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Does this markup seem outrageous?

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Old Feb 7, 2013 | 12:29 AM
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Default Does this markup seem outrageous?

I was looking at the Pro-team site tonight and I saw they have a whole bunch of new cars. I started reading the descriptions and some of them sounded very familiar. Eventually I realized these were cars sold at the recent Mecum auction. So I went to the Mecum site and checked out the prices these exact cars sold for.

It looks like each car I remembered is marked up at least $30-$35K. In one case the selling price was only $70K, which means almost a 50% markup.

Now I know a dealer who goes to the auction, buys the car, transports it back ought and resells it ought to make some money but these markups seem outrageous to me. Am I being a little naive?

Pat
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Old Feb 7, 2013 | 12:52 AM
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Capitalism. Buy low sell high. If you do not like the prices shop elsewhere.
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Old Feb 7, 2013 | 07:24 AM
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Originally Posted by vintagecorvette
If you do not like the prices shop elsewhere.
They're their cars now, they can ask anything they want. If you don't like their prices, don't buy from them.
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Old Feb 7, 2013 | 07:28 AM
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Originally Posted by gbvette62
They're their cars now, they can ask anything they want. If you don't like their prices, don't buy from them.
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Old Feb 7, 2013 | 07:38 AM
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Remember this is post Barret Jackson month so everyone thinks Corvettes are 100K+ cars.
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Old Feb 7, 2013 | 08:36 AM
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B-J is not about cars, it's a "my wallet is bigger than yours" event.

How else do you explain $4 mil for a GM Futurliner bus?
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Old Feb 7, 2013 | 08:40 AM
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I have watched that with interest as well. It's to be expected with all the fees, transportation costs they need to pay. Lots of overhead. They certainly aren't in business to lose money. I have always felt you can do better as a buyer dealing with a private party and a known history of the car.
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Old Feb 7, 2013 | 08:51 AM
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Originally Posted by capevettes
I have watched that with interest as well. It's to be expected with all the fees, transportation costs they need to pay. Lots of overhead. They certainly aren't in business to lose money. I have always felt you can do better as a buyer dealing with a private party and a known history of the car.
yep....

"there's seat for every azz and an azz for every seat".......
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Old Feb 7, 2013 | 09:07 AM
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I want to buy a '67 and '69 L88 for what people paid for them in the late 1970's, but that's not gonna happen.

and???
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Old Feb 7, 2013 | 09:09 AM
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Fundamental business economics: cost and price are totally unrelated.

It's only priced too high if it doesn't sell...

Harry
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Old Feb 7, 2013 | 09:21 AM
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Originally Posted by catpat8000
I was looking at the Pro-team site tonight and I saw they have a whole bunch of new cars. I started reading the descriptions and some of them sounded very familiar. Eventually I realized these were cars sold at the recent Mecum auction. So I went to the Mecum site and checked out the prices these exact cars sold for.

It looks like each car I remembered is marked up at least $30-$35K. In one case the selling price was only $70K, which means almost a 50% markup.

Now I know a dealer who goes to the auction, buys the car, transports it back ought and resells it ought to make some money but these markups seem outrageous to me. Am I being a little naive?

Pat
Well Pat, it sure seems high to me, but in all reality it probably isn't. All those costs add up, and then even with what I am sure is Pro Teams expertise you still wind up with a Lemon in that catch of beauties. Auctions are risky places. It costs so much just to keep your doors open at a business this days. Asking 70, settling on 65, paid 35, spent 3k on it with transportation and some detailing. "profited" 27K... enough to keep the doors open 2 weeks maybe 3, depending on the size of his staff.

A old friend of mine told me once, "I never make a penny selling a car, I made all my money when I bought it."
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Old Feb 7, 2013 | 09:30 AM
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Maybe for the cars quality they sold reasonable. Pro team sends a lot of cars over seas for huge dollars. They advertise here but sell there. They still want to buy private sale cars where they are available and never advertise they sell abroad. Follow the money.
What better way to raise prices than have fewer cars in the US available.
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Old Feb 7, 2013 | 10:05 AM
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Originally Posted by catpat8000
I was looking at the Pro-team site tonight and I saw they have a whole bunch of new cars. I started reading the descriptions and some of them sounded very familiar. Eventually I realized these were cars sold at the recent Mecum auction. So I went to the Mecum site and checked out the prices these exact cars sold for.

It looks like each car I remembered is marked up at least $30-$35K. In one case the selling price was only $70K, which means almost a 50% markup.

Now I know a dealer who goes to the auction, buys the car, transports it back ought and resells it ought to make some money but these markups seem outrageous to me. Am I being a little naive?

Pat
What if you go to an auction and buy a painting for a $1 that you feel is worth $100. When it was time for you to sell it would you ask $1.25 because you feel that is all the mark up that should be allowed?? How about the cars that Proteam bought before the market dropped in '08. Should they have expected to sell all of those cars at a profit because of what they paid for them? Proteam has been in this business a very long time. I think that they may know a little bit more about the values of these cars than you and most anyone else do.You don't even want to know the markup on products at retail stores. It is a lot higher than 50%
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Old Feb 7, 2013 | 10:25 AM
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Originally Posted by vintagecorvette
Capitalism. Buy low sell high. If you do not like the prices shop elsewhere.
They would not price them that way unless they had buyers. Many buyers will talk them way down off that final price.

Bottom line. They have customers willing to pay!
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Old Feb 7, 2013 | 10:27 AM
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Originally Posted by jrs 427
Maybe for the cars quality they sold reasonable. Pro team sends a lot of cars over seas for huge dollars. They advertise here but sell there. They still want to buy private sale cars where they are available and never advertise they sell abroad. Follow the money.
What better way to raise prices than have fewer cars in the US available.
America and it's products are at bargain basement rates.
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Old Feb 7, 2013 | 10:54 AM
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I believe the OP Pat is now getting educated on the subject...
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Old Feb 7, 2013 | 12:10 PM
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If you see Terry at a sale he looks at every car there and decides what he will pay for it, when the bidding starts he is in it till it gets to his price then he sits down and stops bidding. He knows what he can get for cars. Asking prices are just that, you never know what someone wants to trade or what they think it is worth so you have to act accordingly. He has been doing this a long time maybe he has it figured out.
Mark
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Old Feb 7, 2013 | 12:48 PM
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Makes me want to puke when I see certain people at these auctions. Just saying.
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Old Feb 7, 2013 | 01:00 PM
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Isn't it amazing how we all love capitalism- but only when it's working in our favour.
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Old Feb 7, 2013 | 01:06 PM
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Originally Posted by capevettes
I have watched that with interest as well. It's to be expected with all the fees, transportation costs they need to pay. Lots of overhead. They certainly aren't in business to lose money. I have always felt you can do better as a buyer dealing with a private party and a known history of the car.
A few weeks ago I saw a post on here about a C2 that had been wrecked and was pretty trashed. It had since been restored, which it looked good...but I believe BJ was claiming it was like in original or some kind of cool condition. I don't remember the specifics or anything, but it was a pretty scary thought to think that these guys and gals go out to buy really nice cars and yet while the C2 was nice...it appears that they were being less than honest with us.
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