z11375ss

I figure this has been posted ad nauseum but, BJ absolutely stinks. They have put less than desirable cars out of the reach of your average enthusiast. I hate the show and won't watch. Even with the mute on. Plain Jane cutlai going for waaay too much. Blech!

Rustbucket2

You are right. I use to buy parts cars for scrap price, now if they come with title you pay big time, because the owners see cars fixed up, going for 50000.00 , so there's must be worth 20000.00 as a body shell.

70-442-W30

I saw a hot rod Lincoln 650+ HP on there yesterday that didn't even reach $10k. Clear coming off the roof. Looked terrible. I was surprised they even let this in the auction. http://www.barrett-jackson.com/Event...R-SEDAN-184991

oldsmobiledave

Stopped watching 10 years ago. Sale prices have nothing to do with the value of the cars.

TK-65

Not true. Plenty of people have no idea what BJ is.

Everybody bitches about the prices but nobody here wants anything less than top dollar when its their turn to sell.

Koda

Yup, it's even on this board. $1500 dollars for a sticker.

z11375ss

We should call that the BJ effect. I just sold my Vette and knew what it was worth. I got a couple thousand less than what I desired but knew about where it would sell. Only the dealers and ignorant think of the pie in the sky numbers IMO. Their cars don't sell. I was looking at a pretty nice Cobra Torino. 65K? Are you nuts? That was a dealer.
Beside the fact their guys get details wrong all day long.

don71

I feel BJ type auctions have effected pricing but its not the only thing. I think the internet in general, has a larger more lasting effect on pricing. Its a double edged sword.

All things considered, this stuff was always available. Now it has more exposure,thus a larger buying base driving asking prices up.

edzolz

Got to blame some of it on the drunk bidders. Get caught up in the atmosphere and think they are millionaires

oldsmobiledave

And some of them are millionaires....

Koda

slantflat

Sure there are plenty of people who don't know what Barret Jackson is. But tell me how many in the car hobby don't know.

The nature of the game is to want to pay a little and sell for a lot. Many people go overboard on this notion. But I can point to two instances right off the bat that are a direct result of BJ. One, when the Amphicar went for 115 a few years ago prices for cars for sale privately shot up from 30 for a nicely restored to 70. They've come down a little but not to reasonable prices. For awhile there was a guy near me that couldn't give away a primer-black, ratty and mismatched 50s Oldsmobile. I think he wanted 3K. After a meticulously restored car like his went for something like 28 his next ad was, sorry you guys missed out. The price of my car is now 10K because one just like it sold for 28K.

No I agree whole-heartedly, the Barret Jackson "phenomenon" hasn't done the hobby any favors.

Rustbucket2

I know BJ is crazy money, but just don't blame them. What about car shows on TV that restore cars and flip them for crazy money, gas monkey! Wheeler dealer? Counting cars! Dallas Car sharks! and that's only a few.

59-59-59

And in other late breaking news... the sky is blue

Rustbucket2

not here, it's dark, and snowing

Local Hero

I agree that BJ has caused average cars to become unreachable. But I don't fret it. I quit watching it when Speedchannel went away along with their endless hours of BJ coverage. Now it's too hard to find it on TV. I don't get Velocity on my dish.

I really don't worry about the prices too much either. I don't sell my stuff.

Koda

This is one reason why I'd like to start an Olds buyers club. There's a lot of people sitting on parts that won't use them, and eventually the bubble will break as people die. It'd be cool to start something where people wouldn't rape each other on high prices, provided the buyer actually used the part.

TK-65

Its not 1984 anymore. These cars are not around in junkyards anymore and they are getting very hard to find in unrestored condition. And the internet has made it easier to sell and to find cars. Larger audience larger pool of money. Finding a buyer in Jerkwater USA is very easy now.

This is still a hobby that guys without a lot of cash can participate in. The cars have just got newer that's all. Muscle and Vettes were cheap in the 70s. Now they are not. T/As were cheap too, now they are not. G bodies were, now they are climbing. If you like Fox bodies, Id buy one now.

z11375ss

BTW, you have a VERY nice car.

RonFX

Guys:
I am not a player in the same league as some of you guys are. While I have been doing the body off frame restoration on my 66 Cutlass I've had since 1974, I have bought items from quite a few fellow members and have been treated very fairly with pricing, I've had to pony up for a couple of hard to find items, like a set of NOS in the box tail light housings and lenses and fan shroud w/ clips but where else are you going to find them. Given the choice of repop or original, I'll go with original every time. Some sellers hold out for the last penny, depending on the rarity. You have to remember that we are not working with Mustangs, Camaro's or 55 Chevy's, Oldsmobile's are one of the most smallest segments of this industry and therefore you just can't order a new complete repop car from a catalog. Do your homework, get to know the fellow members and you'll get treated fairly, at least I have so far.
Thanks, Ron

m371961

I agree that the boom in tv shows and auction has hurt the buyer. But I think the rise of keeping older cars on the road has created more availability of reproduction parts. That has helped the hobby and also the business of repair and restoration, and keeps less desired vehicles from the scrapyard. Yeah, it puts cars I would love to have out of my reach, so I just have to compromise. Yes, it bugs me over the number of people that can just write a check and know nothing about doing a tune-up or how to start a choke equipped car, but that's just how it is. And I never get tired of seeing a buyer over pay as in the case of the Amphicar.

Don R.

Please, give it a rest. I've been in the "Car Hobby" for close to 50 years and at a certain level it has ALWAYS been about money. Us older folks do remember the good old days when 60s muscle cars were dirt cheap but at that time they were only 8 to 10 year old used cars! The top end prewar classics were selling at auctions then for crazy money and all the people in that end of the hobby were complaining the same way. The other thing everyone ignores is that the prices of EVERYTHING have endured 45 to 50 years worth of inflation, look at the price of a new house or new car today compared to 1968. BJ and Mecum and the other auction houses did not create the problem but they have very creatively cashed in on it, its called good old US capitalism. Like it or not the days of finding a W-30 convertible in a barn and buying it for $500 are gone forever, time to quit complaining and move on.

rustyroger

Don't shoot the messenger, BJ and other auction houses are in the business of selling for a commission of the winning bids. I don't think they are going to discourage people from bidding because of the enthusiasts with only modest means at their disposal anytime soon.

Any item is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. If that means cars we want are priced out of our reach, that's just too bad I'm afraid. This may be galling if a car we like was easily affordable a few years ago but has moved out of reach now. In the past you couldn't give away big block powered cars, fins'n'chrome cars of the '50s, or further in the past, Model T Fords.
Now there are not many left, so the survivors command higher prices simply because they are rare. It's the law of supply and demand, quite possibly someday a 2016 Honda Civic will be a sought after collectible.

Roger.

BlackGold

You guys need to look at actual numbers instead of emotions. If you read the auction results for a particular auction in HMM you'll find the total dollar sales and the number of lots sold. Divide the former by the latter. You'll find that the average selling price at any auction is actually quite affordable -- despite the fact that a few 6- or 7-digit cars are distorting that average.

Stop looking at the top sellers where a few bidders got out of control. Most cars sell for what they're really worth, and some for much less.

slantflat

You're right, Brian, and everyone else, but it's the few top selling cars that the uninformed see, and they base their prices accordingly. And become difficult to deal with. Easy to say fine, I'm going to look at a different car, but sometimes that isn't so easy.

70-442-W30

The thing I'm disappointed with at BJ is that their marketing seems to be on the edge of reality on these cars. Yes, I know it is the seller's description that comes into play, but the use of certain descriptors such as "original" or "matching" are a little out of line.

To the average person it can seem like a car is 100% real deal due to the description, but may not be quite as special as it seems.

That Bronco II they had for the Boy Scouts was a real flop. Why would someone even make that? Please tell me they didn't seriously think it was going over $100k. Disappointing.

jensenracing77

I am mixed on BJ. There are drunk people with money there and I figure that is affecting the prices. Outside of BJ, A car is only worth what someone (likely sober person) is willing to pay. If it sells for that price it must have been worth it to the buyer.

On the other hand, It "IS" possible to be in the hobby if you can't afford a W-30 or W-31. It may take an understanding wife and a strong desire but it CAN be done. My work income can not support my Oldsmobile hobby, NO WAY NO HOW... I have to buy and sell parts and part cars and other deals to be able to afford my cars. Sure, not everyone can do it this way but if you have a desire to do something you will figure out a way if the desire is big enough (and an understanding wife)

F-85 4-4-2

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