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Daniel is a MarketWatch Guides team writer and has written for numerous automotive news sites and marketing firms across the U.S., U.K., and Australia, specializing in auto finance and car care topics. Daniel is a MarketWatch Guides team authority on auto insurance, loans, warranty options, auto services and more.
Selling a classic car is only slightly more complicated than selling a standard vehicle. The process relies a little more heavily on advertising and requires you to have a deep knowledge of how much your car is worth. In this article, we at the MarketWatch Guides team will explain what a classic car is, how you can sell one and point you toward some of the best websites to sell your car online.
One of the best ways to sell your classic car is by enlisting the help of a dealer or broker. Dealerships are licensed businesses with many showrooms where people can physically inspect a vehicle. Though brokers may not always have a showroom, they know the car market and use their extensive knowledge to attract potential buyers.
We researched some of the best places to sell your classic car and narrowed it down to our top three recommendations. Most sites will offer different advertising packages at varying price points that affect the audience size of your listing.
Autotrader is an online marketplace and aggregator of car sales listings. The company is not a direct buyer. For those looking to sell their classic car, Autotrader has a separate platform, Classics on Autotrader, specifically for high-end and exotic car sales.
The most important part of selling your classic car is learning its value. That will help you determine how to price the vehicle and where you want to sell it. There are many options, including in-person auctions and car shows, but one of the more popular methods is to list it with an online marketplace.
We found that some of the best places to sell your classic car online are AutoTrader, Hemmings and ClassicCars.com. All three companies offer different advertisement packages, some of which include featuring your ad more prominently in search results.
Yes, there can be money in selling classic cars. The classic car industry is having a bit of a boom, according to a recent report from Creedence Research. In 2021, the global classic cars market was worth an estimated $31.1 billion.
The best way to sell your classic car for a good price is to use a broker or an auction house. Brokers can search for customers, while auctions gather a number of potential buyers into one place. Selling your classic car online is also a good option and has become more popular in recent years.
Because consumers rely on us to provide objective and accurate information, we created a comprehensive rating system to formulate our rankings of the best platforms to sell your car. We collected data on several providers to grade each company in five key areas. The end result was an overall rating for each provider, with the car selling platforms that scored the most points topping the list.
I'm wondering which site is best to sell a classic car. I'm considering selling my 73 Riviera, but not 100% positive. I'm thinking of sites like Hemmings, autotrader, classic cars online, not facebook marketplace or craigslist. I'm open to recommendations. Anyone with recent experience.
We get considerably more volume from classics.autotrader.com and classiccars.com than any of the other sites. Hemmings.com is dying and Autabuy.com is dead. Ebay is a separate category, but generates a lot of leads.
We have sold about 100 vehicles when the owner passed in 2011. I came aboard to help with the estate being green. Was not in retail since the 90s when I owned my dealership. We did eBay, here, CL, and FB. CL and FB were the best. Sold about 75% of the inventory on CL and FB.
Thanks. All great advice. I wouldn't advertise it until I'm sure i am selling it, just to be clear. If i do list it, i'd probably wait until spring as the winter is typically not a great time to sell. I had to laugh as I've had the same experience with sellers who knew nothing about the car or were selling it for someone else, or especially on facebook and craigslist, they don't respond to inquiries. I've sold cars before over the years and was wondering if any one venue seemed best. That's why i inquired.
Thanks guys. I've been busy selling my friends el camino project for him. tried in winter on FB mktplace, and a real waste of time and bottom feeders / timewasters So, I waited till it warmed up. Man, I was inundated with prospective buyers this time and so glad I waited. Sold it today.
Now, it's time to sell my Riviera. I guess I could do facebook mktplace, but to be honest, it's a real pain in the butt with all the "is it for sale?" BS, and wanting all the specifics on the car in messenger. I've sold on classic cars online in the past and did well and also I believe on Hemmings, were I got a foreign buyer.
i have good luck with a non runner type restorible car .......by just loading it on my flatbed trailer and going to local car show or cruise night ......and park close in view of the show......and all the car people are at show,all fired up about the nice cars at the show.......and i sold a few on the spot and usually included delivering to buyer
I say that not so much to malign used cars, all my cars are very used, but in deference to the Classic car club and what they consider a "true classic". In my minds eye I see a 1970s anything (except maybe a Citroen SM) as anything but a but Classic car. My bad.
Bring A Trailer is notoriously known for unique and expensive car listings. From limited edition super cars to some of the fastest electric vehicles, there are a plethora of vehicles that end up being listed here.
Likewise, listing vehicles require pre-approval and a $99 fee to fully publish the listing on the website, but variations in the memberships allow flexibility for all users which makes it more appealing to all types of users. Lastly, there is a 5% fee on top of the final sale price of the listing, which concludes the sale.
Classics AutoTrader offers many different types of unique vehicles: supercars, kit cars, exotics, hot rods, and imports. Access to categories makes it easier to window-shop and find a unique vehicle.
Better still, there's an option is available to search for particular makes and models. Furthermore, location and options are offered as advanced filters should you have any issues looking through the list of cars.
However, unlike Bring a Trailer where you primarily deal with private sellers, Classic AutoTrader has many listings from both dealerships and private sellers alike. There are no auctions as prices are preset by the selling party, although offers can be submitted.
If you are looking for another specialized platform to sell your classic car, you may want to consider Hemmings. Hemmings has both auction-style bidding and offers that can be sent directly to the seller. While this gives everyone a chance at purchasing their dream vehicle, those that want to skip the hassle can negotiate with the seller.
Focused on the vintage collector car market, Hemmings offers a wide range of tools and resources to help you sell your car. An offer listing will cost $99 and an auction listing is free to submit, though costs $99 upon approval. Finding that rare spec has never been easier!
Oftentimes, sellers want to avoid dealing with third parties to sell their vehicle, all while avoiding seller and auction fees. While they save a couple of bucks, they do consequently suffer from dozens of tire kickers and scammers. Make sure you take advantage of tips to stay safe with every transaction on Facebook Marketplace.
Similar to when searching for other objects on Facebook Marketplace, you can set your filters. From distance to transmission types, different types of filters are available for you to choose from. Other websites generally have a stricter criterion for sellers to meet, whereas Facebook Marketplace is far from it.
With the decline of petrol engines and the drastic push for electric vehicles, classic vehicles are becoming harder and harder to find every day. Engine sounds can be replicated through the entertainment system, but can never really be what it once was.
Luckily, with the help of online platforms such as Bring a Trailer, Hemmings, or Classic AutoTrader, these sought-after cars have become much easier to locate. Before selling your used car, make sure you get it valued first.
Based on the East Coast, Joshua Ko has been an automotive writer for MakeUseOf for over a year and is a die-hard European car enthusiast. He primarily covers car tips and tricks and DIYs. After graduating from the Pennsylvania State University, he spends most of his time outdoors, writing, or in the garage.
However, do not worry as this guide will lead you through rough seas on classic car selling, indicating the leading five best places for you to get the most out of your diamond while ensuring that it finds the right buyer.
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