914 values dropping?, (or is it just me...) Options

[gfulcher]

Hey all.. it's been a long while since my last post - Since I'm thinkin' of selling my '72 914/4 2.0 on account of 1) moving to San Francisco proper and 2) having a hard time justifying my car hobby with my desires to be a good steward to the planet (somebody has to do it!), I've been poking around on evilbay for the going rate.

Is it just me, or have 914 values - for both fours and sixes, fallen markably in the past year?

danke,
-greg

[Johny Blackstain]

Another point of view might be that the prices are not falling, but the amount of money people have to spend on a 30+ year old car is now much less. Gas is $3.00+/gal. Milk is like $6.00. The real estate market has crashed & now the stock market is "adjusting", (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif) , & so on & so on... This not good for any kind of collector car- especially cars that have been hyper inflated because "Hemi" became the word of the moment. Not pickin on Chrysler, just the latest fad. Price of 356s' seem stable no? Perhaps another 20 yrs will see 914s commanding current 356 prices.

[Pat Garvey]

Another point of view might be that the prices are not falling, but the amount of money people have to spend on a 30+ year old car is now much less. Gas is $3.00+/gal. Milk is like $6.00. The real estate market has crashed & now the stock market is "adjusting", (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif) , & so on & so on... This not good for any kind of collector car- especially cars that have been hyper inflated because "Hemi" became the word of the moment. Not pickin on Chrysler, just the latest fad. Price of 356s' seem stable no? Perhaps another 20 yrs will see 914s commanding current 356 prices.

OK, here's my take on all this.

Let's start with the stock market. You're either a day trader (& you WILL lose, though a SMALL minority sometimes make some money) or you're in it for the long haul. The Index was just about 2000 when I got in. Bought heavily - sold some through the years, bought them back when they were depressed & good values - mostly held. No additonal investment. Played it like it should be. Smiling today & going out to but tomorrow!

Discretionary things like second homes, collector cars are just that! If you have the cash to buy them, it drives the market upward. If you're being cautious, the market will suffer. Just like the stock market. If you get too wrapped up in profiteering, you'll usually makes some mistakes - but not always.

Yep the markets are suffering for homes & collector cars. But it's done this how many times? Remember the fiasco years of the early '90's for "collector" cars. Lotsa people lost lotsa money because they overvalued lotsa junk. I don't pity the Ferrari buyers of that era becasue they were greedy & stupid.

Every market has a means for correcting itself under current circumstances - that's why Capitalsm works so well. Everything corrects, the mood increases, and so do profits. It all works out for the better. Keyword is "patience".

Though I do believe the stock market is a little too "sensitized" these days. Too many people loking for the fast buck. But it all works out in the long run - I'm happy to say.

Any degradation in 914 values will change with the next "season". But who cares? Are you going to sell the thing tha means so much to you?