I see most C4's for 12,000-15,000 on auto trader. Why do you see some here and there for 9,000 that have the same mileage and condition of the upper priced ones? They all claim to be in great condition, I don't understand why people list them for 9,000 ever.

 

Some people on autotrader are delusional The people on here are more in touch with reality and not to mention the fact that they rather sell on here to someone that will take care of their car as good as they did........just my 2 cents..

 

Because the ones listed for 12 to 15 aren't selling. 15 will buy you a pretty decent C5.

 

Autotrader is a joke for many reasons. Some cars have been there for 2 years. Half are already sold. They keep em on the site till you sell, problem is nobody removes.

Use place like this, ebay etc. to get real world prices and selection

 

I've noticed that usually the higher priced cars are sitting on dealer lots for whatever that's worth...

 

most of them are delusional too

 

Most?

 

It's like those jewelry sales around holidays. "normal retail diamond earrings 1000.00 on sale for 199.00"

Small print: Retail price may have not resulted in sales.

Plain and simple asking price does not equal selling price.

 

I noticed the same today, almost anything c4 is 10-12k, but there are some guys selling the same cars for 5k. I think it has a lot to do with forums like this, and stuff.
I seen hundreds that are nothing special priced in that range. Between autotrader, and car.com, and racingjunk.com, there are many.

 

I think location has a lot to do with it. I've said in a couple other posts that at least around here in the sticks of nw iowa finding a nice older vette in great condition is very hard to do because it just seems there's not that many around and those few that are for sale are priced near the high end. I actually did find mine on autotrader last year from a private owner in west omaha and as usual I bought it right before the "market" started going down. But it's paid for and it's mine and if I ever did need/want to sell it...which I hope never ever happens I'm sure I could get a decent price for it around here. I suggested in another CF members thread that a few of us in the sticks should get together....hit all the CL ads out west and haul those bargains back here for some tidy profits. Last summer there was an 87 for sale in town. Black/blk interior with REALLY crappy second paint job, seats and interior were darn near destroyed, tires/brakes shot, 105K miles and it needed several things fixed just to make it run decent. Seller had a "for sale" sign wanting 5500 "firm"...car was gone in two days.

astepup said that

 

Exactly right, for example: http://sanantonio.craigslist.org/cto/1726773912.html For the regular consumer who is not fixated on a C4 specifically, they can get a great C5 for that kind of money - years newer and with not so many miles.

The C4's being listed for $12k to $15k will likely have their seller renewing their vows with their car - rather than closing a sale. Except for the ZR1, Grand Sport, B2K, and other special C4's, it is the $9k and lower priced C4's that are finding new owners.

Thomas

 

+1

yeah

 

People asking more trying to raise the value of the c4 that is a good thing.
c3 is a less of a car yet it brings in big bucks.

As long as people give away c4s and those 6k and under prices c4's values will never go up.

So i praise the people who ask what they are really worth.

 

Opinion.

I think scarcity and condition push those prices...

JMO

 

It's not what the seller is asking...it's what the buyer is willing to pay and what the seller is willing to accept that determines the price of a car, or anything for that matter. Very simple supply and demand. The seller can't control the price unless he can control the supply and DeBeers couldn't even keep that up.
I think what Asetpup said is right on. Where there are more they are cheaper and where there are fewer they are more expensive. I've noticed that out in California they have to give these things away while in more rural areas that I'm from some of these cars are still considered exotic and therefore fetch a heftier price.
The condition per-se isn't even what determines the price...it's how many that are out there in the same condition that really causes those values to fluctuate.

-Adam Smith said that

*sorry to steal your tag-line astepup

 

Will there be all this drama in 10 years with C5s haha

 

Any car from the 60's or 70's is less of a car, but it is irrelevant to the price. People buy them because of a passion. The C4 is too new and still reasonably sophisticated. So it is priced based on a value comparison to newer cars. With C5's dropping, C6's dropping, and "new" undelivered C6's still sitting on dealer lots from 2 years ago, prices plummet. No one has nostalgia for a C4 (yet) to pay more for it than they could get a C5 for.

Maybe that will happen with time, maybe it will never happen. I don't think history necessarily repeats when it comes to cars. Any plain old sedan from the 50's is collectible and worthy of preservation. I really doubt in 30 years anyone will be trying to preserve a Chevy Beretta the way they would a 2-door Bel Air.

 

Even in America, good old supply and demand is not so well understood. It simply does not matter how "much" of a car it is - but it does have a lot to do with what the buyer likes. Like it or not, you cannot change the fact that buyers are willing to spend more on C3's and earlier - or C5's and newer. There are simply too many C4's still in existence vs. market demand. More need to go to the graveyard, and I'm willing to bet that the C4 will end up with oine of the lowest survivor rates vs. any of the other generations - its practically impossible to replace a C4's frame structure when damaged. The newer generations offer the driving experience that more people like. The marketplace will pick winners and losers no matter what we individually like.

Thomas

 

I once said the same thing about the...
Gremlin
Maverick
Pacer
etc...

people want these now. Who would have thought these would have the desirability they have today back in 1979?
Point is you can never tell what is going to be collectable. I saw 2 Pinto's at a show a few weeks ago. PINTOS!!lol

 

I never thought of myself as delusional, but it would take a solid $11,000. to get my baby out of my garage. JMO
Chuck