Suggestions on selling a car nobody apparently wants.

Type Q wrote: If were any color other than black, I would be interested.

If it was called Ebony Mica, would that interest you?

Try taking it to CarMax and see what they will offer you for it. Only takes 15min to get an offer. I ended up selling my last Mazdaspeed 3 to them after I got tired of dealing with people from Craigslist.

Carmax will give you $500 short of current auction value so see what that is and go from there.

I would re-write the ad to something like this:

V6 5 speed, runs great, cold air, good gas mileage. Pros: Reliable and comfortable Cons: clear coat peeling (see pics)

Thats it.

I was in OP's shoes with an IS250 that I just sold yesterday. Long story short, it took three months longer than I expected, and I sold it for $1,000 less than I initially thought it was worth. Such is the case when there are a lot of similar vehicles available.

Type Q wrote: If were any color other than black, I would be interested.

Several people have pointed out the market for a manual trans is small and I think it tends to limit the buyer to somebody more on the enthusiast side (of course even many enthusiasts want autos for DDs). We should remember this when complaining about how manufactures dont make manuals or dealers dont stock them. The market really is quite small these days.

I checked my local CL... similar car for similar money. http://hudsonvalley.craigslist.org/cto/5312502572.html

Good luck with the sale

in addition to the ideas about taking pictures of the car in a gas station, covered with snow, and with your thumb over the license plate i think you also need one of it in a coin operated car wash bar, immediately after hosing it down, with the headlights on and the driver's door open..

JohnRW1621 wrote:

Type Q wrote: If were any color other than black, I would be interested.

If it was called Ebony Mica, would that interest you?

I have never desired a black or very dark colored car for daily use. Any dirt on the car and it stands out. If you live in a warm climate, it's extra hot when ever the sun is out.

I guess I have too many memories of practically burning myself on the black vinyl seats in the family car when I was growing up.

You're going to have to find an enthusiast to appreciate the fact that it's a manual most likely.

My last car was a bit of an odd duck in that it was a VR6 manual trans Jetta Wagon and the guy I bought it from took an absolute bath on it because it had been on the market for so long and he was desperate to sell. Book value was $7,500 IIRC and I paid $5,900 which was the price he listed it at.

He said everyone that called about it said "Oh, I'm looking for the diesel with an automatic" and that was the end of the conversation.

You might want to try the Mazda6club forums. I have a brand new one and that's a pretty active forum.

Here's their Classifieds Page

Flight Service wrote: I would re-write the ad to something like this: V6 5 speed, runs great, cold air, good gas mileage. Pros: Reliable and comfortable Cons: clear coat peeling (see pics) Thats it.

I found with CL, less is more. When I was selling my neon, I had all the detail, mutiple pictures showing everything from the minor rust to the unbelievably clean interior. For 4 months, all I got where email offers of less than half of the asking price via email.No one even came to look as it.

Removed the add, put a new one up, less info, raised the price, and put 2 crappy pics (similar to what you seen in the crappy craigslist photos thread). Sold in a week to the first person that came and looked at it, for $200 more than it was listed days before on the original add.

Steve

I don't think that people want to pay more than $1500 for any car that needs paint.

Why do you think it's worth 4200?

Because that's what i'd be willing to pay for a nice 04 if i was looking for one and forgot that i'd rather have a 3.5/6spd maxima that's way faster? As was said, it's all about perceived value and that's how i personally perceive the value of that vehicle. If it was a wagon my 'perceived' value would go up by ~$1100. Not that you'd necessarily find a buyer.

Vigo wrote:

Why do you think it's worth 4200?

Because that's what i'd be willing to pay for a nice 04 if i was looking for one and forgot that i'd rather have a 3.5/6spd maxima that's way faster? As was said, it's all about perceived value and that's how i personally perceive the value of that vehicle.

Well, my perceived value for an aircooled 911 is $8000 because that's how much I paid for my last one. Is that a realistic perception? Could I tell someone that's my perception so they have to sell it to me for that? (I wish!)

I'm with Dean. Raise your price to just over $5k to get a different clientele and take a lower offer of around what you were asking before. And either take a picture of the paint damage or, better yet, get it fixed and just say the car's clean and nice.

Maybe try a mazda forum?

92dxman wrote: Maybe try a mazda forum?

6crew and/or a mazda car/parts fb page

Try some nu-finish on the bad parts of paint. I had it do wonders to a sentra.

Well, my perceived value for an aircooled 911 is $8000 because that's how much I paid for my last one. Is that a realistic perception? Could I tell someone that's my perception so they have to sell it to me for that?

I can't tell if you're actually trying to undermine the concept of something 'only being worth what someone will pay for it' or not. It's pretty obvious that at the current 4500 it will take 'too long' to find someone willing to pay. Telling me that all those people are 'wrong' about their sub-$4500 perceived value is not selling inlo's car.

Could you wrap the trunk?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/24-x60-GLOSS-BLACK-GLOSSY-Vinyl-Wrap-Sticker-Decal-Sheet-w-Bubble-Air-Release-/130968843736?hash=item1e7e59f5d8:g:bY8AAOxyyFhTcwVx&vxp=mtr

Or maybe plasti-dip it?

Vigo wrote:

Well, my perceived value for an aircooled 911 is $8000 because that's how much I paid for my last one. Is that a realistic perception? Could I tell someone that's my perception so they have to sell it to me for that?

I can't tell if you're actually trying to undermine the concept of something 'only being worth what someone will pay for it' or not. It's pretty obvious that at the current 4500 it will take 'too long' to find someone willing to pay. Telling me that all those people are 'wrong' about their sub-$4500 perceived value is not selling inlo's car.

You know, if this was financed one would probably have already lost the difference between asking price and what it would sell quickly for just by making 2, soon to be 3 extra payments. If it's not costing you much to keep it, just don't worry about the time.

I think the suggestion on the 6 enthusiasts forums could be your best bet.

There's not a strong following for them, but people that own them tend to love them. I'd be all over it if it were a hatchback. It has everything right mine has wrong (3.0/mt vs 2.3 atx), but I love mine for being a hatch.

Good luck with the sale!

Lots of solid advise already, i just sold a base model run of the mill domestic car for more than $500 over kbb. Sold it to the first guy to look at it the first week of listing it. I put the majority of a few days into researching tips and tricks to selling and i think it all paid off. Might have just been luck but i like to believe otherwise.

Your car is in a price range that is not going to be a quick sell. If it was around $3000 it would go quick. The season isnt the greatest time either. As far as pricing i priced my car $500 over what i wanted for it as a cl price for the flakes, hagglers and car flippers. I dropped the price when i ran across a serious buyer and they asked. For people quoting kbb like it was the bible i told them the car was low mileage had xxx new parts and was better than the run of the mill cars like mine and refused to budge on the price.

Next with the ad i made two similar ads different photos as the primary photo. One ad had a burner cell number the other had my email. I bumped each ad on its own, every other day around 9 or noon dinner hour is good too. I took photos at sun down for best color (sun up or cloudy days are good too). Car was super clean, no personal items, and i took as many photos as the ad would let me. I did not take super close ups (10 feet away but well framed) of the scratches dents but i noted run of the mill scratches and dings in the ad. I also used nail polish on the scratches that wouldnt buff out. (Many did buff out. ) Anything i could get away with spraying flat black on the outside of the car i did ,wipers, tires, trim... I got away with pressure washing the pull out carpet but it might be worth it to buy new black replacements if thag doesnt work for you.

Any new parts new fluids were spelled out fully and thoroughly. Instead of tune up i listed spark plugs, air filter, coil pack,blah blah blah to the point of annoyance. Tell the story about why you dont want the car and how hard it was to find with a stick. Dont assume the car being stick is a deal breaker. Dont talk about the negatives let the buyer point them out. Chances are they dont care that much and reliabilty and price are key factors.

Check the prices and make sure you are in the right area. You want to be under kbb dealer low prices but above all the private sellers that arent out in left field. Push the strong points of the car and stick to your price because the car is worth it because... When questioned. Your area might be the "recently pressure tested ice cold air conditioning system" or the "unusually low mileage for similar mazda6s in the 100 mile area" or "tires with almost new treads that will keep your family safe the whole rain season"... ( low mileage being your best selling point).

There is more but this getting long, your car will sell dont cave on the price and just be patient, keep bumping the ad.

Hmm...Posting deleted by author.

Maybe we don't need to offer more advice??

The ad was there yesterday...my post must have reminded him to delete the listing for the car he sold already.