Best Place to Advertise ...

vesnyder · vesnyder's Garage

Where is the best place to advertise a used car for sale? I am helping a friend sell a '93 Miata and posted it in AutoTrader.com, but after two weeks nothing? I know it is probably the wrong time to be selling a convertible, but for $55 I expected at least a phone call? The Miata forums alsa charge you for an ad and it anly runs for a couple weeks. Where have you guys had the best success?

Thanks

MBAtarga · 01-05-2005, 10:34 AM

I'll buy it for $55 - CASH! Where do I pick it up?

B D · 01-05-2005, 10:40 AM

Selling a car is pain. Last car I listed on Autotrader.com generated calls from across the country. "I am here in Florida, is the car still in CA?" WTF!

I have had the best luck putting the car in high traffic areas (check laws about parking and selling cars first) put out a big sign and price in big numbers. The numbers attract many lookers. Also try your local printed autotrader if there is one in your area.

Anyone want a 1991 300ZX with only 108K niles for $4500?

strupgolf · 01-05-2005, 10:46 AM

I tried AutoTrader, but I didnt get ONE call on my motorcycle. It was a waste of time. A friend who delivered those told me he picks up 99% of the ones he dropped off the week before. I had the best luck on E-bay. World-wide and lots of offers. Also, selling like B D says, out on the street.

JeremyD · JeremyD's Garage

Well miatas are a dime a dozen - What other 93's is he competing with? (do a search for his car and see where it comes up on the listing)

Also - I'll say it again - selling a convertible - while it's cold and snowing outside isn't easy. Sit on it till the spring.

Stanley · 01-05-2005, 11:21 AM

try craigslist. Not sure how big it is in your area, but in the Bay Area there are tons of listings.

anthony · 01-05-2005, 11:27 AM

If you don't get a single call, then maybe the asking price is too high.

JeremyD · JeremyD's Garage

I bought my last two cars through autotrader...

JeremyD · JeremyD's Garage

try www.cars.com
www.carbuyer.com

H.G.P. · 01-05-2005, 12:28 PM

I remember when I sold my replicar convertible, I put the advertisement in a large coverage newspaper(s). In the adverisement itself I "enhanced" the fact it was a convertible by stating the firm winter-early spring asking price. For instance price is from this "date to date" only. The price would go up after such and such a date. In other words, the winter-early spring price was my firm bottom line, while the price would rise in the spring. Got many calls, many offers using this method.

chuckw951 · 01-05-2005, 01:13 PM

Was your listing in Autotrader only online? The print version of autotrader has many readers. You'd be surprised how many people are not "online" or it doesn't occur to them to look online for a car.

Also perhaps try a classified in your local paper. Of course there are downsides to running ads in the paper too. From my experience, the strangest inquires come from people that see your ad in the newspaper. I don't know why. When I listed my boat for sale many of the calls that I received were from companies that wanted to "help me" sell my boat by "posting an advertisement online" for a small fee. I also got many calls from companies/organizations that wanted me to donate my boat to them. I guess classifieds are considered to be "leads" by these lowlifes.

I also received calls on my boat weeks after it sold. These folks must look at old newspapers hoping that

Another strategy is to park your car in the front yard with a sign on it. I guess it depends on where you live and if your street gets much traffic. I am convinced that there are people that set out on Saturday morning to look for cars for sale in people's driveways.

porschenut · 01-05-2005, 01:56 PM

ebay, ebay, ebay. I have sold 3 cars and 4 motorcycles on ebay in the past 4 years. Every single one of them sold in less than 7 days. I have also tried autotrader. No calls at all.

The problem here is not autotrader nor ebay. It's poor ads. You have to think like a buyer when you design your ad. What would YOU want to see to persuade you to call on it? Lots of pictures, lots of description. HI-REZ pictures only. And show closeups without sun glare or dark shadows. And for chrissakes, detail the car thoroughly before you take pics. Nothing turns me off more than to see specks of dirt on a floormat, or pictures of the car sitting in an unattractive dirt driveway.

Selling is all about psychology and emotion. Make the observer LUST after your car, and it will sell quickly my friends. Works for me every time. But it takes WORK to create a good ad. half-assed pictures and description will never get a bite.

Steve87-911 · Steve87-911's Garage

I bought my 911 thru auto trader too. And I once bought a pickup truck thru them too.

I agree that a good ad goes a long way. A handful of hi res photos gets my attention. Not those lousy blurry pics. With so many cars for sale, the informative and graphical ads get the attention.

N11Porsche · N11Porsche's Garage

I have to agree with the above. I have purchased two bicycles, one on Ebay and the other on Craigslist. It amazes me how someone can ask $3000. for a bike and use one, blurry picture (and taken from 30 ft. away) to entice people to buy. There's so much to choose from, I just skip over these ads. I figure if they are too lazy to put some effort into their ads, the probably didn't take much effort to maintain the bike. Both bikes, I did purchase, turned out to be in great condition and very good buys.