Value of a 6 meter Argosy?

[Ultradog]

Saw a Little Argosy the other day and stopped by to see if it was for sale.
Owner lives out of state but his sister let me have a look at it.
I don't think it was a Minuet - looked like it was normal width.
It is a little rough. Hadn't been moved in years, weeds growing up all around it. Was full of junk so it was a little difficult to really see the condition of the interior. Looked complete though. The exterior had been stripped to bare aluminum. Had a couple of small dents here and there and one crack in the aluminum just above the streetside tire. Nothing that couldn't have been fixed I think.
Worst thing about it was the rear end cap had been punctured on the curb side. Something had poked clean through and damaged the plastic headliner in the bathroom. Looks like it had leaked some but someone had used a lot of bondo to patch the hole. Bondo was an eyesore. As I said it was full of junk so I couldn't get in to see if the floor was shot below the puncture. Glass was good all round.
No badges or medalions on it to tell the model/serial #s. Owner probably removed them when he stripped the paint. The weeds around the trailer were too pernicious looking to want to lay down in to check the underbelly. No Awning.
Trailer looked a bit neglected and ratty over all but a good washing would help a lot.
I did get the owner's phone # and am considering him a call about it.
I believe that this size trailer is rather desireable is it not? Folks wanting to pull them with smaller more efficient TVs.
I really don't want it for myself. But being something of a bourgeois capitalist
I could see trying to make a buck off of it.
I do see that Argosys don't fetch nearly as much on Ebay as AS do.
Of course I want to low ball the owner but I don't want to chase him away either.
I know you all can't see it like I did but would anyone have a notion as to what to offer for it?
TIA
Jerry

[Janet H]

six metre minuets in good condition are selling for 6,000 plus this year. They are desirable because of their light weight. that said this one sounds like - how can i say this delicately.... the ugly stepsister?

There are a couple of ways to determine if it's a minuet or not. the quickest is to look at the bathroom furniture arrangement. A regular argosy has several inches of space between the bathroom sink cabinet and the potty. A minuet has about an inch.

The end caps are no longer available and based on the description you gave i would stay in the free to cheap price range...

[Janet H]

here are a couple of photos of the difference
first is the argosy, then the minuet - notice the difference in clearance around the toilet

[Ultradog]

Good photos.
Did they make this trailer in both the normal width and the narrow?
I Can't get that far in to the trailer to have a look at the bathroom - too much junk in there.
I could put a tape measure across from the door and will if I get further into this.
But being a carpenter and having to measure stuff every day I'm pretty sure I would have noticed it being narrower. The front looks to be the same width as my Overlander. However, those Wide corner windows could decieve a guy on the width.
Thanks

[Van]

I just sold one of these a couple months back. There is a high demand for them and they will move fast.

If you think you would really like to own one and have the time, restoring one would be your best bet, imo. They clean up really nice and are a breeze to tow and park.

[Janet H]

Originally Posted by Ultradog

Good photos.
Did they make this trailer in both the normal width and the narrow?
Thanks

OK - Here's the deal.... there are argosys and argosy minuets. The minuets are 6 inches narrower than standard argosys. argosys were the same width as other airstreams of that era.

[56 tinindian]

i just got myself a 6 metere minuet, and with all the reading i have done on forums and so forth. i think i got a good deal. i got mine for 5,200 can. it is in very livable condition, no dents, cracks or any thing busted things for that matter. pete

[Janet H]

Cool! The more minuets the merrier - but than... I might be partial

[pattyo]

You did get a good deal. We spent a tad more. Previous owner fibbed about condition (electrical, mechanical) but we are still happy to have it! We are going through the process of replacing/restoring things. Keep in touch.


peo

P.S. Janet is great!

[Ultradog]

I contacted the owner this weekend.
Asked him if it was for sale and he said "Sure, anything I have is for sale".
How much? "ohhh about $3500".
I asked him how he came about owning it and he said he bought it on Ebay about 4 years ago for $2800 thinking he would make a lunch wagon out of it.
I didn't notice when I looked inside but he said he had taken the bed/bunks out of it. It was full of junk. He said when he bought it it was an ugly brown color so he used a pressure washer which stripped it down to bare aluminum.
I wished him good luck with his project and went about my merry way.
I think he took a fairly decent little trailer, ruined it and now has lost interest in it so the rest of it will slowly rot away. But what the heck. It is his trailer after all so I guess he can "use" it howsomever he wishes.
I see that sort of thing with old tractors too. There'll be one planted by the shed so you stop by and ask if it is for sale.
"Nooo, I'm gonna restore that tractor".
10 years later you still see it laying there rusting away, motor rusted stuck and all the tires rotted off. You gotta just shrug it off which is what I've done with this neat little trailer.
Maybe someday he will fix it...
Jerry