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Date:         Mon, 3 Oct 1994 15:52:27 -0500 (CDT)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         dakhlia@wuecona.wustl.edu (Sami Dakhlia)
Subject:      Re: '74 Westy value?

> >Well, I've had no luck so far trying to sell my 1974 Westfalia. I originally >posted it at $2500/OBO and I've had nary a nibble. The van is in good >condition (not perfect, but darned nice). Odometer shows about 150K miles, >with a recent rebuild. > >So, am I crazy to expect over 2 grand for this? I'd have no interest in >selling >it at all if it weren't for the fact that my wife and I are trying to >buy a house.

No, not crazy, maybe a bit optimistic, though. There is no clear-cut price for your camper. You may value it at $2,500, and somewhere out there is certainly another person, willing to pay this much or more. You just have to be patient enough to find this person. So the price will also be a function of how long you are willing to wait.

Your problem seems to be that no one actually replies to your ad and don't even bother to take a look at the bus. This does not necessarily mean that your asking price is too high. I bought my 75 camper 3 years ago and paid $3000. It was in mint condition, though.

The toughest part is to inform prospective buyers, not just that your bus is for sale, but also that it is "worth" the $2,500 you're asking for. Ads often tend to exagerate the quality of the vehicule. Since this is expected, words don't mean too much. If you're honest about the state of your bus, chances are that your honesty is not noticed. I don't suggest that you lie, though. With some creativity and a good choice of words, however, you could credibly convey the idea that your bus is worth taking a look at.

Final note: a friend of mine had trouble selling his VW Fox, so the second week, he jacked the price *up* by 20% and found a buyer right away. The asking price also sends a signal about the value and condition of the car. The first offer was too low in the sense that it suggested that something might be wrong with the car.

Good luck!

Sami, I'll-be-an-economist-when-I-grow-up.


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