I've seen a couple like this on Ebay sell for +$5000.00. None of those was as old as yours. You have a very desirable trailer and it will sell very well on Ebay.
Custom shops love these. They will fully restore and customize it and resell it for +$40,000.00. List it and see what it will bring.
A few tips:
Set your start price at $1000.00 with no reserve.
Set your auction to end Sunday night at 7:00 pm CST
Use lots of good quality pictures.
Be sure you have a clear title and show all paper work and documents you might have.
Include a phone number in your ad.
Exclude any forgiegn bidders, just too much trouble.
Thank you, everyone, for the many replies. This is a GREAT forum! What response. I'll take everything into consideration as I think about what to do with this Airstream.
Okay once again, I am the guy pissing on the campfire....
Have any of you zealots (not including you Kip, you did point out the obvious, just more subtle than I am about to)looked at those photos? 80% of the panels are dented and severly damaged. The only good panels are the ones needing very little machining to reproduce. I LOVE OLD TRAILERS but would not give you $200 for that. It has a pipe frame that is inherently weak and on top of it all it lives in the dark damp woods. Sorry brother but these folks are giving you bad advice as to value and if I were you, I would unload it on one of these guys getting all excited here. Maybe I am just a jerk, but that trailer is a beyond basket case. You are looking at $45K in body work alone, new frame for sure, new floor, some windows. If a client brought that to me and said restore it, I would ask for for a 1/3 deposit of $30,000.
Sorry folks, you are not being honest with the man.
This trailer reminds me of the VW beetle that I had in college. My father said that it looked like a sack of walnuts covered in white paint. Of course this AS isn't painted, but it does look like a sack of walnuts.
Thanks for the honesty guys.. I love it. And the reference to a VW Beetle, priceless (a '68 Beetle was my first car and was indeed a basket of walnuts).
In the event that a restoration were done, would every panel be taken off, one by one, replaced with new aluminum, then riveted all back together again?
That is exactly what happens. The fortunate thing is that each panel starts flat and the shape of one edge to the other is what makes it 3-d. That is a lot of square footage of 2024 aluminum.
Sorry I was so abrupt. I was taught to speak my mind and to state what I think.
Frank, I think I know where you are coming from, but consider this please. If you did not rely on the income from this to live on, and you really loved the thing for it's rarity and cool-factor, and your labor was just another way to enjoy your spare time, would you give the same answer?
Anyone who looks at this as a income producing activity is going to walk away from this Airstream, if they know anything about it at all.
Most here are not in that boat. As a hobby-trailer it has much more value, especially to someone who has the time and ability to bring it to completion.
I would not be suprised if it brought a decent price as is. I have seen stranger things happen on E-bay and Craigslist over and over.
I used to know an old-school used car salesman who was fond of saying "there's an ass for every drivers seat".
No dishonesty here that I can find, just differing opinions.
Rich
I would not be suprised if it brought a decent price as is. I have seen stranger things happen on E-bay and Craigslist over and over.
I agree. Small airstreams are very desirable, and even in it's dinged up condition, that would make a nice project for someone. I think if I saw that parked by the road side with a $1000 sale price I would have to bring it home. Even with all those dents it's just too small and cool to pass up. I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks that way.
If you're rebuilding it for a profit, you'd keep looking, but most people buying Airstream projects are doing it for themselves in their spare time. That little trailer is a diamond in the rough. eBay is probably the best way to find out what the masses are willing to pay.
I love that little trailer, pipe frame and all it is cool!!! But, I got a side with Frank on this one. I am curious to know how it got so beat up? I am familiar with almost all of Michigan, and while the trailer looks like it came out of Highland Park, I have never seen that many trees there.
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Dave
Operation "Save Rudy" Strike Team (charter member)
You mess with the Strike Team,... you mess with the whole trailer park!!
I guess it's all perspective. If the purpose is to buy, restore and sell and try to make some money on it, well... we've seen stranger things here on the forums as to what people have wanted to sell (dance pole included) and for what price. If you've got the time, money and skill (& really helpful friends), then you've got yourself one really nice looking, vintage Airstream when your done. And you did it.
I agree with Rich and the forums are filled with restoration projects. Some moving faster than others. Be careful you aren't biting off more than you can chew, though. Good luck!
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. Bill & Kim's Marvelous Adventure "I firmly believe that tomorrow holds the possibility for new technologies, astounding discoveries and a reprieve from my obligations".
Procrastinator's Creed AIR 9218
dragn'wagon... how did it get all of those dents, etc... well... as far as I know this Airstream sat as a hunting camp in the middle of the Upper Peninsula for the past 30 or so years. It smelled and had dead mice in the sink. I suppose a branch fell on the roof at some point, then years of 4'+ of snow on the roof finally caused it to cave in a bit. The old owner must have popped it out a few times.
Here's a shot of it when I pulled it originally pulled it out.
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