Just asking our community's brain trust on what the feelings are about the current resale market for Speedsters.....especially VMC builds. I have a build from last year; thinking about selling....but not in any rush as my health is improving.
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Last year some VMC Speedsters were selling for astronomical prices; the highest was $81,000 in October 2023. Since then, prices have fallen. So now is a decent time to buy, but not so good to sell, in my opinion.
Jason
@JasonC posted:Last year ago some VMC Speedsters were selling for astronomical prices; the highest was $81,000 in October 2023. Since then, prices have fallen. So now is a decent time to buy, but not so good to sell, in my opinion.
Jason
Not political
The inflation rate is up close to 20% and the economy is very uncertain could be slowing the seller - buyers holding out.... IMHO
Good comments and valuable data - I do believe that generally people are more cautious with big purchases in an election year.
COVID blew up prices on everything from houses, vacation homes to used cars and anything hobby. Prices have come off but nowhere near to where they were pre-COVID. And the economy/stock market always affects discretionary spending like a hobby car.
It was a special set of circumstances that I don't think we'll see again for some time, yet prices are still robust for anyone that didn't buy new recently. The waiting lists at major manufacturers keeps things somewhat buoyant for newer builds.
Since you bought it last year, assuming you bought it new and it isn't some wild, weird spec, perhaps you break even. VMC has a significant wait time for new builds, so that could play in your favor with someone wanting new or near new. There is a seasonality to the market to some degree and we are halfway through the driving season.
Crap shoot it you intend to break even or come out ahead.
Or, I could have my head in a dark recess within my own body and should just shut up.
Your's is a great color combo. The fact that builders have a long waitlist will help if you decide to sell. Some are willing to pay a premium to not have to wait.
what about COUPES?...yesss , apples & oranges different than SPEEDSTERS
i know...1st off , mine is NOT for sale at this time (even though EVERYTHING is for sale for the right crazy number)....i may be wrong but i believe i have one of perhaps 20-ish? SUBARU coupes...and it is trick (just IMHO) way better than when delivered from Dr. JEYKLL...and have 5 guys fighting over it right now...what's the consensus of the SOC gurus of my 2018 JPS coupe value?...inquiring minds need to know 
Hey....Coupes should be a separate topic; 
My VMC is not something wild; great color scheme of seal grey, baseball interior with coco-mats, under dash brake and rally lights. Driving seasons vary; Phoenix is too hot for it; so for the summer I have it up in the mountains where it is much cooler. Winter is good driving season in the city. I am enjoying getting all the input on the market - I'm not in any rush to sell it, but when I do I am certainly not looking to lose money on it; not greedy about it either.
PM sent
@Todd Dean posted:Not political
The inflation rate is up close to 20% and the economy is very uncertain could be slowing the seller - buyers holding out.... IMHO
The current US inflation rate is about 3 percent.
Consumer price index fell a tenth in June.
Well the cost of shop labour is now quite high…the parts have nearly doubled and so has the wait time so add it up and you realize the cost of a new build is no longer on the low end in this hobby.
In our area IM is no longer producing cars so maybe someday they will resurrect but don’t count on it.
It makes the nearly new cars within the last 3 years of them being built much higher than even the original build cost. Why? Because you can see 15 y.o. And more Selling at prices that are what I consider the old cost of building one.
Will the market get better? … maybe ….. when all of us go the way of all flesh 
I was just talking with my data-loving 37 year old daughter today about using sampled data as an absolute measure. For example, we don't REALLY know something as simple as the actual divorce rate. All we know is the number of people getting married and the number of people who were married but are now not (for whatever reason). We can extrapolate, but there are unknown variables.
Similarly, I'm not confident that the 3% inflation currently reported is universal in its veracity.
Prices in my industry barely budged last month. Prices in 2021 went up as much as 500% (as opposed to 7%). To the man buying a pound of R507 refrigerant ($6.50 in 2020 and $25 in 2021), 7% would have been a welcome relief. That he is only paying $22 now is small consolation.
Similarly, the price of used Speedsters seems to be dropping a bit from the highs of last year. But the price for a used Speedster is still quite a bit higher than the price for a new one (even a new VMC or Beck) pre-Covid. We can't really look at the reported inflation rates and extrapolate what a replica ought to cost based on those numbers -- because replica Speedsters are not part of the sample-set used when calculating inflation.
We have to go by "feel", which is a bit like fumbling in the dark.
I really wish we'd stop looking at these cars as investments.
I think that if you got into this hobby without complete delusion, meaning you did not sell in the first year then after reality sets in you had to really decide if you enjoyed the car. A lot of us that owned them for longer periods of time have benefitted from the market changes and the basic inflation and have sold an older car close to it’s original cost especially if one kept it for close to 10 years or if the price increase curve was advantageous to you and you may have had less depreciation … I agree with Stan it is not an investment but it can be the cheapest car to own, ok the least expensive
I am 10 years into owning my second IM, and I have added a lot of modern conveniences, my car being the first full subie with dual rads and I had a lot of fun building it with Henry and adding a lot of custom stuff, while we did have some challenges it is truly sorted now.
Options Added: when the madness of upgrade hit me
Has PW, with one button down,
PLocks, with keyfob or with dash switch.
Keyfob controls locks and windows go down with it as well, autodown.
Cruise control, 6 second flash to turn or lane change signal lights
3rd eye continuous flash with braking.
CUlayer LED tail lights
Hit the horn, warning, but hold the button down and the AIRHORN blows and the front head lights flash.
Retrosound with 4 ch amp and with Sub 8100 under the rear seat.
Evans Cooling, Lifetime coolant.
Rear Engine lid release springs up with cable release.
New Vintage shifter from IM with matching knob.
