Date:         Sun, 4 Mar 2001 18:58:31 EST
Reply-To:     Wrmrwgn@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Robert Keezer <Wrmrwgn@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Fwd: There are few bargains on eBay (but I bought my Westfalia
              this way)...
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

 So did I!

Last April I bid on a 1980 Westfalia in Kansas for $680.00. It had 71,000
miles in it, but looked like it had 871,000 miles on it. I was able to Leave
it in Denver and sell it to someone else who was used to seam rust. Dan is
right, but not everything is a bargain. But auction buying is a skill, not
exactly a game of chance.

I sold a gasket set, rod& crank bearings, and piston ring set for a 1964
Hillman Super Minx that we sold a long time ago, but forgot to send this with
it. I put it on ebay, and was able to get 23.50 for what I otherwise would
have thrown away, and I am sure that the buyer got a good deal.
 I have sold a few shop manuals for motorcycles and cars, both were in like
new condition, both sold a few dollars less than the price new- I got rid of
something useless to me, and the buyer is happy to have the convenience of
having what may be a hard to find item in their area sent to the door.

I have lived in places in the US where you don't have a local market for such
goods, so even for these people paying even a little more is still cheaper
than driving 300 miles.
I only want to get a reasonable amount for the item I sell. Some sellers are
out to make a huge profit, and the unaware a be sucked into a rip-off.

Some Vanagon stuff being sold looks like it was bought from vendors we know
and the starting price is often what you can order it for.
To play it safe, you should know the value, set your max, and let it go if it
goes over. Chances are you will win the item in another auction.
Some bargains are to be found, like Dan's Westy, and mine. The next Westy I
bought wasn't on ebay.

I won a bid at a local auction for a 1985 Westfalia with 74,000 miles on it
in January. The original owner donated it to charity, and it was listed as
"starts, condition unknown."
That may have spooked the other bidders, because I won it for $1,550. I drove
it home, it runs perfectly. I found all fifteen years of maintenance records
in a plastic garbage bag that no one looked in.
 All maintenance was done at a local VW dealership-the stack is 3 inches
thick. In 1988 a brand new engine was installed when the Van had 24,000
miles-figure around 50,000 miles on the WBX motor.
It's an automatic, has AC, and only needs a little body and paint work on the
right rear wheel area and slider door. The interior is mint, the pop-top
canvas, undercarriage, body, all in excellent condition with no rust.
What's it really worth? My total investment will be around $2,500 including
purchase price and fees.

The Kelly lists it at $7,600. Seattle, rivaling for the Westfalia Capital of
the World title,
regularly lists these 85 Westies with 100,000 miles plus for $8,000 or more.
So the deals are still to be found, and I thought those days were gone.

It also really makes a big difference if you can look it over before you bid,
because digital pictures can hide imperfections-I never saw the seam rust in
that beautiful Guinea Blue Westfalia!

Robert

Robert Keezer

1982 Westfalia
1985 Westfalia