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Selling my Healey, need opinions

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Wana

Wana

Jedi Hopeful
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Hi all, sadly the time has come to sell my Healey. I would appreciate your opinions on the following:

1. What is the best method - Ebay, newspaper, Hemmings, auction, others?
2. Should I consider waiting until Spring (I live in Iowa & winter is approaching).
3. Is the NADA pricing a decent guide to value in today's market?
4. I also have a 4-post lift - should I offer as a set or sell separately?

Thanks for your thoughts!
 
I think you should sell it to me as I need another Healey to round out the fleet

I can take the lift also

Cheers

Mark
 
Hey Wana,
Sorry to hear you're going to sell the old girl ! That is a tough decision. I have have pretty good success selling several Healey's on ebay over the past few years but many ebay buyers are looking for the proverbial bargain so nice cars do not seem to bring what maybe they should. Particularly now with Healey prices down from their high of maybe 1 to 2 years ago. But that being said you will reach the largest possible audience out there and if you provide a lot of
pictures and good copy in the ad, you will get the interest/bids. I would not suggest a no reserve auction and start with your reserve higher than you would take as you can lower it at any time during the auction. If you sell it do not let that car out of your sight until you have confirmed funds in your bank !!! Just last night I spoke to a Healey friend who was looking at a BJ8 that was supposedly for sale at a transporter's warehouse and the first $25k would buy it and he was wondering if it might be a scam !!!!

Never thought of an auction and unless you have a #1 car and it's at one of the big names like RM, Gooding, etc, Healey's now seem to be a bargain via that venue. BJ is a no reserve format so same applies as above, you could lose your shirt. Hemmings has always been the mainstay for us carnuts but I would think they have been eclipsed by ebay. Seems like most of their ads are from dealers.

NADA is a guide but Sports Car Market and Cars that Matter are more attuned to our hobby. PM if you want me to get you the values for your HEaley from their latest price guides. Don't think it makes any difference when you sell a collectible car other than someone maybe coming to look at it in February in Iowa.

I'd sell the 4 post lift separate if I were you. Wish I had room or I'd see what you want for it !!!! Definitely mention the availability on here if you decide to sell it separate.

Plus one last thing, list it here for sale as it's a good deal and the word will get out if it's listed for sale on the BCF.

Good luck,
Mike
 
On my last sale......a 1988 XJS convertible EBAY was no luck. I had bought this car for fun until I could find a nice E-type. 18 months later (in the paper) was my e-type.

Was able to sell the XJS in the SUNDAY PAPER....had 5 people look at it and sold it Monday for ASKING price.

EBAY has too many charlatans and dreamers....you would be surprised how many local people might be interested because they can see the car rather than buy a pig in the poke.

Pete
 
eBay is a waste of time. I hate eBay - too many scammers, lowballers, tire kickers and novices shopping there (no offense intended to eBay lovers).

Put the word out in your local club newsletter and if you can other club newsletters as well. Be realistic about your asking price, taking into account recent trends. Use the Forums to get the word out. Do a detailed ad that can be emailed with lots of good photos and as much history as you can provide of the vehicle. Craigslist is a good sale resource also. Hemmings used to be pretty good but, as mentioned before, eBay has stolen some of their thunder. I don't know the condition of your car, but whatever it is be sure to be as honest as possible about it and show the defects in your pics. Lots of interest in Healeys out there. You just have to find the right targeted group. It will sell.
Randy
 
From the perspective of a new Healey owner, I checked Hemmings daily, Classic Car Trader once in a while, and Ebay pretty frequently. I went to look at two BN4s I saw on Ebay that were within 500 miles, and ended up buying one of them, though the PO ended the auction when he saw I was serious and we agreed on a fair price face to face.

On the West Coast there may be so many more of these that other methods are workable, but in the midwest there are fewer cars and ebay was helpful to me in getting a feel for the market.

By the way, I also found my RC30 (at left) on ebay. It's number 16 of 50 Canadian models. Sometimes you have to cast a wide net for these Unicorns. I drove over 3000 miles round trip for that one.
 
Randy Harris said:
... Craigslist is a good sale resource also. ...
Randy
Click to expand...
We've found Craigslist to be worse than eBay in terms of scammers. Although we have not used it for trying to sell a car, it seems to attract them when trying to rent property. Wife listed a house for rent on Craigslist and found that someone else listed it for about half the rent. Of course, the scammer wasn't too brilliant. When people went by the house to look, they would call her phone number on the sign out in front and ask about the half price rent.

I agree with the club route or here on the Forum.

Our local paper isn't be good, but our nearest "big city" paper (San Francisco Chronicle) works well for these type of cars. Depending on where you live, that may apply to you.
 
My wife is an auto appraiser here in phoenix, and could do a written appraisal as well as other comps. in your area. pm me if interested. btw. she is a lisenced claims adjuster.
 
Thanks everyone for the input. I'm going to get to work on assembling information and photographs and decide when/where to start advertising.
 
Wana,

I just bought my 61 MKII tri-carb and I bought it on ebay. I did look in Hemmings and I checked the classifieds on the Healey Club pages.

Lots and lots of GOOD pictures are a must, and a complete narative of the car is really important. The story helps ignite the imagination.

Good Luck,

Stretch
 
I would hold out if you can until the B/J has been held in January. This will give you a start of where the trends are leading. When I was envolved with a large dealer, this is how whe base the prices.
 
Many different views on e-bay, I would have to agree that in the more rural midwest the market is more limited and E-bay is much better exposure. I listed my BN1 in the local paper (Lincoln,NE about 250,000 people)for $11,000 and got one lukewarm call and no sale, couple years later on E-bay is sold for $24,000, now this was right when the Healey market was heating up, but that is a pretty big difference.

I would not use craiglist to sell a collector car, I suppose it is free, but the exposure is mostly local and you are not ar likely to get the audience you want. I get more scammers on craiglist than anywhere else at least on cars, it is a great way to sell kids stuff and Tauruses, but classic cars I think not so much.

I would certainly not discourage you from trying the local club and newspaper market first, as a local eye to eye sale is usually easiest, you might get lucky and someone local is looking for just what you have and willing to pay, if that doesn't work I would go on to e-bay. If you PM me I can certainly put it on our local clubs newsletter and message board (150 members in Nebraska and Western Iowa).
 
If i where you i would not sell it in this economy unless you really need the money badly! From time to time i get the urge to sell my healey but after taking it out for short ride i always change my mind! I know after selling a vintage car it seems hard to buy another one because there is always something else that gets in the way it seems! I would love to have your lift! I am in illinois.
 
I would list it in the classified section of the two national AH clubs. Both clubs publish a slick monthly magazine with a wide circulation that attracts a knowledgeable readership. You will also see ads that provide a good indication of the going price for similar cars. Good luck!
 
DUH, Why not list it here on the Forum. You have thousands of British Car nuts right at your fingertips.

I sold my '60 BN7 within two weeks and it cost me nothing to list it. I did however send a "selling fee" to Basil for his help.

List the car and be explicit. It's easy to add photos. Check out the Forum.
 
Wana,

Marketing these cars is about exposure. Find and use as many outlets as possible and affordable. Don't limit yourself to one media or one outlet. Do not be afraid of the auction route, but spend some time educating yourself about it as it is not cheap to transport your car to the sites of the bigger auctions.
 
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