How do you get buyer to see the real value of his classic?

[Mr POD]

What pisses me off is people who have the car I want but think it's worth more than it is.

How do you insult them without putting thier backs up?

Now I might be wrong about the value, but I don't see people queuing up, and I have no problem with a buyer playing a waiting game, but I want to make an offer politely but firmly

Okay. The story is a low mileage car crops up miles away. Unfortunately it's an auto and has hand controls as well. I'd happily buy it and convert it to manual, which would cost about £300 max plus a weekend of removing skin. If it was a manual it'd be worth £800. I'm valuing it at £500, but he want 'four figures' - I think he means £1000.

So how do you make him see sense (Or at least completely change his mind) ?

[dibbers006]

Mr POD said:

What pisses me off is people who have the car I want but think it's worth more than it is.

How do you insult them without putting thier backs up?

Now I might be wrong about the value, but I don't see people queuing up, and I have no problem with a buyer playing a waiting game, but I want to make an offer politely but firmly

Okay. The story is a low mileage car crops up miles away. Unfortunately it's an auto and has hand controls as well. I'd happily buy it and convert it to manual, which would cost about £300 max plus a weekend of removing skin. If it was a manual it'd be worth £800. I'm valuing it at £500, but he want 'four figures' - I think he means £1000.

So how do you make him see sense (Or at least completely change his mind) ?

<Old Japanese Proverb> (Maybe)

'It is worth to him what it is worth to him.

It is worth to you what it is worth to you.'

[MrV]

You don't the seller thinks its worth a grand and will hold out for it ,he might change his mind a few months down the line or he might just hold on to it

[G'kar]

Is this 'classic' a MK2 Cav, perhaps?

[Murray993]

go back in a month and offer 400

[jammy_basturd]

Show him adverts of similar cars of similar condition and spec, and what they *sold* for. Regardless of that, the above posts still ring true.

[Chris_w666]

G'kar said:

Is this 'classic' a MK2 Cav, perhaps?

Would he buy anything else?

[Dracoro]

Why are you converting an auto to a manual? Gonna be a pig of a job.

Why not just find another that's a manual where the seller has a lower price.

Apart from that, maybe the "real" value IS £1000 and he may sell it next week. The "real" value is what someone will pay, you are not the only buyer in the market.

Offer what you are prepared to pay, if he declines, fair enough and find another example. You can't "make" him sell it for less than he wants to.

[princeperch]

With the greatest of respect, if it is an old Vauxhall Cavalier, why on earth would you spend anything over 50 quid on one? For a few hundred quid you could actually get something that wouldn't feel like you are punishing yourself everytime you drive it..

[Mr POD]

dibbers006 said:

<Old Japanese Proverb> (Maybe)

'It is worth to him what it is worth to him.

It is worth to you what it is worth to you.'

I understand why he would hole his opinion, and I understand why I hold mine, but I can't work out how to change his

[Heskey]

Mr POD said:

dibbers006 said:

<Old Japanese Proverb> (Maybe)

'It is worth to him what it is worth to him.

It is worth to you what it is worth to you.'

I understand why he would hole his opinion, and I understand why I hold mine, but I can't work out how to change his

A gun.

[Darkslider]

Very common at the moment with all sorts of cars, used car prices have dropped faster than sellers are wishing to believe. You will still find sellers asking over the odds for their Range Rovers, X5s and big luxury barges when in reality nobody is willing to pay that much for them anymore. A cars only worth what someone will pay for it, not what the owner wants.

As a separate example classic Impreza Turbos are frequently selling on Ebay for £1k-£2k depending on condition. Pretty sure this will be my next car even if their chav status is akin to that of a Cavalier

[dibbers006]

Mr POD said:

dibbers006 said:

<Old Japanese Proverb> (Maybe)

'It is worth to him what it is worth to him.

It is worth to you what it is worth to you.'

I understand why he would hole his opinion, and I understand why I hold mine, but I can't work out how to change his

It is a tricky situation. And frustrating knowing that they will probably drop the price in a few weeks anyway when they realise that no one is biting.

Maybe force the issue-

• Have cash
• Could drive it away
• Show other like conditioned vehicles etc
• Push that you are dying and need to spend your kids inheritance before its too late etc blah blah
• Mention the economy- R e c e s s i o n

Sensible people on a level mental plane to you will probably deal. If he doesn't see sense then you have saved yourself the hassle. PLUS, if you still haven't found anything else by the time he has dropped his price you can come back and waft an even lower price under his nose!

[Mr POD]

princeperch said:

With the greatest of respect, if it is an old Vauxhall Cavalier, why on earth would you spend anything over 50 quid on one? For a few hundred quid you could actually get something that wouldn't feel like you are punishing yourself everytime you drive it..

Ignore the type of car. It could be any 1985 family hatchback like a Nissan Bluebird, A Passat, a Volve 245, a 1.6 escort, could be a Montego HLS or Vandom Plas. It's not an SRI or XR3i - more ghia type spec. Might be a GLS or a CDi

It's one owner, with all bills, all MOT's, 25K on the clock and the original bill of sale includes the Hand Controls. The upshot is that it has NO RUST. The downside is that the interior is like your grandads armchair.

[scotal]

Classic Car >= £1000..... does not compute Captain.
You're buying an old car, and if it aint worth £1k to you, walk away.

[Mr POD]

Dracoro said:

Why are you converting an auto to a manual? Gonna be a pig of a job.

Do you think ? Maybe You are right.

[wildoliver]

If he wants £1k then he'll either sell it or he wont, I suspect it is you with the issue not him. If it is too expensive walk away, your obviously tempted by the needy post you put up on here so just buy it.

On a serious note if you can confirm which one is the mk2 chavalier with a picture via my profile then I know where there may be one for free if you go to the hassle of pulling it out of the parking space is has been in for about 15 years.

[Mr POD]

dibbers006 said:

It is a tricky situation. And frustrating knowing that they will probably drop the price in a few weeks anyway when they realise that no one is biting.

Maybe force the issue-

• Have cash
• Could drive it away
• Show other like conditioned vehicles etc
• Push that you are dying and need to spend your kids inheritance before its too late etc blah blah
• Mention the economy- R e c e s s i o n

Sensible people on a level mental plane to you will probably deal. If he doesn't see sense then you have saved yourself the hassle. PLUS, if you still haven't found anything else by the time he has dropped his price you can come back and waft an even lower price under his nose!

I've sent him an email with examples and finished with :

Which is why I'd happily make an offer if I thought there was any way you'd consider it. But I think your aspirations might be so far off, that I dare not insult you.

Do me a favour. Please.

If there comes a point in time that you think we might find common ground, give me a call or email.

[Horse_Apple]

Mr POD said:

What pisses me off is people who have the car I want but think it's worth more than it is.

How do you insult them without putting thier backs up?

Now I might be wrong about the value, but I don't see people queuing up, and I have no problem with a buyer playing a waiting game, but I want to make an offer politely but firmly

Okay. The story is a low mileage car crops up miles away. Unfortunately it's an auto and has hand controls as well. I'd happily buy it and convert it to manual, which would cost about £300 max plus a weekend of removing skin. If it was a manual it'd be worth £800. I'm valuing it at £500, but he want 'four figures' - I think he means £1000.

So how do you make him see sense (Or at least completely change his mind) ?

But hang on, it's only worth £500 to you because you have to spend £300 to convert something that you don't want into something that you do want. That makes it your problem and not his.

I'm not saying that his car is worth any particular figure but in the example that you have given the issue is entirely yours.

It's like going to France to buy a car and telling the vendor that he needs to knock off the cost of converting it to RHD just to suit you. It doesn't make sense to me.

[funk odyssey]

Mr POD said:

princeperch said:

With the greatest of respect, if it is an old Vauxhall Cavalier, why on earth would you spend anything over 50 quid on one? For a few hundred quid you could actually get something that wouldn't feel like you are punishing yourself everytime you drive it..

Ignore the type of car. It could be any 1985 family hatchback like a Nissan Bluebird, A Passat, a Volve 245, a 1.6 escort, could be a Montego HLS or Vandom Plas. It's not an SRI or XR3i - more ghia type spec. Might be a GLS or a CDi

It's one owner, with all bills, all MOT's, 25K on the clock and the original bill of sale includes the Hand Controls. The upshot is that it has NO RUST. The downside is that the interior is like your grandads armchair.

smells of piss? - nice