How to Sell Antique Restoration Project Cars
Restoring antiques can bring a big profit to the person who finds a diamond in the rough. Old cars have groups of people just wanting to find that next restoration project to buy and finish. As a business, the buying and selling of antique cars for restoration is part of a larger niche market of car enthusiasts who spend billions of dollars each year on just these types of projects. Sell antique restoration project cars at places where these groups meet, in the things they read, and on the Internet sites to which they go. Connect buyers and sellers or sell to the public a restoration project they have been looking for.
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Instructions
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Take pictures in a well lit location of the antique project car(s) that you have to sell. Include images of all the parts and inside and out of the car as it will look at the time of sale. Use a digital camera to take the pictures or have the pictures made into digital format so that you can use the Internet as a way to promote and advertise the sale. Good pictures are the first step in selling antique restoration project cars. Buyers want to feel confident that they have as much information as they need to make an informed decision prior to buying a restoration project. Keep them informed with clear images of the car(s) you are selling.
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Contact three trade magazines or websites that feature information and news about antique cars. Three of the best can be reached online at Hemmings, Auto Trade Classics and Classic Car Sales (see Resources). Here is where you can get the most exposure for your sale of an antique restoration project. Place an ad with detailed information that describes exactly what is included. Submit the ad into these antique showrooms in the "For Sale" section and get more opportunities to sell your antique restoration project cars from out of town buyers.
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List an advertisement in local Auto Trader magazines that publish local autos for sale as a weekly or monthly listing. The local market for restoration projects can be where a fast sale is made. Local car owners who enjoy restoring project cars live in every neighborhood.
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Register with an upcoming car show. A car show attracts the perfect buyer of a project car. Car shows will bring owners from all around into one place. They look for new things to work on and the great work that has been done to cars of all kinds. Seeing an antique car in disrepair can be the trigger that motivates these car enthusiasts to buy on an impulse. Showing off the rare aspects of the make or model can make selling a project car easier. When spectators and owners come together to appreciate a great automobile, they can easily relate to an unfinished project before it has been completed.
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Deliver informative pamphlets to auto parts stores and performance shops in the surrounding area of the sale. Drive around for a day and deliver the information you have about your restoration project and any upcoming sales. These shops are often willing to let a small business or individual leave some pages of information for their customers to see. It gives the customer something to look over while waiting for service. Combine the best of print, in person and electronic information to make a quick sale to one of the thousands of people you reach with the news you delivered about the sale.
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Tips & Warnings
Host your own car show by using the same avenues of promotion. Collect customers around your antique restoration plans and find that you can sell more projects faster.
If you sell an antique restoration project to an out of town buyer be sure you receive the right amount of shipping. Just because they are buying from you does not mean that you have to include shipping.
Resources
- Photo Credit Powerfitz, TAC
