Does anyone think it's worth payng for a tip?

Join Date: Sep 2013

Posts: 215






I am not now in the market for an old Porsche. But being in the car field, I cannot blind my eyes when I pass one in a driveway. For instance on Christmas Day 2016 --today--I passed again a 911 targa, year unknown, sitting in a driveway covered by atarp in a town East of Los Angeles. I photographed what I could see of the plate but can't tell the State (not Calif.-- black letters on white)I have been passing the same car for at least a year. I think it said Carrera someplace when it was uncovered but now it's covered. If it were me, I'd show up with a check for what a non-runner is worth to show them you have real money but then all you barn finders have your own style (in the '80s, I bought three Bizzarrinis, a RR SCIII, a Bentley Continental, etc. all with my method and it worked).But now it's up to those who have seed money. So I think, for my detective work so far, this tip--the address and picture-- is worth $200 to one buyer, exclusively, but what say you? If your stock answer when you get offered a tip is: "I'll pay you a commission if I buy it" that wouldn't work for me because I've found once the cat is out of the bag, it's out of the bag.


PS Back in 1970, I passed a car under a tarp in Goleta, CA. I asked the shop I was visiting (actually an engineering lab) what car it was and the car owner said a Calif. spyder that he was going to sell as cheap as possible to spite his wife who was divorcing him. I gave the tip to a barn finder who worked for those famous professors in orange County and he bought it. No commission or tip money came to me. Last time I looked California spyders were going for $10 million. So I should have learned then not to give tips away for free.

 

Not offering 911 tip to more than one, first come first serve. If you would like I can give you the histories of two other tips I marketed to dealers in last few months--one 50-car collection, the other 25-35 cars, the first of which achieved Int. publicity a few months ago

 

No misprint. Seventy-five dollars. It was back in '68 when it was found in a junkyard. I didn't plow through all the 157 plus pages of its restoration on this new website I found but it goes to show you that
the theory of junkyards sometimes having valuable cars and not knowing what they have
is true. the story even reveals how a trans builder got the 4-cam engine out of it for a song from the naïve junkyard dealer but at least the junkyard finder was able to buy the car for $75. I always figured on the way to Vegas there must be great cars hidden that blew their engine on the way there or back. (which reminds me of the time C. Shelby was on his romp through Nevada in his twin Paxton 427 Cobra and it blew the engine so he left it by the side of the road and hitched a ride so he wouldn't miss out on the action in Elko...)

58367 The $75 Junkyard Carrera coupe restoration

 

You can tell it's a targa by the way the tarp breaks at the rollover bar but what year I can't guess. I am thinking 1975 but its got these ribs on the rear bumper which makes me think aftermarket bumpers so that throws off guessing year. Now during the next big wind I'll have to get over there and take some shot when the tarp blows off. I still figure it's a fake Carrera (despite name tags and ducktail) and make an offer on basis on it being non-Carrera. I would also check your ins. company and see if they will verify ownership if it's licensed in another State than yours. Do I get the absolute worst quality picture award? Hey shot with Canon point-and-shoot at 20 feet in the dark...
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What's a Polaroid?

 

All very well and fine--that 3% was justly deserved. But I am talking about a tipster, who does not have money to buy a collector car, passing on info on the cars he or she has seen and getting some small compensation at the time of passing the tip. One could get old waiting for the deal to go down--I have met several buyers who endured 5 to 10 years between the time they first talked to a collector car owner and they were ale to consummate the deal. Plus sometimes you throw the quarterback the ball (the tip) and they fumble because there's often a time clock ticking. When I went through a museum in Riverside CA where the owner, aged 55, had died suddenly, I knew the Board of Directors was undecided on what to do with the cars yet (including many Maseratis) so am, glad that I sold the list of cars and pictures to a car dealer and didn't wait for a commission on any purchases. I had told him he had to act fast. Apparently he fumbled and a few months later the cars started to show up at the Auctions America auction in Santa Monica, so I am, as a humble tipster, gratified that I vended the info. before the Board decided to go the auction route. The buyer of the tip had a window of opportunity but wasn't able to catch the 80-yard pass...

The most interesting find lately? A car in a carport under a tarp that could be
1.)a real GT40 (which could be worth $1 million)

2.)a replica GT40 3(which could be worth $200K if it's a Safir down to 25K for lesser replicas)

3.)a '05 to '06 Ford GT ($150K up, add $100 K if it's in the Gulf color scheme from the factory)
I can run that photo here if anybody's interested....

 

But of course she had no idea of what year it is, what model, belonged to her sister in law, who inherited it,I figure I'd offer $2K as is without knowing it has an engine or trans when I get my next sizable check. It has four flat tires.
I posted the pics on a Porsche site but some irate reader was frustrated by me wanting to "sell" the location said that Porsche people on that site have a sense of "community" and that, because of that, I should share the information for free. I think he is talking about car clubs for say Triumph Heralds where there is no market and zero appreciation, not Porsches where there are barn finders making huge profits when they make the right barn find.
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-the RAIM museum in Riverside. So I am walking through this 50-car museum full of Maseratis and some British cars . I know the 55 year old owner died. I ask the docent "What happens to all these cars?" He says "Up to the Board of Directors:' I tell a car dealer in NY, he pays for the tip, I tell him "If I were you I'd send $100K for any car, the XJ-220, whatever, and that would show you have real money." He doesn't follow my advice, the Board calls Auctions America, the rest is history. The NY dealer had a golden opportunity but blew it.

--the 25-25 car RR & Bentley collection of famous guru. So I call this guy up I met 42 years ago and he remembers me and I say "I'd like to photograph your collection. He says OK. So I go to the valley, shoot all these cars (including the random Ferrari, etc.) and he says :"They are not for sale but I want people to know I have them." Then a few months later I read he lost a lawsuit for $90 million. I think that's a clue he might sell some, but I haven't run across the car dealer that bought that tip to know if he's tried to buy any of the cars.

So that's why I am only selling tips, people don't follow my buying advice because they are full time buyers and sellers and think they know best.