Erroneous 914 online price guide info, why are all of the online price guides way too high? Options

[ky914porsche]

I'm a newbie 914 owner and think they're some of the best bang for the buck out there in pint-sized sporty car land. I also happen to like the styling quite a bit, although I realize the auto world is divided on that topic.

In researching my recent 914 purchase online, I was surprised by all of the erroneous price guide info out there on 914 values. I bought a condition 3 car at about 1/2 what about every price guide out there says the year/model is worth, and I saw quite a few advertised 914's advertised at that same general proportion of their "worth". When I look at other classified ads out there for these cars, very few are even advertised at anywhere close to what the price guides say they are "worth".

I find it interesting that the price guides seem to think 914's are a lot pricier than real world available car ads prove them to be. All of the price guides seem to be way overstated- NADA, Hagerty's, or about any others you can find online. Perhaps there are paid subscription collector car pricing guides that are more accurate than these flawed "freebie online valuation guides", but I don't subscribe to any so I don't know. Flawed online price guide example: http://www.hagerty.com/valuationtools/HVT/...eport?vc=954896

I just thought I'd mention this to see what others think about why this is the case.

[mepstein]

Because dealers don't sell the inexpensive cars and it's the dealers and auction houses that report the sales.

[JmuRiz]

Because dealers don't sell the inexpensive cars and it's the dealers and auction houses that report the sales.

Bingo!

[ky914porsche]

Because dealers don't sell the inexpensive cars and it's the dealers and auction houses that report the sales.

Bingo!

I can see that argument being true for condition 1 and condition 2 cars, but not for condition 3 and condition 4 cars. If what you're saying is the case, then dealers and auction houses are ripping off folks on condition 3 and condition 4 cars in particular. I don't think that's the case. I think the price guides are grossly overstated on some of these cars, especially in the lower conditions.

[mepstein]

Because dealers don't sell the inexpensive cars and it's the dealers and auction houses that report the sales.

Bingo!

I can see that argument being true for condition 1 and condition 2 cars, but not for condition 3 and condition 4 cars. If what you're saying is the case, then dealers and auction houses are ripping off folks on condition 3 and condition 4 cars in particular. I don't think that's the case. I think the price guides are grossly overstated on some of these cars, especially in the lower conditions.

I don't know if "ripping off" is what's happening. Buyers have always paid more at commercial sellers. Commercial sellers can offer financing, warranties, and choice that private sellers can't. I think all price reporting just has to be taken in context. It's a published report so it gets used. Private sales often go unpublished so those numbers aren't thrown into the mix.
Personally, I pay what I'm comfortable paying, not what a chart tells me I should pay.

[ky914porsche]

Because dealers don't sell the inexpensive cars and it's the dealers and auction houses that report the sales.

Bingo!

I can see that argument being true for condition 1 and condition 2 cars, but not for condition 3 and condition 4 cars. If what you're saying is the case, then dealers and auction houses are ripping off folks on condition 3 and condition 4 cars in particular. I don't think that's the case. I think the price guides are grossly overstated on some of these cars, especially in the lower conditions.

I don't know if "ripping off" is what's happening. Buyers have always paid more at commercial sellers. Commercial sellers can offer financing, warranties, and choice that private sellers can't. I think all price reporting just has to be taken in context. It's a published report so it gets used. Private sales often go unpublished so those numbers aren't thrown into the mix.
Personally, I pay what I'm comfortable paying, not what a chart tells me I should pay.

Thanks for the input. I'd hope you're personally only comfortable paying close to market value for any car you look at, given its condition/rarity etc. I'm in the same boat. That's what this thread is all about- identifying true market values versus "overstated chart values" (at least on 4 cyl 914's in condition 3 and 4). I'm saying the chart values are too high on those cars in those conditions, and none of the responses thus far have convinced me otherwise. The 914 isn't the only car afflicted with this market value overstatement, it hits a ton of different types of cars reported in "valuation guides". And sometimes I'm sure it goes far the other way- "valuation guides" grossly understate some rare car actual market values. My premise in this thread is that any 914 owner with a 4 cyl car in condition 3 or 4 is greatly overestimating the value of what he has parked in his garage right now, at least if he's going on what the "valuation guides" report now for such cars. The good news is that fact is not the end of the world, it's just an observation.