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Got Another Offer

3K views 38 replies 21 participants last post by  nobby 
#1 ·
Without even seeing The PIG I received this message from a guy in Toronto:


"Too many miles. I offer $5000 US. Call if interested"


Like the "U.S." part might swing me......8 years ago maybe.


Low ball offers will keep me in the seat of The PIG.
 
#9 ·
How many miles you got Nob? I think it was around 175k or so.

I have gotten many good deals by pleading my case and pleading poverty. Asking a seller the wrong question in the wrong way is not a good way to buy.
 
#21 ·
Unfortunately it's people like those that make me go on rants in the for sale thread. For every serious buyer, there are 100 tire kickers that want to waste your time and wind you up. Just wait for the picture requests. You'll get a million of them, and after you take a pile of pictures and send them on, you won't hear a peep.. Good luck.
 
#22 ·
Imagine you're a buyer and you're looking for a good deal.
E.G., why not make someone's financial mishap become of mutual benefit?

I see no reason for offence if the would-be buyer F's off after being politely rejected and the conversation closes. Everything else borders with rudeness.
 
#23 ·
I think most of us have too much into our cars to "give them away".

We also probably think they are worth a lot more than the market does.

It is hard to blame potential buyers for waiting to pick up a bargain from someone who just wants out for whatever reason.

I went to see an slc earlier this year, but explained to the guy first that I was not in market, just interested in his car and would spread word it was for sale. He wanted $5k. I would have bought it at about $2k and it would still have cost me $10k in end :( Restoring 300D instead!
 
#24 ·
Unfortunately, the problem is that in many cases you get bombarded by low ball offers (at least here in Dallas) that will still go nowhere, as the people making those offers don't have the money to pay for the car even if you accepted.

What sellers need to figure out is that low ball offers and requests for many more pictures usually take you nowhere. Serious buyers will want to see the car before they buy (unless it's a parts car). Or at least have some questions to talk about on the phone before throwing an offer.

If you want to sell it Nobby, put it on eBay and make the listing global. Take lots of big pictures including underside and list any paperwork that you have and the work done.

When I use eBay, I list for the lowest price that I will take +$125 which is the ebay sales fee. This way, it only takes on bidder to sell.

You can list a car 6 times on ebay motors for / year for free. I did this with a Jaguar XJ5.3C last year after getting sick of people offering me $1000 for it on CL.

I sold it to a fellow for $5500 who took the train up from Mexico city. I met him at the station here in Dallas.

He was pretty happy.
 
#26 ·
Thanks for all the input people.


I understand someone chasing a deal....I do it myself.


But it has to be hedged with some good bed side manners.

Bursting through the doors and saying the product is shit but still offering to buy it at a much lower value is not a good way to go about things.

You certainly aren't going to get laid much with that attitude. And if you apply the same charm to pursue a lower price as you do to get laid....you'll get results....be it good or bad....depends on how charming you are.

Good analogy? :)


As far as The PIG goes.....well a quick sale at $10K and it would have been gone. Is it worth $10K to THIS BOARD???

Probably not.

But I'm not offering it here so any critism of the beloved PIG can stay in check.


Other than that......I probably don't want to sell it. But the $10K would / could have helped out.
 
#28 ·
Isn't the issue here that high-mileage (150K+) 107's are just never worth much more than, say $6000, regardless of how well-maintained they are?

As owners, we know that a 107 that's had everything fixed up is worth a hell of a lot more than a 90K vehicle that is going to need 10-15K spent on it. But mileage rules in the marketplace and the 90K vehicle is generally going to be be valued at say, double what a car with twice that mileage is - even if the high mileage car is in better condition.

That makes these cars poor investments, because you can invest several thousand in them and only marginally increase the value.

Even if someone who really understood the value of a fully-fixed 107 was came along and was willing to buy a well-maintained, high-mileage car at a high price, they'd have to accept upfront that they'd be unlikely to be able to resell the car for close to what they paid for it.
 
#29 ·
Nobby, don't post too many more of those comments about possibly dropping your price.

Hang onto the car until you get what it is worth.

Force the mindset of a Mercedes being like an airplane. They will fly for a very long time if maintained well, and they were made as cars to be maintained like an airplane. You have done this with "the pig", and your car is different from most out there, always being ready to take flight for a 1000-10,000 mile trip. I am pretty confident that 80%+ 107s out there would have their owners crossing their fingers any time they get more than 100 miles from home in them.

Add the fact that the pig is among very few 107s with that fifth gear for highway cruising, and a rock solid straight six that blows away the fuel economy of any other 107 engine.

While the pig loses points due to its "high mileage" by the standards of an American classic, not only the maintenance of an airplane mechanic keeps its value high, but also the legend of "the pig" being all over the continent, ready to fly at any time.

Don't sell us out Nobby. If you are going to "give away" the pig, it belongs in the hands of someone like CheifRider (although I think he was looking at buying one of Pete's 280sl's).

Don't get upset by offensive people trying to get a bargain. If you let offensive people upset you, life won't be much fun. Laugh at them instead. :)

Forget about all that talk of high mileage 107s being worth no more than $6000. That is nonsense. Anyone who thinks they can get a road-ready 5-speed 107 for that kind of money is trying to get a bargain or rip-off the seller, or simply out of their mind. Junker 5-speeds go for at least $3-4000. Let the bargain hunters buy those up and learn.




Sent from my iPhone using Autoguide.com Free App
 
#31 ·
I found mine in a field , about 50ft from a barn, is that good enough?

99.9% of the time, buyers looking to spend $10k on a car are probably looking for a 3 year old econobox and not a 30 year old Mercedes. We need to be patient and wait for the right buyer to turn up, who will be informed and make his decision based on condition over mileage.
 
#33 ·
Fonzi - have you seen high-mileage 107s go for more than $6K? I haven't see that (and as the owner of a high-mileage 107 I'd like to see higher prices...)

Otherwise - I don't disagree with where you're coming from - but the market is what it is. To sell a high-mileage 107 at a fair price, you've got to find a buyer who's willing to pay over-market - ie. they understand that the market undervalues a well-maintained, high-mileage car, and that they in-turn will find it challenging to sell at a fair price.
 
#35 ·
I took everyone's comments and made an improvement to The PIG.

I replaced the odometer and I am now asking 15K for a well maintained 280SL 5 speed with only 60 K on the clock.

Anyone?

Eh?

:)
 
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