I just received my new addition of Corvette and Chevy Trader.It seems that the majority of the C2's particularly the big blocks are in the hands of a few retailers.I know it's the American way to buy low and sell high,but it also eliminates many hobbiests from the market place.I am fully aware that some high end retailers pay the highest price and must make a profit inorder to pay for their overhead.There are those that would argue the price is dictated by the consumer and businesses are only taking advantage of the supply and demand of the market.In this case the supply is the big end retailer,and the demand is the upper end collector.This leaves most of the hobbiest who truly care about these cars unable to compete. Most of us can only watch from the sidelines and hope a market correction takes place.I do have a few collectible corvettes but if and when they go on the market big retailers need not apply! Maybe it's my inability to accept that it is no longer an individuals hobby but one run by a corporation dictating the laws of economics to the public.

 

Sad but true.

 

If you look at the bottom line: there were a TOTAL of 22,254 big block mid-years produced (including the "exotic" L-88 & L-89). Excluding the fact that many 67 sb's have been turned into bb's, there are (at most) 22,253 of those bb mid years out there ~potentially~ for sale (I excluded mine, or course... ) If there are more that 22,253 buyers looking for one, the price will rise, or one of those poor "hobbyists" is SOL. Considering that for some time now each and every year of Corvette production has exceeded that figure, it's no wonder they are in demand...

 

The issue isn't free enterprise it's the manipulation of the market by a minority on both the supply and demand side.[Intent of the article ]

 

its sad that they are turning this into a rich boys sport, not just with Vettes but with all muscle cars and hot rods, I remember after the first oil crunch that they were giving these cars away and that they found their way into the hands of people who loved them

 

It wasn't but a few weeks ago that everyone posting was licking their lips over the drunken high bids at the B-J auction.

So which is it? Will you want to get the highest price possible when you sell your own car, or do you plan to offer your car as a special bargain to the right card-carrying po' boy connoisseur? You know, a humble, common-man type Corvette owner who can't really afford to own a $30,000 toy but deserves to have one in a perfect world.

I think in most car sales the money will win out. That about sums up our true feelings, doesn't it? We do love to **** and moan about high prices when we have to pay them, but come time to sell.....

A friend who was selling his Corvette on eBay last year only got one offer acceptable to him, and it was from a dealer. So who's dictating the price in that transaction?

 

I dissagree with your assertion that large companies are setting the price of Corvettes. The buyers are setting the price Corvettes, pure and simple. If the demand was not there, then the dealers would not be getting the prices that they are. They are simply reacting to the market, and taking advantage of a huge price run-up in these high end cars to make a profit. I sold my Duntov 60 after Hershey 2 years ago and thought that I all but robbed the guy at gunpoint for it, but I sure wish I had it back. I could probably get $20-$30K more than it brought 2 years ago! I do not disagree that a lot of guys that want Corvettes are being squeezed out of the market due to price, but that is true any time you have a decreasing supply with a increasing demand. There are a lot of guys reaching the position of finacial independence who can finally afford the car they allways wanted when they were young. Don't look for this to abate any time soon! Unfortunately. a lot of these guys are very uninformed buyers, and tend to pay way too much for cars which may be misrepresented. If there is one item that can be most responsible for the rapid price run-up, it is the internet! A buyer now no longer has to settle for the cars that may be available to him in his city or state. He now has access to every Corvette for sale in the entire country. This makes almost every car sold worth more money since it will now probably be someones "perfect" car. This is not limited only to Corvettes, but is prevelant throughout the collector market of all items.
More potential buyers equals more sales and higher prices.

Regards, John McGraw

 

I think you hit the nail squarely on the head, John.

 

Most of us have been through many cars and then sell them off to make a few bucks. If you get one good car and just "keep it" and forget aboout what its worth. I personally don't care what its worth as i'm never selling it. I meet many people who can't wait to get there dream car and then they finally do and six months later they have it sold off. It blows me away. Some people are never satified. The turn over of cars is what making these dealers rich.

 

Don't include me in licking your chops types. My thoughts about price increases are related to the corporations collecting all the marbles and squeezing not just"The Po Boys"but all except a select few out of the game. Probably just my inability to cope with change,as I grow shorter,heavier,balder and more cynical.Can't help if I think of these cars as something more than a monetary commodity to be bought and sold to the highest bidder.Yea yea I know it sounds like BS while the bottom line is always the $$

 

I love my '64 small block. It needs work and I enjoy working on it. It will never be worth $100,000. Who cares?

 

The prices keep going up... just like inflation and health insurance. I would have to sell my house to buy a rebuildable 60, which is what I am looking to purchase. The good part is I have an extra 63 coupe to trade so I hope the loan doesn't get too high. Never thought I would be spending 2 grand on a side exhaust either.... but when it gets that far my common sense will bend and the walker pipes will make their way to the storage bin. One thing is nice..... every parts car in the nation is now getting restored. There is still room in the hobby and remember... the search is more exciting than the purchase. I just hope we don't run out of barns !!!!!!!

 

There are many things that I would like, but can't afford. So what if some can buy certain things and others can't. It is not only supply and demand, but also a fact of life. If you really want something bad you work to get it - that's free enterprise and the way it works in the U.S.
If you think a hobby is being ruined by too many big guys, then it's your choice to either work to be a big guy, or find something else. The people you describe as the big dealers or big guys had to buy the cars from someone in the first place. No doubt, almost all of them wanted to have the "big money" too, but chose to sell to them instead of someone else.

Many things go through cycles of ups and downs. So does supply and demand. It was at least 10 years from wanting my first Corvette until I could afford one, and was another 30 years before I could afford a new one (C-5). In that time the Corvettes both new and old increased a lot, but it didn't ruin the hobby and didn't deter me from working hard enough to eventually buy one.

 

Where were you guys in the mid/late '70's when you couldn't hardly get rid of a big block vet? Wish I would have purchased some that I passed on because of insurance and fuel cost.

 

HOLD ON NOW...sure the prices are going up, so are the prices for buying restoration parts, orginal restored parts, original unrestored parts, the price of body work, painting, engine work....I think you get the picture....and it goes on and on and one. Sure we do some of the work but not all of us are able ( because of time, work, or skill level) are able to do all the work ourselves. If you were to get a frame off restoration done, by one of the shops, it would be well over $75K plus the price of the car to get it to showroom condition...ok I am not talking driver condition.

Its still cheaper to buy a good top line Corvette then do the restoration yourself...beleive me I KNOW....

So the prices are going up, so is the price of gas, its just the world we live in. Have you taken notice of the C3's, they are increasing in value every day, especially the chromies... even the 76 Corvette has increase in value.

Its because a majority of the people rather buy a dream car then retire with the new Cadillac or Linclon Town Car... I guess in a way you could say the "Baby Boomers" are buying the muscle cars and Corvettes that we could not buy when they were new, we were either in VietNam, trying to get over Viet Nam, or having a family. Some were fortunate to be able to have the muscle car for a couple of years, but I would say most of us around then sold it in 1973 because of the Gas Shortage and bought Smaller more efficient family cars, then came the Mini-Vans and SUV's....

There are a lot of ways to look at this. The cars selling for high prices most likey had to be restored paying top dollar. Basic economics 101, Supply and Demand...Blame it on Regan.

But just remember, it just plain costs more to fix and maintain these cars today.

 

i seen more than one BB C2 get a SB transplant back then (one vert got a 283 2 barrel lol)......... you could pick up an "all there, but tired" BB C2 for ~2500$.

todays prices? it's simple supply and demand. the raw power and excitment of a hi-perf C2 BB is hard to match, so.....

 

66427-450.
"more than one BB C2 get a SB transplant back then"

That's exactly what mine was Oct '76.
One I passed on was a '66 two top vert, silver/black (new paint), 400 hp, 4 spd, AC, PS, PB, PW etc. Asking 5K.

 

The reason most are there, is because they make most of them. BB swaps bring more $$$$ when sold as originals. Just like the FI cars.

 

I sold my 64 327-365 vert for the outrageous price of $1700. I laughed all the way to the bank.........................in 1969 and go into the Marines.
Don

 

I have gotten to the point that I don't care where these prices are going. Most of us here on the C-1,C-2 forum are baby boomers in our 50's and 60's and should be thinking about the quality time that is left for each and everyone of us to enjoy our cars. This is how I have been looking at it. When I turned 50 years of age four years ago I set back and thought to myself how much quality time could be possibly left for myself since I was then only 20 years away from turning 70. Now I am only 16 years away. Think about it how many of us will still be driving our cars at 70 or even 75 if we even make it that far. My father will be 85 this year and I couldn't see him driving my C-2. I may not even make it to that age so who really cares about prices, we can't take it with us anyway but remember one thing. (HE WHO DIES WITH THE MOST TOYS WINS). Don't forget about that.

Fred