Mark;
I would say that popularity and condition are more of a condition then
desirability or rarity. Our Imperials are somewhat rare and desirable but
they were never that popular. 57' Chebby BelAirs are popular, but they are
neither rare nor desirable, they were made by the tens of thousands, poor
drivers, and a gaudy makeover of a 56' to boot. Inspite of the modern cult
like worship of these cars, Chrysler and Ford styling was considered more
appealing and the wave of the future at the time.
Think of appraisers like home inspectors. While there may be a national
association that they can belong to there is nothing stopping any guy from
putting out his shingle as an automotive appraiser. At the same time, even
if they required a license to practice, this is no guarantee of the quality
of their work anymore then a driver's license makes anyone a good driver.
Alway hire on referal like you would with a bodyman or upholsterer.
Best Regards
Arran Foster
1954 Imperial Newport
Needing A Left Side Taiilight Bezel and other trim parts.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mark McDonald" <tomswift@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, May 26, 2003 12:29 PM
Subject: Re: IML: Re:Imperial Appraisals/Ownership
> Dear Kenyon,
>
> You asked Eric the question, but it's one that interests me so I decided
> to chime in.
>
> I've only had two appraisals done, both on cars that were too far away
> for me to go see (or at least I wanted to make sure they were worth the
> trip before I spent the $ for the airfare), and this is before I became
> aware of the IML. I would say both appraisers were very knowledgeable
> and capable people, but one was clearly better than the other. The
> first guy more or less asked me what I wanted the appraisal to say in a
> kind of "nod, nod, wink, wink" sort of way. In other words, he hinted
> that he would value the car at close to the value I wanted for it. I
> didn't really trust this guy's appraisal.
>
> The 2nd guy looked at a car in south Florida for me and saved me a lot
> of time & money. He looked at the vehicle with a very critical eye and
> took pictures that showed me the defects. On the basis of his appraisal
> I decided not to buy the car.
>
> So I guess my first point is there are appraisals . . . and then there
> are appraisals. Not all appraisals are created equal. Some are good,
> some are bad.
>
> I know some folks will disagree with that. I have heard many people say
> flatly "An appraisal is worthless," or an appraisal only has value when
> it comes to insuring a car. I disagree with that. A good appraisal,
> done by a conscientitious and responsible appraiser, can be worth a lot.
>
> As for the question of value, there are many on this list who will say
> "value is determined by the market." While I think this is true, I
> don't think it's particularly insightful or helpful when it comes to
> figuring out how much to sell our cars for, or in determining what is or
> is not a "fair" price for a car we are thinking of buying.
>
> An antiques dealer I know recently told me there are really only 3
> things that determine the value of anything. She was talking about
> antiques, but I think her statement applies equally well to cars:
>
> 1. Rarity
> 2. Desirability
> 3. Condition
>
> If you find a car that is rare, highly desirable, and in good condition,
> it will have high value.
>
> A lot of folks, when selling a car, only consider one of these factors
> and forget the other two. They'll think of the rarity, for example, and
> say "Do you realize they only made 410 of these?!" Well, yes, they only
> made 410 purple Gremlins with green interiors-- and that makes them
> rare. But it also makes them UNDESIRABLE. So it really doesn't matter
> how rare they are, or what condition they're in-- nobody wants 'em.
> Therefore, they won't command a high price.
>
> I think one reason our Imperials are so low priced in the market these
> days is, unfortunately, they are not as desirable as the Caddys and
> Lincolns-- in most peoples' eyes. If they were, the price of a '68
> convertible would be a lot higher-- comparable to a '68 GTX or Charger.
> But they aren't, because the Imperial was never as popular as those two
> cars, even when new.
>
> That's another thing. A lot of folks seem to think as long as it's old
> and in good condition, it's a "classic" and worth a lot. Well, not
> necessarily. I am also a big fan of VW Dashers (yes, I admit it). But
> as old and as rare as these cars are, they will never be classics and
> never command a big price. Why? Because they were not big hits when
> they were introduced.
>
> Well, I forgot my point, so I guess I'll shut up now . . . no, I guess
> my point is, appraisals can be useful, depending on how they were made,
> but they're only one tool to use in determining value of a car. That's
> my opinion! :)
>
> Mark
>
>
> Kenyon Wills wrote:
>
> > Hi Eric, Your job of doing car appraisals is an interesting one. How
> > do you determine value, What special skills or expereinces do you call
> > upon to arrive at a fair price, and what should current owners of
> > valued (Imperial) cars know to avoid or do based on things that
> > you've seen that could apply to us? I'm wondering if there's anything
> > that we can learn from your experiences with other owners at time of
> > sale? I'd think that there's an argument for having a valued car
> > appraised for insurance reasons. What isn't obvious to people about
> > your line of work? This is a bit of a tangent, so please folks, don't
> > take this off on some diversion away from Imperials. My interest is
> > as an owner of an Imperial, of course. -Kenyon
> >
> > ERIC C MARSH <ECMarsh@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >
> > I do antique, custom and modified
> > vehicle appraisals and hate to say how often the owner wants
> > the appraisal so he can sell the vehicle.
> >
> >
> > Kenyon WillsSan Lorenzo/SF Bay Area1960 Chrysler Imperial
> > -->http://www.imperialclub.com/YearbyYear/1960/Kenyon/Page01.htm1973
> > Chrysler Imperial -->
> > http://www.imperialclub.com/YearbyYear/1973/wills/
> > -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> > Do you Yahoo!?
> > The New Yahoo! Search - Faster. Easier. Bingo.
>
>
>
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