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Bring a Trailer (BaT) Auctions: Worth Listing Your Car or Not?

Another repeat BaT car... Sold for $24500 13 months ago.
Why is it they will allow flippers to re-post the same car, but if an auction ends RNM, they won't let the same seller try again?

:tumble:
 
....

I suspect that the BaT-shyte, ego-driven premium might be evaporating.
The next car I'm watching which I suspect will fit this same pattern is this clean E34 M5.


This is the third time on BaT for this car. I was in the bidding mix when it came through in mid-2017.

The days of simply throwing a car up on BaT and then counting your pile of dough may be over.

$0.02

Jul-17 $24,250 Sold
Oct-18 $25000 Sold
Oct-19 $24500 RNM

Peanut gallery surprised that the bidding didn't go much higher. :hammerhead:
 
This listing:

Where the seller suggests that this car can be a $12-15K "collector car" after a full repaint. And then goes on to remark that the wheels are a "tasteful upgrade."

Reminds me of this incredible moment.


Congrats BaT. You're basically ebay now.
 
This listing:

Where the seller suggests that this car can be a $12-15K "collector car" after a full repaint. And then goes on to remark that the wheels are a "tasteful upgrade."

Reminds me of this incredible moment.


Congrats BaT. You're basically ebay now.
It’s a Bruce M car. He’s a member here, so maybe he can comment.
 
Yet another repeat BaT car falls flat on its face.


Flipper buys it six months ago, then adds goofy graphics (yes, I know the significance) and then tries to make a profit on the car.

LOL
 
I know of a ~75K mile ‘85 black/black 5spd Eurospec 2.3-16, imported and federalized when new.
Although I have no interest in owning the car I can buy it at less than FMV.
If I was willing to make this happen, how would I dispose of this car without being a flipper?
 
I know of a ~75K mile ‘85 black/black 5spd Eurospec 2.3-16, imported and federalized when new.
Although I have no interest in owning the car I can buy it at less than FMV.
If I was willing to make this happen, how would I dispose of this car without being a flipper?
:chainyank:

:trolls:
 

So you've got the 80s Series "Land Cruiser" platform which is very popular these days. But it's the Lexus variant, which take a big hair cut from the MrT version.
The odo is quite low. But it's a lifetime Illinois vehicle.
There's always a decent premium when the 80 has triple locked differentials. But this one doesn't.
It's shod with Michelin LTX tires, which are a decent all purpose tire. But they're dry rotted.
Dark Emerald Pearl (a/k/a 90s Green) is the Smoke Silver/Pearl Black of that series.

This one even features a Reserve.

I've heard from many people who have complained that their nice 80s have been turned down by BaT. And yet this one get put up?

I don't get it.

The very best of these can fetch $50-60K. This one is worth maybe 10% of that.
 
Get your :pc1: :pc1: :pc1: out for this one.


Gonna find out if BaT is a good place to sell a hot rodded 6.3.


Sold for $73500 all in.

Based on bidding history, the winner looks like an agent or broker.
 
Is that thing really worth that much? :blink:

Note that bidder #3 stopped at $46k. Those last 2 guys wanted it bad.

Disclaimer: I know *nothing* about values of pre-124 chassis...

:doof:

I knew some folks that were at the 60ish level... But they didn't even bother given the pace and Commitment by the folks actively bidding.
 

So you've got the 80s Series "Land Cruiser" platform which is very popular these days. But it's the Lexus variant, which take a big hair cut from the MrT version.
The odo is quite low. But it's a lifetime Illinois vehicle.
There's always a decent premium when the 80 has triple locked differentials. But this one doesn't.
It's shod with Michelin LTX tires, which are a decent all purpose tire. But they're dry rotted.
Dark Emerald Pearl (a/k/a 90s Green) is the Smoke Silver/Pearl Black of that series.

This one even features a Reserve.

I've heard from many people who have complained that their nice 80s have been turned down by BaT. And yet this one get put up?

I don't get it.

The very best of these can fetch $50-60K. This one is worth maybe 10% of that.


Proof positive that the bidders on BaT suffer from some BaTshyte-crazy malady....

This Lexus hammered for over $17500, all in.

The new owner has undercarriage rust to deal with (though not as bad as anticipated). And plenty of deferred maintenance and repairs. PLUS a set of new tires.

You don't Odo shop on old Land Cruisers. Unless you collect them. You look for solid evidence of maintenance, just like any other high priced, old car.

I'm still shaking my head.
 
Here's another return BaT "boomerang."


Seller bought this W140 in the Spring of this year. Appears to have a severe addiction to the Pep Boys car accessory aisle.

This auction might be a fun one to watch. Seller makes an emphatic claim to not be a flipper, and simply needs to downsize the number of cars he/she owns. A quick check of bidding history shows that he/she has bid on multiple cars in past month.

:pc1:
 
Here's another return BaT "boomerang."


Seller bought this W140 in the Spring of this year. Appears to have a severe addiction to the Pep Boys car accessory aisle.

This auction might be a fun one to watch. Seller makes an emphatic claim to not be a flipper, and simply needs to downsize the number of cars he/she owns. A quick check of bidding history shows that he/she has bid on multiple cars in past month.

:pc1:

This Pep Boys Edition® W140 is ending in a few hours. No Reserve. Sitting at $5100
 
This one was a fun watch from the very moment it went live:


I think it was the wise move to pull the auction. For all parties.
 
Thought this article on Jalopnik about the recent high sellers was pretty nuts.

 
Thought this article on Jalopnik about the recent high sellers was pretty nuts.
The S123 diesel was nuts - I didn't know about that one.

What, the home-build 1988 300CE widebody for $90k didn't make the list?

:watchdrama:
 
Msq.....bad karma from a dui while driving the car?

That's what I was thinking......any of these cars from the 70's float from centerline to curbside when you try to drive them down the road in a straight line...you could be a teetotaler and get pulled over for DUI by just driving one of these things....add a couple drinks in the mix and its like hanging a sign around your neck "arrest me"
 
That comment helps me to ignore the strong attraction I have for this car. Nostalgia can cause one to forget. Thank you! Seems it's time for me to drive a 70s/eighties car again.

drew
 
On this topic, I just heard one of the announcers at Barrett Jackson Scottsdale say of an Audi RS6 convertible, that it’s V8 and 6-speed Manual didn’t make it an American muscle car, and as such he doesn’t “know what it is.” Those are quotation marks and no, I cannot make this shit up. So attitudes like that is the reason BaT exists. Without all the fucking commercials, I might add. So worth it!

I guess this is the reason I’ve always described mine as German Muscle Cars. One can’t really fail to comprehend what that means. It also forestalls the follow up question: no one asks me why German muscle cars instead of American. Literally, in over a decade, no one has ever gotten that question out of their mouths. Being from Detroit I like muscle cars. And being from Detroit I like a higher lever of finery — in engineering and everything else.

:sel:

maw
 
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I've listed my 280TE 4 speed manual car twice on ebay. The first time, the buyer from Europe immediately Emailed me and told me that he will pay in 12 hours. Then after a couple of weeks of excuses, he admitted that he does not have the money to buy it and did not think he would win. It sold again recently and the jury is still out.

I have no idea of the fee structure of BAT, but in the case of Ebay. It's a $125 flat fee if the car sells for the first 6 listings so all I've had to do aside from getting messed around and filing non paying buyer dispute in order to recover listing fees. It's pretty much a waiting game.

If the car is absolutely pristine, Ebay is likely to have much more market penetration. If it's not, and none of my cars are; I'm not sure how i'd feel the peanut gallery format and having to entertain responses to all the comments. I have the sense that as with forums, there will be a subset of characters that only interested in trashing car that come up for sale because they like them, but can't afford them.
 
The last few bids on this one seemed a bit sketchy.
Agreed. Especially the high bid. The $65k bidder looked legit, as did the $100k. Above that, not so much. Smells like a dealer trying to artificially pump up the market.

$65k
$100k
$101k
$105k
$150k WTF?!??? (With zero BaT auction history). Anyone else calling BS?
I’ll kindly show myself to the door… :-/
 
What a nice Museum piece. While reading the advertisement the bid went from $30K to $49K in about 30 minutes on the first day of a 12 day auction.

I wonder if it will beat the reported Evo sale last week of $434K in Arizona. That’s a lot of $$$$$!

I noticed that the Swiss registration pic 71 of 72 that it was registered to a woman named Irma w/ a long last name. Same age as me “OLD”.

Exhaust system looks like it was replaced at some time plus quite a few re-painted undercarriage parts that probably had to be removed, maybe for service or repair add replaced. Overall the underside looks great.

To me, not being any kind of expert on the Evo or for that matter any car.

The whole car looks spectacular!
 
Beautiful car, no argument. I would pay $20 just to be allowed to sit in that car for 10 minutes to enjoy the smell of a unmolested special car and feel young again, not to mention that there is NO substitute to driving a car with manual transmission. I always loved stick shift, always will. When I bought my last new car, the dealer had to bring mine 50 miles out of Atlanta just because I wanted stick shift and there were only 3 in the entire state, but to drive THIS particular MB would be beyond imagination for me. I get goose bumps just looking at the pictures and thinking about it ...

The only thing that surprises me is the 12 days auction. I thought all are 6-7 days, but clearly I was wrong.

Not many cars touch my heart, but this one definitely did!
 
Typical BAT auctions are 7 days but they came up with new offering not too long ago, if you pay more, that will be longer than 7 days and they will arrange professional photographer if you want.

I don't believe you can pay for it to be longer. They decide at their discretion what cars are listed longer. Probably the thought behind it is inspections need to be made and funds move around for "significant" cars. Makes sense I suppose, if I'm spending hundreds of thousands on an older used car, I'd want more than 7 days to arrange an inspection and do more research.
 
I don't believe you can pay for it to be longer. They decide at their discretion what cars are listed longer. Probably the thought behind it is inspections need to be made and funds move around for "significant" cars. Makes sense I suppose, if I'm spending hundreds of thousands on an older used car, I'd want more than 7 days to arrange an inspection and do more research.

I am sure you know you know the details better than I do (not trying to be facetious), what are the details about the extended offering with professional photography offering?
 
I am sure you know you know the details better than I do (not trying to be facetious), what are the details about the extended offering with professional photography offering?
Scroll towards the bottom here for info about "Premium Listings":

 
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Reactions: msq
I am sure you know you know the details better than I do (not trying to be facetious), what are the details about the extended offering with professional photography offering?

You can get professional photos done for any car for an additional $250. They come to your home or whatever you want to meet and shoot about 100 photos. They edit and submit the photos for you, you don't have to do a thing. You can usually tell when a car has pro photos because all the angles are covered. They probably have a shot list. This seems to me like it was a pro shoot.

 
Indeed, although I was wondering how this one got away with zero undercarriage photos, even while touting undercarriage mods (SuperSprint exhaust, subframe reinforcement, etc.). I think I commented as such. But yeah on the professional photos. Worth the cost IMO.

maw
 
One day left to bid on the Cadillac of minivans. This is possibly my favorite thing to pass thru BaT in a long time.

 
I've listed my 280TE 4 speed manual car twice on ebay. The first time, the buyer from Europe immediately Emailed me and told me that he will pay in 12 hours. Then after a couple of weeks of excuses, he admitted that he does not have the money to buy it and did not think he would win. It sold again recently and the jury is still out.

Well, I got another deadbeat buyer on this car. Something about him not thinking he can import the car into California?? I've relisted it one more time and if it does not sell. I guess it will be my long term parts hauler or maybe a parts car as the demand for Euro parts seems to be bigger than the demand for Euro cars.

 
Well, I got another deadbeat buyer on this car. Something about him not thinking he can import the car into California?? I've relisted it one more time and if it does not sell. I guess it will be my long term parts hauler or maybe a parts car as the demand for Euro parts seems to be bigger than the demand for Euro cars.


I don’t understand why nobody is buying this. It’s a manual wagon.
 
Well, I got another deadbeat buyer on this car. Something about him not thinking he can import the car into California?? I've relisted it one more time and if it does not sell. I guess it will be my long term parts hauler or maybe a parts car as the demand for Euro parts seems to be bigger than the demand for Euro cars.


Al,

I think you have a nice car but you are to honest and revealing all of the warts and pimples. Best advice I can give is run a simple add on Craig’s List and put a sign on it and park it on a popular corner for selling cars.

You have a better chance of selling the car to someone that is not a Benz enthusiast that just needs transportation. You just need to get somebody into it and let them drive it and it will sell. Let the buyer determine the car’s condition. Just be honest with buyer’s questions and don’t be to stubborn on the price.

FWIW, I hate selling cars. It’s a real PITA.

lol
 

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