Wait until the Autumn!
Discussion
Now that the weather's getting nice - well, it has been for a short while - I am seeing many threads on PH enquiring about what soft top or roadster to get.
Surely as keen car folk we all know that it is folly to buy a car of this ilk at this time of year, due to the 'nice weather tax'. The smart money waits until the weather begins to deteriorate does it not?
Or is the pleasure of having a soft top (or any other sporty car best suited to dry weather) worth a few extra bob, even if you 'buy high' in the spring and 'sell low' in the autumn/winter?
What are your views on this matter?
Anyone got any stories of significant profits made, or losses incurred, from seasonal car buying/selling shenanigans?
Surely as keen car folk we all know that it is folly to buy a car of this ilk at this time of year, due to the 'nice weather tax'. The smart money waits until the weather begins to deteriorate does it not?
Or is the pleasure of having a soft top (or any other sporty car best suited to dry weather) worth a few extra bob, even if you 'buy high' in the spring and 'sell low' in the autumn/winter?
What are your views on this matter?
Anyone got any stories of significant profits made, or losses incurred, from seasonal car buying/selling shenanigans?
The price fall is a semi-myth I think.
What actually happens is that all year round, there are a certain number of 'desperate sellers' - people who need the money or must get rid of the car for whatever reason (emigration, needing four seats for the family etc), so list their cars for sale at bottom book or lower just to get them moved.
In the winter, these are the >only< people selling their cars, so the prices appear to drop. Everyone who doesn't need to sell puts the car in the garage and leaves it until spring.
In summer, there are lots of people using their cars, trading up (and therefore getting rid of the part-ex, or releasing the money), and also people getting the winter lay-up cars out of the garage and trying to get them shifted because there are more people >looking< to buy a convertible. There are ten times as many for sale, so while the advertised prices might not be falling as quickly (or in some cases rising), the actual sale prices are probably falling just as quickly because there are many more on the market.
What actually happens is that all year round, there are a certain number of 'desperate sellers' - people who need the money or must get rid of the car for whatever reason (emigration, needing four seats for the family etc), so list their cars for sale at bottom book or lower just to get them moved.
In the winter, these are the >only< people selling their cars, so the prices appear to drop. Everyone who doesn't need to sell puts the car in the garage and leaves it until spring.
In summer, there are lots of people using their cars, trading up (and therefore getting rid of the part-ex, or releasing the money), and also people getting the winter lay-up cars out of the garage and trying to get them shifted because there are more people >looking< to buy a convertible. There are ten times as many for sale, so while the advertised prices might not be falling as quickly (or in some cases rising), the actual sale prices are probably falling just as quickly because there are many more on the market.
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