'Barn find' v Full MOT (whats worth more)
Discussion
I've been selling the odd (some very odd) classics over the years and am currently pondering over a question.
Recently I purchased a Triumph GT6 , which had been stored for 7-8 years.
When I got the car it was dusty , not running and had a nice authentic look about it. It was stored in a dry garage, not a barn and was compete
My temptation was to advertise it as it was selling it as a wonderful opportunity...etc
But instead, new battery, fresh fuel etc and it fired up. Straight through an MOT and with a quick clean it looked very nice.
However I struggled to get a decent price for it but it did sell and the buyer was happy.
It made me think however, would I have attracted more interest if I had left it as I found it ready for the new purchaser to recommision.
Do you think buyers get carried away with the charm of a recently discovered classic as opposed to one that's been MOT'd and ready to go?
Recently I purchased a Triumph GT6 , which had been stored for 7-8 years.
When I got the car it was dusty , not running and had a nice authentic look about it. It was stored in a dry garage, not a barn and was compete
My temptation was to advertise it as it was selling it as a wonderful opportunity...etc
But instead, new battery, fresh fuel etc and it fired up. Straight through an MOT and with a quick clean it looked very nice.
However I struggled to get a decent price for it but it did sell and the buyer was happy.
It made me think however, would I have attracted more interest if I had left it as I found it ready for the new purchaser to recommision.
Do you think buyers get carried away with the charm of a recently discovered classic as opposed to one that's been MOT'd and ready to go?
yes possibly you would
beats me though as the car's been stored for a long time so even with a MoT it's going to need some work to be used properly but most classic owners rarely drive their cars and even long term owners have no or little idea of how well their cars could or should go if they were regularly fully and properly serviced, maintained and repaired and regularly driven all year round
each to their own though - but many do perpetuate the belief that classics are slow, poor handling and unreliable because that's how they keep their cars
back to topic, it's all about the dream, the story and cosmetic appearance and if you can throw in fame, provenance or celebrity up goes the value (I totally don't understand this) so a MoT is not required for this
plus of course a MoT is just one qualified person's opinion given at one point in time that the car meets the minimum standards and not that the car goes well or anywhere near as good as it could or should or that it's a good example of its type
for 'barn find' perhaps you need to elaborate your sales 'story' and advertising presentation, perhaps not clean the car and have poorer quality and presented photos to stress the 'barn find' theme
beats me though as the car's been stored for a long time so even with a MoT it's going to need some work to be used properly but most classic owners rarely drive their cars and even long term owners have no or little idea of how well their cars could or should go if they were regularly fully and properly serviced, maintained and repaired and regularly driven all year round
each to their own though - but many do perpetuate the belief that classics are slow, poor handling and unreliable because that's how they keep their cars
back to topic, it's all about the dream, the story and cosmetic appearance and if you can throw in fame, provenance or celebrity up goes the value (I totally don't understand this) so a MoT is not required for this
plus of course a MoT is just one qualified person's opinion given at one point in time that the car meets the minimum standards and not that the car goes well or anywhere near as good as it could or should or that it's a good example of its type
for 'barn find' perhaps you need to elaborate your sales 'story' and advertising presentation, perhaps not clean the car and have poorer quality and presented photos to stress the 'barn find' theme
Many potential purchasers fall in love with cars that have been "missing" or "untouched" for years,plus there is always the fact that your "Barn Find" has generally been off the radar for years.... it is the romantic notion that gets into people's mind and seems to increase potential value and desirability... Mind you it is an incredible feeling "finding" a car that no one else knows about....
It really depends on the car as well as what the true condition is.
The term "barn find" is much abused. It was supposed to mean a car that got put away into a barn whilst it was quite new and forgotten.
The benefit of a car like this is that it is not bodged or been the victim of fashion (e type with a glass sunroof anyone? ). It has original patina which is very difficult to restore back into a car. A car can only be restored for the first time once and can only be original once.
GT6s tend to be bought by people who want to use them so restored ones are sought after. Unrestored ones can require a lot of money and effort hence the difficulty you had selling.
I am still surprised though as GT6s are very sought after with good examples into 5 figures now so anything decent does tend to sell quickly.
Perhaps if you posted a photo, we could advise why it was slow to sell.
The term "barn find" is much abused. It was supposed to mean a car that got put away into a barn whilst it was quite new and forgotten.
The benefit of a car like this is that it is not bodged or been the victim of fashion (e type with a glass sunroof anyone? ). It has original patina which is very difficult to restore back into a car. A car can only be restored for the first time once and can only be original once.
GT6s tend to be bought by people who want to use them so restored ones are sought after. Unrestored ones can require a lot of money and effort hence the difficulty you had selling.
I am still surprised though as GT6s are very sought after with good examples into 5 figures now so anything decent does tend to sell quickly.
Perhaps if you posted a photo, we could advise why it was slow to sell.
fossway said:
Do you think buyers get carried away with the charm of a recently discovered classic as opposed to one that's been MOT'd and ready to go?
Yes, I think many do or at least you get that impression from some of the things that go through classic car auctions. I'm not sure it would have applied here though, 8yrs isn't that long and the ones that make the headlines are looking at 20, 30yrs or even longer hidden away. Personally I'd have offered less for a non-runner GT6 so I think you took the right approach. The only time I've ever bought anything similar the car was MoT'd but otherwise left as it came out of storage, just as the last owner had parked it up. Maybe next time, go easy on the polish and leave the fag packet in the glove compartment ?
S47 said:
Fossway
What a Really Really sad thread
Typical dealer out to screw the last few pennies from the Classic car enthusiats - Oh so sad - this thread ought to be removed, This is PH - surely it's not a Sad & Greedy dealers advice forum???
I suspect the OP is probably very thin if he depends on his classic car sales for a living. He doesn't sound like much of a dealer to me. He's asking a legitimate question. What a Really Really sad thread
Typical dealer out to screw the last few pennies from the Classic car enthusiats - Oh so sad - this thread ought to be removed, This is PH - surely it's not a Sad & Greedy dealers advice forum???
Remove the thread? Why?
It's not a dealers forum and one of the things I like about PH is it welcomes all of us whether we are black, Jewish, dealers, peadophiles or even a scouser. So let's not remove a thread because its asking a reasonable car question.
sim16v said:
I'll be testing the theory soon.
This has been in a barn for the last 20 years plus.
Interesting story with it aswell...
Please PM me when you are ready to sell, that looks lovely, and I know someone who may be interested, he in turn has lots of Neue Klasse contacts.This has been in a barn for the last 20 years plus.
Interesting story with it aswell...
Edited by sim16v on Sunday 10th November 00:19
SV8Predator said:
Well that fairly obvious.
But I challenge you to show us a "barn find" on eBay that's ever been near a barn.
If you go to eBay and search "barn find" there are some cars which appear on the face of it to be in, or near, buildings which might be described as barns, or barn-like structures. But I challenge you to show us a "barn find" on eBay that's ever been near a barn.
sim16v said:
I'll be testing the theory soon.
This has been in a barn for the last 20 years plus.
Interesting story with it aswell...
Gonna let us in on the story then?This has been in a barn for the last 20 years plus.
Interesting story with it aswell...
Edited by sim16v on Sunday 10th November 00:19
That does look very nice and as though for once, it's been stored in the dry - so many *barn finds* are rotten to the core still
jambo103 said:
If you delve deeper and look at this guy's other auctions, he has an Austin Healey (which is that yellow one pictured), the Midget and also a Rover P4 - all look to have come as a job lot on the same site - some overgrown old property he's clearing judging by the pics ...What you needed to say was,
That a Mr Jenkins of Wilmbledon ordered the car in 19**, then bought by a Mrs Smith of Enfield etc.
Then, give the whole Wiki definition/history of the model of car you are selling. With scarce history of the actual car you are selling.
After that, then say it is a barn find with the blemishes and patina expected of a car of that age.
You would've had buyers beating a track to your door.
That a Mr Jenkins of Wilmbledon ordered the car in 19**, then bought by a Mrs Smith of Enfield etc.
Then, give the whole Wiki definition/history of the model of car you are selling. With scarce history of the actual car you are selling.
After that, then say it is a barn find with the blemishes and patina expected of a car of that age.
You would've had buyers beating a track to your door.
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