Nutty bidders on BaT

[techweenie]

71E just bought over $160K on Bringatrailer today

Nice car, but misrepresented as original paint. Also entire front suspension is G-model.

The market is drunk.

[cabmandone]

It just keeps getting more and more difficult to not list my car on BAT.

[Matt Monson]

I’m considering listing my 40th 996 there. Those crazies won’t care that it has a branded title from a lemon law buyback.

[speedster911]

Is the market drunk or buyers with such deep pockets that 100K one way or another doesn't tilt the scales? or FOMO - fear of missing out?

The speedster on BAT that sold today for 167K - My .02, Nice car but it was also misrepresented for multiple reasons as I was able to look at it before sale.

[ljpviper]

Yep an 89 930 just sold on Saturday for 256k.

[techweenie]

Originally Posted by speedster911

Is the market drunk or buyers with such deep pockets that 100K one way or another doesn't tilt the scales? or FOMO - fear of missing out?

The speedster on BAT that sold today for 167K - My .02, Nice car but it was also misrepresented for multiple reasons as I was able to look at it before sale.

I've been commissioned to inspect BaT cars during the auction, and I have to explain that it's going to put the bidder at a disadvantage against people who want to believe the car is perfect.

In the case of the $168K 71 E, the seller claimed it was original paint when it was obvious even in the photos that it wasn't, and I had an associate go see it in person and photograph some of the areas the seller chose not to. I think the seller opened himself up to serious problems by claiming unequivocally that the paint was original.

The wide body hot rod that went for $275K a week or so ago needed the entire front end reworked to fix badly-installed flares and a major hood gap. A similar car with excellent fit brought $100K less because the photos weren't as sexy.

Drunk, plus perhaps some notion that inflation is raging and money means nothing.

[juanbenae]

Originally Posted by techweenie

.

The wide body hot rod that went for $275K a week or so ago needed the entire front end reworked to fix badly-installed flares and a major hood gap.

was this car blue?

[speedster911]

Originally Posted by juanbenae

was this car blue?

Nope, it was Signal Orange. Two guys really wanted it and they went after each other. TW is correct, the front needed " massaging"

Not sure what the factors are: Is it OK to lie in todays world (not the way I live my life) ? Are the buyers uneducated? Do buyers see something that is incorrect so often that when you see what is correct they think its wrong? Are the prices so high that peoples morals are compromised?

[MrBonus]

Originally Posted by techweenie

I've been commissioned to inspect BaT cars during the auction, and I have to explain that it's going to put the bidder at a disadvantage against people who want to believe the car is perfect.

In the case of the $168K 71 E, the seller claimed it was original paint when it was obvious even in the photos that it wasn't, and I had an associate go see it in person and photograph some of the areas the seller chose not to. I think the seller opened himself up to serious problems by claiming unequivocally that the paint was original.

The wide body hot rod that went for $275K a week or so ago needed the entire front end reworked to fix badly-installed flares and a major hood gap. A similar car with excellent fit brought $100K less because the photos weren't as sexy.

Drunk, plus perhaps some notion that inflation is raging and money means nothing.

Unfortunately, you can't stop bidders from buying the flash and implied lifestyle of great photography rather than the less sexy process of inspecting body panels and proper mechanical assembly.

BaT offers the former in spades and there seems to be an endless source of interested individuals with deep pockets who want an Amazon Prime experience of buying a classic car.

[Travisrt1985]

Originally Posted by cabmando

It just keeps getting more and more difficult to not list my car on BAT.

you aint kidding. A car I thought I would keep 10-15 plus years is making me reconsider due to these recent outlandish BAT prices. Especially if they continue down this path into the spring.

[Fubawu]

I'm at a total loss for words when it comes to BAT. You figure people with enough money to buy $100k+ cars should be smart enough to not get sucked in with pretty pictures. Time and time again I'm wrong. Then there's the drafting issue, a few weeks ago an ultra low mileage 944 Turbo sold for over 100k (crazy) but a Unicorn, where are you going to find another. The next day high mileage 944's where going for $30k. Its comical and makes you think have these bidders not heard of Autotrader or Ebay they could by the same car for half that.

[creaturecat]

combo pack - big ego. big bank account.
and a lack of knowledge, re: the finer details of a Porsche's level of perfection.
bad door gaps, repaints, etc - i like to think the enlightened can spot these things almost immediately.

[GG Allin]

993 Turbos are $300K+ now.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1996-porsche-911-turbo-71/

[cabmandone]

Originally Posted by creaturecat

combo pack - big ego. big bank account.
and a lack of knowledge, re: the finer details of a Porsche's level of perfection.
bad door gaps, repaints, etc - i like to think the enlightened can spot these things almost immediately.

It shouldn't require the enlightened. It should just take an honest seller disclosing the fact that the paint isn't original. Door gaps, frunk and decklid alignment are easy things to spot in person but by pictures?

Take a look at my listing in the cars for sale section. If you read my ad, there isn't a question that most buyers would have that isn't answered with full disclosure. The reality is, honesty doesn't sell cars.

[911dhutch]

I keep thinking to myself these Porsche buyers are crazy.... but it is real.......... And the prices keep escalating, almost on a daily basis.

The BAT platform is where the "presentation" is more important than the car's soundness, quality of the build, or accuracy of the car's description....... it's all about "backdrop" or "lighting" ... my old school thinking feels the integrity of the vehicle should drive the value. Not so for BAT bidders.

[punjabi408]

I don’t think my other post went through. There was a brown 1974 911 coup for sale with rust, leak and other issues. Did not meet reserve at 50k and seller posted it on there website for 75K

[creaturecat]

cabmando.
certainly sounds like you agree with me.
in a backwards fashion, for whatever reason. : )

[manbridge 74]

The new owners must be laughing all the way to the bank. They sold $829,000,000 worth of cars in 2021. And they don’t even take advantage of what must be huge money if they had ads on the site.

Emotional buys and a place to strut the old ego for all to see.

More than just cars now. Separated by a week two 1993 Honda motorcycles brought $50K apiece.

[turbo993]

Recently sold a two owner 78k mile documented mileage 81 911sc Targa on BAT. Grand Prix white, $10k in fresh engine out service work, records from new, and 70% original paint . A very nice original car. The sale price was $57,000 plus.
A few days later a 78sc Targa with a purported color to sample Mercedes color, twice the mileage, and essentially no service records sells for $6i,000 plus.
That pretty much sums up BAT.

[WSH]

There also seems to be a cult-of-personality around certain sellers (e.g., 911r)