TheSamba.com :: View topic

Wed Apr 19, 2006 5:35 am

After seeing the latest big top for sale, its good to know the price they are (potentially) fetching for those of us lucky enough to own one.
I've seen S042's fetch that kind of money on their own before!

But how rare are they, and can they really justify this kind of money?
Realistically - most of them are well past their sell-by date, and i don't even know how mine will stand up to our wonderfully rainy summers - i'll probably need to take a few buckets with me!!

There was only one other tent that i know about in the U.K. and i don't even know if the guy still owns that, so i can safetly say that they are very slim on the ground over here, but i wonder how many are left out there?

I know it is another question that we'll never get the answer to, but what do you S042 boys think?

Cheers - Martin

Wed Apr 19, 2006 6:49 am

There is a BIG difference between what someone asks for an item and what it actually would sell for. I would say going rate for a Big Top is $1000-$1500

I know of two people, both locally to myself one in Toledo and one in Detroit who were each in need of Big Top tents. Both people ran a Wanted Ad here in the Samba on two seperate occasions. Both of them had several offers of tents for sale and both wound up purchasing tents, in mint or near to condition at around $1000. That is a far cry from $3500 .

Wed Apr 19, 2006 7:33 am

$3500 asking price is retarded.

Wed Apr 19, 2006 7:39 am

I threw one away once.

It did have moldy holes in it. It could have been patched, I guess.

Wed Apr 19, 2006 8:10 am

I don't like them because they look like hippie/gypsy tents with those crazy color combonations. Hippies should never be invovled in decorating.

Wed Apr 19, 2006 9:07 am

I saw that price and flipped out a little bit too. Bear in mind that it is tax refund time and sometimes people get a little loose with their money if they have been wanting something for a long time.

I doubt we will ever know what it ultimately sells for. But I would not be surprised to see it go for $2500.

Wed Apr 19, 2006 10:17 am

10 years ago I found a Big Top which I'd hunted for since the 80's for my wife's '67 Westy. Problem was the Big Top came with a Westy and the guy wanted $2300 for the bus and tent and wouldn't separate them. He said "buy them both and sell the Westy". I was stupid and passed and to this day wish I could get that day back. The Westy was original, no dents, child's cot and a hardtop.

I still want to know if the '68 tent frame is the same as the late '65, '66, '67 Big Top frame?????

Wed Apr 19, 2006 10:24 am

Tents are an enigma.

A while back, a forum member listed one on eBay and I don't think it met his reserve, which must have been around $1500. This was maybe a year ago.

Fast forward 9 months or so, and I think the same tent sold on here almost instantly for quite a bit more, $2500 I believe. Same tent, w/i a year of each listing.

What was the difference? Timing I guess. Somebody wanted one bad and had the funds and got the tent. I've since talked to someone who now thinks that is the norm for a privy style tent, too funny.

I think the repro's will take some of the steam out of that. Many non-westy owners will be more than happy w/ a repro on their non-westy bus, and some of the demand for OG tents will be relieved. I don't think the OG ones will go down in value, but I don't think we'll see the continued upward price pressure either.

I'd be surprised if that big top tent sold for $2500, at least to anyone here in the U.S. VW's have always been the playground of cheapskates and tight asses, and no one that I know is going to pay insane top dollar price for a tent they have to spend a grip shipping back here...

The only westy tent worth that kind of money is a '56 and earlier IMO, and only a couple exist and you'll probably never see them on the open market.

Wed Apr 19, 2006 11:00 am

I got a free Baywindow driveaway tent. Opened once, with original instructions in the original VW envelope that was mailed to the original owner. I like it a lot.

Wed Apr 19, 2006 11:02 am

If someone is willing to spend 99k on a hardtop late westy, then what's 2500 for a rare tent? Plus it's flashy--the rich are often drawn to flashy things.

People are weird. You just never know what a hard to find part will go for. Timing is one thing, and the way the item is offered is another thing. I don't know that advertising a tent like that here is the way to bring top dollar. Maybe it is. Nothing to lose if he doesn't get an offer in the range he's looking for, anyway.

Wed Apr 19, 2006 11:53 am

i do hope the repo's relieve some of the demand for og tents too. i would like an og one , and would pay 1000-1500 for one in good shape. i still feel thats alot of money for a tent. i remember seeing one a year or so ago for 1500 and thought they were crazy. i bet this topic ends up in the rants.
as for the question posted earlier about the early bay tents having the same or similiar conponants as split tents, i would also like to know the answer to that one. i would say they dont but im really not 100% sure

Wed Apr 19, 2006 12:01 pm

I turned one down when I bought my westy it was only $400 but then the complete westy was only $1500! Wish now I bought it and tucked it away :roll:

Wed Apr 19, 2006 12:13 pm

That's my ol tent for sale in japan. $3500 seems steep but if someone wants one bad enough......

Wed Apr 19, 2006 1:38 pm

Hella Bro wrote: That's my ol tent for sale in japan. $3500 seems steep but if someone wants one bad enough......

Don't leave us hangin. What did you sell it for?

Wed Apr 19, 2006 2:04 pm

Chewie Baker wrote: After seeing the latest big top for sale, its good to know the price they are (potentially) fetching for those of us lucky enough to own one.
I've seen S042's fetch that kind of money on their own before!

But how rare are they, and can they really justify this kind of money?
Realistically - most of them are well past their sell-by date, and i don't even know how mine will stand up to our wonderfully rainy summers - i'll probably need to take a few buckets with me!!

There was only one other tent that i know about in the U.K. and i don't even know if the guy still owns that, so i can safetly say that they are very slim on the ground over here, but i wonder how many are left out there?

I

I know it is another question that we'll never get the answer to, but what do you S042 boys think?

Cheers - Martin

Are they the same as the SO23?? If so i know of a few guys in the Uk with them, inc the privy tent.

Wed Apr 19, 2006 4:33 pm

abeed wrote: i do hope the repo's relieve some of the demand for og tents too. i would like an og one ,

From the details on the new BBT tents I do not think the repos will affect the value of originals. Thinner material, snaps in place of tenex connectors, different poles...I think these will be great as user or beater tents or folks with non westys who just want the awning coolness factor.

I think the folks with nice original westys will be after the original tents still with the same verve. In fact I think the repops will help hold the original tent value steady. With repop poles at $250, just the the top another $250 and if you buy the sides..what another $250 for those at least... you are looking at $750 minimum for a tent that is decent...but is far from the quality or value of an original. With the repops at the price $1000-$1500 for a nice original seems cheap in comparison I would say.

Wed Apr 19, 2006 9:15 pm

big top seem go for 1500 in fair condition from the 5 I have seen in the last few years on ebay. Im not counting the "deal tents " between freinds at camping events,for thouse I have seen a few from free to 400.00.
I feell lucky to have been on the free end to super cheap a few times.

Wed Apr 19, 2006 10:33 pm

Hello Simon Hall.
This link shows the different Westy tents, So23 tent being very different to the So42:
http://www.supernet.net/~jclark/vw/splits.html

Wed Apr 19, 2006 10:40 pm

SO42 tents are the absolute best! Our's is used regularly and is without a doubt the BEST camping tent I have ever had.

And the later bay window tent frames are too wide and not deep enough. A big top tent will not work without serious modification of the bay frame. I tried it out this summer with both types of frames set up.

Here's a big top kitchen galley (no cooking inside, but tent stays dry with torrential rains:)

Here's another shot on a different camping trip with it being used as sleeping quarters for me and my son. The daughter got to sleep in the warm dry bus that night.

Thu Apr 20, 2006 7:00 pm

I bought mine last year from a Wanted Ad I placed on this website.

I have been searching for 6 years at least for one for the SO-44 Dormobile of reasonable price. My bus had the tent rail, just no tent.

I paid $950 complete with shipping and it is in mint condition. No missing pieces and og storage bags. They are still out there. Mine came from a lady whose grandmother had it stored in their attic. They found it while cleaning out her house and replied to my wanted ad.

Passed on quite a few from the west coast in the $1500 range.

Keep searching!

Gunter