FChat threads reminds me of penny stocks

I am making an honest observation here. I have been an active member for a long time. I own both Ferrari and Porsche as well as a few other marques and I have neither for sale or any intention to sell either. In other words I have no Axe to grind nor any special interest. But here is my observation:
It seems to me that people with intention get on here to either promote a certain car/model or discredit a certain car/model in order to influence the market. To the uninitiated that is like front running a Penny stock to manipulate the value. Any thoughts?
Jon in Delaware

 

I disagree. I think there are real cars guys on this forum that will honestly respond based on their experience and will acknowledge all cars for their merits honestly, but have preferences.

I also think many on this forum have a favorite Ferrari and the "discrediting" you see isn't that as they don't want to sell their car.. it's their love for that particular model. I think most are like long term holders of stock. The day traders I think get called out pretty quickly. I also don't think the market on most models has enough churn to justify a pump scheme...

If you want to see talking up a car model, head to rennlist and visit the 928 thread. They're always trying to talk up the value of the car to spite the market.

 

I agree. There isn't much trash talking between model types here. Between manufacturers? Sure. But that's true on any car forum. If you think Fchat is bad, you should see what people on the Vette forum say about Porsche owners. BRUTAL!!!!

By in large, most Fchatters support each other when in trouble or tragedy strikes instead of telling them "they deserve it" for the car type they own. (That's what you get for owning one of those POS's!, etc)

 

Most talk up the model they own, either out of real admiration, justification or to feel good because that is where thye are in the value ladder.

Maybe in the modern section there are also all types of penny stock games going on.

I do agre that when it comes to the new moderns too many are traders/short term owners,revelling in the car having cost nothing, hope that game is ending.

An aquaintance told me he was buying aMaca P1. I know can affordthe $1mill. He asked me what I thought. I soon became clear that his only interest in buying was to have few drives and then sell for more.

I told him that this was a game to be played with La ferrari, but it did not seem like the 918 or P1 were instant collectables esp as neither company had yet soild the full prod plan and in fact were lowering quantities built.

So yeah lots of people gettign into moderns do so for the fun of the deal and the idea of having a new exotic for free.

Now imagine you are buying one of these cars used 4 years later. Its probably been through 3-4 owners, thrashed by each. So you are buying a partialy depreciated car with low miles cosmeticaly excellent with a motor and mechanicals that have not exactly been sypatehicaly bedded in or warmed bewteen use.

But Fchat is mostly an entusiast site, even if the term enthuisiast must extend to those who buy these cars for reasons of feeling sucessful.

 

Everybody loves their car even if nobody else likes it! Everybody wants their cars to go up in value, unless you like buying inexpensive parts more.

Car markets are interesting. It is all determined by what is cool to a certain group of people at a particular time - I always look at cars that came out when a 10-20 year old turns 50, has disposable income and want their childhood bedroom poster to be in the garage.. Right now there is a lot of Porsche love out there. Vintage Ferraris are returning to cool by the uber wealthy. The more mass market cars always take a curve down and hopefully find their way back up. Sometimes something once considered to be a dog with fleas takes off, like the Dino (i always thought it was one of the most beautiful cars ever). Sometimes they play a role in a movie and perhaps that can affect value. Now, with all the media outlets and cool internet content and videos can affect the value, for example look at the first gen M3 over the last couple years. You will always pay a premium for a good car and many here take care of their stuff - personally or professionally.

I love reading and the people on here. Who knows who I am really speaking with sometimes - a captain of industry, a genius or some guy across town who happens to be a nice guy. I have I find F-chat has a great disdain for internet rudeness (read youtube comments!).

I have never met a more helpful community. The wealth of advise on these pages is worth gold to somebody.. Rob Lay - I hope this means you!

It would be interesting to post a poll to see if people buy their cars as investment or personal satisfaction and tie it to some socioeconomic attributes. It would also be interesting to see the number of new cars sold in a year and some how track the number of used cars sold in a year (impossible to really track)

 

Jon,

I think some of this does indeed go on in some threads.
Not too often, but the threads where it happens are easy to notice.
But other fchatters join in and bring a sense of realism to a thread that is way too optimistic or pessimistic about a specific Ferrari model.

For example, people put down the roofs on both the 550 Barchetta and the 575 Superamerica.
Yet both cars are very special cars to own some day.
Sure, their roofs are "different" and not everyone's cup of tea, but I still covet owning one of these cars some day.

People are also too negative on the 355 cars, IMHO.
Once fully sorted by an experienced shop, they are fantastic cars.
We have several in our region that are near-perfect because of a couple of local master mechanics in the area.

Like the old saying: "one man's left-overs is another man's dessert", the same is true with Ferraris.
.

 

Yup, agree with Jon. there's a lot of, "My car is worth x+" conversation here, that does seem aimed at fluffing the market.

 

I don't think pumping or dumping is a dominant behavior, but I have seen it here and there. Particularly suspect when a new-/low-post-count user starts pumping or dumping on an auction.

 

"This car will sell ITSELF!!!"

 

Terrific discussion so far. Thanks for not miss interpreting my intent and tying me to a post and burning me alive at the stake. Love reading everyone's point of view on this. Jon in Delaware

 

I love the Barchetta -- even with it's funky weird roof!

It's just the kind of Italian quirkiness that's missing today. "Who cares what it looks like with the top on... it's beautiful without it!"

 

If your observations are right they are really a small percentage of the fodder. The number of transactions are pretty small compared to other makes so the amount of influence is small for the effort and then if you over do it you get "sorted" by the old guard pretty quick. At least that's what I see.

 

When I was newer, I was shocked at the glee some folks took when criticizing the California (not a real Ferrari, big butt, it's a Maserati, etc.). It took me awhile to realize some of those critics don't own any Ferrari, and just enjoyed flamethrowing. Some others apparently felt a need to tell me their car was superior to mine (since only the California and the 599 GTO can go completely topless, I'd beg to differ), but I soon realized those people were amongst that sad minority who need to feel superior, and who will put down anything with which they don't agree. They pop up from time to time in the California thread to remind us how ugly our cars are, but I just ignore them now.

For most here, really good people, most passionate about cars, most passionate about Ferraris. What other car can sustain a multi-page thread about the propriety of putting shields on their car, or heatedly discussing whether or not Rosso Corsa is only for show-offs? I can imagine the FF owners empathize, since the same folks take out after them from time to time. Both pale in comparison to the McLaren drop in value discussion in the British section, though.

I don't see any model-plumping; I do see sincere emotions from people who see their cars as an extension of them; an experience of ownership & driving that is unique & one that encourages us to put up with the cost of ownership, the peculiarities of our various models, etc. Certainly, there are a few who might try; not sure their efforts are successful.

 

It's all about what YOU think about your car. True car guys drive what they want and don't care what others think. I would never just put down someones car, now ask for an opinion and you may or may not like the answer.

 

So would this not be the appropriate thread to tell everyone that the 1986 flying mirror testarossa is the greatest Ferrari ever

 

After pumping the Mondial for years, Joe has moved on to the lopsided Testarossa.

 

That is right. And If I ever grow a mustache and get some Hawaiian shirts, I will pump up the 308 market for you

 

Anyone thinking that their post, or posts, here could move the market, car or stock, is delusional.

 

Umm I think there was a stock deliberately promoted on these threads that was systematically pumped and dumped. I will spare the proprietor of this effort a new spot light but it's well documented.

 

Well now it's truly revealed how FChat is used to rewrite history 😎QUOTE=JoeZaff;142700776]So would this not be the appropriate thread to tell everyone that the 1986 flying mirror testarossa is the greatest Ferrari ever


[/QUOTE]

 

F12s totally suck. I'll take the POS off anyone's hands that wants to rid themselves of a huge mistake. I'll even consider taking an FF (Ferrari Fail) plus cash but only if they say please. This is great, now I just sit back and wait...

 

I don't see evidence of anyone posting false information in an attempt to influence the market. Most of what I read here is completely factual and most posters a simply reporting the ever changing price/value of the various Ferrari models.

For example, it makes me happy and somewhat surprised to see that the value of my early 360 Modena steadily increasing to the current value of about 150,000 Euros and it looks that by the end of next year my car top will 200,000 Euros. I don't intend to sell it, but it is nice to see the price skyrocketing and I'm sure most 360 Modena owners would agree.

 

I believe this is true for every model introduced. The 458 was flamed also by people here. And, I believe it's healthy to have these discussions, even if some go over the top.

However, if you pay attention, when people start to place actual orders and certainly when they pick them up, the flaming drops drastically.

We may disagree about what we like and dislike but I think most here respect what another owner chooses to be his own.

In the end we all are enthusiasts -- or should be -- if we are here. A free and open discussion is going to be controversial at times. I'd rather have that than a rah-rah club which I've noticed on a certain Mac sight which shall go nameless.

 

LOL! I think it's like penny stocks because sometimes (often), hidden in all the junk, a little treasure turns up!