<VV> Best way to sell a Vair on Ebay?

[Eric S. Eberhard]

Wow!  Say what you really think :-)

I have found that the best way to sell on ebay is to have TONS of 
information and TONS of pictures.  It does not matter if all the 
information is good ... it need not be ... it should be complete and honest.

I bought a wagon that when I went to pick it up the seller said it 
was running poorly due to poor gas.  A quick check indicated that the 
engine was blown.  However, I wanted it because it was full (trunk 
and rear) of NOS parts.  I took all the parts out, washed and waxed 
it, took 50 pictures (not 2 or 3 like most people), and wrote about 
10 pages of text describing everything in detail (I actually made a 
web page on my server).

For engine condition I put "previous owner stated that engine was not 
running well because of poor gas.  In my opinion the left head (at a 
minimum) is blown.  Gas and air blowing out the left carb is enough 
to blow the air cleaner off.  I would count on a complete rebuild 
including new heads."

I sold the car for 4 times what I paid for it, I sold half the parts 
for twice what I paid for the car, and I got to keep the best of the 
best parts for myself.  And the buyer could hardly complain about the 
engine condition!

The key was the completeness of the information, making bidders 
confident that they know what they are getting.  Putting the bad out 
with the good (I took closeups of the few minimal dents) in detail 
also gives the bidders a sense of confidence that they are getting 
what they expect.  And bidder confidence leads to higher price every 
time.  Note I did not get a single question -- just bids.

I have actually sold half a dozen Corvairs on ebay (and purchased 
five) all with good results.  One I got $700.00 for I put "not worth 
saving for parts and not worth fixing and not reliable enough for a 
driver" -- I was expecting 100.00 and someone to remove the car ...

Good luck!



At 10:39 PM 11/29/2005, you wrote:



>Hi Matt,
>
>What seems to work quite well is pumping the hell out it.  Say all the right
>things and take pictures that emphasize all the good points and avoid at all
>cost anything negative.  When asked by sellers if there are any negatives,
>say there are none.  Perfect, drive it anywhere etc.  What you want is to
>hook the buyer with your clever phrases.
>
>When the buyer shows up and looks it over, if any of the negatives are
>discovered, claim you forgot to mention it.  It slipped your mind.  Continue
>to smile, act like you are doing the buyer a favor.  Being a fellow Corvair
>enthusiast helps immensely even if it ruins your reputation in the long run!
>Remember the #1 goal of getting as much for the hunk of junk as you can.
>Remember, unless you volunteer a bill of sale including a warranty the buyer
>can't do a thing once the money is in your hand.  It's buyer beware on used
>cars sold by a private party!  Make the most of it!
>
>Hopefully by smiling and professing to be a fellow Corvair enthusiast just
>wanting to pass on a good deal to another Corvair enthusiast, the buyer will
>be totally disarmed and infatuated by their errant purchase.  This technique
>works well in getting a buyer to forego any thorough inspection.  Make the
>buyer want to trust you! (Big Grin)
>
>Happened to me when I bought UV #299.  Fell in love with the vehicle and all
>rationality went out  the window until I started driving it home.........
>
>
>Dan Kling
>
>1961 Greenbrier Deluxe, 4spd, 3.89  On the Road Again,  yeehaw :)
>1963 Spyder, restored   4spd Saginaw
>1967 Ultravan #299  Newest of the herd!! Almost killed me already!!
>
>
>http://photos.yahoo.com/duchesskyra
>A few pictures of the Greenbrier, more to come!
>
> >
> >I've never purchased anything.....just watch.....
> >
> >Seems like an awful lot of unrealistic "reserves / 1st bids"  at the
> >moment....
> >
> >Even an opening bid of $1,000.00  seems to turn away bidders....
> >
> >Matt Nall / Patiomatt / WCUH / Mr. DeckRug
> >69 Monza Cpe., 66 Monza vert, 65 Crown v8 Cpe.
> >Somewhere between Reno, NV and Coos Bay, Or.
>
>
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Eric S. Eberhard
(928) 567-3727          Voice
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