Avanti sold, Avanti lost ?

[JDP]

Our R2 Avanti sold for $17,500, with 4320 page views and 265 watchers. A Porsche/Audi car dealer/collector that has bought over a 200K in iron the last few months out bid the Studebaker guys at the very end.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290517569797

BTW, the black Avanti that I "bought" is in limbo, no reply from the owner yet. I'm not sure if he's just away from home, or decided to sell it to someone else. I can't get a address to send payment. I'm not upset either way, since someone will save it in the end, and Avanti's are like street cars for me and I'll catch the next one.

[JBOYLE]

Can you ask the Porsche/Audi dealer why he bought the car?
It's obviously a high-end dealership...did he buy if to have something different in the used car showroom, does he see it as a classic, or just for fun?

I'd love to know and it might tell us something about the Avanti market of the future (i.e. converts who appreciate the style).

[JDP]

Can you ask the Porsche/Audi dealer why he bought the car?
It's obviously a high-end dealership...did he buy if to have something different in the used car showroom, does he see it as a classic, or just for fun?

I'd love to know and it might tell us something about the Avanti market of the future (i.e. converts who appreciate the style).

You won't believe this, but it started with a Ipad gift. He started cruising ebay and buying interesting cars. i.e a 1972 Buick Riviera RIVIERA 17.5K, 67 Buick wagon 9K, 69 Pontiac Catalina 39K, 56 Lincoln Continental 31.6K, 78 Lincoln 9k, 67 Firebird 41K.
(all from his bid history in the last 3 months)

I think he's just started collecting toys.

[PackardV8]

I've known a couple of similar high-dollar guys. From what he's bought so far, they'll all be for sale as soon as he discovers his next interest - sailing, shotguns, hot rods, Harleys or whatever. One Microsoft millionaire I know slightly says, "Most of this stuff is so cheap, if I'm interested, I buy it just to get a closer look at it. It usually goes on down the road in a month or a year. I have a guy who sells it for me on a percentage. Wish I'd discovered eBay before I met my second wife. It's a much more affordable hobby."

Bottom line - one or two moneyed dilittantes don't make an Avanti market.

jack vines

[JDP]

I've known a couple of similar high-dollar guys. From what he's bought so far, they'll all be for sale as soon as he discovers his next interest - sailing, shotguns, hot rods, Harleys or whatever. One Microsoft millionaire I know slightly says, "Most of this stuff is so cheap, if I'm interested, I buy it just to get a closer look at it. It usually goes on down the road in a month or a year. I have a guy who sells it for me on a percentage. Wish I'd discovered eBay before I met my second wife. It's a much more affordable hobby."

Bottom line - one or two moneyed dilittantes don't make an Avanti market.

jack vines

Perhaps, but that fact that guys with money are interested in Studebakers is good for the hobby in the long run. Avanti's should be on every collectors short list IMHO. This guy will probably do a first class paint job on the car at his dealers body shop, enjoy owning it for months or years and still sell it a profit if he likes. If he's a smart shopper, he can play with a lot of toys and still make money. I think putting money in the right cars is a smart investment, and a lot more fun than leafing through your stock certificates. If I suddenly became wealthy, I'd be doing the same. He's smart enough to have only bought very nice cars so far, so I think he'll do fine. Nice guy BTW, and a long time car nut.

[jlmccuan]

Bottom line - one or two moneyed dilittantes don't make an Avanti market.

jack vines

As long as there are 2, there is a market.

[JDP]

As long as there are 2, there is a market.

So true. I once stood next to a young guy selling his Mustang convertible, and hoping for a 15K bid. At the end, the bidding came down to two guys. One wanted the car for his much younger "twinkie" girl friend, the other for his daughter and they bid the damn thing to over 30K after the twnikie tugged on sugar daddies arm.

I recall many years ago when my Golden Hawk sold for 25K, it went to a airline executive. At the time, that seemed like big money until he resold it for a nice profit in Japan. At least I had two Avanti guys in the bidding to the very end, and one even asked for a second chance if the deal fell through.

IMHO, 17K for a Survivor R2 is about where I guessed it would end up. That 4 door Lark that sold for over 6K shows the market for unmolested cars is strong. I may have to rethink a high dollar 64 Cruiser we have our eyes on and take the risk. Anyone else think a Cruiser as nice as that 4 door would pull 6-7K or is that too big a nut ? I've avoided even very nice 4 doors in the past, but they might be making a market move.

[JBOYLE]

Perhaps, but that fact that guys with money are interested in Studebakers is good for the hobby in the long run. Avanti's should be on every collectors short list IMHO. This guy will probably do a first class paint job on the car at his dealers body shop, enjoy owning it for months or years and still sell it a profit if he likes. If he's a smart shopper, he can play with a lot of toys and still make money. Nice guy BTW, and a long time car nut.

I agree, anytime interest in Avantis or Studebakers beyond long-time fans/SDC members is a GREAT thing.
Even if he only owns it for a few years and never drinks the SDC/AOIA cool-aide, he'll show it to friends, drive it and generally expose it to people.
And a high-end dealer and collector is what marketing & PR types call an "opinion leader". In other words, if he shows up in one at the country club, it will be a great advertisement for the marque.

[JDP]

I agree, anytime interest in Avantis or Studebakers beyond long-time fans/SDC members is a GREAT thing.
Even if he only owns it for a few years and never drinks the SDC/AOIA cool-aide, he'll show it to friends, drive it and generally expose it to people.
And a high-end dealer and collector is what marketing & PR types call an "opinion leader". In other words, if he shows up in one at the country club, it will be a great advertisement for the marque.

Better that then the ways it was a few years back. While at the Rockville car show many years ago, the Rolls Club was right behind our Studebakers and a Rolls owner approached me saying, "I understand you buy Studebakers and I bought one at my churches charity auction for XXXX." When I explained that was maybe 6 times the value, he said he knew that, but just wanted it "removed" and to make a offer. We struck a deal and I picked up the truck from it's hiding place behind a out building on his estate. Far better to have one displayed rather than hidden IMHO.
One Chrysler dealer has purchased four Studebaker from me, and shows off the cars at his show rooms and writes them off his taxes as a advertising expense. Maybe the day will come when a Mercedes dealer wants a Studebaker to show his early dealer roots. (OK, that's a bit far fetched.)

[Corvanti]

As long as there are 2, there is a market.

agreed. but if i read the "bidders" correctly, there were 5 in the running at $15K - 6 if you count the bidder that dropped out. not too shabby in these times...

[PackardV8]

No matter what our personal rationalization, all we old car buyers are crazy in some shape, form or fashion. Years back, i was dickering on a project '56J. Another buyer paid way more than I would have and had it trucked to a restoration shop which does his cars, which he knew has a long waiting list. Before the '56J made it to the front of the line, the buyer bought a couple of more driver cars and had the shop sell the GH at a loss. He lost less on the deal than I would have trying to restore that car. ;>)

jack vines

[jlmccuan]

We've probably all been guilty of bidding something up to "stupid" money. Maybe because it's the last item needed for a restoration or collection. Everybody has their own rationalization that at the time makes perfect sense. As sellers, we hope 2 of these folks show up for an auction. As buyers we hope no one notices. I would agree that any individual sale does not a market make, but it sure is heartening to hobbyists who already have some of their collection in hand to see a car sell for decent money. In the end, the best price is the one both offered by buyer and accepted by seller.

[DEEPNHOCK]

I did that a few years ago on a rare Studebaker dealer pamphlet.
Another bidder (who I knew, and we both had a mutual dislike for each other)
kept raising my bid (this was before the hidden bidder names)...
Every time I raised, he'd raise it again by ten bucks.
After a while I'd get mad and raise it by $50 and, sure enough, he'd raise it by that same ten bucks.
I ran with it for a while and when it got to $250, I just disappeared..
(after his ten dollar raise, of course..).
Well, he won the pamphlet and sent me a smug "I won" e-mail.
Then, about 24 hours later the seller put another one up on Ebay.
I got that one for $25.
I sent him a copy of my winning bid notification, and told him "Yep...You won"..
No point in all of this other than we all make up our minds to do something, or not to do something.
And our decision has little to do with someone else's decision...

We've probably all been guilty of bidding something up to "stupid" money.
<snip>

[Welcome]

You won't believe this, but it started with a Ipad gift. He started cruising ebay and buying interesting cars. i.e a 1972 Buick Riviera RIVIERA 17.5K, 67 Buick wagon 9K, 69 Pontiac Catalina 39K, 56 Lincoln Continental 31.6K, 78 Lincoln 9k, 67 Firebird 41K.
(all from his bid history in the last 3 months)<<<

[Bob Andrews]

I did that a few years ago on a rare Studebaker dealer pamphlet.
Another bidder (who I knew, and we both had a mutual dislike for each other)
kept raising my bid (this was before the hidden bidder names)...
Every time I raised, he'd raise it again by ten bucks.
After a while I'd get mad and raise it by $50 and, sure enough, he'd raise it by that same ten bucks.
I ran with it for a while and when it got to $250, I just disappeared..
(after his ten dollar raise, of course..).
Well, he won the pamphlet and sent me a smug "I won" e-mail.
Then, about 24 hours later the seller put another one up on Ebay.
I got that one for $25.
I sent him a copy of my winning bid notification, and told him "Yep...You won"..

Oh, that's awesome A real 'Rolaids' moment for the other guy<GG>