I have folks e-mail me asking this question all-too often, and I have to brush them off, because it’s the area of old cars I’m least qualified to give advice on. I always disliked buying and selling, and am just not into it. But a lot of folks are, or just find themselves in a similar positionand need to sell their heirloom, or in the case of Matt, the 1972 Hornet Gucci Sportabout that he stumbled into and bought a while back.
But he’s recently married and there’s a house they want to buy. So the Gucci needs to go to a new home. How is that accomplished in the most effective and relatively uncomplicated way? Now the question is not how to sell any old used car, but a special interest car like this one. There’s not exactly a lot of these left. How does one set a reasonable asking price, and a floor for negotiation? And where best to advertise? Craigslist? Auction it on Ebay? Or?
I know we have lots of readers who are experienced in this field, and any practical advice and suggestions would make this post useful not just for Matt, but for any of our other readers in a similar situation. And I can use it to answer those e-mails when folks inevitably come asking.
Sweet ! .
First thing is figure out what it’s actually worth , most AMC products are worthless no matter how much I like them .
-Nate
If that was a medium blue ’74 Sportabout X then I’d be in trouble…
I think the methodology is:
1. Get posted on CC just like this.
2. Set a reasonable asking price.
3. Meet me in Portland over the weekend to accept a pile of money.
4. Maybe stick around long enough for my mechanic to laugh at us.
Otherwise, Craigslist would get you a local buyer who you can deal with face to face. eBay would be reasonable for something oddball like this, but the actual logistics can be a PITA unless the buyer is showing up to complete the transaction personally.
All cars have value, the challenge is finding a buyer. Here’s two sites for special intertest car pricing:
http://www.hagerty.com/valuationtools/HVT/VehicleSearch
http://www.nadaguides.com/Classic-Cars
When advertising, I’d stick to nationwide sites for maximum exposure. Craigslist is an option, but limits your exposure- Buyers can run a nationwide Craigslist search, but not all buyers know how.
Ebay is an obvious choice, but I’m not that familair with it from the selling side- I’ll let others speak the that experience.
There are also auto listing sites that specialize in classic cars. Classic cars.com is one option.
You can also find AMC forums that offer used car listings. This might be the best choice, but there will be mulitple AMC sites out there, and only some are active. Root around in the forums, and make sure folks have posted things in the last couple of weeks. You also typically have to request a membership to get the rights to post in the forums, which can be a bit of a hassle.
It would be handy to know how to run a nationwide CL search — or even multiple areas. Care to enlighten?
Try Search Tempest. Put in your zip and how far out you want to look. Craigslist & Ebay ads will show.
http://www.searchtempest.com/
adhuntr dot com
Forums, for sure!
I would search out AMC club sites and send out some emails to the contacts listed. For this one, I would also reach out to someone like Andy Meyer who is listed on the contact at the site for the Pierre Cardin Javelin/AMX that we featured recently. Those who love these cars enough to be in a club would be the best source for a really nice and/or really unusual AMC car. This one seems to be both.
I’d try to get exposure in the Milwaukee/Chicago area somehow. Both being so close to Kenosha, there is bound to be more potential buyers with nostalgia or experience with these. A home field advantage, so to speak? The rarity factor of an early Gucci leads me to believe a specialized auction just may be the way to get the attention it deserves. I can’t see too many people searching Craigslist for an obscure piece like this.
+1- In this case, I would post it to the Milwaukee Criagslist. If anyone is looking for these cars, they live in that area.
I intend to pay close attention to the comments but doubt I’ll sell my CC. Had it since 1971. Just sent off to Harbor Freight for floor jack and stands and the Houston summer is about to cool down. Time to get to work.
I find myself giving my old cars to relatives and friends. Age does not equal wisdom.
One of my “must have” cars!
Anywhere close to New Orleans, LA?
Portland, OR.
So I’m late to the show certainly, but I’ll still wonder – what’s with all the automotive immortality in the PNW? I often search Oregon CL sites just for fun.
Bummer.
Have ya’ll checking cross country shipping costs lately?
🙁
Craigslist is always worthwhile, because it is free. You do get some national exposure as people looking for something obscure will search beyond their local market. A friend wanted a specific boat, and traveled four states to answer a Craigslist ad – and he bought it – a nearly $30,000 purchase. I’ve traveled up to 250 miles to buy specific furniture that had been discontinued.
For success on Craigslist:
The car should be clean inside, outside, under the hood, underneath.
Pictures should be taken in a decent setting, or go all out and find a really nice back drop. Never have garbage, weeds, etc. visible in the photo.
Enough pictures to explain, but don’t over do. A good solid view of all four sides. A pic of the dash, all seats (one in front, and one in rear may do it), all door panels, the cargo hold, under the hood. Edit the pictures for proper size (about 700 X 1000 pixels) so they are not to big to load properly, and are not too small to look at.
A decent narrative telling the features the car has, what makes it special, its backstory if you have it. Not the Great American Novel, but at least a few paragraphs edited for quality and clarity. Be honest, save the bull for a rodeo.
I’ve sold many items successfully on Craigslist. There is power in good pictures and an effort at writing a decent and pleasantly readable narrative. Reasonable pricing is important if you want it gone in a reasonable amount of time.
Thoughts on e-bay:
I’ve purchased two band instruments for my kids on e-bay with good luck. The quality tends to be good as people are selling things that have some value when they have to pay significant fees. I’ve only found one band instrument locally on Craigslist, and it was the most used of any we bought. We paid a bit more on e-bay. My way of saying you might earn back the fees e-bay will charge. I’ve never sold on e-bay so take my comments for what they are worth.
Very, very good advice here. You’d be surprised how the description and photos will influence things. If Craigslist is anything like Gumtree over here in oz, the only thing you need to watch out for is spammers and ‘re-sellers’ clogging your email and phone. I’d start with AMC clubs, then Bring a Trailer or try Jesse and Josh at Barnfinds, then Craiglist.
I’m not sure about auction houses; this is the sort of car that might be a back-marker and that sort of auction fodder tends to go cheap.
Time is your biggest hurdle. If you need the cash straight away, you won’t be able to be firm on price. This is a highly specialised vehicle that 99.9% of the population will not even notice, but there will be that .1% who will really, really want it.
Like me. Bring it to oz. I’d buy it today.
Good luck.
Lots of good advice already. I think the suggestion of posting on an AMC forum is a good one, but I would suggest an ad in Hemmings too. I think you’d get a lot less tire-kickers and time-wasters in that venue vis a vis CL, eBay, etc.
I agree that trying an ad in Hemmings is a good idea. A lot of us old car freaks subscribe to it or at least see it from time to time.
How timely. A coworker approached me this week asking how to sell his father-in-law’s 48 Ford. The annual fall collector car auction coming up in Toronto, and I suggested he consign it there.
The website “Bring a Trailer”
Or – start a “for sale” forum here.
I like “for sale” forum sites like “Bring a Trailer”, “The H.A.M.B”, local Craiglists and (for Utah) KSL.
If the owner wants it to go to someone who will keep it original, The H.A.M.B. probably isn’t the best place to advertise. Unless it’s something like a ’53 Corvette, anything’s fair game to be hot rodded by that group. No doubt there are a few on there who would even drop a crate 350 into a ’53 Vette just to piss off a lot of people.
I’ll add to the chorus of those who encourage reaching out to the AMC community. They’re a relatively small and very tight-knit bunch. Word will spread fast!
As a seasoned scanner of all things automotive, I would suggest:
1) Take it to a local event or two. In fact, I think there’s an AMC meet in Portland soon.
2) A specialized website http://www.amcrc.com/sale/sale.html
3) Craigslist is quick and easy, but may encounter uninformed lowballers (or get mutually lucky!)
4) Ebay for a broad audience and bidding, but possible logistical issues.
5) Like others, I want to suggest you contact me. I really enjoyed seeing this car. But, as my wife says, what about the Tesla fund?
Best wishes!
Is there a AMC Hornets forum, club or mailing list? I’d be surprised if there wasn’t.
Matt it might be easier than you think with this good CC exposure. Please contact me as I would be seriously interested in conversing and buying the car outright. Nice car!
1. Selling is marketing; and marketing is about audience.
2. This young man wants the highest $ he can get; very different from just finding ‘a good home’ for the car. (That eliminates Craigs List; where more of the audience is seeking ‘affordable’ and local.
3. The car is a ‘special interest’ vehicle. So you need to reach a special interest audience.
4. The young man should not be in a hurry; cars are languishing on Craigs list (some of you remember the August CC post of the early Panther Lincolns -a clean Cartier example has been on Craigs List for 4 months).
Those three things dictate going toward venues like:
> Hemmings.com, >ebay Motors > OldCarOnline.com >RustFreeClassicCars,com.
OR consigning the car (Google ‘classic car consignment’ & you’ll get local/regional listings. One national consignment venue is StreetsideClassics.com)
At venues like those mentioned above:
[a] Generally, the pricing starts much higher.
[b] You obtain the widest audience possible: these venues reach the buyer in Maine who has been waiting to find a good example of a Gucci Hornet. A San Antonio man just bought a 49 Packard on ebay that was in Maryland.
[c] If you go with these venues, you answer e-mail and no one comes to the house (unless local buyer). However I DO encourage phone calls with potential buyers (I’ve bought two cars on ebay & called other sellers; you get a sense of the buyer, their attitude & their interest.)
[d] Conversely, if you go Craig’s List, YOU have to answer the phone all the time & show the car or deal with no-show appointments & deal with low-ballers, joy-riders, and tire-kickers.
There is actually a fair amount of information about selling on ebay (do a Google search) that applies to all online venues -and it is a MUST to read; otherwise you could still pay ebay the auction fee for a deadbeat bidder. Most auctions specify ‘new ebayMotors bidders must call the seller before bidding or the bid will be rejected.’
Also, many times the reserve is set intentionally high to identify serious bidders’ interest; and sometimes the deal is made AFTER the auction closes and car doesn’t reach it’s reserve -and then you don’t pay ebay.
Yes, I also like national car club publications/websites too -but you usually need to join in order to post (I need to sell a ’75 Pontiac Grandville convertible, but I’ll have to join Pontiac/Oakland to post -it’s a rust-free Dallas car w/78K -a bit of a project car, but not a PROJECT car -strong running ) but like the Hornet, it’s ‘special interest’.
All of this to say, a little time spent researching online selling is paramount, and can ensure a positive outcome.
Thank you for the comprehensive advice. I think that a classic car consignment option sounds like a very good one.
For selling a special interest or classic car Ebay is best because it’s international. Certainly anyone in the US looking for your car will be check Ebay and see it. Set a fair reserve and it will sell or if the listing expires you can sell it offline later.
Post a link to the Ebay ad in the main fan forum for that car. If it’s a good one guys will chime in supporting it. BaT recently experimented with no reserve auctions but the starting prices were too high and they are now using the Ebay model.
For buying I like Craigslist. I would never buy sight unseen so the only Ebay ads I look at are the local ones, and there aren’t usually that many. Also not many private parties on eBay these days. I hate when dealers take over a site. I love Hemmings but most cars there are dealer listings.
Definitely do Bring a Trailer first. Those guys are the best and real gear heads cruise their pages, from Jay Leno to the proverbial Swedish Yank Tank junkies.
Paul, there really isn’t a wrong answer among any of the choices presented. Personally, Id take the ‘saturation bombing’ approach and go for as many as possible. Craigslist is free so of course that should be #1. Hitting a few AMC enthusiast forums and spreading the word would be next. And of course hitting car shows.
By the way, Oktoberfest is coming up in Mount Angel next weekend. They do have a car show. And if you don’t sell it there, then of course beer, bratwurst and frauleins to help ease the disappointment! This is a cool car, if the word gets out that its up for grabs, it WILL sell.
Internet auction sites work ok here though I just disposed of a dunga via facebook that worked ok too the guy asked a few questions liked the answers turned up I jump started the little Nissan he liked it peeled off some notes and drove away happy, now I dont have to mow around that one.
I imagine that if Matt told us what he wants for this one it might be sold within an hour or so. Not that we want this site to become a used car classifieds….
My advice?
Unless:
1. Your daily driver is something that gets beaten into the ground, hauling half a ton of dirty equipment and/or running sixty thousand miles a year, or,
2. Your other car is, for instance, a ’68 Ambassador,
Keep this and sell the modern. Drive and enjoy the Hornet. Get a cheap beater to spare the Hornet any rough service. The newest vehicle I own is a ’91 (Dodge pick up) and I drive my ’65 Valiant as much as anything. For me, there’s nothin’ better than scerenly cruising through a sea of identical modern slope nosed payment-mobiles in my Valiant with the A/C on and my right arm laying across the back of the bench seat.
F*** the Joneses.
Any other true believers here?
Easy one. Contact the guys at Rambler Ranch in Elizabeth Colorado. This guy has a collection of over 600 AMC’s alone and is the expert on all things AMC. If he doesn’t want it himself he’ll surely know the value of it.Email them at the following info@ramblerranch.com.
http://www.ramblerranch.com/rr/
Wow, what a collection. Seems to be missing something. . .
If you could somehow get it featured on a website frequented by enthusiasts with a strange predilection towards obscure cars from the seventies then you could…..wait a minute.
The Hornet is in Oregon right? billions and billions of miles from Michigan, right? *whew*, I can overcome my lust. Too far to manage by myself, and I’m too cheap to pay a transporter.
It would take the late 60s/70s trophy at the local AMC meet easy.
The 4 sites I have used in the past are:
Craigslist
cars.com
Hemmings
Ebay
Craigsllst and Cars.com are both free, so they will give some exposure. Hemmings will give the car a more specialized audience and I think that’s what this Sportabout needs. I’m not big on Ebay but it will also increase the exposure.
Matt can you contact me at yahoo? Can CC give you my email address? I’m interested and would like to call you. Joe
I added an email address below.
Thank you all for the solid advice and suggestions. I suspect that the information will be helpful for many others.
I would be glad to discuss the car with anyone interested. Feel free to send me a message at: bringgoodnews@hotmail.com
Matt
Also, I suppose you know this already, but never underestimate the power of local exposure. Hang a for-sale sign in the window and drive it around town. You’ll reach people who didn’t even know they were in the market until they see the sign and the mental gears start turning..
Hello Matt 🙂
I have been searching for a seller of the Gucci Sportabout for some time. Oddly, it is my dream car! 😀
I was wondering if you have sold it or if it is still available.
I did send you an email at the address you provided and i hope it reaches you.
i am located in California and am willing to travel for a purchase. 🙂
i look forward to hearing from you! 😀