What are they thinking?
 

Just curious.......

I was trolling on E-bay looking at 300D's (W123, W124, and a few W126's). Some of the prices just floored me! Are these cars really appreciating that much to justify asking prices of 10K plus for vehicles that have well over 200K and several "minor issues" such as A/C inop, sunroof sealed shut, locks not working, some body rot, etc.....

Personally I think some of these folks are nuts! Or am I nuts?

Glenn

nuts...



then again, I may be putting some up soon...

If there's a buyer, then the seller is not the one that's nuts...

It's been 20 years since I last bought a 123. The only thing that's changed is that the survivors are rustier and have more miles. If you can still find one with under 100K, that's going to be worth the premium. But over 200K, it's just an old car. Buy a Hyundai. You can tape a star to the hood if you crave prestige.

this is a silly opinion. this forum is about maintaining and repairing the Mercedes.

nothing is more expensive than a cheap mercedes, but driving a disposable car is a waste to many.!

I paid $2500 for mine in 2010, it's been relatively reliable for the past four years, and I can probably sell it for at least two grand if I wanted to. Where am I going to find a Kimchee Kruiser(tm) for that price or even double that?

Yeah, I can lease or get a loan and put $2500 down. Yeah, yeah, loans are "cheap" now due to Bernanke Bucks(tm). But I prefer to own outright. No mileage restrictions, no collision/comp in$urance requirements, etc. And the car is simple enough to allow me to work on it myself, not pay some mechanic to do it. It's my way of non-participating in the economy.

It's going to be a struggle for some to come to terms with the situation as these cars begin to appreciate, due to supply vs. demand for decent ones. They do have some potential to be marginally collectible, which is hard for many to accept who have spent a few decades treating them as disposable/dime a dozen.

A 1969 Charger, or 1984 911 Carrera, are also "Just old cars" from one perspective, but they are old cars that people are interested in and want to own.

Right now, there are exactly zero W123's for sale in my area (a metro area of about 700,000 people). I would have to drive up to Phoenix, a few hours away, to have just a handful of options (a city of 1.5 million with almost 4 million people in the surrounding suburbs). As the supply of these dwindle, but at the same time interest in them grows, a price increase is inevitable. Just in the last few weeks I have two friends who are asking me to either 1) sell them one of my cars and/or 2) help them find one.

A point will come when someone who really wants one will need to search further afield (i.e. someplace like eBay) and be willing to pay a premium for a solid example. A friend of mine did that a few years ago and got a great car out of it, though it did need to be caught up on deferred maintenance and repair. At the time, paying a premium meant something like $6,000. Now, it might mean $10,000.

Ok. 1984 euro 300D 4 speed cloth interior. completely restored. .. first $10K gets it delivered to their house.

Ditto for 85 300D or SD... MAYBE EVEN an 87 300TD

ebay does not represent whats actually available.

Target market is the uninformed with a loose grip on the old wallet

The few W123s that I have seen in the last few years which caught my attention on E B A Y were super low miles, ALL original, with price tags $15K or more. IMO, those cars are very, very nice, but not worth anything near that. Why ? All the rubber pieces have still rotted to some degree and anything which wears, is still 30+ years old. Why pay such a high premium for a car which needs everything replaced once you start driving it a bunch?

well said.

IMO you can spend 2-3 grand for a good example, then spend 2-3 grand over the next 2 years getting it up to speed while using it, OR, alternatively, on ebay you can spend 10-15 grand on the same car a little more shiny and a little less used, then spend 2-3 grand getting it up to speed while using it.

I might argue with you; Volvo 240. Been there, did that, now for sale. :)


It truly depends on how good an example you have.

RUST FREE .... does such a beast truly exist ??? I would rather tackle mechanical issues than RUST issues any day of the week. I would gladly pay $2K or $3K for a RUST free, and I mean rust free, (and damage free) W123.

A car is only worth what someone is willing to pay. If you can fetch 14K for a W123 I'd start selling them left and right.