Steve 96C4S

I just finally figured out how to post a car for sale on the Rennlist classifieds. I was so proud of myself after struggling like an idiot for 2 days with this new digital camera and finally realizing that the connecting cords that were included with it would not get me to my goal of posting a pic. I went to the camera store and they told me I needed to buy a Dazzle Compact Flash Reader/Writer and am now partially in "business".

I showed my wife the ad and she said "Why are all the other 88's and 87's listed for around $27k - 30k and you priced yours for only $24,500 or b/o. I told her that they are most likely from dealers and are perfect cars, and potentially overpriced. She looked at the pics of their cars and thought mine looked as nice. She said she thought mine was perfect (it's 14 years old, it can't be perfect! - I of course focus on all it's few faults rather than appreciate it for what it is -an excellent example of it's marque).

We then scrolled down the page of 1988 911 Coupes for sale on cars.com and saw the same thing - that either the price of 87-89's have stayed the same or actually gone up a bit over the course of the last 5 years I've owned mine! Unless these guy's asking $27-30k are actually getting only $20k for their cars, it seems mine is priced right at about $24,500 or b/o.

Am I figuring this right or did I undervalue or overvalue?

Steve
95 740i
99 XK8 her's
<img src="graemlins/yltype.gif" border="0" alt="[typing]" />

NTI 911E

It seems to me that it is a high price for one with 71k miles. I have seen 88-89 coupes with 50k for mid to low 20's so I think you are shooting a little too high.

craig001

As a person in the market for a 1986 to 1992 Cab or Targa you seem to be a little high. I know our cars are worth more to us because we paid for all the pieces parts and maintenance that keeps the car running. As a buyer I appreciate that and look for it, but as a seller I would like to make it back. I have over $4000 in receipts over the last 18 months in my car and I know that I'll not see that money. But I did have smiles on the way to Boise this past summer. Trip pics on one of the last pages in the photo gallery. Click on my wife then on one of the two pics that come up next. <img src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" border="0" alt="[cheers]" />

MikeF

As a reference, I bought my 89 Targa last summer with 68k miles for $18,500. Since then I've spent about 10k on upgrades though (wheels, suspension, seats, harnesses, spoilers, tires, brakes...).

ked

Steve, you can (& often must) lower your selling price - you can almost never raise it. There is nothing wrong with starting high & engaging in negotiations. The main factors are the a) time available for you to sell, b) how expansive your marketing plan is, c) how unique or desirable your car is, d) your location, e) specific market conditions for your car, f) overall economic conditions.

Evaluate all the factors when setting an asking price. Some people set a higher-than-market price because they really don't want to sell their car, but will if the offer is above market. Some people are in a "x"-forces-sale-now situation. For nice cars (like yours) I've always believed there is someone somewhere who wants that specific car VERY BADLY, and will pay for it - it is just a matter of mutual discovery. Patience, willingness to be flexable & dispassion are the requirements for selling your car well.

As they taught me in car sales school - "hit 'em high & work 'em!".

By the way, my friend w/ the C4S just picked up an '89 Speedster - I guess these 3.2 Carreras are just too nice to leave... forever.

Steve 96C4S

Ughhh - thanks, I guess, for your honest answers. I feel a bit stupid and bad that I may have priced it way too high. I just took the prices I saw on the internet and went in the middle. I guess I'll see what kind of response I get and then revamp the price in a week or so if there are no substantial bites. I've had 6 people email me for pics (my new digital camera may not be that great - I won it in a sales contest at work - Vivitar ViviCam 3550 - is this a piece of junk?).

Plus, I have no idea how to get a homepage and how to upload pics on a homepage that doesn't require some sort of passcode or has some stupid member only area like the MSN site I tried. People logged on to look at the pics, then I was supposed to accept or decline, I accepted and it tells me that the web address isn't correct or something like that. I know nothing about computers, and selling a car on the internet. Maybe I'm in over my head and should just trade it into a dealer when I find a car!

We'll see how this goes. I thought it would be more fun to find a happy home for it myself and meet it's new owners. Perhaps I've been living in a dreamworld.

Grateful for everyone's help,
Steve RL# 020204-3367 <img src="graemlins/burnout.gif" border="0" alt="[burnout]" />

Fahrvergnuugen

email me if you want me to host pics or a small page for your car

Steve 96C4S

I think I've finally figured it out... FINALLY. It only took 2 days. I wish my computer friends were available the last couple of days. I spent way too much time on this. I think the pics finally ended up here.

<a href="http://community.webshots.com/user/stephenrobinson" target="_blank">http://community.webshots.com/user/stephenrobinson</a>

Time to go back to school.
sr

Dean/O

Stever,

$24.5k is a bit high, but within reason for a nice 87 Carrera. The color is a bonus, especially if your paint is 100% original. My observation is that 911 buyers in this price range are going to expect a top-notch car (i.e. perfect leather, straight body panels, no paint resprays, no oil leaks.)

If I'm spending $24k on a 911, I'll stretch to $28-30k for a perfect, lower mileage 87-89 911 if I get any indication that the higher mileage car isn't kosher.

Dean
1987 Targa (17.5k miles)

Steve 96C4S

Thanks for your post... maybe $24,500 is too high, but doesn't the "OBO" instantly build in a mechanism to bump me down to a lower price? I figured if I listed it for $21k, people wouldn't want to pay more than $18k for the car. At $24,500, I thought people would want to knock money off for this (needs new tires within 5000 mi), money for that,(needed a new rear windshield metal trim strip since the day I bought it 5 years ago, it's just a cosmetic thing that makes the car 'not mint' but since it costs like $400-450 to do it right, I always decided to put my money into it in 'better' ways like improving the A/C to it's ultimate level of coldness!), etc.

If I don't get any true bites in a couple of weeks, I'll keep knocking down the price till it flies out the door at whatever the current market value is. Because I'm really in no hurry and I just love looking at it in the garage and driving it on the highway once a week till it goes bye bye, there's no urgency at all. I haven't found a local 96-98 Polar Silver C4S yet anyway... when I find one of those, then I'll be more anxious to bid it a farewell.

Hope everyone's had a great holiday weekend and had the opportunity to take out their loved one (that ole 911). )

Steve

carrerachas

Steve, I don't think $24,500 is a bad asking price. I live in Atlanta, and helped a friend sell his 88 coupe 1 month ago: 116k, original owner,no mods, never wrecked/tracked, garaged day-n-night, all records/books, blah blah blah. He asked $22,000 and sold it in 10 days for $20,000. If his timeframe was longer, 2-3 months or so, I think he could have gotten around $21,500 due to it's history, but he purchased a new 500SL and wanted to sell it ASAP.

agent325

steve,

I dont think your price is too high. Like others said someone out there is willing to pay top dollar for a '87 couple in the condition as ur car. You may have to wait for a while, but you find someone out there eventually. I would expand your ads to nation wide including cars.com, ebay, and Panormama. I'm gonna sell my car soon, in the same condition as urs w/ 113, and i'll be asking around 21-22 k range. If it takes me six months to sell it so be it.

I had a 85 euro cab with 131K miles. It was in good condition. it was for sale for two months, got only one phone call and that was the person I sold it to, $19,900!

Steve 96C4S

Great idea to expand my base of people with an ad on cars.com. also. I guess $35 is a small investment if it banks me an extra $1000 or so in $'s. 2 People have responded by email that they could go to about $20k but not higher.

I really don't want to put an ad in the Washington Post. I'm just a little leary of the Post for some reason. Don't really want a bunch of tire kickers out at the house! Not that that will happen, it just went that way when I sold my Maxima many years back.

I sold my 91 M5 4 years ago, the last car I sold, to a guy from New York that heard about the car from Classifieds 2000 (I think) and drove by with 3 other guys who had just come from a weekend at Summit Point Racetrack in this other guy's bright red M5. They knew my car better than I did! He got a great deal on my car. I only owned it for a short time and found the 5 speed too much work and the clutch pretty tough for a daily driver. I drive alot for my job in awful city traffic and replaced it with a 95 740i. Great comfortable bulletproof car.

Steve
95 740i 108k mi
99 XK8 her's <img src="graemlins/xyxwave.gif" border="0" alt="[bigbye]" />

Biotron

Steve,
I to think your price is OK and the color combo of your car is a plus. I paid $24K for my Diamond Blue Targa two years ago. I have replaced the C-V boots and some new tires after 20K miles (now at 77K) and thats it. It's kind of sad to see you and agent325 looking to sell.....?

pig4bill

Another factor nobody has mentioned is the season. This is not the time of year when people in the snow belt start looking for a nice old well-preserved sports car.