Best route to sell a car?

I will probably need to sell a barn find ’32 three window coupe in the Southern California area to settle an estate later this year. It has minimal rust and is fairly complete except it is missing engine and transmission. My guess is that it will bring about $40K. What is your opinion of the best route to sell it? Of course I will arrange for people to inspect it and all of the parts that go with it. I will have a detailed write up and lots of digital photos. Which of the following routes will maximize the dollars for my friend’s widow?

1 Advertise the heck out of it and take the best offer at the end of a 2 month period? Don’t open the bids until after the two month period is over. State that I reserve the right to reject any and all offers. The 2 months is to allow the ads to go into magazines and newsletters which have their cut off dates. Advertising would be in the V8 Times magazine from the Early Ford V8 Club as well as their web site, the news letters of all chapters of the Early Ford V8 Club within 500 miles, MAFCA and MARC National magazines and their web sites, MAFCA and MARC local clubs within 100 miles, bulletin boards of local antique Ford parts suppliers, HAMB, fordbarn, AHOOGA, Hemming’s, Street Scene (NSRA magazine), LA Times newspaper. Have I missed any places? I would like to get a little bit of competitive bidding but short of EBAY or holding my own auction I am not sure how to handle it. Maybe a pre announced “best and final offer” with the top three

2. EBAY? Using EBAY would limit my ability to advertise in the places listed above but the open competitive bidding might make up for it

3.Professional auction companies? Does anyone know of an auction company that deals with cars in this condition or have comments on auction companies?

Charlie Stephens

 

Ebay seems to bring the highest dollar but that comes with costs and tension, as everyone has a different idea of condition. Documentation needs to be corrent in every detail (VIN on frame and title, etc) to bring good money unless everyone involved accepts something less (unusual). Auction companies will promise the moon today, but seldom deliver it-their business is shrinking. Most everyone that is interested at an auction wants a deal, and a live auction only gets exposure to those present. If you can determine a value you are comfortable with, just advertise it and avoid the tension. A 3 window should bring lots of action if it's in decent shape. The market really isn't what it was a couple of years ago, even for the best stuff. Put it in the classified here and on Fordbarn for what you want and see what happens-it only takes one person that wants the car to make it sell.

 

""1 Advertise the heck out of it and take the best offer at the end of a 2 month period? Don’t open the bids until after the two month period is over.""

no one will make a high offer on a car without a price. set your price, advertise it, sell it. I wouldn't make a bid and wait 2 months to see if I got the car.

2. EBAY? Using EBAY would limit my ability to advertise in the places listed above but the open competitive bidding might make up for it

how would ebay limit anything?

 

EBAY would not limint your ability to reach anyone..As soon as it comes up the whole world will know it's there.......Or we could cut to the chase, i will give 20k for it today and save you all the hassle..

 

I have had success with C-List & Ebay.

 

I would take the 32 3W to the Pomona Swap meet or the LA Roadsters show in 2011.

Lots of folks and I saw one similar to the one you describesell for almost 60 grand recently ... AND ... I believe the price of Henry Ford Deuce 3W's are down a little from 2 years ago

 

eBay I think only charges a flat $200 if a car sells on there now since they were having a hard time getting listing for high dollar items like cars, etc.

 

I should note that Craigslist is a pain in the ass. Worse than Ebay I think when it comes to cars. Most people just call to tell you they had one before or if you live more than 15 minutes from them, it is too far to go to look at it. I always wondered why people would think driving 45 minutes is too far to look at a car. Especially if it is an old car that you don't see all the time. Also, get ready for no-shows. And the ones that do will point out every flaw. I always tell them to ask and I will show them all the flaws. I don't need them to point them out to me. I know my cars and what I am selling.

I should add that I currently have some 56 Chevy parts on C-list for sale. Last night I had a guy call and ask what all I had. I told him and he was interested in a speedometer. VERY interested he said. He asked my price, I told him and he told me he did not have any money anyway. So why F'king call?? looking for a donation?

 

Sold lots of old cars on ebay, a few in Hemmings, a few on CL. Ebay definitely gets the biggest market exposure and least hassle of the three options for you, IMHO. Ensure you have a clear, truthful description and a crapload of pictures showing every aspect of the car.

 

That's why you don't list your phone number. Just let them respond by craigslist e-mail and it cuts out alot of the bull shit phone calls. It might take a little longer to sell that way but it sure beats having to deal with alot of idiots.

 

eBay the first four shots are completely free, after that they bang you for $50 up front. That's because they know most of the time it takes about six or eight times to get a sale with all the idiots on there. There's a fee of like $125 on a successful sale on the first four listings, then after that no charge.

A car like that is probably best sold via a well-advertised professional auction, though.

 

Nope I'll always list a phone number. Can't access personal email at work and if you can't check email, you may miss a chance at a sale. You gotta put up with the flakes. No way to get around it. Plus, I have recieved emails and told people to call me but they just keep sending emails. Nothing drives me more crazy than 20 emails from someone when they can just make 1 call and get all the info.

 

Or FREAKING texting. What the hell, just call.

 

List it on ebay to determine a ball-park value. You'll get a really good feel for value there. EVERYBODY, dealers, speculators, and run of the mill people in need of a deuce will be watching it every day. EVERYBODY.

Put it on a reserve that is about twice what your educated estimate of value is. When it don't sell, re-list it with no changes. Then with that information, you'll have a good feel for what you are willing to sell it for. After about three times on there, simply don't re-list it. Instead, use the "second chance" offer function to contact all of those that bid in the original listings.

A deuce is an investment. The price simply isn't going down. Come up with a firm number, put it in storage. It'll sell in a year or two if your price is right. If it's blue sky, it won't.

 

If you can figure this one out, let us all know. I have had my 38 Chevy up for sale for over a year. I have tied Ebay, CL and a couple vintage auto pages. It is on Hot Rod Hotline right now. Been there 6 months and only had one call the first day it was on. And yes it is on the HAMB. Lots of stupid trade offers from CL but no cash out there I'm told. It's priced right but I will not give it away unless it goes to one of my kids someday.

 

Post it in the Classified section here?

I've sold some high-dollar motorcycles on the Bay, but it's not always a piece of cake. It's great for reaching an enormous audience, but you also run the risk of dealing with a complete schmuck/fraudster, and the great mystery of if you'll ever collect the money, and when.

That said, with that kind of vehicle, you'll probably receive a plethora of messages from potential buyers looking to buy it off the Bay. One of them will surely pan out.....as would selling right here on the Greatest Traditional Hot Rod Site on the planet!

 

I've done well with EBAY and continue to do so. If you don't like a bidders feedback, cancel their bid. You can't beat the exposure for a few dollars that it costs you.

 

As a HAMB classified's moderator I see high dollar goods sold every day...some stuff I think is wildly overpriced still sells. Plus, it reaches over 100,000 people who live and breathe hot rods and old fords. And it's FREE!!!! No fees, charges or percentages paid out. No charges to advertise here either.

 

Put a price on it see what ya get...if it doesn't sell it's overpriced.

That open to offers for two months deal is a pretty dumb idea BTW....

 

I think the 'multiple auctions' at ebay idea sounds best - after a few auctions you can see what the bidding will top out at. Don't disclose the reserve to anyone.

Look at the best ebay car ads - they have tons of pictures (externally hosted), not the 24 you are limited to on Ebay. So set up a web site (hosted at googlepages perhaps) and shoot pictures of everything. And when anyone asks a question, you can shoot another picture and add it, and add to the description.

Also don't allow one-on-one or two-on-one inspections, always have another person or two with you keeping an eye on things, both for anti-theft and anti-robbery purposes.

 

Good point;
In today's world a deuce can be acquired and parted out in a couple of hours, never to see the light of day in it's present form.
A .45 in my pocket when I'm showing high-dollar stuff, never at the garaged location. Meet the prospect at the local Walmart parking lot. Take a couple of friends along to loiter close by. No un-accompanied test drives, license of the guy that's driving in my pocket, friends following.

 

bad advice. why would you not want to tell someone how much you want?

 

....and a tin foil hat. don't forget your tin foil hat

 

Here's the deal I discovered with craigslist. People are using craigslist as a work at home job creating email and phone lists in excel and providing that to a company for $8/hr. What better source than craigslist to provide fresh info for your job? I see ads posted in the part time jobs section looking for people to do this work. I flag them all the time.
So all they want is for you to respond either email or phone and it seems they must get bonus points for a phone and street address.
I listed something for free and it was amazing to see all the ways they tried to get my info. In the ad I asked them to send me their number then I call from a blocked phone and meet in a store parking lot.

 

As its for an estate I presume you will want to get the maximum dollar out of it for those involved rather then having a primary purpose of helping out a member here which is totally cool by the way in my view.

How do you achieve this well eBay is probably a really good indicator of current market prices but there are a lot of old cashed guys who still arent internet savy. Its a tough one that's for sure but may be still your best bet. Obviusly it would be great if it went to a HAMBer too : )

Good luck with this, no one else has said this yet - I dont think, but full credit to you for not scooping this up, flipping it and keeping what could have been a very healthy profit.

 

I can't access personal e-mail at work either but i would rather deal with e-mail than deal with fucking idiots on the phone. If they want it they'll deal with e-mail. Only then will i give them my phone number. Nothing drives me crazier than to have some jerk off ask me the same questions i have listed in the add. After he's already called three times and has never even came to see the car.

But whatever works best for you.

 

it wont sell here ! unless you want to deal with the 32 ford idiot squad !

 

I listed my 1951 Convertible here for a month for $7500. Put it on ebay, and had it sold in 7 days for $7900. It cost me $150 (listing, 24 pictures, and final fees). Buyer was in Poland, and has already wired me all the funds. Scheduling a truck to pick it up now.

Be realistic. While many here may HATE Egay, we all search it, and regularly.

Charles

 

The first thing you need to do is decide if you A) want to sell it, or B) want to get absolute top dollar for it. Deciding that first will make your next steps clear.

If it's "A", spread the word on sites like HAMB that you have a 32 for sale and name what you feel is a fair price. Obviously, cheaper sells quicker. Be realistic.

If it's "B", throw it on Ebay and let people have at it. The bad part of this is you may have someone "buy" it, only to disappear and not follow through with the transaction. Ebay is a pain.

You should do a little research on your own, talk to the widow about what you feel is a fair price, and then price it to sell. If she's happy, and you both feel you got a fair price, why worry about "top dollar" or if someone else would have given you more?

Just my $.02. Good luck.

 

49ratfink; Why would you comment on something you aparently know nothing about? On the ebay auction the reserve is hidden for a purpose, to garner bids. People interested in bidding understand that. People intersted in the item also understand that they must put their money where their mouth is. Not disclosing the reserve is how that kind of auction works.