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$58 for a used stove knob on eBay ... unbelieveable!!!
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82WestyMan
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 02, 2007 4:04 pm    Post subject: $58 for a used stove knob on eBay ... unbelieveable!!! Reply with quote

Now I've seen everything...
How about one used stove knob on eBay with a starting bid of $58.00!!!

... it's the funniest thing i've read in week ...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/VW-VANAGON-WESTFALI...dZViewItem
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vwlovr
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 02, 2007 4:10 pm    Post subject: Re: $58 for a used stove knob on eBay ... unbelieveable!!! Reply with quote

that's adjusted for the price of their syncro westy
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candyman
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 02, 2007 4:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

well,
atleast the shipping price is reasonable
Shocked Shocked Shocked Shocked Shocked Shocked Shocked Shocked
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RCB
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 02, 2007 5:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Its an original, so its OK Exclamation Exclamation Do I hear $59.00 Question
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Lanval
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 02, 2007 8:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

No joke ~ if that sells I'm pulling both of mine, and selling them so I can buy a new EGR. Mine broke, and they're on sale at Bus Depot for $117. Very Happy

Of course mine are earlier, so they're worth less money Evil or Very Mad

Lanval
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camo westy
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 02, 2007 8:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for alerting us!
I am going to corner the market, and buy both. Maybe some rock star with a Westy will loose his knob and I can double my money.

Wahooo --I'll be rich!!!
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Terry Kay
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 02, 2007 10:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The key issue here is the availablity of them stove knobs.

Thet are NLA from VW, and only if someone is going to reproduce them, they are not going to be any more available.

I can't count how many folks have ask me if I have any--

50 bucks is a little exorbitant, but when in Rome---

Is there any aftermarket stove knobs for the campmobile available anywhere?


I sure haven't seen any.
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Terry Kay
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 02, 2007 10:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I thought I might add this as far as the avaiability of parts thing goes.

Wednesday The local VW dealer called me and wanted to know if I had any sliding door rear roller assemblies.

I said I did, and they wanted to know how many.

It seems that they are NLA also--
or there is none in the country anyway, and they needed both of mine if they were in good shape.

I asked what they retail for--and wait till ya hear this--

"The arm, bolt on hinge plate, and the roller's list as an assembly for $523.70."

I asked them what they were worth to them--they said "How bout $225.00 each?"

Huh.

They were outa the Vans, lubed up and delivered this evening after work.

They were very happy, their customer's were happy , and I was happy.

What I'm leading up to here is, it's the old story of supply and demand.

While 50 bucks for that stove knob may seem crazy--what if there is no more available?
And somebody need's / want's one and wants their Van to be correct
& stock?

Whats it worth?

Whatever traffic will bear.

And what your going to be finding out is, as these crazy Vanagons become older--parts are going to be limited in availability and at a premium price.

Wait and see---

The darn things are going to be worth $75,000 for a used plain Jane, just because of what it's going to take to keep them running and in one piece.
( And I'm just drawing a picture here, they only may be worth $69,999.99)

Supply and demand, plain and simple.

The guy at E-bay might be a tad too rich on that stove knob, but if they ain't around no more to be had--somebody just might wind up buying it.
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Last edited by Terry Kay on Sat Nov 03, 2007 4:31 am; edited 1 time in total
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Lanval
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PostPosted: Sat Nov 03, 2007 12:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Your not wrong there TK ~ though I still think that $58 is a bit high for that piece. But when I go to the JY there are a number of parts I pull automatically, 'cause you can't find 'em or they're expensive. I have 2-3 extra of those little plastic pieces that hold the glove box. Where you gonna find 'em? No one will make them, there's not enough money in it...

Recently I noticed my rubber boot for the fresh air intake was torn. Replaced with one out of a junker, but bottom line, the price on those is going up until someone can make more, or figure out a decent replacement.

I do a pretty good side biz on Volvo stuff ~ we got lots here in So Cal where cars last forever. I sell to guys back east, who can't find this stuff, 'cause it ain't made anymore, and any car carrying it rusted to death 10 yrs ago in the salt lands of the east.

Save yer parts.

Best,

Lanval
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r39o
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PostPosted: Sat Nov 03, 2007 12:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This is a very familiar set of circumstances. There are many vans on the road and they need to be maintained. Dealer parts are drying up. So used parts go up in cost because of demand. Once the demand gets high enough a replacement part will come to market. Then the prices will stabilize. Hopefully the replacement is as good as an original.

Some parts may never become available again. This tends to be the case with mechanical parts. Various items will simply have to be sourced in another manner. That is a reason for using a newer after-market engine. The smallish tires the vans use will cease to be made someday too.

It is the price you pay for trying to keep a vintage vehicle on the road. We with Vanagons have it still cheap. Be happy you can get what you need. You will really be unhappy if you have to start making parts.
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Lanval
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PostPosted: Sat Nov 03, 2007 12:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I suspect we're going to be OK on tires for a while, though they'll be somewhat harder to get. Less so for us on the West Coast. The reality is that 1/4 of the world's population lives in China, and they use the smaller trucks for logistical reasons. I doubt they're going to get away from that anytime soon. Course, quality is another issue. Michelin they ain't. But that damn fresh air boot scares me. They only last so long...
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RCWesty
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PostPosted: Sat Nov 03, 2007 2:10 pm    Post subject: ?? Reply with quote

Yup, this looks like someone taking advantage of these knobs not be available.

Funny story,
I've been searching JY for a set of these stove knobs and found, by trial and error a set that works from a chevy truck (don't remember the yr). Not the right color but they work. Over time, westy owners will have to deviate from original interiors for the reasons discussed above. Over time, there will be less out there that are original.

now to the funny story.. My wife won the bidding war (ebay) for one stove knob yesterday for 53 bucks. A bit high since the starting bid was 25.00. But as folks said before, they are in demand and sure enough there were 3 other guys out there in the last seconds trying to out bid.

whether its a stove knob, new wheels or a suby conversion. These things are expensive and folks will pay to have their westy's looking good, original, or boost their horsepower by 5 percent.

Considering what a decent night of beer drinking at a pub costs, 50 bucks for a knob doesn't seem that high.

I am trying to convince a friend who makes glass beads to make a set for the westy stove and sell them on the Samba. I doubt that she will gouge like these snakes on ebay and they will sure add a sense of art back into these love wagons.
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kevinbassplayer
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PostPosted: Sat Nov 03, 2007 2:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've been looking for the last 2 years for a single knob to replace my broken one but no way am I about to shell out $50!
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70coupyel
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PostPosted: Sat Nov 03, 2007 2:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Maybe we should start a sticky with the NLA parts on it?? What do you think?

Glenn
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pdunn13445
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PostPosted: Sat Nov 03, 2007 3:07 pm    Post subject: What a racket... Reply with quote

Why would I want stocks, commodities, or bonds when I might be able to corner the World market in Westy stove knobs? You might try Painter's Grinding in Denver as they usually have some Vanagon/Westy bodies on their way to the salvage yard, and they will not rob you. Then there is the time I wiped out the Westy roof skylite. VW was $400+ and Delta was $100.
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Karl
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PostPosted: Sat Nov 03, 2007 11:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The reason for the $58 price has to be because it is the going rate. On 11/2 one sold for $52.05, bid up by 4 bidders.

The link posted above shows that it was bought by antipodeantraveler.

If you look at the bid history of the $52.05 knob, he was the 2nd highest bidder but lost out by a buck.

What is really strange: the person that bid $35 is the seller of the $58 knob!!

Here is the $52.05 knob: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/VW-Vanagon-Westfali...enameZWDVW

I have 6 or 8 of them..... time for ebarf!
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82WestyMan
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 04, 2007 4:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

You know, I think "70coupyel" has the genesis of a great idea for this forum... though I'd like to added to it...

I suspect most all of us have knowledge or access to a salvage yard that has a Vanagon or two. I know I do. Now I don't need everything I see there, and I get lucky once in awhile and find what I'm looking for.

I keep thinking there are things on the Vanagons I have access to that other can't find on the one's near them...

Perhaps the thread we should start is a "Forum Member's Hard to Find / NLA" part list and work as a group for our collective benefit. If I remember correctly, I know where a couple of stove knobs are and I know for a fact, they wouldn't cost me anything like $58 a piece (which is my definition of 'Highway Robbery' and to hell with the laws of 'Supply & Demand')... and I'm certainly not going to put them up on eBay for $50 a piece and screw a fellow Vanagon owner just because all they needed was lousy knob for their stove!

I've been working for a year and half restoring an 82 Westy. Now some stuff you can get over the counter or online, many times I won a eBay auction and eBay is still a very good asset, but we all know there are things your FLAPS will just laugh at you for asking for and it's once in a blue moon when it happens to go by on eBay. Then I've had to resort to the salvage yard 'crawl' hope I get lucky.

I wonder if the TheSamba 'owner/moderator' could create a special thread/post, perhaps one with a matrix / table that all could edit (so we didn't end up hundreds of single entries) with columns for who's looking for what and who's got access to what. Recently I needed an Aux Air Regulator, not something that usually goes bad but mine was. I got lucky and found one in my local salvage yard and it fixed my problem. I got an email from someone who said they've been looking for one for a year with no luck. Next time I'm back in my local salvage yard, I'm going to see if I can find another, and if I do, he's going to get it.

We all love our Vanagons but lets be serious. My 82 Westy is a quarter of century old and not exactly the most popular of all the models being both an air cool and the camper option. This problem of finding 'non-wear' parts is only going to get worse, not better and I don't like the option of being at the mercy of unscrupulous retailers, waiting for someone to finally getting around to reproducing something or eBay sellers so maybe we should work as a group for the groups benefit. We already do by helping each other with problems and fixes that the Bentley might not address 100%. Why not use the same collective to help each other find those parts we dread having to replace when the day comes.

So what does the group think?….
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Terry Kay
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 04, 2007 8:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

<<they wouldn't cost me anything like $58 a piece ([i]which is my definition of 'Highway Robbery' and to hell with the laws of 'Supply & Demand'>>

Huh.

I guess somebody else thought different, and needed it worse than you.
Perhaps the winning bidder was a bit less frugal anyway.

The bidding din't open at that auction for $50 bucks--it was bid up to that because of the non-availablity of the item, and somebody wanted it NOW.


Some folks won't buy new parts from VW either.
The mattress stays zipped up and they look to on line vendor's for a lower prices & many time's a lower quality part.

And they are happy with this.

For me I would have found an NOS auxiallry air regulator sitting new on somebodies shelf for my vehicle.
They are out there, and the fun is in the find.
If it cost twice as much I have the comfort of knowing I'm running on all 4 and depending on new engine management item's to get me where I'm going--and back.

I personally don't use or depend on used engine operational parts--and I think that is a real bad idea, and a waste of time.
Your's failed, what make's you think that the junk yard regulator isn't already bad, or going to fail in a short period of time?

If this fits your bill go for it---but depending on a used engine part is like playing Russian Roulette.

The supply and demand thing is all over the place, and you abide by that rule every day.

Your buying $3.25 gas aren't you?

I'd like to see you tell the gas dealer the hell with him and his rip off prices--

You ought to start a list of low buck gasoline distribtor's --nationwide-- along with the VW NLA used parts list.

I'm still laughing at this one--

Don't bum rap the thought of somebody finally locating the part he needed, and paying what he wanted to pay for it.

His mission is over--he's satisfied & done.

Your still looking and have nothing.

It's called gratification.
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gears
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 04, 2007 8:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well ... I need one .. both a knob & valve. If you've got a grey one, please contact me P-mail.
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brando90gl
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 04, 2007 9:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well a new part is only a new part while it is sitting on the shelf.

Recycling these "golden" parts is certainly a good thing so we don't drive up the demand, then those of us who aren't price gauging sellsmen, won't have to empty our wallets to the wasteful.

82 Westyman, you sound like a chap that all of us should befriend! And, what a great idea for somesort of parts coalition that we could all benefit from!!!

RECYCLE.
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