Feeling Sad: Sold 1991 SMB for $1500

[SMB666]

Had a 1991 Sportsmobile I inherited from mom and dad. It's been sitting in the back yard for about eight years, I used it as a guesthouse. Needed fuel pump replaced, a new battery and maybe a new starter. I sold it as is.

It had a new top and good Michelin tires. 250,000 miles. Interior was nice, everything worked.

Should I have tried to sell it here first?

[karma]

Should have, would have....... what's the point now? If it's already sold!

[SMB666]

Originally Posted by karma

Should have, would have....... what's the point now? If it's already sold!

Ha, ha yeah, like your username #karma

We both live in Arizona too.

[Grampswrx]

The people in here are cheap, they would have lowballed you!

[Orv]

Unfortunately once you're at the point where someone has to deal with towing it out of your back yard, a lot of people's interest dries up, and you end up having to discount pretty deeply.

[SMB123]

That's a lot of miles and those "known" problems may be shielding other "unknown" issues. The tires may look good but if they are old they can be timebombs.

Strategy 1 is to roll the dice, get running on the road, and sell as a runner. Add a lot of headaches, time and risk (ie will those expensive repairs yield a net higher price that exceeds costs and by how much). Strategy 2 is to sell as is, their problem. You saved your time and headaches. How do you value that?

Also - a fortunate family or individual of limited means may now have an incredible time of joy thanks to you. Karma comes around.

[Orv]

SMB123 is right. There are tradeoffs here; getting stuff fixed would cost money and hassle, and pricing higher and waiting for the right buyer adds a lot of hassle too. Dealing with tire-kickers gets old fast.

Whether you could have gotten more here or not, I think you probably made the right call for you. It's not easy parting with a "member of the family" like that, and dragging out the experience just makes it harder.

[SMB666]

You're right, I'm getting over it. The guy was really nice, said he wanted to take his kids camping.

One of my friends who sells used cars didn't think it was worth much and since the tires were sitting on the dirt he kept telling me they were getting dry rot.

It had a lot of sentimental value.

Cats are missing it too, lol, they liked to hide under it.

[Orv]

Yeah, tires will go bad whether they're driven on or not. It's not the dirt that kills them, it's the sun. The UV light attacks the sidewalls and they crack. That's why you sometimes see motorhomes with tire covers. I once made the mistake of driving on some tires that had been out in the sun for years, and the sidewall blew out on one of them. Never again. :P The rubber also hardens with age, and they lose grip.

Sounds like it probably went to a good home. I got mine from a guy who had kids and needed something with forward-facing seats to strap child seats into. (My van has the two sideways-facing couches that come together to make a bed -- fine for adult passengers, but no good for a child seat.) When I picked the van up I saw he'd gotten himself a Vanagon Westfalia.

[Annie O]

Originally Posted by SMB666

You're right, I'm getting over it. The guy was really nice, said he wanted to take his kids camping.

One of my friends who sells used cars didn't think it was worth much and since the tires were sitting on the dirt he kept telling me they were getting dry rot.

It had a lot of sentimental value.

Cats are missing it too, lol, they liked to hide under it.

I am allergic to cats but from what Ive heard a moping cat is hard to take. My first Border Collie would get bored if I slacked off from her daily workouts and a bored Border Collie is not good to have following you about the house!

Here's to hoping you will feel lighter soon- May you never lose the memories- they make the nostalgia have value, more-so than the old stuff