How to sell a '61 Bambi

[bakersnchefs]

I'm very new to the airstream world and have been "recruited" to help my mother-in-law sell a dearly beloved 61 bambi.

its in great shape, interior (i assume) is about 90% original. not sure about working condition of appliances yet, that is next on my list.

i am gearing up to post an ad on the classifieds but would GREATLY appreciate guidance. what kind of pictures will be most helpful to a potential buyer? any thoughts on value? i have some idea but not solid.

also we are in a remote location, is it likely someone would travel to buy this? i know they are rare....

thank you in advance for any help you can give

[wkerfoot]

You might contact the Denver Colorado unit, Four Corners unit, Arizona unit and New Mexico unit of WBCCI about placing an ad in their newsletter. Someone in those units may be interested in your Bambi.

Bill

Originally Posted by bakersnchefs

I'm very new to the airstream world and have been "recruited" to help my mother-in-law sell a dearly beloved 61 bambi.

its in great shape, interior (i assume) is about 90% original. not sure about working condition of appliances yet, that is next on my list.

i am gearing up to post an ad on the classifieds but would GREATLY appreciate guidance. what kind of pictures will be most helpful to a potential buyer? any thoughts on value? i have some idea but not solid.

also we are in a remote location, is it likely someone would travel to buy this? i know they are rare....

thank you in advance for any help you can give

[DKB_SATX]

People will definitely travel to look at a legitimate Bambi for sale, don't worry too much about that.

Take good, clear pictures showing all the "corners" and sides of the trailer, and be careful to show the upper end caps and the area where the skin wraps under the trailer. If you can get a good shot of it, I like to see photos of the underside as well if I'm evaluating a trailer, but you should put that photo low in the list or perhaps in a gallery you link to, rather than as one of the most prominent photos.

The challenge with photographing the interior of a small trailer is getting a wide-enough angle. Show the condition of the cabinetry, appliances and plumbing, any nice period options like a gas light that may be present, etc. Take a close-up picture of the Zolatone coating on the interior walls if it looks good, and take close-up detail shots of areas that are in either particularly good or bad condition. Do NOT be afraid to offer an honest assessment of any problems the trailer has, that helps you weed out unserious potential buyers. No one who knows what they're doing expects an unrestored '60s trailer to be perfect. A buyer who finds the trailer to be honestly described is likely to feel better about buying from you.

As far as pricing, this link has lots of useful information, and geeks like me use it to evaluate trailers that are for sale. It helped me dodge a bullet, and helped convince me that the trailer I eventually bought was well worth the price, and after owning and camping in that trailer I'm still happy with the purchase, so I think it's good pricing info.

Best of luck! If you don't know it already, Bambi's sell pretty well. Write a good listing with lots of photos, price it well and it'll sell easily.

[85MH325]

I had a '61 Bambi in the late '90s for about three years here in Iowa. I sold it to a lady who came from the Seattle area to pick it up. A Bambi in good, original useable condition can sell for upwards of $20k (or at least could have a couple of years ago... you'll have to research current values). Basically, decide what you want for it and stick to your guns if it's in the condition you describe. There aren't many left like that any more. There were only 947 of them built in the two plants (if memory serves correctly) and fewer than 500 survive today. They're one of the most desireable vintage trailers out there.

I found a couple passing through here the other day who had just bought a '57 Bubble, the non-self contained version of the Bambi. It had been stored in a barn for over thirty years, had no windows and needed a full restoration. They paid $4500 for it and were taking it to Ohio.

As DKB_SATX said, good photos (and lots of them) will sell the trailer online. If you don't have equipment to do the trailer justice in the photos, hire a photographer that does. It will be money well spent.

Be brutally honest about the condition of everything. Having the trailer road-ready (good axle, brakes, tires, and lights that work with a modern 7 pin connector) will increase the size of the buying pool as many folks who would otherwise be interested in a vintage Bambi aren't interested in making it tow-able or trailering it on a flatbed. It'll sell without being "road-able", but it's likely to sell more quickly and for the asking price if it can be used immediately.

I'd love to make you a low-ball offer and come right out and pick your Bambi up, but you have a rare commodity, and I couldn't short you on it.

Last, advertise it here and on Craigslist. Put the thirty or so photos you ought to have up on Flickr or another photo site and link to them so your potential buyers have a really good idea of what it is that you're selling. Trust me... if all you give are GPS coordinates, they'll find you with cash in hand no matter where you are.

Here, BTW, is a link to the photos of the Bambi I used to have:

Bambi 16 Airstream 1961 - a set on Flickr

You can look at some of my other albums for trailers I've bought and sold, or bought and had for several years and then sold to get an idea of how to showcase your Bambi:

Airstreams

Fiberglass RVs

Most of these sold within a week of my listing them for sale. I don't think I had any of them listed for sale over thirty days before they sold, and for the most part, at my asking price.

Good luck!

Roger

[missyc]

I am looking for my birth year Bambi 1961
Still available?

[wasagachris]

I've heard they are asking $15K for it.

[85MH325]

It looks like it's listed on Craigslist... $19k

Airstream '61 Bambi

[bakersnchefs]

Thank you all for your help! ive got the pictures and am about to put up a listing in the classifieds. you're right that is it on craigslist (not sure who she had post that lol)

My mother in law has asked me to post it at 18,500. I have read the article DKB suggested, and I'm wondering is that too high?

[wasagachris]

Originally Posted by bakersnchefs

Thank you all for your help! ive got the pictures and am about to put up a listing in the classifieds. you're right that is it on craigslist (not sure who she had post that lol)

My mother in law has asked me to post it at 18,500. I have read the article DKB suggested, and I'm wondering is that too high?

You think? That price range would be for a restored trailer not for an as found trailer. But who knows you might get somebody willing to pay that price. You know what they say there's one born every minute.

[PA BAMBI II]

Originally Posted by bakersnchefs

My mother in law has asked me to post it at 18,500. I have read the article DKB suggested, and I'm wondering is that too high?

I love Bambis as much as the next person (and everyone loves them, no matter what they say!!), but it amazes me what people who have them for sale list them for.

Their claim to fame is being "the smallest fully self-contained Airstream." That is a big selling point. Like the one Airstream book mentions, these little trailers are the exception to the American rule that those things that are bigger are more expensive. These little AS trailers always demand a high price, but I think $18500 is out of the ball park. Way out.

[85MH325]

Originally Posted by bakersnchefs

Thank you all for your help! ive got the pictures and am about to put up a listing in the classifieds. you're right that is it on craigslist (not sure who she had post that lol)

My mother in law has asked me to post it at 18,500. I have read the article DKB suggested, and I'm wondering is that too high?

That depends on how quickly you want to sell it. You have a rare and in-demand trailer. Ask what you want, you can always drop the price and/or negotiate. If you want a quicker sale, price it at the lower end.