet in oliver, a "roadster project" priced at $5500, was nothing more than scrap bolted together to look like a car. Disappointing to say the least.
I get your point that if no repro parts then the sky is the limit on originals but repro prices on some body parts are not realistic.
Maybe, maybe not. The thing about repro sheet metal is what it takes to recover the cost of production, much less make profit for one’s effort. The higher the quality of the repro part, likely the higher the cost of development, tooling and materials. Then there is shipping, warehousing, advertising so you and I know it’s available, etc. and finally, there is volume of sales. How many pieces can be sold in a reasonable length of time? Because THAT is how the investment costs are recovered and price per part is based on how much does it take per piece at the anticipated volume to make this part worth producing? It’s really simple for us to sit at home with a magazine, catalog or on our computer and pass judgement on the price we see but have so skin in the game to really understand what it took to make it available.
Yea I got sticker shock walking thru the swap meet on Friday. Haven't been to one in quite a while . Glad I am a hoarder and can just grab from my own stash to continue building otherwise to build one from scratch and have to buy the parts now? I would need a job to pay for it.
My experience is that this has always been true. Not necessarily for nicely finished cars ....but beaters and projects can be worth more as parts. But I admit that I’m one of those who has been able to largely fund his obsession by buying and selling. Horrible person. Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Its funny. At present I am parting out 16 square cab trucks. I sell real nice tailgates for $1oo. I simply don't much care for the square cab chevys. I very rarely almost never sell any 72 & older parts.
Real nice,,,, with a little dent,,, just the aluminum trim will bring $150. A really nice OEM complete tailgate with all hardware and everything being nice will be priced about a grand
A jerk that had come by and visited with a friend later remarked, "That Mike is what they call a 'hoarder'..." My friend said, "Ahh, not so. He's just building 5 hot rods."
8 out of 10 comments about high parts prices are posted by lazy bastards who don't want to go out and find the parts themselves. Might mess up their manicures or something. Those types want to find everything with a computer. Just my humble opinion. The actual number could be lower or higher. Hoarder definition. See that a lot on social media including mention here. Seems to be as popular a tag as barn find. Anyone who has accumulated a bunch of stuff....purchased,by the way,by getting off their ass and going out to search and find...and will or will not sell is a hoarder. This comment is usually made by someone jealous that another person has stuff they wish they had but don't or by the type who thinks that if someone has items others need those items should be distributed for free or darn near free to get other cars on the road etc. Welcome to Socialism vs Capitalism. If you think the price is too high...don't buy it. It really is that simple. Go find what you need by networking,asking sellers at swapmeets for leads or good ol' fashion driving around talking to people and getting leads on stuff. That's how "hoarders" get what they have. They worked for it.
Parts prices have been a reason I believe is keeping many of the younger crowd from hobby. I also believe, and people hate the bastard term" Rat rod" for jacking up prices. I find going to swapmeets over the past two decades that this term has come into play as a method to jack up prices and move parts that otherwise would remain within reach of the average guy.
LMAO!! I sorta work hard at putting things together. That doesn’t leave a whole bunch of time to go hunting things down at reasonable prices,,, I could possibly shift sometime from productivity into procurement but that’s not where I feel most comfortable. My “man a cure” is atrocious so that puts me into those 2 out of 10 I think. I’m working with a guy who’s collected everything needed to put together a glass 34 3window. This dude has got connections and been into cars his whole life and been collecting parts for this one for 12 years. He’s got 25k in paper work and a pile of stuff. New stuff and old stuff and everything except glass, tires and interior. He’s not a spring chicken anymore and needs help now, actually he needs someone to do it all. I want to help him but it’s looking like he’d be light years ahead financially to sell that pile and go buy a finished car that’s running driving painted and upholstered. It’s a funky situation and not sure there’s anyway for him to get his dream and fruits of his labor for driving, walking, networking, flipping over rocks, then storing and protecting and accumulating that pile.
High prices? Make offers on the stuff. Most often than not, people ask a higher price for their junk because they know that if they ask the right price, someone will still try to make an offer and lowball the seller which is what swapping is about. BUT, it can go too far. When I sell something, I always have a price and add "MAKE OFFER", on my junk.
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