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My 100 is being auctioned in Ft. Lauderdale next Saturday March 28th

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kellysguy said:
I do not understand this phenomenon in the slightest.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Volkswagen...cf56a7949&item=261815433545&pt=US_Cars_Trucks
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And in addition to many of the sought-after "collector" cars defying the usual criteria for collectibility - rare, beautiful, competition history, celebrity ownership, ground-breaking technological innovation, fast, and/or at least fun to drive - another way that collector cars are different from virtually all other collectibles is in the fact that the value of collector cars usually increases when they are restored. Yes, there is a niche for "survivor" (unrestored) cars, but the vast majority are fully restored, erasing all traces of originality. With other collectibles a "restoration" erases not only the originality but also the value - just refinish that set of 18th century Chippendale chairs if you'd like to cut their value to a small fraction of their unrestored value - but with cars it's different.

Therefore since the value of collector cars defies the established norms of collectibility, in cars you are dealing with a huge "notional value" factor - no rational underpinnings - and you're subject to the whims and caprice of a fickle, suggestible, easily distracted market. Buying lottery tickets might be a better investment strategy.
 
Actually, cars are not the only collectible that increase in value when they're restored. Any item that nominally has function or use beyond just appearance or provenance has this property. Think wooden boats, vintage airplanes ("warbirds"), cameras, audio equipment, carousels, steam engines (as in "What are you complaining about? Don't you know that some guys restore TRAINS!!). Of course an original, flyable, unrestored P-51 Mustang would be worth more than an unrestored one but you'll never get me to fly it. Now, one that's been restored and FAA inspected...
 
unrestored one but you'll never get me to fly it.

Well restored or not the pre "D" model of the P51 was a hand full. Even the D Model had a basket of its own tricks.
 
Editor_Reid said:
Yes, there is a niche for "survivor" (unrestored) cars, but the vast majority are fully restored, erasing all traces of originality. .
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As each year goes by sadly more and more fall victim to restorations. Unrestored cars will simply become rarer and "more desirable" by default. I wouldn't be surprised that if one day rubber bumper cars do take a jump simply for the fact they are so few unmodified examples left. So many are getting chopped up it's just a matter of time before there are only a few original examples . Will they fetch big money? I don't think so....

I can truly appreciate a painstakingly fully restored example, but nothing gets to me or tells a story like a car that shows the passage of time and the scars of life.

I like the way old cars smell too.:thumbsup:



Bill, let us know asap how you did.
 
Bill, I wish for you top dollar for your M. I, of course, want to ask why you are selling it but I also respect your decision and know it's none of my business. Having named my M, I can't imagine selling her. However events sometimes don't give us a choice. When the day comes that I can't drive Agatha and presuming husband doesn't want to, daughter will have her. In the interim joy riding with Agatha is one of my guilty pleasures. Again good wishes for a successful sale.
 
I will discuss some of my thoughts about selling the car as I go through the auction with it. I will start updating this conversation on Thursday when the auction previews start. Tomorrow's the flight from Long Island (it almost got to 41 deg today!) to Ft Lauderdale (where it was 89). Friggin' winter won't stop...
 
Editor_Reid said:
With other collectibles a "restoration" erases not only the originality but also the value - just refinish that set of 18th century Chippendale chairs if you'd like to cut their value to a small fraction of their unrestored value - but with cars it's different.
Click to expand...

Indeed. I have a couple of old Winchesters--a rare model 1873 military musket and a model 1876 rifle--that were reblued many years ago. Sure they look nice but no doubt they would be worth oodles more even were they coated with original rust.
 
Yes, there's a reserve on the car. One of the reasons I'm going with Auctions America rather than RM (their parent) or Gooding is that they allow you to put a reserve of less than $150K or so on the car. Otherwise it goes no reserve, which scares me.
 
Thanks! A day at the auction site turns out to be more tiring than I anticipated it would be so I won't do a report until after it's over. My car goes on the block tomorrow at about 12:30.
 
I can identify with Bill's comment about the auction being tiring. I have shepherded several cars through the Arizona auctions. It is a tri-polar experience. Lots of fun at first, you get to meet lots of new friends kicking tires and talking cars. Then the endless wait begins as your car literally creeps toward the auction block. This takes hours while you pace the floor answering questions about your car. Finally it's sheer terror when your car mounts the block where it all ends in just a few minutes. That's when you find out if you've lost the thousands of dollars it took to bring the car to auction for a no-sale or undersale. Or, you may end up with about what you expected or many thousands more!

Good luck Bill, hope it went well for you.
 
6 Healeys offered at the auction, 1 100, 4 6 cylinders and one Sprite, the 100 fetched top price of the 6 at 73k. 100 prices have really firmed lately and are quiet often eclipsing the price of 6 cylinder cars.image.jpg
 
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Briefly, my car sold for $73.7K including buyer's premium. I made my reserve plus a bit more. I will post a video of the 4 minutes of sheer terror plus my thoughts tomorrow. I just landed here on Long Island where it's 12:35 AM, 36 deg and drizzling. Florida's weather was better... And I have to go to sleep!
 
Where can we get a list of all the Healeys at the Ft. Lauderdale sale and what the winning bids were for each.

Thanks in advance:driving:
 
Great!!!! that was fast - I just read my needed answer in an earlier posting. I just need to read all the posting rather than skipping to the last page to save time

Thanks for the timely update!!!:driving:
 
It's going to be a few days before I post more about my impressions of the whole auction process, other than to say I am very satisfied about he whole Auctions America experience. Life has intervened.
 
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