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Old 06-03-2007, 08:15 AM   #1
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biggest payoff in resale value?

I've been watching ebay for a few years now and it looks to me like polishing, new flooring, and new curtains and upholstery result in frenzied bidding.

All the boring but expensive repairs and replacements will attract bids, but the biggest number of bids come to trailers with both areas covered.

Which proves that bidders are dreamers, quite often.

What have you all observed? And what gets you thinking of bidding?

What I like to see in an older AS is a nice soft shiny surface, but not mirror polished--as pretty as that is, to me it's not what Airstreams look like.

Ditto for the wood floors--I like old style tile or linoleum, possibly cork, with throw rugs. Carpet, not so much, but i did just see a cute AS with funky barkcloth upholstery and carpet in a leafy movie theater lobby pattern that looked spiffy.

Now new upholstery is good--and there is where I get a kick out of fun patterns and materials.

And the thing I hate the most is seeing the woodwork painted--that just ruins a trailer for me.

Zoe
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Old 06-03-2007, 08:29 AM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by zoeb nj
And the thing I hate the most is seeing the woodwork painted--that just ruins a trailer for me.

Zoe
Ditto. The painted cabinets break my heart!

But I bought one anyway because it was the right year/layout all the cabinetry was "there" and the body is very close to perfect, the price was right and it was less than 5 miles from home ~

Shari
Yeah...I'm justifiying it!
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Old 06-03-2007, 10:15 AM   #3
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Ditto. The painted cabinets break my heart!

But I bought one anyway because it was the right year/layout all the cabinetry was "there" and the body is very close to perfect, the price was right and it was less than 5 miles from home ~

oh, no justification needed, Shari--I would have done the same thing--that's a nice trailer you got---the frou frou is a riot--it's a trip to see what people do to personalize their trailers!!!

we all balance one thing against the other when looking--unless money is no object (never happen , in my case) Zoe
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Old 06-03-2007, 01:50 PM   #4
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Thats why original is best...

That's why I just put a few lil decorations... no need in painting any cabinets, or adding foo foo carpets... Original cabinets and maybe a nice tile floor is ok.. but re doing anymore is taking away from the beauty of the trailer..
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Old 06-03-2007, 06:08 PM   #5
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I would add axles to the list.

As to values in general all the vintage AS that have been referbished are being sold way under market.

I see them for $7500-10,000, that's crazy, how does that cover the 300-400+ hours of labor it takes to redo these, let alone $4-8,000 in materials.

These trailers should be selling for $20-30,000.
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Old 06-03-2007, 07:02 PM   #6
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I think it's hard to say exactly what the biggest pay-off is. It's an elusive combination of factors that are always changing (i.e., the market, the buyer, the seller, the condition of the trailer, etc.).
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Old 06-04-2007, 08:09 AM   #7
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Bob said--
As to values in general all the vintage AS that have been referbished are being sold way under market.


Yeah, I think that the consensus is that if you spend tons of time and money on your baby you have to do it for love--that you'll most likely not see a profit on that work, and maybe not even break even.

yukionna said--

I think it's hard to say exactly what the biggest pay-off is. It's an elusive combination of factors that are always changing (i.e., the market, the buyer, the seller, the condition of the trailer, etc.).

I think that's why i started this thread, actually, because i can't figure it out--one trailer will go for what seems to me a high price when another one that looks similar or even better from the description doesn't sell or doesn'r reach the reserve. I think location is key to this....
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Old 06-04-2007, 08:48 AM   #8
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Biggest payoff in resale value?

We recently sold a 72 model and tripled our money. To me, the secret was clean, clean, clean. When looking at a vintage trailer, there is nothing worse than a dirty trailer. Clean windows, polish cabinets, do all the things you would want when looking at a trailer. Also, reuphostering the sofa was a big thing.

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Old 06-04-2007, 10:09 AM   #9
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beyond what gloria said about having the unit clean and presentable i know that having the original paperwork and documentation about any repairs and modifications helps with any vehicle.

no guessing when it comes to the old addage "i think the ac works but i never tried it"

i always think "yeah right!"

john
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Old 06-04-2007, 09:30 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by john hd
no guessing when it comes to the old addage "i think the ac works but i never tried it"

i always think "yeah right!"
I agree. Whenever I hear that the appliances haven't been tested...I translate that to, "the appliances don't work".
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Old 06-04-2007, 09:52 PM   #11
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Okay so I'm new to this forum and to Airstreams as well. We have been enticed by an ebay listing for an Airstream Sovereign International 1971 31ft. The aution has ended but I had asked the seller to contact me if the sale did not get completed, long and behold I get an email tonight saying the unit is available to me for $6000 as the winnin bidder fell through, is this a reasonable price..Check out the old ebay listing, please and offer any advise freely as we are new to the whole RV/AS buying experience. .
eBay Motors: Airstream Trailer Vintage 1971 Sovereign Intl 31 Ft (item 280119411562 end time May-28-07 07:53:29 PDT)
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Old 06-04-2007, 10:25 PM   #12
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#1 - Be sure that the person offering the trailer is the sane person selling it. Fraudulant 2nd chnce offers are not uncommon.

Here are my concerns;
Why did the"buyer" jump the bid from $2000 to a buy it now price of $6000 and then walk away from the deal. If you look at the "buyers" history, he has bought 3 Airstream Trailer in the last 2 months. He is most likely flipping them for a quick profit. The "buyer" bought one only 8 hours before he did a BIN on this one. Did the seller tell you why he walked on the deal?

The trailer has a nice look and the interior is very nice.
The clear coat on the exterior is bad, but that is to be expected on a 35 year old trailer.
The axels are shot and will need to be replaced ASAP.
The picture from the rear concerns me the most.


The bumper and storage area appear to drop about an inch on the curb side. This could be the sign of rear end seperation (aka frame damage).

I would want to investigate this more before I made a deal.
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Old 06-04-2007, 10:59 PM   #13
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For the vintage airstreams I find the price vs condition is the best source of fairness.

Yes there is the labour of love factor - but then if we did this for a living and were experts then the time it took us would probably be 3/4 less.

We spend 25% thinking about it - 25% researching it and then another 25% organizing the project - and about 25% doining.

Each of the trailers we have either bought or sold - have been pretty bang onto that pricing chart - if people could just look at their airstream objectively and break it down to components like they do keeping in mind that any given trailer could be inbetween the as found, average and fully restored.

With our Globe Trotter 69 - we started at the top end and then knocked off the things that were NOT done yet - rather than trying to do it the otherway.

In trying to determine the buying price we started at the bottom end.

With the 63 GT again we used the price guide and what I ended up paying was bang on for the condition it was in. Yes she looked real ugly but all is very restorable and the shell is what brings the big bucks too. All beat up is just not attractive and way too much work.

Same with the Overlander - it too was ranked right in there for what she had and for each of our trailers we bought well and sold well. If we make a profit on them great - but we are not in the business....yet

As far as selling - Layout is a key element and people will pay you more for the layout they are looking for. Next is systems - they have to work and work well - new items are always a big seller and running gear is top on the list for anyone out there that knows what they are doing.

I do however find over the years chatting hear - that many want these trailers for nothing (you know the 500 - 1000 estate finds or back yard findd) and then expressed here which gives a real false sense of value for newbies coming on the forum.

What is not said is by the end of the restoration/refurb whether it is a hack job or a semi professional job they are more in line with the value compared to the outlay to get it that way. And then they will expect to sell it for 3 times as much when it should only be say twice.

I would love to find one of those cheapy ones where someone just wants "it" out of their yard.
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Old 06-05-2007, 08:20 AM   #14
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Something that cant be hidden for very long; neglect that can't be mitigated in a day or a month, something that is primal and Darwinian... SMELL.

Tens of years, tens of owners, equals tons³ of work... There is as much surface area unaccessible for cleaning as is accessible; All my cleaning looked like nothing compared to what I found removing the bath, even the liners inside the lockers that I had washed 3X were smudged consistently into a dull gray when the lockers came down. You can't reach inside the ductwork to wipe it out & often ducts are mouse superhighways - think dung dunes.. Gauchos and bed storage units are time capsules, every thing passing through trailer leaves some small gift behind, or is that a behind gift...

You will train your nose to spot wood rot at fifty feet if you ever have to remove & replace flooring. A sagged roof vent pipe venting inside the trailer while in storage (years? decades?) truly does equal a hazmat situation, this isn't something to dismiss lightly, as is formaldehyde spills from old tank chemicals turning into formic acid which can cause immune-allergen responses in some people.

People store the oddest things beneath the kitchen counter top, and gravity will have stuff seek its lowest level (PO's?) and the FW tank compartment is low and has a huge surface area, if anything but sweetness and purity be in there you can re-decorate to the nth degree but still have a noxious kitchen.

A tip for trailer shopping - learn what ozium and other odor-neutralizing smell like, 30 seconds of spray can mask odors just long enough to sell a vehicle, then the next time you enter the trailer can be a real shock.
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Old 06-05-2007, 09:34 AM   #15
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Just My Observation

I have worked for a dealership that sells new TT (not AS brand). I have found while doing an orientation walk-thru that many new owners are looking at the pretty, new, appliances, carpeting, and draperies, etc. and ignoring sometimes obvious fit and finish issues. A thorough knowledge of what you are buying does help in bargaining for a unit, be it new or used. This forum is a great tool in making us better informed consumers. I agree with others posting here, clean is best. Also, having the systems in working order that can be verified and demonstrated.
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Old 06-05-2007, 11:32 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by azflycaster
#1 - Be sure that the person offering the trailer is the sane person selling it. Fraudulant 2nd chnce offers are not uncommon.

Here are my concerns;
Why did the"buyer" jump the bid from $2000 to a buy it now price of $6000 and then walk away from the deal. If you look at the "buyers" history, he has bought 3 Airstream Trailer in the last 2 months. He is most likely flipping them for a quick profit. The "buyer" bought one only 8 hours before he did a BIN on this one. Did the seller tell you why he walked on the deal?

The trailer has a nice look and the interior is very nice.
The clear coat on the exterior is bad, but that is to be expected on a 35 year old trailer.
The axels are shot and will need to be replaced ASAP.
The picture from the rear concerns me the most.


The bumper and storage area appear to drop about an inch on the curb side. This could be the sign of rear end seperation (aka frame damage).

I would want to investigate this more before I made a deal.
The seller said, "the buyer backed out due to financial issues".
Thank you for your trained eye observations of the exterior of the unit. I didn't notice the
rear end drop and would have had no clue this could mean frame damage. Axels needing to be replaced sounds expencive to me. My biggest concern was the length 31. We have no towing experience so I was thinking we should look at something smaller to start with and see how we do..I do think we'll pass on this unit and do some more reading here
before making any purchases.
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Old 10-26-2009, 09:31 PM   #17
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I wish I was able to go with the orginal on my trailer. The cabinets that were painted by the PO. was easier to paint a nice color to match the rest of the trailer. The fronts were seperated and I had to sand to even out. So painting was the only option. I did restore the cabinet hardware and my princess stove works great! My AS is the hunting wagon and the thought of the traffic on cork floors scared me. I went a little more rugged. Trying to keep as original but very functional and easy to convert back if needed.

TC
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Old 10-26-2009, 10:55 PM   #18
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I agree. Whenever I hear that the appliances haven't been tested...I translate that to, "the appliances don't work".
Or, this trailer was bought cheap and being flipped so it hasn't be used by the current owner.

Carol
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