California Dreaming

[AndysPlit]

You guys have it ALL wrong!

I HOPE, I PRAY, I WISH this guy will get the $20k he's asking.

Heck, if he were to get it FAST it would be beneficial to us all.

All this discussion as to how much better yours or mine or anyone else's is than the one in the auction is totally ... STUPID ... and no apologies if it seems offensive. Your car isn't for sale at this point, but if this sale DOES go through, you'll be better off for it. Especially if your car IS beter than this one.

Think about it. If this car DOES sell for the $20k, that gives us all a benchmark to use with our insurance companies, and if the situation ever arises, a benchmark to use in pricing our own cars. And let's not forget possibly using a totally paid for vehicle as collateral for a signature loan.

Denigrating this car because YOU wouldn't pay that much is short-speak for saying your car isn't worth that much either. Especially if you insist that your car is "better".

Basic tenet of supply economics, LOW supply leads to HIGHER prices. If anything, the sudden glut of people "finding" and selling Z's that were stashed in barns, old fields, and in general disrepair has hurt the value of the Z.

How? By simply increasing the supply of low end vehicles.

Doesn't matter much in the top end of the market where the vehicles are recognized as being top dollar, except for the loss of replacement parts that go to refurbish those low end vehicles, since their value isn't measured by e-Bay auctions.

It matters in that there are vehicles at lower prices available...period.

If this car does sell for the $20k he's asking, then ALL of us can evaluate our cars. How much only matters at the time of sale.

2¢

E

.....It's all a matter of e-pinion. I hope users on here can see past your "no apologies" stance in this arena. To simply enter a discussion under the guise of "you're wrong" is a little bold.

I understand and even respect your points. Honestly those thoughts did cross my mind too. We are all eager to see the value of our cars increase over time. But c'mon, the points that others have been making are quite valid too. A little respect goes further than the hopes that a 260Z will actually sell for 20K.

In the end our cars will be worth 20K, but for the time being you cannot deny that these days that is a tough sell.

[bigoak]

Turns out we were wrong all along...flat top SU's were an engineering and design marvel...just look at them...so...flat...and...more flat...

Clearly the 260Z is worth a mint based on that alone...

[EScanlon]

.....To simply enter a discussion under the guise of "you're wrong" is a little bold.....

.......But c'mon, the points that others have been making are quite valid too. A little respect goes further than the hopes that a 260Z will actually sell for 20K.

In the end our cars will be worth 20K, but for the time being you cannot deny that these days that is a tough sell.

You imply that the only way to enter this discussion is either by your pre-approval or by blind agreement with your views, which may be just the rancor I feel from your post.

But the point I was making is that the basis of all the comments being made, was the price or value that people perceived THEIR cars would garner and therefore reflected the price that the vehicle under discussion should receive. And that is what I'm pointing out is wrong.

I made no qualification regarding the individual comments, so the lack of respect you note is in your imagination rather than my post.

The individual comments are valid as stand-alone comments and even as general comments...except that the ones that insist on denigrating the value of the car are yours and a couple of other ones.

E-Bay has always been a place where caveat emptor applies, so values there are always a reflection of people's wishes, desires and pipe-dreams. However, they do tend to cause a general shift in the pricing and availability of items. Years ago I spoke to one of the parts vendors who insisted they would never sell on e-Bay... yet I've seen them selling regularly lately. Prices that years ago were ludicrous, are today the basis for opening bids on e-Bay and Craig's list, and other places.

But my main point is that if this vehicle is the "low" end of the Z's range of value, then all vehicles that are at that end and higher have received a push in the UP direction of value.

Whether that price is a tough sell today or tomorrow is not at issue, it is. However, if he does get that price then everyone benefits.

Well, everyone except those that are quietly building up a collection of the cars while prices are low in hopes of selling them later at higher prices.

While it is very likely that our cars will eventually be worth more, if every time a sale that tries to push up the value of the car is ritualistically eviscerated and lambasted as to it's foolhardiness then it WILL be a long time before the price goes up.

And let's not forget that the 260 was only available in the U.S. for ONE year, whereas in other parts of the world it was available for several years. On that basis ALONE the 260 may eventually be worth more in the U.S. (and not the rest of the world).

2¢

E

[AndysPlit]

You imply that the only way to enter this discussion is either by your pre-approval or by blind agreement with your views, which may be just the rancor I feel from your post.

But the point I was making is that the basis of all the comments being made, was the price or value that people perceived THEIR cars would garner and therefore reflected the price that the vehicle under discussion should receive. And that is what I'm pointing out is wrong.

I made no qualification regarding the individual comments, so the lack of respect you note is in your imagination rather than my post.

The individual comments are valid as stand-alone comments and even as general comments...except that the ones that insist on denigrating the value of the car are yours and a couple of other ones.

E-Bay has always been a place where caveat emptor applies, so values there are always a reflection of people's wishes, desires and pipe-dreams. However, they do tend to cause a general shift in the pricing and availability of items. Years ago I spoke to one of the parts vendors who insisted they would never sell on e-Bay... yet I've seen them selling regularly lately. Prices that years ago were ludicrous, are today the basis for opening bids on e-Bay and Craig's list, and other places.

But my main point is that if this vehicle is the "low" end of the Z's range of value, then all vehicles that are at that end and higher have received a push in the UP direction of value.

Whether that price is a tough sell today or tomorrow is not at issue, it is. However, if he does get that price then everyone benefits.

Well, everyone except those that are quietly building up a collection of the cars while prices are low in hopes of selling them later at higher prices.

While it is very likely that our cars will eventually be worth more, if every time a sale that tries to push up the value of the car is ritualistically eviscerated and lambasted as to it's foolhardiness then it WILL be a long time before the price goes up.

And let's not forget that the 260 was only available in the U.S. for ONE year, whereas in other parts of the world it was available for several years. On that basis ALONE the 260 may eventually be worth more in the U.S. (and not the rest of the world).

2¢

E

...No need to reitterate your points. If you recall, I did confess that I can see where you were coming from. My issue with your post was the fact that you took the liberty of saying a majority of us are "wrong".

"Wrong" is a very black and white term....extreme if you will. For matters that pertain to the value of Z-cars, I think most of us can vouch that there is in fact a lot of grey area.

We'll see when the first 260Z sells for 20K. It will be a while.

[AndysPlit]

Just want to add that I apologize if my initial response was confrontational. I suppose my perception may have misguided my post. Anyway, I still respect your views.