qfeet77

Well that last deal fell through so if you all find any let me know!

RJRSW

The testing the waters ads just crack me up. What that means to me is they are saying that they have way overpriced the car and if they can find someone stupid enough to pay that much they may sell it.

There are two types of ads that I never bother reading any further on and they are the ones that I see "Testing the Waters" or "Price is Firm" listed in the ad.

I have bought and sold around 25 Vettes over the years and 3 converts in the last couple of years so I'm always a potential buyer if the right vette at the right price comes along. I'm never in a hurry but the money is sitting in my vette buying account and I am always ready to buy the next have to have vette convert.

vettgetsemwet

RJRSW, you sound like me, funny as hell when they have that "FIRM" price on there. I immediately disregard their ad at that point. It was much easier shopping for C5's and getting a deal it seems like but cant say the same for the c6's, i may have to wait til winter or something, who knows.

vettgetsemwet

was that the one you mentioned? the 2005 vert, higher mileage??

RJRSW

The only place I find the nice cars at decent prices is on Craigslist but you have to check the site once or twice a day because the decently priced cars sell quickly. I have found both C5's and C6's on there and do not be afraid to offer considerably lower than the asking price. I bought the 2007 convert with 2,751 miles a year ago for $5,500 off the asking price and my original offer was a grand lower than that.

The deals are there but you have to be diligent and quick on the draw or you will miss them.

c5goodlife

RJRSW,

You made out like a bandit on that one for sure!!!

qfeet77

Yes sadly... Well im going to end up selling my STI in the next couple weeks and will be driving my h2 around until i find a deal ..... 12 mpg

xlr8rvette

P M sent

qfeet77

Really appreciate that write up.

vettgetsemwet

I think I might have seen it all, Salvage title c6's still askin mid 20's, C5's still asking near $30's. I dont know if I'm still shopping for a corvette sometimes, more like shopping for a good laugh!

RJRSW

I have seen some pretty funny reasons that people explain in their ads to justify what they are asking for their car.

The one that I thought was the best yet was a guy that explained in his ad that the reason he had priced his 2005 vette $5k higher than normal was because when he bought it new the dealer had charged him an additional $5k dealer markup.

The other one that I see all the time as to why they are asking more is that the car they have is a rare color and very few were sold like it. The truth is it is rare because very few people liked the color or the color combo even though it was a no extra charge color at the time. It is rare because nobody wanted it and not because there is anything special about it. I'm sorry but the only vette that I can think of that is special that is white with a red interior is a 1953.

Qweklain

Could you forward that to me as well? (problems with high mileage C6)

Or qfeet77 could you send it to me?

Harry Marsh

agreed with your previous posts but disagree here
I am tired of the reasonably priced cars on Craigslist being silver, black or white

Try finding Nassau blue or atomic orange
I think, beyond mileage...it plays the largest factor


Of course...if you are speaking to someone claiming the virtues of a green car....I might again agree

RJRSW

I have found over the years after selling around 25 vettes covering the entire gamut from C1-C6 that the colors that were the most commonly chosen when they were new are the easiest and fastest to sell later as used cars.

I think why you see so many silver and black for sale is because they accounted for the lion's share of new sales so they become the lion's share of available used cars.

I personally have not found that color makes a big difference one way or the other in what the car sells for but the largest impact from color is the speed that it sells. Unusual colors require special buyers.

When I'm looking to buy I usually am open to just about any color as long as it is a convert, I never buy coupes. When I was looking for my C6 convert I looked at a lot of different color cars and ended up with the Lemans Blue 2,751 mile 2007 convert because the car was like new and the price was good. I'm far more interested in the car itself than the particular color. The only exception is I personally do not buy later model vettes if they have a red interior. The vette salespeople I know refer to the red interior as "No Sale Red".

vettgetsemwet

that's funny as hell man, gotta love it.

dantey

make sense to have a higher turnover if there are more buyers/sellers for the colour. i totally agree with the "unsual" colors. i am looking for a yellow vette, but have noticed that even with the lesser supply of that colour, there is also a lesser demand. looks like i will open myself up to a larger variety of colours, thanks for the change in prespective!

what is your reasoning for not buying a coupe? what about the two tone, red/black interior, is that a turnoff for most buyers?

RJRSW

The coupes are noisier and even with the top removed they are more like a sunroof on a car than a convert. Red in the interior on late model vettes is a turnoff to the vast majority of buyers and very tough to find buyers for them.

Out of the 25 vettes I have owned only 5 were coupes. The first was a new 63 split window that I bought because of the novelty and hated driving that car it was noisy, hot and could not see out of it and traded it for a 64 convert after only 6 months. The second was a new 67 AC coupe and thought that would make it OK but got rid of it in the fall of 67 and got a 68 convert.

The next and last three were a 78, 81 and 84 during those 10 dark years when no corvette converts were built. Since the 84 they have all been converts. To me the convert is the only true corvette feeling and I guess that came from my first two vettes a 1953 when I was 17 and next was a 1957 fuelie which I wish I would never have sold to by that horrible 63 split window, biggest mistake I ever made.

My two favorite vettes were the 1957 and the 2007 convert I have now which gives the closest overall feel that I had in the 57.

dantey

Are your two paragraphs related above? If so, I have to disagree on being quick on the draw and asking $6k off the asking price.

The last two cars that I purchased were a "deal" because the seller was just tired of waiting and wanted to sell the car. I was definitely not their first customer.

I have also noticed that the last few corvettes that sold quickly (under 1 week) were sold very close to the asking price. The original asking price was a fair reasonable price ($1-2k above market value) and hence it sold quick.

But unfortunately for the majority who list at 5-10k above market value, it is a waiting game until the seller is tired and lets it go or the buyer gives in. I dunno what happens more often, but the reality is that the upperhand always favours the buyer, as cars are a depreciating asset.

RJRSW

You have to be diligent and quick because the good cars that are priced well sell quickly but I do not just dismiss good cars that are overpriced. I just offer what I feel I would be happy paying for them and stick to it. The last two I bought at $3k and $ 5.5K off what they were asking had just come up for sale and the 2007 was only advertised one day.

I let the people know if they accept my offer they can have their money in an hour with no delays and that the offer is only good if I do not find another car before they agree to my offer. Most people find very quickly that the people who will pay the top dollar will do that because they want to trade something or want to have them carry the financing.

dantey

impressive! how does the money in an hour happen? are you trusting enough to wire them the money before seeing the car in person? or is that an offer made in person?