If you want to sell your classic car you should know that the process is very similar as if you were selling a normal car. Most likely, enthusiasts and collectors will be interested in what you have to sell and if the car is in good shape, you will get good money for it, depending on the make and the model. Before starting to find a buyer for the vehicle, it is recommended to take it to a professional classic car appraiser in order to find out how much money is the car worth and how much you will be able to get for it. It is advisable to get that appraisal in writing so that you can show it to any of the potential customers.
More than that, to figure out the price of your car you should visit some of the most popular classic car selling websites, like AutoTrader Classics or ClassicCars, so that you can see how other sellers are pricing their cars. Get your local newspaper and look into the classified ads to learn more about the price tag of your vehicle. You need to know that the value of a classic car varies greatly on the year, make, model as well as several other characteristics. Another place where you could learn more about the value of your car is by looking at the Kelly Blue Book and NADA as well. Don’t stop after you get a price from a single source, it is better to gather more prices in order to make a clearer image about how much money your car is really worth.
You now need to create an account with an escrow service for accepting payment for your classic car sale. In most of the situations, you will not have to pay any fee for creating an account, but there are some companies that will charge you a commission between 1-4%. Using an escrow service is not entirely necessary, but it will ensure the payment.
The better the car looks, the more chances you will have to sell it and get a good price for it. This is applicable not only to classic cars, but to all types of automobiles. For this reason, you must wash, clean and wax the car so that it will be more appealing in the eyes of the potential customers. If the car has minor flaws, you should fix them to increase the value of the automobile. After all of this has been taken care of, make good photos of the car from many angles, emphasizing on the looks of the car.
When writing down the ad for your car, make sure that you write all there is to it. You will need to put down in writing basic info regarding the car as well as other factors that you consider to be important and relevant. Of course, write down make, model and year plus any additional data that might be interesting to the potential customer like replaced pars, adjustments, original parts, custom parts and other similar things.
Now it is time to advertise it by posting an ad listing on popular classic car sales websites like ClassicCars or AutoTrader. Another way to go is by posting your ad into the local newspaper. From time to time, classic auto shows are organized and this is a great way to advertise your car by taking it there and putting a “for sale” sign on it. The price for posting an ad at an auto show varies.
Regarding when it is the best time to sell the car, nothing is for sure as it usually depends on the car and the targeted customers. However, if you own a topped motorcar, some people say that you will have more chances once the winter is over and the weather becomes nicer and warmer. For this reason, potential car buyers will want to get a convertible car. Certainly a bad time to start advertising your car would be in the Christmas period and after that because most of the budgets are targeted towards gifts, not classic automobiles.
If you want to sell your classic car you need to be very honest to all potential customers and tell them all there is to it regarding the vehicle. Start by telling all the good things about the car (first impression matters the most) and after that mention its flaws (if it has any). Being a classic car, it means that it is at least 20 years old so it should come as no surprise that it may have a couple of flaws, meaning that the person that is willing to buy it should understand this matter. A good way of improving your chances would be to let the customer take the car for a test drive. Of course, you will be on the right seat of the car.
If he likes it and wants to buy it, now it is time to start the negotiations. First, he will most likely come with a price that is significantly lower than your price tag. It is advisable not to tell him no immediately, but to lower your initial price. After negotiating and haggling, you will come (luckily) to an understanding that will suit both parties. Now you need to think about the payment. Of course, cash is the safest way to go in any transaction. If he cannot pay in cash, you should take a check, but hang on to the car until the check has cleared. Never trust the person without making sure that the check has cleared, unless he is a friend of yours.
Last but just as important, if the car is going to be picked up by a transportation firm, ask the buyer to sign a document releasing you of all liability. Also, take pictures of the car during the loading process so that if anything happens to it, the company will have to pay for the damages.
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