Has the bubble burst???

[negawskloV]

I hope the bubble hasn't burst now I've bitten the bullet and bought one :lol:

Here's my bus prices story...

12 years ago I had a '72 tin-top (Danbury I think) in fairly good order, not perfect but presentable and useable. When I split with my ex, she was tasked with selling it and it went for £600 I'd paid £500 for it a year or so before so I wasn't massively upset at the price, although really if I'd known she was going to sell it for that little, I'd have kept it. At the same time, I scrapped a '73 late bay bodyshell, a '79 first year polo and an '81 polo... all for £20 each as I didn't have the space for them :?

...and then, prices went mental. I could no longer afford to buy another bay. I still had my other VWs and got on with those, 'slumming it' in a tent at shows and grumbling about the 'ridiculous price of buses' :lol:

...things move on and 12 years later I'm getting too old for tents so I started looking at early bays again, thinking of selling the bug to buy one (which I didn't really want to do). I wasn't seriously looking, just keeping an eye on what's out there

I spotted our new '72 a few weeks before I bought it... advertised on VZi for £4,500 I'd discounted it as over-priced for the work it needed but I kept coming back to it... waiting to see if it sold. A few weeks passed, a few folks went to see it... but still it was there, tempting me :lol:

...Until, over night, the owner dropped the price from £4.5K to £3k ono. They were paying crippling storage charges since the MOT ran out and they clearly just wanted rid. Unfortunately it was in Brighton, a 320 mile round trip for us, so I did something I wouldn't normally do... I bought it over the phone, based on photos alone :roll: for £2,800

It's more rotten than I'd hoped in some areas but better in others. I still think I over-paid for it but sod it, it's all I could afford in today's market. It'll take a bit of work to get it useable, and then a loooooong rolling resto of the bodywork

 

[leon]

Anyone think it may be the weather and the fact that some big shows have been cancelled. Who's camping when it's peeing down? Who want's to look at vans when it's peeing down? Who noticed that their phone rang when the sun came out? The internet is a great way of advertising, but there's nothing like having a good poke of a chassis.

 

[Rosie]

Ooh I love a good discussion! May I pitch in on behalf of the 'other folks'?

We wanted a camper van for ages, to go to music festivals in and do a bit of travelling around, but didn't have the money. Through a process of elimination, and a lot of reading up, bearing in mind we had never even set foot in a camper van of any description, we decided we wanted an early bay (it was either that or a Commer!). It was another 2 years before we got Rosie, named after Dan's nan who had left him the money in her will bless her.

Our van wasn't cheap, but I think worth the money we paid as is all very original but with new engine etc and with no expense spared by the previous owner to get her running well. She's got a few bumps and dinks and probably won't win any prizes, and is a microbus not even a camper which is after all what we were looking for, so we failed miserably on that front, but we couldn't resist

So basically what I'm saying is I think there might be a few of us out there who appreciate a bit of history and character and quirkiness, but also want something they can use to go and have fun in and realise they are taking on a little bit of history to be custodians of, if you like. We might not be into the VW scene but love our buses all the same, and get huge smiles on our faces when we drive around and especially when we see another one coming towards us.

I'd also like to say that if it wasn't for this fantastic forum and all you great peeps who are so generous with sharing your knowledge with us ordinary folk, I doubt we would have come to the decision to pick an early bay in the first place.

 

[Foz]

I think Leon has a good point there.
Just lately its not exactly been the right weather or financial climate for a strong purchase situation.
It all makes for pretty depressing feelings, putting a dampner on it all.
I attended yet another VW show washout last weekend. Not exactly inspiring!
But i think it will all eventually kick start again, once the EU economy sorts itself out, and summertime arrives.



....Feel the love!

 

[negawskloV]

Ooh I love a good discussion! May I pitch in on behalf of the 'other folks'?

We wanted a camper van for ages, to go to music festivals in and do a bit of travelling around, but didn't have the money. Through a process of elimination, and a lot of reading up, bearing in mind we had never even set foot in a camper van of any description, we decided we wanted an early bay (it was either that or a Commer!). It was another 2 years before we got Rosie, named after Dan's nan who had left him the money in her will bless her.

Our van wasn't cheap, but I think worth the money we paid as is all very original but with new engine etc and with no expense spared by the previous owner to get her running well. She's got a few bumps and dinks and probably won't win any prizes, and is a microbus not even a camper which is after all what we were looking for, so we failed miserably on that front, but we couldn't resist

So basically what I'm saying is I think there might be a few of us out there who appreciate a bit of history and character and quirkiness, but also want something they can use to go and have fun in and realise they are taking on a little bit of history to be custodians of, if you like. We might not be into the VW scene but love our buses all the same, and get huge smiles on our faces when we drive around and especially when we see another one coming towards us.

I'd also like to say that if it wasn't for this fantastic forum and all you great peeps who are so generous with sharing your knowledge with us ordinary folk, I doubt we would have come to the decision to pick an early bay in the first place.

Hey, those of us who are properly into aircooled VWs weren't born this way... we all fell in love with an aircooled because we thought it was cool, desired it and in most cases bought it... long before we knew anything about them :lol:

Those new to the 'VW scene', attracted by the idea of owning a camper, will often become proper enthusiasts. Not always, but often. If you want to be able to use it regularly, you have to learn to keep it alive... and the real love for them starts there IMO

So I'll never knock folks who buy an aircooled camper just because it's cool... 20 odd years ago, that was me

...Now, T4s & T5s... that's a different matter :evil: :lol:

 

[lobie]

i picked this up for £6.000 last sept with 12months mot on it have spent a bit on it as it developed a few teething issues but it was rot and rust free as it had been restored 5 years ago and the owner needed a quick sale its no show and shine but its just what i wanted and at the right price when i got her she looked like this

now she looks like this

 

[Rosie]

Hey, those of us who are properly into aircooled VWs weren't born this way... :

Are you sure about that? :lol:

Those new to the 'VW scene', attracted by the idea of owning a camper, will often become proper enthusiasts. :

I think that might be starting to happen to us already

 

[KevH]

I think Leon has a good point there.
Just lately its not exactly been the right weather or financial climate for a strong purchase situation.
It all makes for pretty depressing feelings, putting a dampner on it all.
I attended yet another VW show washout last weekend. Not exactly inspiring!
But i think it will all eventually kick start again, once the EU economy sorts itself out, and summertime arrives.

Like many others on here, I love my bus but had no history of loving old air cooled VWs before I bought her...I just knew what I wanted and fell for the 'wrong' bus, in that all common sense went out of the window and my wallet suddenly burst open. :lol:

But I have learned so much from this forum, and from talking to other owners at shows etc, and to be honest, I will never get back what I have already spent and will continue to spend on the bus. She is not an investment, she is a fantastic hobby.

The bubble will rise again I am sure. In the meantime we just enjoy our new hobby.

Now, when will this f***ing rain stop? :evil:

 

[monkeyvanwestybike]

Very nice Lowbie!
but that fuel filter there would scare the hell out of me

 

[lobie]

but that fuel filter there would scare the hell out of me

that was take a couple of months ago i have sine moved the fuel filter to outside near the gearbox and have also fitted an electronic ignition and a firetec system too hopefully all safe now

 

[sidecargezzer]

very nice, looks comfy ! wish mine were that well done,,,oh well in time

 

[easy]

The bubble has burst but in a weird sort of way. Its all down to the bus really. There are so many imports at the moment that people can still get a decent deal on a rust free model, but as has been shown that these get bought and sold as it seems that they are still after RHD vws. I have consistantly been offered a good price for mine, even tho im not selling.

There was a huge wave of middle management etc buying a new danbury bay for about £30000 over the past few years and now as they get more into it they are looking at replacing there new brazilian for an older model (to keep up with the cool kids mainly!) now they go straight into looking for a RHD as its the most easy and direct relation to their current bus, so the RHD get good money consistantly.

Now we all know that it really doesnt make a difference but to a great deal of people it does, and due to the absolute flood of the market for buses, people can spend time being very choosy and get the right bus for them, even if it costs a bit more than normal.

The recession may indeed play a part, but there has never been so many vans n dubs over here so i dont think that plays to much of a part and the vw trade business is booming judging buy the amount springing up all over the place.

The money is about its just people are being careful with it and willing to spend it where they want rather than what is available.

Thats my own opinioon anyway. :mrgreen:

 

[strongy]

rhd are defo selling and for big money :mrgreen: least mine did anyway :mrgreen: :mrgreen: asking price and in 1 week.

there seems to be loads of lhd busses at the mo which is keeping the prices down.i think the importers need to stop bringing the buses and bring us some nice rust free bugs and ghias.

 

[vwvanman0]

The many classic magazines seem to be reporting that classics are still selling well,but its stuff at the top end,guess in our scene it would be a rhd camper either restored very well or a low mileage original. Other cars and vans needing work and i guess lhd arn't doing so well.

If you want a lhd import there do seem to be loads around,so i guess its a buyers market.

 

[sjc]

i guess it depends how much your hoping to make from bus ownership.
if i come to a point where i want to sell mine it will be without the engine and possibly standard drums back up front becasue i will want them for the next bus and for not a lot compared to a lot of the busses that i see advertised.

 

[Geeze]

The weather probably hasn't helped but equally I think that enough buses have now been brought in over the last few years that the market is starting to saturate :msn4:

But I reckon it's getting more like the rest of the classic car market. Very nice, fully done stuff getting top money, then a gulf of a price gap to anything that isn't full on. There's far more people who want a toy than a project and there's probably now enough finished buses to go round that less folk are going down the road of buying a solid import and getting it done :?

 

[marco]

I had a T4 for a few years coz the bays and wedges I was looking at for the same price were knackered, bought for 3k sold 6yrs later for 1500, not bad for a rusty van with 220k on the clock.
Decided the next vehicle was a keeper so took out a huge (to us) loan and bought our earlybay, had to be rhd, with discs and removable rear valance. Thought we were getting a bargain as it was a solid vehicle but didn't account for weird stuff like different calipers etc so have now run out of budget with tyres and windscreen still to buy .
Can't beleive that 15 yrs ago we scrapped a '71 bay(we were given) and a '74 bay (we paid 300 for)that we thought were shot (sorry), to see people restoring worse vans now.
Just look at some old mags from 4yrs ago and buses were nearly 1/2 the price. I don't think the bubble has burst, just deflated a bit while everyone is being cautious. Not that I care too much, except maybe if I waited I could have got meself a bargain. :mrgreen:

 

[damo]

Hi all

Very much a newbie here as only recently taken delivery of a '68 Crew Cab. (Tried to attach pic but kept getting "Sorry, the board attachment quota has been reached" ? ) I have, however, had a VW for 14+ years. So, further to the above discussion, where do you folk think the best place to advertise a van for sale is? My 'old' van, a 1974 Devon camper, now has to go as I cannot keep 2, and I have had it advertised since the end of Jan with no luck. Currently advertised on J Kampers and also TheSamba. Perhaps the lack of potential buyers is explained in the various reasons above, but if you need to sell where do you go?

(Also tried Sandown Park in March and a very wet Stoner Park last weekend, but very little interest.)

Thanks

 

[KevH]

Hi all

Very much a newbie here as only recently taken delivery of a '68 Crew Cab. (Tried to attach pic but kept getting "Sorry, the board attachment quota has been reached" ? ) I have, however, had a VW for 14+ years. So, further to the above discussion, where do you folk think the best place to advertise a van for sale is? My 'old' van, a 1974 Devon camper, now has to go as I cannot keep 2, and I have had it advertised since the end of Jan with no luck. Currently advertised on J Kampers and also TheSamba. Perhaps the lack of potential buyers is explained in the various reasons above, but if you need to sell where do you go?

(Also tried Sandown Park in March and a very wet Stoner Park last weekend, but very little interest.)

Thanks

Where to advertise? JK, TheSamba and Sandown Park will probably target existing owners primarily, and judging by what folk are saying the money is with those moving in to bus ownership for the first time, so you might be missing them. I'd target those folks through more general publications that are visible on the High Street shelves (C&B, Volksworld, etc) or even, dare I say this, Ebay or Exchange and Mart.

I bought just over a year ago, as a newbie to the scene, and that was my starting point. I eventually bought through Volksworld web site.

 

[analord]

Having just come back from Watergate Bay down in Cornwall, you would not be surprised to find most campers were T4's with a few wedges. Of course the Londoner's choice is a late bay in green with a Westfalia Helsinki conversion that they have just bought... And will sell next year as they are not using it. Good luck to them