People selling cars......eBay, brokers, consignments, and such.....

So, I've been looking for a particular car for a while, and I'm starting to get serious about it. Serious enough to start contacting the dealerships and supposedly individual owners of cars I've seen listed over and over for more than a year on Craigslist. Also serious enough to be the high bidder on 3 different cars on eBay. Repeatedly, the same 3 cars. Checking out the seller's websites (if a dealer) and looking at the prices of the cars on CL, every single one is asking 40-50k without the cars ever moving. They just sit and get relisted.

Here's the typical exchange on eBay: The day before the end of the auction and bidding the car up to 20k or so where it stalls and I'm the highest bidder, I'll send a message to whoever has the car listed. I'm super polite: "Hi, I'm really interested in this car. I'm wondering if you wouldn't mind getting back to me after the auction has ended if by chance the reserve doesn't get met (I know it won't, but this is to be polite) and you end up not selling the car. Maybe we can work out a deal." That's what I send the first time. The response, if I get one at all, is usually: "If the reserve isn't met, we're going to relist the car. Have you seen what they're going for? You can bid on it again next time." I'll send back and politely ask them what they really need for it, with no response. Ok, round 2. I'll bid it up around 20k again, usually lower before it stalls. I'll send the same message as the 1st time. Generally this doesn't get a response at all. I'll ask them again after no response to get a hold of me after sending them my number and maybe we can work something out. Auction ends, start the process over. Again.....What are these guys thinking is going to happen? That there's magically going to be somebody who hasn't seen the car on eBay before and is going to be dumb enough to offer the 40k for it when it's only currently at 17 grand with 2 hours to go?

Now, the cars on CL and the like are fun to deal with too, and as I said, I'm only dealing on cars that I've seen listed over and over for a year or 2 in some cases, because, you know, I'd think they'd want to rotate the inventory and get something fresh in there so they'd be willing to deal a little. I'll message them: "Hi, I've been looking at your ____ car for sale. Very interested as I've been looking for one for a while, please give me a call at (my number) whenever you get a chance, and maybe we can work out a deal." Most times you don't get a response back at all. But when they do, it usually goes a little something like this: "Hi, this is Ben Dover from Ben Dover Auto Mart getting back to you about our _____" "Oh, Hi! Thanks for getting back to me. Give me a little info on the car, just the basics like how does it run, drive, rust, anything like that." "Well, we just got it in (it's been there a year or more). It's completely frame off restored, drives great, yadayadayada." (Seinfeld reference there). "I see, it sounds like a good car and something I might be interested in. I'm over/up/down here in Montana and would you be willing to send me any more pics? Have you got any room to move on the price?" "We've got all the pics we have on the ad. We're pretty firm on the price, have you seen what they're going for on eBay?" "Why yes, I have seen what they're getting bid to on eBay, I'm usually the high bidder on the cars but haven't gotten a deal put together yet." "Ahhhh, so you know what they're going for, then. And as you know, we're cheaper then what you've been seeing them going for out there. Plus this one just came in!" "Well, sir, I haven't really seen them go for anything. As I said, I'm usually the highest bidder and they're topping out at about 20k ......are you sure you don't have any room to move on price before we waste each other's time?" This sometimes ends in a "click"....... Once again, what are these guys thinking? You've listed the car over and over and over on CL and the like for years in some cases, with the car just sitting and getting lot rot. Do they think some jackwagon is just going to magically drop out of the sky and pay them 40k for the car out of the blue? That maybe I'm the magical jackwagon? (Don't answer that)....

Selling a car is tough enough. Trying to deal with someone and give them money is also surprisingly difficult nowadays, apparently.........

 

Sounds frustrating! I dont have patience for that.

I hesitate even putting my WS6 on ebay or CL just because of the drama. I hope to sell by word of mouth right now.

 

Well...you're young Lucas! Prices are definitely coming down. Right now, it seems like cars just flip, flip, and flip. More cars will come on the market in a few years. Hey...what's wrong with that new Shelby 350 'stang?

 

Not a damn thing wrong with it, Frank! If I was looking for something that could do everything that'd definitely be on my list. But, not my style. I don't personally own anything from this millennium ..... The Riviera's replacement is what I'm after now. I am definitely early in my shopping having not gotten my car sold yet (haven't really tried other then my ad on this forum). But, there's been 3 listed on eBay that look like good cars and if I can get the right deal worked out I'll put the Riv in storage and worry about selling it later on. I'm taking this whole deal as a sign it isn't time for the next car yet, but I'm ALWAYS looking.

 

Sounds like Barrett Jackson syndrome. Some of these sellers see someone with more money than sense over pay for a car and then assume they will get rich by finding a similar idiot.

 

No doubt. But these places are supposedly classic car dealerships and experts and a guy would think they'd be paying attention to what cars actually go for. Plus, when they relist their car on eBay right next to the other 2 guys relisting basically the same thing (I'm very specifically looking for only one year and model) in a different color over and over again, they'd get a clue they're all asking too much.

 

It is a wonder these places can even stay in business. There are buyers for cars out there, but people want a decent car at a fair market value.
Buyers aren't interested in paying someone else's mortgage or funding someone else's retirement account!

 

If you send your message with your phone number in it through Ebay they most likely block the number out or just block the e-mail going to the seller all together. .

 

I'm usually e-mailing them off their websites as I know backdooring ebay is a big nono.

 

Bro I hear ya on that
When I found my son's car I also asked for a bunch of underneath photos when ever he had time and 3 days later I had a bunch of pics... I was in shock
I think it's just people in general now a days. No body wants to help anyone out there all a bunch of punks it seems like.
Take your time and the right ride will find you.
Also text me what your looking at shoot I'm interested but I think I know what it is.
Later man...

 

The sellers are the modern version of guys I used to see with the all billet/tuned port chevy/tweed interior cars-they’d have ‘For Sale’ etched into the glass. They’re not fishing to eat, they just like having a line in the water.
Patrick

 

Hey Lucas,
I think it's really hard to go backwards on a sale. Whether it be car, house ,bike etc.
Seems some resale places have just plain overpaid for the vehicle or trying to reel in the big fish on a massive markup.
Not sure if they can take a reasonable offer without a loss.

 

They won’t have a choice.
Especially with modern super cars being built that do most anything, except look cool. In many instances.
And easy financing on them.
The amount of classic cars and muscle cars available keeps growing and their are most styles for sale.
Prices peaked for most except mane the hens tooth optioned cars. I look forward to the coming years to find the Pontiac I always wanted.
Or a 50s Classic.
I bought a special order 2002 Camaro SS 2 years ago.
Amazing car. Older gentleman. Contacted me after Ebay mess of dreamers. Even one couple showed up to buy but got ugly to guy so he put back in garage.
He contacted me. Sent pics and price. We showed up w trailer n took home.
He knew the car like most every single car is a losing proposition and a labor of love to their owners.

 

Everything is cyclical. We are in a real good economic climate currently unlike the crashes of 2001 and 2008. This leads our sellers in question to think they, like the housing market, will always go up. So they just keep listing and hoping as they are making their "nut" on the things they are actually moving.
Be patient. Or not, because that is what the dealer or flipper wants is a buyer who has money to burn and no patience to wait out the good deal. They obviously aren't good salespeople and aren't interested in selling to you as they aren't contacting you even though you are providing them with the lead. They are order takers. And I really don't like buying from this type of seller.

 

They are all hoping someone from the Netherlands with deep pockets will come along...

 

"Have you seen what they are going for?"

Translation - "My asking price is ridiculous, I got it from the other internet ads for cars that have not sold".

 

'Zactly. As I said, it's the same type of car, listed by many different places, all asking within a few grand of each other, and none of them are selling, but they apparently keep copying each other. It's the blind leading the blind......one of the cars just listed on eBay again. Round 4 on this one.

 

Have you posted on here for what you are looking for? There are many helpful folks. More hands make for lighter work!

 

I don't know how these sales guys eat, the inventory at some places never changes and the overhead must eat them alive. I completely agree that the sales staff seem to be lazy and out of touch with pricing realty.

There is a large Classic Car Dealer in Central FL that advertises on Ebay, they change names about every 6 months so appear a bit shady, but have some decent looking inventory, in fact they flipped one of my old cars several years ago.

They had a nice 68 GS Vert for sale for over a year that they paid 20K for at a local auction, (I missed the initial auction), 3 days later they were asking 40K. The car ended up listed multiple times and consistently bid to the low - mid 20's, which for a nice 68 Convertible is probably about right. After a while the bid action started to decline as I assume people started to think that there was probably something wrong with it. Curiosity got me one day and I called to see what the deal was, turns out I knew more about the car than he did, he starts telling me that it was super rare and had a Hi-Po this and that, and basically he was full of it, asking price, $38.5, to which he thought was the deal of the century. I asked what he based that on as 68's typically do not pull the money that other years do and knowing these cars pretty well, I would be willing to work something out in the mid 20's, cash buyer, I'll drive over with a trailer and make a deal. I know that he has some detail and minimal transportation costs in to it so he makes a little and moves some inventory at a time of year when there are not many buyers.

Instead of countering or a polite no thanks, the guys gets huffy with me, lectures me on what I don't know, how ignorant I am about classic car value and essentially hangs up. Car was listed for at least another 6 months after that and finally sold.

I would rather do a deal with an owner any day vs these dealer types.

 

I've posted hints here and there, including my for sale ad. Most the "seekers" on here know what I'm after ..... Hard to explain but I think most guys know what I'm talking about when I say I don't want a bunch of guys out looking for "fear" that I'll HAVE to buy one now, if that makes sense.