JowettTalk

I think Chris has touched an important point about the buyer and the club. If the buyer had contacted the club, would he have been well advised not to bid so high? And since it takes at least two to drive the bidding, what about the second, losing bidder who drove the price up? Was he ill-informed to bid on it as well? Do we even know if anyone in the Jowett world bid on the car, or did we all pass judgment and dismiss it as unrealistic?

Someone placed the value of the car far above what the people posting here felt was adequate. That could be for all sorts of reasons not necessarily tied to the all up price of purchase and restoration.

I think KC mentioned that if the values of the cars do not ascend to the point where they are worth the investment to restore, they will disappear to the scrapper's yard. Perhaps it is a good thing someone outside our group placed a higher value on the car than we ourselves might have thought.

One thing we all have to remember is the massive number of ebay sales that fall through when the buyer actually sees the car. Just see the huge numbers of "relisted due to timewaster" adverts for the same car a few days after the auction ends.

Many will bid in order to simply get first refusal, turn up and then start trying to find fault with the car. Ebay is really bad at dealing with buyers who don't turn up, haggle after a deal is done, very much a buyers market in terms of contracts and support from ebay.

If I was buying a car like that, I think I'd have done enough research to at least join the club and see what cars are available, at what price, perhaps this car has sold to someone who is involved with the club - hopefully the increased price hasn't hit them too hard.

Perhaps it seems we are undervaluing our own cars - many will remember sales from several years ago as their yardstick for current values.

Jack.

Jack has made some good points in relation to E Bay, however - I have bought and sold many vehicles over the last 30 years, some through private adds, a few through dealers and a large majority by auction - I would not really buy a vehicle via E Bay - but selling via E Bay takes some beating - it is very cost effective - I have always acheived top money - better than expected in most cases and never had a sale fall through - that said I have always described whatever I am selling to the last speck of dust.