Is using the kelley blue book accurate for purchase prices on exotic/rare cars? For instance Im looking at a 2001 Viper RT/10 with about 21k miles. Im a much bigger fan of the GTS than the RT/10, but with the car being so close to the house I figured I might as well take a look. I went to check the car out and it looked very clean. The seller is asking 43k for it. I thought the price was pretty decent considering mileage and condition. However, when I checked the blue book and found it listed at 37k, I was a bit surprised. I brought it up to the seller and he agreed that he had seen that before, but commented on the fact that a viper cant be compared with ordinary cars and the blue book doesnt give an accurate depicition of the true value. I kind of agreed with him based on the fact that I havent seen ANY RT/10s going for around 37k. Long story short, I offered him 41.5, he came back with 42.5. Im thinking about asking him to meet me half way with 42, but still not sure as the blue book value has me nervous about resale value in the future. Im not exactly desperate to buy, and with winter around the corner and what looks to be a soft viper market right now I think I have plenty of options.
I've found that KBB lowballs owners in dealers' favor. For an exotic, you have to factor in where you are and a thousand conditions to get an accurate vaule on the car. Checking the box for "cd player" on a computer screen won't help you. Compare the car to others near you, that's your best bet.
I agree with Neil. To get a good feel for the Viper market, you'll need to look around and see what they're selling for. You mentioned that winter isn't too far off, so waiting might help you out. The RT Viper market isn't exactly red hot anyway, but you should have even more bargaining power in colder climates when the snow starts to fly.
Yeah it's like comparing houses. In a big city down by the water, you'll pay more than out in the middle of no where for the exact same house. Online isn't even great for regular cars. As for winter, If I was selling a high end car, I wouldn't sell it in the winter unless I was desperate. I would wait for early Spring... that's when all the serious buyers come out. In the winter be prepared for lowballers and tire kickers. So along those lines, the best cars wouldn't even be advertised! Come to think of it I don't recall ever selling a personal car in the winter.
It might be instructive to do as I did. Talk to a primo body man. That will tell you something about Vipers. Like the natural viper, stay away.
If you have no other resource and don't know the value of your car or have no clue what a potential car is worth, by all means get a ball park figure. When buying it's better to use a guide that drops the price of a car... less chance of overpaying. When selling you wouldn't want to use a guide that drops the price of your car. VMR seems to be more level from new to old and is closer to the true selling value. That's my take on anyhow. www.VMRINTL.com
You play the market with cars though. I don't think the majority of Viper owners do the same thing. I would agree that some sellers wouldn't advertise a car during the winter, but there are more than enough Vipers floating around to find some quality cars at any time of the year. If I were shopping, I'd start looking now to get a feel for the market, and then continue watching as winter set in. After seeing enough cars, you'll know when a good car at a good price comes around.
Yeah you're right. There are more than enough Vipers around to find a good one at any time. You might have to travel but still you're right. Getting a feel for a market you've never been in will take some time too. The more cars you see, the more refined your radar becomes.
Ah, VMR. That was it. Thank you. I was searching for an alternative to KBB, and tried to remember what you had said was better.
Yeah VMRINTL doesn't exactly roll off the tongue does it! Like I said depending on where you live, the market may be different. Even VMR just make an average out of the numbers. Compare cars in your area to be precise.
