Efficient, cheap beaters! Used car ads: 35 mpg highway or more for $1500 or less

[Fat Charlie]

It's not Xist's fault that she was smoking crack when she set her asking price. If you can't drive it away and legally register it, it's not a car. It's a parts car or a project car. Those are very different animals, with a different market and a very different price.

If it doesn't pass the local inspection requirements, you're looking at a huge price drop. If it doesn't even run, and motivated people can't figure out why, you might as well just find out what the scrap value is- and you're going to be hard pressed to justify asking one dollar more.

Or you can price it as if the buyer could commute in it right away and get offended when the only offers are much lower.

[Xist]

She neither wrote "VTECH" or "I know what I got!"

If she was right that my offer [on a nonrunning car] was insulting, do you also believe that I wasted her time, and that she is selling it for $600?

It has been nearly 2 days and her ad is still up. Does she just like having men contact her?

Everyone knows that's not how you sell a 21-year-old Honda! This is how you sell a 21-year-old Honda!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KlNeiY4Rf4

This guy said that he saw a nonrunning 1999 Accord advertised for $700. He offered $200 and the owner countered:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48jb8VpbA20

It had been in front of the grandfather's house for 6 months and he told me to offer $200.

In my Scraped Camry thread I regaled you with my adventures having a mechanic look at a banged-up Corolla. He said that it was worth $1,500. I offered the owner $1,600. She said "No" and drove off.

Legend says she is still trying to sell that car to this day!

Facebook, too!

Should I offer that lady $1,650?

A Saturn just like the one that I shared before popped up, but I guess that it sold. It had the exact same ripped seats and they asked $1,100.

[nemo]

Her grandfather is tired of looking at it. Far too many over priced item in ads.

[MetroMPG]

I dunno if Honda's design silliness applies to the generation of Accord in question, but my 89 Accord required me to remove the axle to change the alternator out the bottom (only option). PITA. That alone is worth chopping a couple hundred more off the price.

[Xist]

If that is the problem!

[JSH]

Originally Posted by Xist

Do you sell nonrunning cars and expect what running cars are worth?

According to KBB a 1999 Accord LX, 4 cylinder, automatic with 150K miles and no options is worth $1608 in a private party sale. That is in "Fair" (lowest condition) So priced at $700 she is $900 less than a running but cosmetically challenged car is worth.

The non-running status is already factored into the price. You offered less than scrap value for the car.

When I place a classified ad I price it maybe 10 - 20% above what I'm willing to sell the item for. I suspect most people price their items in a similar fashion. When someone offers 30% of asking price they are low-balling and wasting both people's time.

[Xist]

Nonrunning with unknown problems.

The car is only worth scrap.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by Xist

Nonrunning with unknown problems.

The car is only worth scrap.

$200 is actually less than scrap value if Google is correct that the going rate is $150 a ton.

In the current condition it will likely sell for about $500. A junkyard might give her $250.

You lowballed and lost. Not much ventured, not much lost. If you want someone to counter offer you can't start insultingly low.

[Xist]

You offer her $500. Just see what she says.

[ME_Andy]

Originally Posted by Xist

You offer her $500. Just see what she says.

Are we talking about cars or... something else?