NSX pricing trends this past year
- Thread starter whs520
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All those are way too high. If you watch Prime closely, you will see guys asking close to $30K for 91's with 80K miles, (look at nsxtasy's car) and you'll see how many times they've been bumped over and over, never selling. Perfect records and a history on Prime only get you so far. I just sold a 91 car with 60K miles, and I struggled to get $26K. I had thousands invested with Larry Bastanza within the past year to make it perfect. That certainly did help me sell it because it put buyers at ease, but what I spent did not significantly increase the sale price of the car IMO. There is no reason you should not be able to find a pretty clean early car with decent history for $25K, especially if you don't mind it having a few miles on it. They are out there, you just need to make some offers, be willing to travel a bit, and have cash in hand. I was worn down by buyers constantly jerking me around, lowballing, playing games, etc. It got tiresome, so I ended up selling to a local enthusiast for slightly less than I wanted, and we were both very happy with the deal when it was all said and done.
I just bought a newer NSX, and I was able to do pretty well on the car, but again, I made it easy for the seller, and went into it knowing what I was willing to pay, and while it took a few weeks to close the deal, we both walked away happy.
Dealer Auction Black Book Pricing
Back when I sold pre-owned cars in 2003, we used the Black Book to keep up with what cars were actually selling for at the dealer auctions. KBB, Edmunds, and NADA are all estimates, i.e. made up prices. Why do you think that the dealers LOVE to show you the KBB???
Try this link. You can enter a VIN no. or just make, model, trim, and the year. It also has entries for mileage and location.
http://cudlautosmart.com/Research/TradeInValues.aspx?provider=BlackBook&WT.svl=ToolsAndMore
Back when I sold pre-owned cars in 2003, we used the Black Book to keep up with what cars were actually selling for at the dealer auctions. KBB, Edmunds, and NADA are all estimates, i.e. made up prices. Why do you think that the dealers LOVE to show you the KBB???
Try this link. You can enter a VIN no. or just make, model, trim, and the year. It also has entries for mileage and location.
http://cudlautosmart.com/Research/TradeInValues.aspx?provider=BlackBook&WT.svl=ToolsAndMore
Re: Dealer Auction Black Book Pricing
These BB sites do not take into account the rarity of cars.
for example this site has the 2001 NSX-T at $3k higher than a 2001 coupe. I would disagree and have the coupe worth more.
These BB sites do not take into account the rarity of cars.
for example this site has the 2001 NSX-T at $3k higher than a 2001 coupe. I would disagree and have the coupe worth more.
It would be nice to know what you paid for your car. No two cars are the same and if you had your old NSX worked on by Larry B - well it should be worth a fair amount. There is a lot more to this than your short story. What had you done to your old one? What did you replace and how many miles did it end up with? Was it only 60k miles. If you put a lot into it you may have sold too cheap. How long did you take to sell it? They aren't making any more of these cars. I think the prices mentioned above by the guy asking the questions are fine depending on the car condition.
The good ones with everything done should be expensive and not bargain basement. You sound like you may have sold at bargain basement pricing.
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The car had 60K miles when I sold it. At 57K, Larry did the following:
TB/WP
60K service
Clutch master and slave
All coolant hoses
New tires
Alignment
Rebuilt CCU
All sorts of extra gaskets
Pulley shield
The car had bilstiens, RSR exhaust, and 97+ wheels with new RE010's.
I wanted $26,500 with the stock 15/16. $27,500 with both sets of wheels and tires. I thought that was a good asking price for an NSX with recent service. Totally turn key. I should say the car had some body work (rear fender replaced, nose resprayed) and that may have killed it for me.
Plenty of interest but not a single buyer willing to go over $25K including all the wheels. Tons of time wasted. LarryB fielded a variety of inquiries trying to help me out. Had people drive from hundreds of miles only to beat my brains in on price and drive away. I ended up selling it to a local guy (also now on prime) for a grand less than I wanted, but the deal was smooth and easy, so I caved. Now I am glad I did, or I wouldn't be driving the NSX I have today. I stand by my statement that Larry's receipts made ALL the buyers that came to me very confident. I can't say it helped me get more money, but it sure did eliminate a whole slew of questions on mechanical issues.
My car took over 3 months to sell. Maybe I could have been more patient, but that's not my nature. I build and sell new homes for a living. Not many guys in that game any more, but we still do over 40 homes a year. Even at the top of the market I always felt it was best to take an offer you can live with, make a deal, and never look back. It's why I'm still in business today and the vast majority of my competition is long gone.
Nsxtasy has been trying forever to move his car. Many here consider it the cream of the crop, despite an engine replacement, and 5 years on a timing belt and such. It's not selling for one simple reason. It's worth $25-26K and he's at 30.
It goes to show you, you can ask whatever you want, but it's only worth what the market will bear.
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Where do you sell new homes? I'd like to come and buy 
I need 6500 sq ft on 1.5 acres and am willing to go *maybe* as high as $400k if the place is NEW and in a great area :tongue:
In all seriousness, I do know what you're saying, but then this is why its really unfortunate to be in a position to *need* to have to sell - whether this need is coming from misfortune or impulsiveness.
3 mths is *nothing* when selling a car like this in even the best market.
I have friends with very similar stories selling watches. SAME watch, very similar condition. One friend came away with a story of how Rolex value has plummeted, economy, blah blah because he desperately needed to unload the thing and sold for $2500. Other friend just finally unloaded the *same watch* for $3800 because he didnt give a shit if it sold or not and waited for a serious buyer to come along.
Sorry, but low ballers dont define a market. Low baller simply match up with people who are desperate to sell *no matter what the economy looks like* Consider my example above. There are going to be people *all day long* willing to pay $200k for a million dollar home. Does that mean the million dollar home is now $200k? If so, sign me up... Ill take 2
I need 6500 sq ft on 1.5 acres and am willing to go *maybe* as high as $400k if the place is NEW and in a great area :tongue:
In all seriousness, I do know what you're saying, but then this is why its really unfortunate to be in a position to *need* to have to sell - whether this need is coming from misfortune or impulsiveness.
3 mths is *nothing* when selling a car like this in even the best market.
I have friends with very similar stories selling watches. SAME watch, very similar condition. One friend came away with a story of how Rolex value has plummeted, economy, blah blah because he desperately needed to unload the thing and sold for $2500. Other friend just finally unloaded the *same watch* for $3800 because he didnt give a shit if it sold or not and waited for a serious buyer to come along.
Sorry, but low ballers dont define a market. Low baller simply match up with people who are desperate to sell *no matter what the economy looks like* Consider my example above. There are going to be people *all day long* willing to pay $200k for a million dollar home. Does that mean the million dollar home is now $200k? If so, sign me up... Ill take 2
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I agree completely.
If you've been trying to sell a car for a year or more, you're not in the market. Many are holding out hoping for a rebound in NSX prices but given recent economic news, it sounds like prices are going to sag before (or if) they rise again. You can dream all you want about what it should be worth but it's only worth what someone is willing to pay.
Cheers,
Ian
Dream is good, especially if you can keep the dream going. It is correct to say that it worths whatever someone is willing to pay. The other side of the coin is also true though in that it is worth whatever someone is willing to sell it for. I would rather sit on it until the price is at what I am willing to sell, and dreaming about it all the way along. Hey, sitting on a NSX dreaming is rather soothing, don't you think?
Interesting thread. I watched the prices for over a year and finally had to jump in because it was not getting any cheaper and I really wanted to enjoy an NSX. When you talk about a limited production, high quality and rare auto you already are working with a limited few that can appreciate and understand the value. Top that with a car that can be 20 years old it means you have to have cash to play.
It is amazing that the NSX has held its value and you could likely drive a car for a year or more and then turn around and sell it for what you paid for it (minus the upkeep and taxes). There are several cars that I grew up loving that fit this category, I just picked up a Land Rover D90 this week and paid more than it was new due to the condition and mileage. Limited production and cult following. Let's hope I get out of this one unscaved too!
It is amazing that the NSX has held its value and you could likely drive a car for a year or more and then turn around and sell it for what you paid for it (minus the upkeep and taxes). There are several cars that I grew up loving that fit this category, I just picked up a Land Rover D90 this week and paid more than it was new due to the condition and mileage. Limited production and cult following. Let's hope I get out of this one unscaved too!
Congrats on the defender! Shoot me a pm with the details.
Don't take this personally, but you didn't market and sell your car right. Perhaps you also had dry luck. Your car was worth $28,000 give or take given the description you gave. I would have paid $27.5K for it if I was in the market for one at the right time. Of course I would like to feel like I accomplished something so I would have wanted to negotiate a grand off. So set your price high and leave a best offer option.
Very good pictures help and choosing your market is key. I also told them to email me with a phone number or I would not respond. It worked like a charm. Everyone listed a number that responded and I could root out the tire kickers that only listed their work number or was trying to keep it email based.
I sold my last 95 with 39K miles for $34,000 when all was said and done. I had it listed for $35K, on craigslist! I could have gotten more (closer to $39K) if my NSX did not have accident/paintwork history and if I still retained the stock wheels. It took me about one month to sell. I sold the stock wheels earlier for $1300 or so, so I guess you could say $35300 was my final outcome for my 95. I never even once bothered to list it on Prime, Autotrader or Cars.com because informed buyers are picky and cheap/frugal.
I had a lot of email shoppers and buyers beating me up on the history and price. I made sure to provide everything they asked for in the updated CL posting, but it made no difference. I had only one person show up to view the NSX and he bought the next day. Emotionally fueled first time NSX buyer, and he was knocking at 50 years old. They do exist. How many of those do you think exist on Prime? Think outside the box.
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Where do you sell new homes? I'd like to come and buy
I need 6500 sq ft on 1.5 acres and am willing to go *maybe* as high as $400k if the place is NEW and in a great area :tongue:
In all seriousness, I do know what you're saying, but then this is why its really unfortunate to be in a position to *need* to have to sell - whether this need is coming from misfortune or impulsiveness.
3 mths is *nothing* when selling a car like this in even the best market.
I have friends with very similar stories selling watches. SAME watch, very similar condition. One friend came away with a story of how Rolex value has plummeted, economy, blah blah because he desperately needed to unload the thing and sold for $2500. Other friend just finally unloaded the *same watch* for $3800 because he didnt give a shit if it sold or not and waited for a serious buyer to come along.
Sorry, but low ballers dont define a market. Low baller simply match up with people who are desperate to sell *no matter what the economy looks like* Consider my example above. There are going to be people *all day long* willing to pay $200k for a million dollar home. Does that mean the million dollar home is now $200k? If so, sign me up... Ill take 2
Heh, I may have oversimplified things, but at least in my world, turning over a product at a price I can live with and moving on is better than waiting for a few extra bucks that might never come. As the market was climbing, there were many times I said "I could have gotten more for that house" but to me, it's another one off the books, and opens up another opportunity going forward. One thing I can say is that I have made a name selling a quality product at a fair price, and I can't begin to tell you how much business that has brought me even in bad times.
With my NSX, I did feel I could get more if I waited. But how much more? $1K? There were too many good NA2's coming on the market and selling to sit on the sidelines and let another pass up being stuck in my old car. That was a motivator too. The wife would kill me if I had 2 NSX's.
BTW, I will PM you now about those hoods. I never got back to you.
I don't take it personally. No worries. I only listed on Prime. I had at least 20 inquiries. Half of them came to see the car. Some drove hundreds of miles. What can I say? The buyers that looked at mine were looking at other cars on Prime as well. I know what a lot of comparable cars SOLD for, (because I stayed in contact with the other sellers) and it was in that $25-26K range regardless of asking. All of them were early cars, and all of them had 60-90K miles. Maybe I sold it too cheap, but I can live with the deal, and it let me buy my dream NSX. So, I'm happy.
This is an excellent point. Some people seem to think I am crazy when I say the real market for a 91 with under 90K miles is the $25-26K range, but I have talked to all sorts of owners who were buying similar cars for 27-29K over 6 YEARS ago. Why is that so unrealistic? What other car could you have paid $28K for in 2005 and sold today for $26K after enjoying it for 6 years?
I have been watching prices for at least 4 months now as I get ready to buy after the 1st of the year. By then I should have a very good guide on the prices. But I have seen prices all over the place for cars with high miles and no records. I also feel that there a goup of owners who over price thier car no matter what. I sold my Elise in days by selling it just $250 cheeper than the norm. But there were guys who wanted $5k more than my car with more miles and less options. I think that some of the over priced cars no matter what the car have over paid when they bought it and are trying to get thier money back and they just don't know the market or seem to care. Or think hell this is a Ferrari, Porsche so it is worth alot of money. Sooner or later they will come down if they want to sell.
Generally true, but NSX is a bit different. Supply is finite. There is no competition from newer cars. Lotus is still cranking out tons and tons of cars and each new one is clearly better leaving the old one screwed. None of them have particularly noteworthy status either. It is similar to the Audi R8 8cyl jobs or even the GTR 08-09. Newer, better, models decimate the value of the old ones and there is nothing to make the old one stand out. Time and history have *already tested* the NSX and found it *very significant*. Thats why we're even having this discussion *at all* about a car that was designed in 1989, survived unchanged until 2005 and has been out of production for 6 years. If it didnt have a unique history, lets be honest here... There wouldnt be people hand wringing over not being able to steal one in a fire sale.
For me, if I decided to sell, if I wasnt seeing what I wanted price wise, I would just decide not to sell.
There aren't a lot of NSXs and the bulk of the ones that are in the hands of folks who would either need to turn them over quickly b/c of lack of funds, or want to get in cheap and then just get back out, are all the 91-92s. This is also where the *most* supply happens to be.
Even given that dynamic, the 91-92 pricing hasnt changed all that much over the past 7 years or so and that is through a near catastrophic double dip recession.
I know most everyone wants a monster deal buying and then wants to turn around and sell at TOP dollar (despite the hypocrisy of this), but the NSX *does* have somewhat unique market dynamics that make it not completely analogous to most other cars.
There were fewer than 9000 NSXs sent to NA. How many are still on the road? And the vast majority of those are 91-92 and are red or black. Literally >4000 cars, or about HALF of TOTAL production, all colors, all years 91-05, were red or black and made in the first 2 years. Once you start talking about an NA2, facelift car or non-red/black car, the #s are insanely small. All it takes is more than 1 buyer with some cash and a constrained product that is a pure luxury (most people dont buy an NSX to be a taxi or a station car - its a high priced toy) and pricing gets immediately impacted.
Porsche makes more 911s every year (and has been for 40 years) than there are total NSXs, but within Porsche history, there are similar cases to the NSX. The 993 is an example. I'd like to get a 993 Turbo for the price of a 2002 996 Turbo but it aint going to happen no matter what the economy is doing because there are enough enthusiasts that *want* the 993 and *dont want* the 996. Same story with the Supra. An unmolested Supra is worth *more* than an NSX. How do normal market assumptions explain that? With a classic car, the market is very non-deterministic.
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That is a helluva good reply there. The future owners will either wait a long time to save a little cash for a car that may cost them more in maintenance or end up conceding and buying a good example for a bit more. If you are looking at an NSX in the first place no other car in this price range will compare, hence the strong resale value when all variables are considered.
Well said, mlambert890. Couldn't agree more.
I agree about the set amount of cars but there is a set amount owners or want to be owners. I think the same owner/car supply that was there in 1991 is still there today. Remember Honda lowered the price to move cars. I also think that if you can not get a good price potential owners will look at something else or wait. The main problem is there are a ton of great cars on the market. Think about this; depending what you plan to use the car for 06 to 07 Porsche Caymans are in the NSX price range as are Elises, 370z, 308s and Boxsters just to start with. Not to memtion how long a new owner will want to keep the car. So people are not married to thier cars like they use to be. It just that the the ecomomic times and what is out there decide what people buy. The truth is I would look at a 308 execpt for the high service costs. For me it is price, performance and long term running cost so I choose the NSX not to mention this will might be the last sports car I get.
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There's a strange phenomenon I like to call "The vinyl record effect." Even though you would expect sales to be dead, they are stronger than ever primarily due to the expanding demographics base, which is somewhat proportionate to the population increase.
Now as the population increases, so do the automotive enthusiasts, and thus automotive enthusiasts with wealth. We will be hitting a sweet spot in the next decade or two when the younger audience had the NSX as a dream car, but now has wealth to purchase one regardless of condition with the resources to do a full ground up restoration. These will go back to auction and sell for big dollars and will drive up NSX values.
And if you don't believe me, some late 70's early 80's Camaros sell for over $30K at auction and makes you think to yourself "WTF??", just know that was someone's dream car, the only difference is now they have the wealth to purchase one at any cost.
Now as the population increases, so do the automotive enthusiasts, and thus automotive enthusiasts with wealth. We will be hitting a sweet spot in the next decade or two when the younger audience had the NSX as a dream car, but now has wealth to purchase one regardless of condition with the resources to do a full ground up restoration. These will go back to auction and sell for big dollars and will drive up NSX values.
And if you don't believe me, some late 70's early 80's Camaros sell for over $30K at auction and makes you think to yourself "WTF??", just know that was someone's dream car, the only difference is now they have the wealth to purchase one at any cost.
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"The main problem is there are a ton of great cars on the market. Think about this; depending what you plan to use the car for 06 to 07 Porsche Caymans are in the NSX price range as are Elises, 370z, 308s and Boxsters just to start with"
That was never a problem for me and i dont think most people who purchase an NSX do so because there isnt much else on the market. Could i have placed the same 40,000 cash on another car as a downpayment and walked away with a "great car"...SURE I COULD HAVE!!!...however i bought the NSX because i have alwasy wanted one and it was a dream that needed to be fulfilled...as someone else previously stated -most NSX owners could easily purchase other fine cars out there if they wanted...BUT THEY DIDNT...they chose to drive an NSX.
zaid
