LATELY I have been wondering what it takes to sell stuff online. I have posted vehicles and parts on kijiji and the last few years on FB Marketplace sites. Thanks to idiot governments and ‘plan-demics’, things have been less than predictable. The fact is that when you sell goods that are ‘wants’ rather than needs, you are at the mercy of circumstances.
ELSEWHERE on this website you will see a listing of a RUST-FREE 1975 Monza 2+2 that had an interesting start to life, a decades long hibernation, and would be described as a barn find if the fellow I bought the car from wouldn’t have lost his home to foreclosure. It has been posted on some buy and sell sites and has been treated with respect as most knowledgeable people know the value of a rust-free body as opposed to spending thousands on body restoration. The last time I posted the car on one of the project car and parts sites, one idiot left a comment questioning the position of the decimal point on the asking price. From there, a collection of trolls piled on disparaging the car- none of them having looked at the car in person. The takeaway here is that if the vehicle or price doesn’t suit you, move on.
AFTER having seen many a Barrett-Jackson priced pile of rust dug out from some rural tree line, I am seriously thinking about revising my pricing structure to reflect the times. If you have been following this website over the years, you would know that I tend to list vehicles at the actual SELLING PRICE , that is, the amount of money you would have to pay to leave here with a vehicle on your trailer. NO B.S. jacking of the price so you can beat me down on the negotiation. AS I have said in the past: Your 50% offer implies that I am 100% overpriced. That’s not how I roll.
HOWEVER, there is also the school of thought that goes: “If something appears to be too good of a deal- it probably is.” Which begs the question: am I pricing my vehicles TOO LOW? Recently, somebody near to The Chrome n Rust World Headquarters offered a collection of 1968 Oldsmobile Cutlasses- the asking price was $3500. each. Charitably, all but one car could be described as ‘parts cars’. Maybe you could combine the cars to make one project car that needs a ton of work. One the other hand, I am offering an Olds Vista Cruiser with a complete parts car for $1500. If someone is asking $3500. for a pile of shit, what does this say about what I have for sale?
IF I am indeed behind the times, it looks like things are going to have to change. So, for all of those who have been kicking the tires, and not stepping up, sorry. Businesses that don’t adapt to the times go the way of the dinosaur.
Leave a Reply