Re: Over priced - says who


[Follow Ups] [Post Followup] [Dodge Power Wagon Forum]


Posted by Paul Cook in Kempner, TX [12.213.80.36] on Sunday, September 06, 2009 at 16:33:59 :

In Reply to: 1954 PW for sale (again) posted by APB in tropical NY [24.46.16.43] on Friday, September 04, 2009 at 20:26:06 :

As we migrate to a society of "texters" I see that we have strayed from using the most correct meanings of words. Popular music and advertising copy have created new words that are put together using a syllable here and a syllable there much in the way some folks have put together a truck from parts and assemblies that were never intended to go together.

There are many posts on the various Forums discussing the values of our trucks. First, we must all agree that the value of any truck - or any other thing - is the amount that several knowledgeable individuals who have no vested interest in the item agree is fair to both the seller and a buyer. The value is constant.

On the other hand, the price is that amount the buyer and the seller agree on as a basis for transferring the item. The price can be more or less than the value and is negotiable.

I have been actively collecting Flat Fender Power Wagons for twenty years. I have daily drivers that are in original condition and some that have been refurbished. I have some trucks that are rebuildable project trucks, and some that are nothing more than parts trucks. As I collected them, I made a few bad purchases and bought a few that turned out to be worth a lot more than I paid.

Having made both good and bad purchases, I learned to set values that were pretty correct. I base these values on originality, completeness, condition, and rarity of vehicles or optional equipment. I also consider the “where” in “where is”. This applies to both the situation of a truck sitting in a field with trees growing up through it, and the location of a readily accessible truck that is 3,000 miles away. I also consider all the cutting and welding that has been done to adapt the truck for some special use. Not everyone who has a cutting torch or welder can modify a vehicle so that it is safe and usable by a future owner. I set the value of parts trucks - those which cannot be returned to use as a vehicle - based on the value of the useful parts that are recoverable.

The only bad buys I have made were trucks that I did not examine or have a knowledgeable, trusted person examine for me.

When someone challenges the asking price of a vehicle on these Forums, I can only wonder if that person has actually examined the vehicle. I wonder how many vehicles of the same type and condition that person has bought or sold. I even wonder if that person can buy any vehicle at any price. I still remember “Jon in Mississippi” who provided endless posts and advice based on his having a friend who owned a Datsun. Jon was a 14 year old bagboy, who did not own a Power Wagon. In fact, he never actually saw one, but he did have access to a computer.




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