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Old 09-17-2021, 04:37 PM   #1
rfequity
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Default how long does a sale usually take?

I have listed my car on Autotrader and here and a local club. Any experience on how long it usually takes to sell one of these? Any comments about my add that you think could be helpful to me?
https://classics.autotrader.com/clas...el_a/101601754
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Old 09-17-2021, 04:43 PM   #2
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Default Re: how long does a sale usually take?

Never used autotrader…
Looks fairly priced. My experience at other sites is that if it doesn’t show activity in about two weeks it ain’t really good. Usually lots of tire kickers, pen pals and low-ballers. Low ballers seldom come thru if if agreed on lower price.
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Old 09-17-2021, 04:58 PM   #3
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Default Re: how long does a sale usually take?

Autotrader probably not getting your desired audience. Try your friendly Model A forum, get with local clubs and let them know it's available and try Facebook Marketplace
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Old 09-17-2021, 05:09 PM   #4
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Default Re: how long does a sale usually take?

I have used Hemmings. Last car took less than two weeks. Beware of the tire kickers, and your new friends.

I would have liked to have seen the engine compartment. I think your going to be in the 12 to 13 thousand dollar range.

Good luck.
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Old 09-17-2021, 05:28 PM   #5
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Default Re: how long does a sale usually take?

Selling an A is not like selling an everyday car.Thousands af people are looking for cars to drive every day.They need it.They don't need a toy.If you want to sell RIGHT NOW,it will be at a giveaway price.It takes time to sell an A.I was trying to sell a late 31 coupe for somebody,he thought that because we had it for sale for 6 weeks he thought it should have sold.I told him you haven't even given it a chance yet.He asked if I would give him XXX for it,I said of course,then I'll peddle it for more than we have been asking for it.His attitude was,good,I hope you make some money off it.He was thinking of selling in modern car terms.I bought it,and sold it a few months later.
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Old 09-17-2021, 06:23 PM   #6
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There are so many outlets to sell a car online these days. There are the old stand by eBay and Craigslist as well as new sites in addition to the ones already mentioned such as Bring-a-trailer.

IMHO you would be well served by spending a small amount of money removing the non stock items/accessories and replacing with original type parts (shift knob, manifold heater, tire cover, cowl light lenses, moto meter, etc.)

Put a cover plate over the hole in the firewall if that’s the best you can manage. The sagging drivers door pocket can be fixed with minimal effort, and mitigate the paint issues on the rear deck, remove the phone holder and window sticker. Some undercarriage pictures are also good to add.

Model A looks best and sells best bone stock.
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Old 09-17-2021, 07:06 PM   #7
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Default Re: how long does a sale usually take?

What I did to BUY MY CAR which might work for you to sell your car was:
I got from the MAFCA site all the A Clubs in my state and surrounding states and emailed the presidents asking them to post the email of what I was looking to buy.
I received 4 replies from the members of the various clubs of which I bought one. Try writing an email / letter outlining what you are selling and have the president send the email out to the members.
Good Luck
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Old 09-18-2021, 04:24 AM   #8
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Default Re: how long does a sale usually take?

Nice car,what your asking is a good start. Put it on Facebook market place. If you get some action then you may get your price. If Intrest is only a few people and nobody looks at it then the price is to high.
Give it 3 days, $12,500 and the car should sell quickly, within 72 hours. $10,500 firm will have the car gone by nightfall.
Different Model A sites of Facebook will also create Intrest and the car will sell.
Lot of coupes on the market ,very competitive right now.
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Old 09-18-2021, 07:12 AM   #9
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Default Re: how long does a sale usually take?

Thank you all for the nice suggestions. I would certainly entertain offers on the car. I guess we will see if anyone comes to look.
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Old 09-18-2021, 07:41 AM   #10
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Default Re: how long does a sale usually take?

Your ad looks good and the asking price seems fair.
I have used We Be Autos twice. Mike Runnels is the owner and these folks handle all the advertising on dozens of sites. You can write your own copy and submit your own pictures if you like. You also set your price or ask Mike for his input.
They also handle the transaction including the verifying of legit buyers and transferring of funds. You don't have to field calls and emails from??? If you sell the car yourself, no charge. If they handle it it was 5% fee (two years ago).
Took a few months but I got a good price for both. Actually my "A" was full asking price.
I would recommend this no fuss company to everyone. Chap

https://www.webeautos.com/

Last edited by chap52; 09-18-2021 at 07:42 AM. Reason: spell'n
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Old 09-18-2021, 10:45 AM   #11
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Default Re: how long does a sale usually take?

When I look at Model A ads the first thing I look for is photos of the engine from at least four views, because these can tell me a lot about what the owner knows and what may need attention. Same for the undercarriage, where I first look for original shocks and wiring anomolies. For me, personally, the closer to original and stock, the more I’ll pay. Cosmetics are nice, but not my primary criteria until I see the car up close and live. At that point, though, the mechanics become the major factor. In my area, without a personal inspection, but just judging from your ad, the price is a little high, maybe by $1000-$1500. There are a lot of details to inspect when considering a 90-yr-old car, any number of which will affect the desirability and price up or down.
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Old 09-18-2021, 11:38 AM   #12
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Default Re: how long does a sale usually take?

MARC and MAFCA classifieds got some interest but our Town Sedan sold in less than 48 hours through FordBarn classifieds for asking price.

don't think any of your non-stock accessories are a problem, in fact the next owner may like them.
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Old 09-18-2021, 02:28 PM   #13
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Default Re: how long does a sale usually take?

I would add "clean title and current registration", if that is correct.

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Old 09-19-2021, 05:37 PM   #14
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Default Re: how long does a sale usually take?

Yep, Marketplace.

I'm not a facebook guy, but, registered just for marketplace. Listed several items that I probably can't take with the move. The 'A' was one of them, it sold locally within 3 days.

Funny, it sold to the grandson of who we bought it from. He used to ride in it when he was a youngster. He was not looking to buy anything, just looking thru marketplace and recognized the car.
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Old 09-21-2021, 10:07 AM   #15
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Default Re: how long does a sale usually take?

all good advice and obviously price and condition dictate speed of sale.


as a coupe-you are at the top of pricing. bring it down 1000. each week till it sells and it will be gone in a jiffy!
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Old 09-21-2021, 10:15 AM   #16
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Default Re: how long does a sale usually take?

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bring it down 1000. each week till it sells and it will be gone in a jiffy!
I would never do this, it is a distress tactic that unless you get lucky, will result in a below market price. Any small volume collectible needs time to reach an adequate number of buyers. I have taken 3-12 months to sell specialty items, and the price is always better when you find the right buyer.

A fair price is when an educated buyer finds a knowledgeable seller. Simply lowering the price until you find a willing buyer is not the same. There is a price at which someone will buy it knowing they can resell it for a profit, and they will buy quickly at that price.
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Old 09-21-2021, 11:34 AM   #17
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Default Re: how long does a sale usually take?

I would never do this, it is a distress tactic that unless you get lucky, will result in a below market price. Any small volume collectible needs time to reach an adequate number of buyers. I have taken 3-12 months to sell specialty items, and the price is always better when you find the right buyer.

A fair price is when an educated buyer finds a knowledgeable seller. Simply lowering the price until you find a willing buyer is not the same. There is a price at which someone will buy it knowing they can resell it for a profit, and they will buy quickly at that price.
and maybe you dont need the $, but some others do.....everyone is not you.
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Old 09-21-2021, 04:23 PM   #18
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Default Re: how long does a sale usually take?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Incognito-A View Post
.......................

Model A looks best and sells best bone stock.
..................

I agree on that

rfequity nice Coupe. I don't think your price is too out of line I'd stay close by that territory. Maybe bump down a small amount give it time, don't do that too quickly. If someone close is interested they'd save money on not having to have it shipped far. You could split that difference maybe come down a few hundred bucks at the right time.

You can always come down as a seller you can't really go 'up'!

Heck today paint and body work alone can be the kiss of death, be prepared to fork out $10K just for that alone. They ain'ts cheap to restore that's for sure.

Last edited by Jeff/Illinois; 09-21-2021 at 04:30 PM.
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Old 09-21-2021, 04:58 PM   #19
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Default Re: how long does a sale usually take?

Quote:
Originally Posted by chap52 View Post
Your ad looks good and the asking price seems fair.
I have used We Be Autos twice. Mike Runnels is the owner and these folks handle all the advertising on dozens of sites. You can write your own copy and submit your own pictures if you like. You also set your price or ask Mike for his input.
They also handle the transaction including the verifying of legit buyers and transferring of funds. You don't have to field calls and emails from??? If you sell the car yourself, no charge. If they handle it it was 5% fee (two years ago).
Took a few months but I got a good price for both. Actually my "A" was full asking price.
I would recommend this no fuss company to everyone. Chap

https://www.webeautos.com/
It's nice that they are up front about what the service is, and how much their percentage is. The consignment dealer here doesn't wanna tell. Although I have heard he wants 10%. Some of them want a monthly fee for it too. Oh, and I guess they always call and want you to drop the price cause some guy made an offer. I'd like to sell a car through a consignment dealer, but the 10% thing just turns me off.
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Old 09-21-2021, 05:01 PM   #20
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Default Re: how long does a sale usually take?

I will add something here. When advertising a collector car for sale, give the price! When I see no price, guess what, I seldom even read the copy let alone even consider the car for more than 0 to 3 seconds.

No price = no sale. It's just that simple.
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Old 09-21-2021, 05:01 PM   #21
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Default Re: how long does a sale usually take?

How long does it take to sell a car? Could be minutes, hours, days, weeks or months. You just never know.

Your car looks good and priced competitively. It should sell. You may need to be patient, or you might get lucky right away.
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Old 09-21-2021, 05:19 PM   #22
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Default Re: how long does a sale usually take?

I bought a coupe pretty much like that one just over a year ago,except the paint is bad on mine. I paid very close to that for it.I have sold quite a few A's for other people and have rarely had one sell fast.I would ask if they wanted to sell it fast,or if they wanted to get all the money out of it.I pretty much put the price on it,and that is how much it is.I let folks know that right up front.That way I don't have to listen to them for an hour telling me how much they have to do to it,or how much they have to spend on it.If they feel it will take more than they want to do to bring it up to their standards,then it is not the car for them.I've heard,too much money or too much work for me dozens of times.That's OK,it's just not the car for you.Seems to work good for me,I do not have one car still sitting around that I have tried to sell,every seat found a butt.
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Old 09-21-2021, 05:36 PM   #23
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Default Re: how long does a sale usually take?

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How long does it take to sell a car? Could be minutes, hours, days, weeks or months. You just never know.

Your car looks good and priced competitively. It should sell. You may need to be patient, or you might get lucky right away.
This past weekend, I sold my friend's '36 roadster on Instagram in 2 hours. Car was in NJ, buyer was in CA. A phone call and some picts., car was sold.

As GZ mentioned, it all depends. I know it's not an A, but it was priced right.

Price is everything.
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Old 09-21-2021, 07:26 PM   #24
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This past weekend, I sold my friend's '36 roadster on Instagram in 2 hours. Car was in NJ, buyer was in CA. A phone call and some picts., car was sold.

As GZ mentioned, it all depends. I know it's not an A, but it was priced right.

Price is everything.
A '36 Roadster (I assume a FORD) is a very, very desirable car,,,, also
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Old 09-21-2021, 07:30 PM   #25
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It's nice that they are up front about what the service is, and how much their percentage is. The consignment dealer here doesn't wanna tell. Although I have heard he wants 10%. Some of them want a monthly fee for it too. Oh, and I guess they always call and want you to drop the price cause some guy made an offer. I'd like to sell a car through a consignment dealer, but the 10% thing just turns me off.
I don't trust consignment sellers, there is too much room in there for fraud. And it has happened.

This just happened last month in Green Bay, Wisconsin
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Old 09-23-2021, 06:37 PM   #26
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How do you mean that Jeff? I'm just asking because I'm trying to learn. One day I might need to sell somethin'. It would help if I know what to watch for.
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Old 09-23-2021, 09:06 PM   #27
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Default Re: how long does a sale usually take?

I'd add the service history information. Your description really doesn't say much.
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Old 09-23-2021, 09:58 PM   #28
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How do you mean that Jeff? I'm just asking because I'm trying to learn. One day I might need to sell somethin'. It would help if I know what to watch for.
Gene I'm just saying the opportunity for fraud runs deep in consignment circles.

I mentioned using this avenue once to a banker friend who was into collector cars for many years, when I was going to sell a car once, and he led me to a number of articles where people had been ripped off, often times not only never seeing their money but the cars were long gone too.

Sorry I don't have them on hand BUT if you GOOGLE 'Collector Car Consignment Fraud' you will find a number of cases. Just a few weeks ago they arrested some guy in Green Bay, Wisconsin for this.

I'm not saying they are all dishonest there are legitimate ones out there. Just make sure you do your homework first.
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Old 09-24-2021, 04:29 PM   #29
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We only have 2 dealers in Columbus that handle consignements. One motorcycles, and the other collector cars. They both have been in business for 15 or more years, and own their real estate. Sounds like good advice to be weary though.
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Old 09-25-2021, 12:35 AM   #30
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Default Re: how long does a sale usually take?

Drop it to 1000 and see what kind of attention you get. Your price is fair but everyone wants a deal. If you have time hold firm and it will go but it may take some time. Any car is worth as much as someone is willing to pay.
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