I have to say that I'm disturbed by some of the latest trends in the cars and parts selling world. It used to be the biggest headaches of keeping parts cars were the local laws and grouchy neighbors. Now it's much more complicated. One new hassle that has emerged since the TV has started playing those car auction shows is that it seems like super rich folks are determining the value of our beloved old Mopars to an ever increasing degree and that's not good. This hobby should be available to people with normal levels of disposable income. Just because some jerk bought Reggie Jackson's old Chevy or Don Johnson's Cuda clone for a bazillion dollars on Car Auctions of the Rich and Famous last week doesn't mean I should pay big bucks for grandma's Valiant.
I can understand the value of ultra rare low mileage musclecars but, unfortunately, it doesn't stop there. Some guys gave us over five thousand bucks for the ugliest three cars in my yard last year because they happened to be '68 Dodge Chargers. Of course we took the money and I honestly hope that it works out for them, but that's just crazy! They weren't even big block cars. Why would someone spend that kind of dough on six tons of rusty crap? What if some sixteen-year-old nerd wants to build a '68 Charger R/T clone someday? The days of young people being able build Mopar musclecars with sweat and a summer job are rapidly coming to an end. It's a good thing the youth of today are all into rice rods anyways.
Ebay and Craigslist have certainly contributed to the upward spiraling prices for junk. You'd think that as a guy who sells junk I'd be happy about rising prices, but the truth of the matter is that most of the time the inflated prices just confuse things. This sounds obvious but stuff tends to sell for what it's worth, especially when we're talking about crusty old car parts. People aren't buying used car parts on impulse at the cash register on the way out of the super market.
Advertisements for overpriced junk don't sell as much as it sometimes appears. Unfortunately they do seem to have some influence on overall market values. Personally, I never ever pay fair market value for anything that isn't brand new. I'm not trying to make a point or insult anyone--I just can't afford full price. If you have to lay down big dollars for something like a '71 Cuda grill or a magnesium Hemi intake, it's a really great idea to lay eyes on it in person. You don't want to get scammed and you never know what else the seller might have in their yard!
Tin Foil Hat conspiracy alert! Have you ever looked up your property on one of the web search engines? They are usually slightly out of date but it's easy to identify and count the cars in your (or your neighbor's) yard from space. Yikes! If primitive Earth technology is capable of this, imagine what the aliens can see! As we became aware of this my friends and I started thinking about ways to keep cars discreet not just from the martini swilling jackasses cruising the street dropping dimes but from the eyes in the skies! We've been buying camouflage netting and green tarps. At least it makes the yard look a lot better for when the relatives come visiting.