Obsessing over missed bargains!
Discussion
Looking for a cheap (sub £2k) winter runabout, and saw a low mileage one owner car within a reasonable distance at a bargain price. A few emails back and forth and a bit of haggling and we were close to doing a deal at an even more bargain price, but then got very busy with work during the week and it just slipped down the priorities list and I didn't devote the time to "seal the deal". Low and behold it sold....
Now, not an exciting car and not a lot of money - but I find myself still mulling it over and over days later and being annoyed with myself for not snapping it up. Do I need to get out more, or is this a common response? Or both...!
Now, not an exciting car and not a lot of money - but I find myself still mulling it over and over days later and being annoyed with myself for not snapping it up. Do I need to get out more, or is this a common response? Or both...!
Edited by johnnyBv8 on Saturday 23 October 11:18
I find it even more annoying when I flick open a classic car magazine from several years ago and look at the price of some of the cars, and how they've climbed.
I remember the guy I bought my Porsche 924 off was selling it in order to buy a Capri. An odd exchange, I thought, hardly comparable cars in any respect other than layout. Now 924s are still the kind of price I paid for them whilst Capris in comparable condition are worth twice what they were a scant few years ago.
Same goes for good Audi Quattros - under £5k about five years ago, but who could have known Ashes To Ashes would've been made. Now you're looking at at least twice that. Same for MkIII Cortinas, Mk1 Golf GTIs (expect the Mk2 to follow it, it's far closer in spirit than the Mk3 and with better build quality too), Minis, VW Beetles - in fact all manner of stuff from the '70s and '80s that I went through college and university thinking 'ooh, they're temptingly cheap', then as soon as I had the money to buy them - bang, they're a rip-off.
Ultimate example must be the RWD Escorts. Not so long ago they were just old bangers. Obviously the rally-bred versions weren't but that was beside the point. Nowadays it turns out even the estates - hang on, even the vans - can be turned into rally cars with a few simple modifications. They're so outrageously sought-after that you can't get even a Linnet Brown 1100 Ghia Automatic for less than £4k, even though my head can still barely justify anything over £1k.
I remember the guy I bought my Porsche 924 off was selling it in order to buy a Capri. An odd exchange, I thought, hardly comparable cars in any respect other than layout. Now 924s are still the kind of price I paid for them whilst Capris in comparable condition are worth twice what they were a scant few years ago.
Same goes for good Audi Quattros - under £5k about five years ago, but who could have known Ashes To Ashes would've been made. Now you're looking at at least twice that. Same for MkIII Cortinas, Mk1 Golf GTIs (expect the Mk2 to follow it, it's far closer in spirit than the Mk3 and with better build quality too), Minis, VW Beetles - in fact all manner of stuff from the '70s and '80s that I went through college and university thinking 'ooh, they're temptingly cheap', then as soon as I had the money to buy them - bang, they're a rip-off.
Ultimate example must be the RWD Escorts. Not so long ago they were just old bangers. Obviously the rally-bred versions weren't but that was beside the point. Nowadays it turns out even the estates - hang on, even the vans - can be turned into rally cars with a few simple modifications. They're so outrageously sought-after that you can't get even a Linnet Brown 1100 Ghia Automatic for less than £4k, even though my head can still barely justify anything over £1k.
I think we all obsess over these sort of things but you need to take a deep breath and think that you will probably never know what happened to the car after the sale.
You will never know the frustration and anger of the new owner when the engine / gearbox / clutch explodes or the ignition system fails one dark and wet night miles from from civilisation. You will never know that it needed expensive repairs a few months down the line.
Take a deep and calming breath and think about it as a close thing which the Fates took a hand in to protect you from.
(Maybe the car was a fantastic bargain that the new owner will be delighted with but if you take the above attitude you will feel a lot better and get over it quicker).
You will never know the frustration and anger of the new owner when the engine / gearbox / clutch explodes or the ignition system fails one dark and wet night miles from from civilisation. You will never know that it needed expensive repairs a few months down the line.
Take a deep and calming breath and think about it as a close thing which the Fates took a hand in to protect you from.
(Maybe the car was a fantastic bargain that the new owner will be delighted with but if you take the above attitude you will feel a lot better and get over it quicker).
andy43 said:
964
RS
I know what you mean WRT the 964RS.RS
See, IIRC, the 964RS merely sported lowered and stiffer suspension than the cooking 964 (maybe a little more power, and a little less weight?). So no great shakes in terms of improvements over the standard.
Then, a few months ago, I saw an ad in Classic Car magazine from a respected dealer for a low-ish mileage 964RS with FSH, and in a retina-burning shade of purple. It was listed as POA
A few months back I was in the market for a new (to me) motorbike, and amongst all the regular stuff in my price range, a CBR1000F emerged. I hadn't really considered a sports tourer, the stuff I'd been looking at were full tourers. Being Ebay, I looked at the photos for days and read the description over and over again until I was bordering on obsession. I had made a deal with myself that if the bike had not risen in price by the last day of the auction, I would bid to my maximum and maybe even a little more...I had to have her!
Unfortunately I was distracted by one thing and another, and the bike sold for a mere £20.00 over my maximum bid because I missed the end of the auction. I was gutted, even though I never had the bike I felt like I'd lost her. And the winning bidder, whoever he may be, would not appreciate the bike like I would have. In a moment of desperation I sent a message to the seller explaining I would love to hear from him should the sale fall through. "No chance", came the instant response, "he's collecting it this afternoon". I immediately began searching other CBRs but none were even close to the price I'd missed this one at. Promptly I tried to put the idea out of my head as I couldn't stretch to the next cheapest one.
Imagine my delight when about 6 hours later, I received an email to say the sale had fallen through and would I still be interested? She's in the garage now!
Unfortunately I was distracted by one thing and another, and the bike sold for a mere £20.00 over my maximum bid because I missed the end of the auction. I was gutted, even though I never had the bike I felt like I'd lost her. And the winning bidder, whoever he may be, would not appreciate the bike like I would have. In a moment of desperation I sent a message to the seller explaining I would love to hear from him should the sale fall through. "No chance", came the instant response, "he's collecting it this afternoon". I immediately began searching other CBRs but none were even close to the price I'd missed this one at. Promptly I tried to put the idea out of my head as I couldn't stretch to the next cheapest one.
Imagine my delight when about 6 hours later, I received an email to say the sale had fallen through and would I still be interested? She's in the garage now!
I've had this, but not with cars, with houses!
Ten years ago when I was building up my small property portfolio, I missed one or two bargains that I wanted.
After a bit of hand wringing, my wise (now retired) old conveyancing solicitor said to me 'don't worry, there's always another house'.
And he was right, there always was.
Same with cars. Same with...anything I guess.
Ten years ago when I was building up my small property portfolio, I missed one or two bargains that I wanted.
After a bit of hand wringing, my wise (now retired) old conveyancing solicitor said to me 'don't worry, there's always another house'.
And he was right, there always was.
Same with cars. Same with...anything I guess.
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