Author Topic: 13 Ligiers on eBay  (Read 61878 times)

richard

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Re: 13 Ligiers on eBay
« Reply #75 on: December 29, 2014, 09:40:32 AM »
i think a few had fun toying with the idea Bob  :) Funny thing this auctioning them off , obvious thing to do but who is going to bid at all knowing that there are more in a similar condition to follow . A successful auction surely relies on a bidder outbidding another in order to get a chance of owning one . If say the bidding starts at , for example , £ 300 and is bid on any other bidder may as well wait for the next one and have no bidding war - right /wrong . i suppose if he prices with a reserve on each thats the answer ? 
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richard

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Re: 13 Ligiers on eBay
« Reply #76 on: December 29, 2014, 09:49:51 AM »
okay Steven follow me ;

reply 4 big al - with no interest that i can see
reply11 Malc - " i'd take one " hardly an offer but okay
reply 15 myself - no interest at all
reply 17 myself - no interest at all
reply 20 al - no interest 

now steven who was it needing an eye test ?  :)
« Last Edit: December 29, 2014, 10:58:31 AM by richard »
outside of a dog a book is mans best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read .Groucho Marx 1895-1977

Bob Purton

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Re: 13 Ligiers on eBay
« Reply #77 on: December 29, 2014, 09:51:07 AM »
I know what you mean. I have spent many an hour at Christies where someone had put in multiple identical items for auction. Very often the first few go very cheaply  bidders hold back, waiting to see what they are making first. They then panic and pay over the odds for the last few.  I also have this theory that lot number one never does very well.

Big Al

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Re: 13 Ligiers on eBay
« Reply #78 on: December 29, 2014, 11:29:33 AM »
This is all rather amusing.

The whole problem of buying a job lot of cars is that you immediately have a problem selling quickly. People will not be able to make up their minds on which car to buy, as none will be prefect. Add in that done through eBay we all know the unit price per car. Its human nature to begrudge a profit, so there is going to be something of a cap on the prices in many people's mind. Environment and storage does make a difference to sales and with poor storage the pressure comes on to clear the cars away by sale.

Against this you have the fact that it was abundantly clear that there was not the interest, or trust related to the risk value, to form a RUMcar ring to buy the cars. As Bob pointed out on another thread, the trade - we are sort of trade as we are the natural buyers of such tosh -, often opt to ring auction lots and share out dibs later. (This does not happen, off course, in the same preportion that Mr Wall does not bid items up). This suggests to me that in fact those interested folk on the forum were expressing interest at a pretty low value. I think Steve M was the only person who put a higher value on the cars. The higher the unit price after the good cars go, the more difficult selling the remaining cars becomes as you will all know what was paid for the lot. Secondary buyer reaction will be, why should I subsidise a primary purchaser's better car buy. Again its human nature.
So these sorts of deals are difficult to assemble and generally rely on a uniformly low valuation by a majority of 'buy now' buyers in the hope that those same individuals do not bid individually. The hope is a 'steamer' does not appear from unknown quarters to outbid the ring. From my and the other bidder in our cluster's point of view, that is what happened. But then we were not greatly bothered to own, or not, as we would be looking at financing and shifting some 8 unwanted cars.

The buyer, now seller, has two advantages.
He can sell the cars off in the quantities the buyers want. These are buyers who did not want 13 cars, but maybe two to make one, or something.
The second thing, if he is smart, is he has time to do what my job would have been in our group. That is to take the best shell, give it the best bits. Second best, the next best bits. In this way the cars become more valuable at the cost of two or three growlers. I do not doubt several buyers would have a growler as a spares resource for their good car.
That improvement process takes time. Ideal time to spread out the resale of the cars he does not want. Its quite a lot of work. But experience has shown that that is the way to do it, if you can. But the proviso is, this really only works well when the purchase price is not known, as people will have already made up there minds on their budget on a 'good' car. My 'good' car, using the above method, will be a lot better than what is likely to be a 'good' car ex works. That is where the margin is, its where I made my money, as I offered what was previously not for sale. A complete and wholesome car, no strings attached.
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Rusty Chrome (Malcolm Parker)

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Re: 13 Ligiers on eBay
« Reply #79 on: December 29, 2014, 02:48:29 PM »
Personally, I was only expressing interest at a very, very low value. The only logical reason for buying a non-functioning, low interest curiosity that I don't really have room for as far as I could see. I wouldn't expect any of these cars to be worth more than the final bid plus the cost of transport, storage and repair divided by the 8 or so salvageable cars, and I wouldn't have even contemplated restoring one, rather attempting to utilise the not unattractive design and some bits and pieces as a basis for a more practical lash-up. Having survived so relatively intact, I hope these aren't going to go the same way as that 'investment' Gordon, rusting to pieces in an overgrown garden, but only time will tell.
Malcolm
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Big Al

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Re: 13 Ligiers on eBay
« Reply #80 on: December 29, 2014, 04:19:06 PM »
Which Gordon is that? I assume the brave person who turned down a £5,000 cash offer made. Sounds good to me. Arm would be by return post.
Messerschmitt set, Goggo Darts, Heinkel 175, Fiat Jolly, Autobianchi, Fairthorpe Electron Minor, Borgward, Isuzu Trooper
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Rusty Chrome (Malcolm Parker)

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Re: 13 Ligiers on eBay
« Reply #81 on: December 29, 2014, 05:21:47 PM »
The Gordon on this thread in case anyone's not sure.

http://www.rumcars.org/forum/index.php?topic=4039.0
Malcolm
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Big Al

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Re: 13 Ligiers on eBay
« Reply #82 on: December 29, 2014, 06:09:24 PM »
Yep, that's the one. Assuming the offer was passed to the owner by the intermediary, he turned down £5,000. If he was not told that the offer was made, he has been miss-served badly. The problem with intermediaries. As an investment on £5k, a year or so ago, I do not think alfresco storage is going to cut the mustard.
I think the opportunity has gone, as it has on the Astra. Money has been invested elsewhere and restoration is underway. I might be able to rekindle interest, if the owner cares to get in touch.
Messerschmitt set, Goggo Darts, Heinkel 175, Fiat Jolly, Autobianchi, Fairthorpe Electron Minor, Borgward, Isuzu Trooper
Citroen BX 17TZD & GTI 16v
Held - MG Magnette ZB & 4/44
For sale - Vellam Isetta, Bamby, AC Type 70, Velorex, Church Pod, Reliant Mk5, KR200,  Saab 96, Bellemy Trials, Citroen BXs

steven mandell

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Re: 13 Ligiers on eBay
« Reply #83 on: December 29, 2014, 06:20:45 PM »
okay Steven follow me ;

reply 4 big al - with no interest that i can see
reply11 Malc - " i'd take one " hardly an offer but okay
reply 15 myself - no interest at all
reply 17 myself - no interest at all
reply 20 al - no interest 

now steven who was it needing an eye test ?  :)

Now Richard, you are really starting to worry me- that is unless your preferences somehow have arranged the responses nonsequentially.
reply 4- Bob suggesting that if all regulars chipped in that we could have one each.
reply 11- you conceded, but attributed to the wrong party. It is Steve F going to collect one for himself, and offering to pick up a couple of others.
reply 12- this is Malcolm's saying that he'd take one.  (My bad for missing the obvious)
reply 15- Bob saying that if someone else took on the challenge that he'd have one.
reply 17- One of Al's many informative posts on just how to make such a group buy, and I happen to know that under those circumstances he would have taken one also.
reply 20 - Steve F. asking if there was "any info you lot were after".

Score zero.
Is it a different computer setting, or the bigger lump at the other end of your optic nerve? :)
« Last Edit: December 29, 2014, 06:22:39 PM by steven mandell »

richard

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Re: 13 Ligiers on eBay
« Reply #84 on: December 29, 2014, 06:36:15 PM »
WRONG WRONG AND WRONG AGAIN you cannot be serious ! for example , 2 of many , 15 is ME not Bob  , and the Malc one you attribute wrongly to Steve Fisk . Anyhow you may have the last word on this as you will no doubt reply - but wrongly again  :)
outside of a dog a book is mans best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read .Groucho Marx 1895-1977

Big Al

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Re: 13 Ligiers on eBay
« Reply #85 on: December 29, 2014, 08:40:28 PM »
I am not sure to what extent folk are aware of off the site communications attempting to form a united bid that were going on that week, you two. Divergent info, possibly. There was potential for placing 8 cars out of 13, Steve M being in on the plot. However only three people committed to anything I know about for 4 cars, with one possible. That bid failed. As to who else made bids, a ring deal or won, I do not know.

Far from always being cast as a doom monger, I here took an active roll in attempting to create some consensus of positive action. I have just trawled the notes on the forum and find the negatives to be placed elsewhere. Not that I think it made much difference to the outcome. Anyway that is a separate issue that amuses me.

The fact remains that enough interest in a united bid could have secured the deal. The reaction was to slow given the limited time, and I do not think that the interest was really there, perhaps it just thought it was. There is little point in dwelling on it, since from what Steve F says you can still buy a Ligier if you want to. That he did not bother in the end is somewhat telling.
Messerschmitt set, Goggo Darts, Heinkel 175, Fiat Jolly, Autobianchi, Fairthorpe Electron Minor, Borgward, Isuzu Trooper
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Held - MG Magnette ZB & 4/44
For sale - Vellam Isetta, Bamby, AC Type 70, Velorex, Church Pod, Reliant Mk5, KR200,  Saab 96, Bellemy Trials, Citroen BXs

steven mandell

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Re: 13 Ligiers on eBay
« Reply #86 on: December 31, 2014, 10:45:03 AM »
Oh eckkk what have I started? I think the main problem would be where to plonk them down whilst all those that wanted one came and picked there's up. I dare say the seller would want them all gone ASAP. Also some may be incomplete and only suitable for parts. I see some have had there roofs jumped on by vandals.
I'm not going to get involved but suffice to say that if someone wanted to take the challange on I would have one, maybe even the Enfield if the rumour is true.
Hate to have to dissapoint you Richard, but the above has been reply 15 on all of my viewings.
However you do have a reply both directly before and after it.

Bob Purton

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Re: 13 Ligiers on eBay
« Reply #87 on: December 31, 2014, 10:58:22 AM »
Right this really is the last word on this silly squabble. Any more will be deleted.

super-se7en (Malc Dudley)

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Re: 13 Ligiers on eBay
« Reply #88 on: December 31, 2014, 11:12:04 AM »
Thank god. Sanity prevails!

Rob Dobie

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Re: 13 Ligiers on eBay
« Reply #89 on: December 31, 2014, 11:20:52 AM »
Happier New Year???  ;D
« Last Edit: December 31, 2014, 11:24:13 AM by Rob Dobie »
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