"Re-sale grey" comments

[Ari]

I keep tripping over disparaging comments about cars in "re-sale grey" or "re-sale silver" or "Re-sale black" on these forums, there's yet another one in the Audi R8 thread.

People seem to be suggesting (if I understand the term correctly) that there are lots of cars in these colours as new car buyers are choosing them because they are popular when it's time to sell the car.

The thing is, if they're a popular colour amongst used car buyers, why wouldn't they be a popular colour amongst new buyers? Where do people get this odd idea that the new buyer only bought it to re-sell, not because they actually liked it themselves?

Also in that thread was the comment "I could care less" to indicate that the poster was not interested in something. Do they mean "I couldn't care less"? Surely "I could care less" is more likely to indicate that they might care rather a lot...

[Slow]

Mate bought a brand new astra in silver just to sell for more when he wanted to sell it.

[Buff Mchugelarge]

I couldn't care less.

That is to indicate my general disinterest at the thread.


BTW, a bright yellow car IS harder to sell than a grey/ white/ silver one.

[m0isty]

Ari said:

Also in that thread was the comment "I could care less" to indicate that the poster was not interested in something. Do they mean "I couldn't care less"? Surely "I could care less" is more likely to indicate that they might care rather a lot...

[Cemesis]

I bought mine in Grey as I prefered it to all the other colours. White can be a pain to keep clean as can Black and for some reason my car wasn't offered in some decent base colours like a nice Blue or Red.

[rufusgti]

The same reason you read comments on here about all audi's being dull. Even the S models get slated for their dullness. I believe it comes down to individuals reading it somewhere, then just repeating it as a form of creating an opinion. Which I think everyone does to a small extent. Sayings like that seem to pop up then hang around until someone points out how ridiculous it is.

I wouldn't have thought anybody buys a new car, choosing the colour for resale. Although you may decide against a particularly wild colour for that reason. But most colours will play no part in the cars value.

[mackie1]

Ari said:

Also in that thread was the comment "I could care less" to indicate that the poster was not interested in something. Do they mean "I couldn't care less"? Surely "I could care less" is more likely to indicate that they might care rather a lot...

It's a stupid Americanism and it annoys me more than it should.

[Magic919]

"I could care less" is just the American version.

How long before Essex/Cheshire white becomes resale white?

[lightthefuse]

Magic919 said:

How long before Essex/Cheshire white becomes resale white?

We're already there - I think I noticed an upswing in white cars around 2010. That would put them at the start of the used sales sweet spot.

I've just picked up a new (to us) car today... in resale silver, incidentally.

[m0isty]

I've heard it referred to as "recession white". Bit like "doom blue", "suicide black" and "hearing-aid beige"

[Ari]

Slow said:

Mate bought a brand new astra in silver just to sell for more when he wanted to sell it.

How much extra does he hope to get for it?

[iva cosworth]

I deffo didn't want my Fiesta in silver when i bought it new in 2008, a long time before

i was on PH to see the hate for re-sale silver.

I just thought it was too common so went for metallic red instead.

The Fiat i bought in December IS silver but i bought it used so had no choice as it

was the car i wanted [and it had also been resprayed rather well]

[Ari]

Buff Mchugelarge said:

BTW, a bright yellow car IS harder to sell than a grey/ white/ silver one.

I'm sure it is, because most people would prefer a grey/white/silver one.

Which is precisely my point, if most people would prefer a grey/white/silver one, is it not more likely that this is why so many people buy a new car in grey/white/silver, simply because they like it, rather than because they think it will help re-sale?

[Meths]

People lack imagination.

That's why they buy a Vauxhall Astra... In gray.


Cars are white goods to most people.

[glazbagun]

Ari said:

Buff Mchugelarge said:

BTW, a bright yellow car IS harder to sell than a grey/ white/ silver one.

I'm sure it is, because most people would prefer a grey/white/silver one.

Which is precisely my point, if most people would prefer a grey/white/silver one, is it not more likely that this is why so many people buy a new car in grey/white/silver, simply because they like it, rather than because they think it will help re-sale?

I don't think it's because they like grey, although some cars do look very cool in that colour. I think it's more that whole "your decor is too unique/an aquired taste. If you want to sell this property it would look better with a <bland style> hallway". Resale isn't just about appealing to people, it's also about not offending them. So I don't think that more people would neccesarily prefer a grey car over a yellow one, but rather that they know they're not going to be judged during ownership or risk putting off buyers in future.

I guess it's like any customisation.

[ian2144]

Buff Mchugelarge said:

I couldn't care less.

That is to indicate my general disinterest at the thread.


BTW, a bright yellow car IS harder to sell than a grey/ white/ silver one.

My car is yellow and it looks just fine. I won't have a problem selling when the time comes.

[clockworks]

I own a grey car ('92 911) and a silver car ('07 E61). What does that say about me, I wonder?

I think it says that I bought a silver BMW because it was the only one for sale in my area at the time, and a grey Porsche because because I didn't want a (much more common for the model) red one.

[paranoid airbag]

Ari said:

I'm sure it is, because most people would prefer a grey/white/silver one.

Which is precisely my point, if most people would prefer a grey/white/silver one, is it not more likely that this is why so many people buy a new car in grey/white/silver, simply because they like it, rather than because they think it will help re-sale?

It's more that monochrome is more likely to be acceptable. Some would love one in red, wouldn't mind grey, would hate yellow. Others would love a yellow one, wouldn't mind grey, would hate red. The grey car will be of interest to two people but the colourful one will be immediately ruled out by one.

In theory, you'd get the same price or higher for the colourful one - if you're prepared to wait for someone who wants that car, in that colour, in that condition, at that price, who lives local enough. But that could take a while.

And even if people didn't prefer grey - if they think others would, they'd buy it in grey. That perception doesn't have to be accurate. And if the second owner wants grey because they think the third owner will pay more... etc

[havoc]

Buff Mchugelarge said:

BTW, a bright yellow car IS harder to sell than a grey/ white/ silver one.

Are you sure???

[Ari]

paranoid airbag said:

It's more that monochrome is more likely to be acceptable. Some would love one in red, wouldn't mind grey, would hate yellow. Others would love a yellow one, wouldn't mind grey, would hate red. The grey car will be of interest to two people but the colourful one will be immediately ruled out by one.

In theory, you'd get the same price or higher for the colourful one - if you're prepared to wait for someone who wants that car, in that colour, in that condition, at that price, who lives local enough. But that could take a while.

And even if people didn't prefer grey - if they think others would, they'd buy it in grey. That perception doesn't have to be accurate. And if the second owner wants grey because they think the third owner will pay more... etc

So if no one prefers grey,they're just buying it for the next person, why is it popular? Why isn't yellow designated a "re-sale" colour, after all, if people are only choosing it for the next person what difference does it make what the colour is?

My car is black. I bought it because it looks fantastic in black. It'll sell well, because it looks fantastic

So it's a good resale colour, hey, we could call it "re-sale black", but actually, the reason it's a good resale colour is the same reason I bought it in that colour, because it looks fantastic.

My point is, all this "re-sale colour" nonsense is just that, nonsense. There are popular colours of course, but they're popular because they look good.