TheSamba.com :: View topic

Sun Nov 03, 2002 2:51 am

I started looking at Ebay and that helped verify what parts were what when I started the hobby. It also helped me to understand who was on crack and who had a legitimate price. I saw a person swear that the budvase she had on Ebay was so very rare (she mentioned "rare almost 15 times) and came from the factory with the car and she saw similar ones going for $1500 and would not sell for less than $800. Bidders bought it for $850. The vase was ugly to begin with!
Ebay.de was a great place for parts since the Germans did not think much of them and you could get "rare" parts for extremely reasonable prices. This has changed and the prices are as bad as Ebay.com.
The Samba is the best site I've seen to get rid of your collected VW detrius. Sellers (including me) sometimes ask too much, and the trusty Samba regulars waste no time in educating you as to your madness. They also waste no time helping you find out the identity of an unusual part.
My opinion: check Ebay for what is supposedly rare or hard to find, and compare with it's corresponding price here on the Samba. Or ask people on the Samba, they are always helpful.
Note: I do flip parts myself, but only so I can buy a new interior for my 50 deluxe! $1300 bucks complete!

Sun Nov 03, 2002 4:24 am

Reasonably priced is rare anywhere anymore. It is funny that prices flow like the waves at the beach.... hi tide then low tide. Selling your unwanted parts for a fair price is cool but when the dealers cut good buses and cars up to sell the parts to make a few more of those Frankys because they are so figgin inpatient (well it was up for sale as a complete vehicle for a whole week and nobody called so chop chop) it should be a crime punishable by law. Granted it is theirs to do as they please but they have no idea what the long term effects of their greed will be. Someday I hope they all buy the car of their dreams only to be raped by the same type of people they are because of what they have done to our beloved VW hobby. It amazes me the reaction of people in the VW world when I give them a part and tell them take it and merry Christmas. If I totaled up what I have given away (and I have been into VW's for way over 20 years and ain't no way I could even start to remember all of it) I would probably faint at today's rip off pricing. But I will tell you one thing that does come from it is making someone real happy. You feel good that you helped someone in need. Now I know the dealers are scratching their head about now thinking holy shit he could give it to me then I could make a huge profit. That guy must be out of his mind.... Free? The only time that is in a dealers mind or vocabulary is if it were coming to him. It would probably kill them to give someone a $100.00 part for free. What ever happened to give and get? That used to be common place in the VW circles. Nothing wrong with making a few bucks (don't get me wrong) but the fleecings that the dealers are doing are ridiculous. They are cannibalizing the very life out of our air cooled VW's and so many support them. I just love the one about cutting up a bus to save others. What a crock of crap! They cut them up to line their friggin pockets and to fleece people out of their money. There are allot of repro and custom fabbed parts available for rustoration that good buses don't have to be cut up as donors. And your gonna pay just as much either way but one way you are driving up the prices. The law of supply and demand takes over. At the rate this is going in 10 years you won't be able to buy a swiss cheese machine for under 20 grand. So people quit being so friggin AR about OG sheetmetal to fix your rust. If done right by a good body man that specializes in our VW's who gives a shit if it is repro or OG? Once the paint is on it, you (or most anyone else) will not be able to tell the difference. Is it OG or repro? Only your body man knows for sure. I admit I have cut up a few in my time but they were way beyond repair (accident victims). I have always thought that we are trying to preserve VWÆs from the depths of hell? Oops that must be old school thinking. What could I have been thinking? Hey if what I have said here upsets some well thatÆs a good thing. Hopefully it will maybe save a bus or two for the future. It sure would be nice to see some of the old school thinking that made this hobby what is was come back into play in the years ahead and get it back to where it should be. And if you got a bitch about the above my e mail address is right up top(no bitching it was too long....lol). Keep happy and stay safe.