Bring a Trailer (BaT) Auctions: Worth Listing Your Car or Not?

[ace10]

MODERATOR'S NOTE: This is a general discussion on the suitability of the Bring a Trailer (BaT) site as a venue for selling one's car to bring maximum prices, or not.



DISCLAIMER: Totally unrelated to the Cossie auction

I'm becoming more and more distrusting of BaT each passing day.

Most recent situation... The auction of a low mile AMC Pacer.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1975-amc-pacer-2/

The high bidder (non winning as it went RNM) is a blatant shill account. They ONLY bid on cars from this particular seller, and always fall away right before the Reserve is met. Both accounts were even created at the same point in time.

I, along with many others, have alerted BaT Admin to this yet nothing has been about it. Both accounts are still active. And BaT remains silent.

I'm actually beginning to think there are pro-BaT "hype" accounts being deployed to pump up certain cars and promote the honor/trustworthiness of BaT.

[Harv]

I'm becoming more and more distrusting of BaT each passing day.

You aren't alone. A guy on TCL bought this 300D: https://bringatrailer.com/listing/19...des-benz-300d/

He chimes in a week later and says this:

We made it home with the car on Thursday... But it arrived on a trailer. The big issue was that the radiator sprang a leak outside of Chattanooga, TN, after about 750 miles of smooth, 30mpg cruising.

After some searching, it appears that there are no radiators for this car for sale anywhere-any leads would be greatly helpful.

A couple other things: the rear windows work flawlessly-it's the front ones that need attention on this car. Also, the headlight switch broke, so I'll be redoing that, and I'm guessing it's the loop style plugs because they take forever to heat up.

Finally, about the BaT purchase: it was miserable. First, the seller failed to provide the needed notarized signatures for me to register the car in KY (and I learned that the car was in the guy's father's name, too). So we had to do some sketchy Florida title and reg. stuff for me to have something to complete the transfer back home. Second, the photos and ad of the car must have been old. The car was super dirty, there were multiple lights out and the interior was a mess-5 channel surround sound speakers rigged up, headlights came on when the brakes were hit, house style carpet on the floors, clunking from the drivers side rear, unbalanced wheels/tires, basically all the body seals worn completely or torn off, front windows non operable, rigged ac and fan switches (not operating correctly), mis-matched tires, loose shift lever. I could go on. Nevertheless, I followed thru with the purchase because I'm honest, and I figured I can enjoy fixing the issues with the car and still own it for a good long time. I will however, never, ever buy a car sight unseen again!

[LWB250]

I have sold a couple of cars on BAT, and I have mixed emotions about the place.

First, the appearance of what seem to be shill bidders in the last maybe 4-6 months are certainly unsettling. Maybe it's BAT, maybe it's a couple of sellers who are in cahoots with each other, who knows. Their willingness to address even the appearance of such things is concerning.

My first BAT sale went great and I made a boatload of money on a car I was mildly happy with. Unfortunately, and through no fault of BAT. the buyer took advantage of my goodwill in assisting with the purchase, which was disappointing to say the least.

The second one went fine, but the seller was really lousy at communicating and was always getting back to me at the last minute on everything. It took two weeks to wrap up the sale. While I wasn't in any hurry, it was clear that the buyer wasn't either. The lack of communication on their part was not pleasant.

As a seller BAT can be great. Buyer, eh, not so much. I tried to list a couple of other really nice cars but they either insisted on no reserve or simply denied me without an explanation. I've talked to a few other sellers that said they felt that BAT's reserve prices were unrealistic.

Dan

[Harv]

I tried to list a couple of other really nice cars but they either insisted on no reserve or simply denied me without an explanation. I've talked to a few other sellers that said they felt that BAT's reserve prices were unrealistic.

I don't understand how they pick what they will list or not. Like this thing. It was a mess inside and out. Listed on Craigslist and eBay multiple times with no sale. So BAT decides it worthy to them and what happens? Bidding stops at $1,600. No sale.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/19...es-benz-300td/

[LWB250]

I don't understand how they pick what they will list or not. Like this thing. It was a mess inside and out. Listed on Craigslist and eBay multiple times with no sale. So BAT decides it worthy to them and what happens? Bidding stops at $1,600. No sale.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/19...es-benz-300td/

Exactly my point. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to their choices, except for the high end exotics which bring big bucks.

I would also point out that if you are selling and your buyer bails, which can happen since BAT is not a party to the sale, after a period of time they will reveal the next highest bidder's contact information to you. I'm not sure if this is any consolation, as by the time that takes place they've probably moved on. The buyer of my 1982 300D told me he had a buyer go AWOL after an auction and BAT finally threw up their hands after a week and gave him the next highest bidder's information. Lucky for him the bidder was still interested.

Dan

[Ntrepid]

I would also point out that if you are selling and your buyer bails, which can happen since BAT is not a party to the sale, after a period of time they will reveal the next highest bidder's contact information to you. I'm not sure if this is any consolation, as by the time that takes place they've probably moved on. The buyer of my 1982 300D told me he had a buyer go AWOL after an auction and BAT finally threw up their hands after a week and gave him the next highest bidder's information. Lucky for him the bidder was still interested.

BaT does take a 5% fee when a bid is placed to keep the buyer engaged. I’m sure they are good with a buyer walking away as they get their fee.


Robert

[LWB250]

BaT does take a 5% fee when a bid is placed to keep the buyer engaged. I’m sure they are good with a buyer walking away as they get their fee.


Robert

Again, that's to my point. When I sold a car and the buyer didn't contact me for three days after the auction, I got ahold of my BAT "coordinator" or whatever they call them and asked them what to do. Their response was to "just wait a few more days, sometimes it takes people time to get their act together" or something to that effect. I was not pleased and told them that if I hadn't heard from the buyer by the end of the next day I wanted contact information for the next highest bidder. I was told they only do that when absolutely necessary.

Yes. At the close of the auction, they've got their money so there's little incentive for them to get involved with the buyer and seller.

As difficult as they might be, there's almost no better venue at this time to sell cars online for top dollar, unless you've got something unique.

Dan

[gsxr]

As difficult as they might be, there's almost no better venue at this time to sell cars online for top dollar, unless you've got something unique.

BaT, shilling and questionable biz practices aside, appears to be a double-edged sword. The essentially unmoderated comments from the peanut gallery can either help spike the price to silly levels, or kill them off from either wrong information posted as fact, or pure unhinged trolling. Having a reserve seems to be a wise safety net, if the BaT overlords grant your petition for one.

Disclaimer: I've neither bought nor sold on BaT, but I'd be pretty nervous either way.

[maw1124]

Maybe a separate BaT discussion, in case someone actually wants to discuss this particular car, and so we're not guilty of being unmoderated?

maw

[LWB250]

BaT, shilling and questionable biz practices aside, appears to be a double-edged sword. The essentially unmoderated comments from the peanut gallery can either help spike the price to silly levels, or kill them off from either wrong information posted as fact, or pure unhinged trolling. Having a reserve seems to be a wise safety net, if the BaT overlords grant your petition for one.

Disclaimer: I've neither bought nor sold on BaT, but I'd be pretty nervous either way.

My first foray into BAT world was with a 1982 300D that I picked up from a PeachParts "buddy" whom I barely knew that just called me one day and said he had the car and wanted to sell it. He wanted $1800 for it, was second owner, had 120k on the clock, all records, Florida cars, etc., etc. As with most descriptions like this I figured it was a beater or in need of some serious Martha'ing. It was about 45 minutes away, so I wandered over to see it on my next work from home day.

Amazing. Flipping time capsule. I did all I could to restrain my glee and held out $1700 in cash. He bit.

I drove the car home, spent a few weeks getting it 100% Martha'ed, and decided to use it as a "fun" car to drive to work on Fridays and run errands on the weekends. After a few months the thrill wore off and I was bored again, so I put it on BAT with no reserve. So with a purchase price of $1700, I had maybe another $600-$800 in it tops for a total investment of around $2500.

The car sold for $7700.00

The story behind the buyer is something for another day, suffice to say that he presented himself as an MB enthusiast to gain my trust, but was later revealed to be a flipper. He got caught in a bidding war at hammer time and was stuck with the car. His problem, not mine.

Second car was a 1990 350SDL that had been my daily driver for a year or so. Great car, but due to some long term significant spousal health issues, I wanted to get away from having a car I needed to tinker with regularly. They wouldn't set a reserve, so I rolled the dice and went bare on that auction as well. In the case of the 350SDL, it languished for nearly the whole auction, with the requisite commentaries about it having the "rod bender" engine, etc., etc. I rode herd on the comments and did my best to dispel any concerns about the integrity of the car or its engine. Finally, in the last 10 hours or so things began to heat up and it ended up closing at a price I was happy with. I probably broke even on the car but I was happy to have it gone. Far easier than dealing with Craigslist or any other venue.

The buyer on this car was really flakey. As I mentioned previously, he went AWOL on me for the first three days after the auction closed, and even after that was difficult at best to contact or get a response from. He finally flew down from Maryland a week or two later and picked up the car. The few hours he was here were spent listening to him talk about his business and all sorts of unrelated subject matter - he didn't really seem that interested in talking or hearing about the car. The best part?

"Hey, uh, I forgot to bring a license plate with me or insurance. Could I just drive back with your plate and I'll send it back to you when I get home?"

Uh, no, I don't think so.... so I pointed him at the closest tax collector's office (where we do tags and titles in FL) and off he went. That was about 11:30 in the morning. I got a text from him at 12:30 saying that he arrived there. That's nice. Then around 4:30 another text saying he was on his way north.

I heard from him a couple weeks later saying that he made it back without issues and he was enjoying the car. It included a picture of a wooded area that was covered with leaves, the car being one of several in the picture that were also covered with leaves. Nice.

Anyway, I agree - BAT can be a tricky place, especially the peanut gallery. They can help or hinder. I've had it both ways. All I can say is that it's a great venue for a seller for the most part. There's no way you can get that kind of audience with willing cash buyers for $100. The other side of that sword is that cars sold on BAT often seem to sell for well above market, or often for simply stupid prices. The run up on a 560 anything these days I would attribute to BAT. Granted the SLs have been desirable for a long time, but the sedans not so much. Not anymore....

Dan

[ace10]

Here's a tangible Seller win:

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1991-bmw-m5-30/

It's a decent E34 M5. I had seen it kicking around on ebay where it finally sold for $18,200. Then it showed up on BaT. Not a flipper, just a flaky ebay high bidder, and I guess the seller had had enough of that platform.

So he netted an additional $3200 after fees by listing on BaT.

Now, he did have to post about a dozen comments publicly and an unknown number of private interrogatories, but it still seems like a very good return on investment.

For a comp:

I was in the mix at the end on a (far?) superior E34 M5 on BaT last year. It sold for $24,250.
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1991-bmw-m5-16/

The first one seems to have pulled well beyond its expected value, simply because of the platform and the seller's willingness to actively participate in the process.

[ace10]

A pretty W126 just popped up. Dark blue 420SEL.
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/19...benz-420sel-6/
No Reserve

Are the headlights correct?


I was watching a 1st Gen Toyota Tacoma BaT auction, as I'm actively in that market as a replacement for my 2nd Gen Tundra which is now far too big for my needs. My jaw is still hanging at the result from just a couple mins ago.

Pristine offroad Toyotas are pulling huge dollars on BaT.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2003-toyota-tacoma-2/

[gerryvz]

A pretty W126 just popped up. Dark blue 420SEL.
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/19...benz-420sel-6/
No Reserve

Are the headlights correct?

Yep, those are 100% correct, stock, US-DOT headlights that were found on the "Gen 2" 126s sold in the US. They have "headlight doors" just like the 124s do.

Clean 126s have been bringing relatively astronomical dollars as of late on BaT -- it's still relatively easy to find pristine 126s often for one-half or less of the price than you see on BaT.

Given the choice, I would never buy a 420SEL. You ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS go for the top model in the range.

Peanut gallery hasn't really gotten started yet, though some punter brought up the "overcomplicated rear suspension" thing. Bruce Mendel set him straight, quite appropriately.

If you have a decent 126, and can get your car accepted there, BaT may just well be the perfect place to sell. But not to buy.

[ace10]

Thanks.
My OCD gets me wrapped around the proverbial axle when I see things that are asymmetrical when they seemingly should be the same. It's taken a couple decades to accept the W124 mirrors. lol

Agree on the Sell side advantage on W126s. It's crazy.

[ace10]

This poor seller is dealing with some of the absolute worst commenting I have perhaps ever seen on BaT.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/19...ntinental-r-2/

I don't see anything in the listing/pics/documentation/discussion which would lead me to believe the car is being misrepresented.

[gerryvz]

Yes, the vociferousness of the BaT "peanut gallery" does rival this site's PG, but quite definitely overtakes it in terms of over-the-top BS ignorant comments from clueless posters ....

[ace10]

Here's (yet) another oddball BaT auction:

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/19...uiser-fj40-16/

So, it's a unicorn that was the pet of another unicorn. FJ40 basically zero miles. Being sold by Jonathan Ward, who is one of the top names in the land cruiser world.

The rig has been on his website (tlc4x4) for a few months with an Ask of $100K. It was on Hemmings for $95K.

The first "real" bid came in at $84K. Which is probably just shy of the money. I'd wager the Reserve was/is $85K... Then somebody (a brand new account, zero comments) comes over the top at $100K. And that's where it presently sits.

Maybe there's some person out there that has true mega bucks, and didn't know that they wanted an as-new FJ40 until somebody told them that this one is available on BaT. Maybe.

The seller is a purveyor of restored land cruisers and custom Icon-branded vehicles. People who are shopping for these vehicles know who he is. And I'M CERTAIN this FJ40 would have been pitched to countless 1% of the 1%ers already.

I dunno. It's all kinda head-scratchy to me.

[gerryvz]

Here's another one that will be interesting to watch - a 1986 (early Gen 2) 126 Coupe.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/19...s-benz-560sec/

Peanut gallery hasn't yet gotten going.

[ace10]

I'm dipping my toe into the peanut gallery water on this one:

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/20...s-benz-r63-12/

Seller claims to have waxed it twice a month. I think the minivan would be bare metal by now if that was the case.

There are some dubious claims in the ad copy. Par for the course, IMO.


The 420SEL is stuck in the $7's. Auction ends this afternoon. It's been pretty quiet.

[gerryvz]

$7K range is all the money for a nice 420SEL, IMHO.

[Maui]

R63!

[Harv]

R63!

The R63 market is so funny. One R63 sells there for 50k and everyone went nuts saying this is awesome that a minivan is pulling that kind of number. The this happens:

[Ntrepid]

The previous BaT auction for this particular car ended at ~39K without the reserve being met. I'm curious to know how much the high bidder bought up from that price.


Robert

[gsxr]

If a clean R63 could be had for under $20k, that would have been serious competition for the LR4 we ended up. At $40k+... no thanks!

[ace10]

420SEL pulled ~$13,500 with the vig.

[gsxr]

420SEL pulled ~$13,500 with the vig.

That's nuts. Maybe there's hope for my E60-RS pulling a decent number after all!

[gerryvz]

My personal belief is that at least 50% of these crack-pipe auction prices never actually get paid / deal is never completed.

Someone should ask BaT how many of their "deals" are actually finalized and completed. I'd bet their record is less than stellar. Use eBay as a guide.

[600Eric]

I too have mixed feelings about BAT. There is no doubt they get some interesting stuff but with all the internet resources I really don't see the value of paying their fees (for both the buyer and seller). Also some of the posts I have seen on there are somewhat "suspicious" to me. Obviously just speculation on my part but from what I have seen it sure appears like there could be some games being played with some of their auctions. In their defense though I guess the same thing can said about eBay. Anyways just my $.02 and I am with you Gerry I would really love to know how many deals actually go through and how many fall through...

[600Eric]

.... I was however watching this auction very closely on Monday:

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/20...ign=2018-04-02

If that thing would have been local to me I would have had a very hard time passing it up at that price.

[gerryvz]

If you want to see BaT-related arguing and put-downs and insults and negative assumptions galore, that rival the BaT “peanut gallery” for ongoing entertainment, check out the “Today’s BaT Sales” thread over on the Banzworld 126 sun-forum.

“Personalities” and so-called armchair market play-by-play commentators running amok.

[ace10]

From another thread:

....
This past week, there was a disgusting situation which BaT tried to gloss over. Their response was pathetic and I do hope they lost some business because of it.
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/19...-taurus-sho-3/
It's a little hard to follow, but the seller listed the car through a bogus shell account and then engaged in overt shill bidding. BaT played right along. They got their fee.

Part II?

Same seller is back with another No Reserve auction
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/19...-gelandewagen/

This time it's a W460 G-wagen.

Requests have been made for pics beneath the mats. For several days. Seller hasn't provided.
The owner of the car has way overinvested in this car... $45K claimed in the ad copy.

Watch for one or more new accounts to jump in and bid this up well beyond where it sits now. Whether or not the seller furnishes the obviously critical photos of potential rust spots.

Currently, the 2nd high bid is from an account registered this year and has bid on 43 cars. Over 30 in the past month. No winners, of course.
The 3rd high bid is from a brand new account which bid on 7 cars in the past 24 hours.

My spidey senses are tingling.

[vexed]

I'm glad I stumbled on this thread. I am planning to put my 95 E320 Cab on BAT in a few months. The last one sold at a fair not exceptional price. Watching the comments is helping me plan on what pictures I need to sell it, undercarriage a must, and I am glad they allow videos since anyone considering a cab needs to see that the top and roll bar work correctly. I agree the comments range from thoughtful to just snarky. Currently there is a R107 lovefest with low mileage cars getting high prices.

Of course I have no idea if BAT will "accept" my car, I suspect they will since it's low mileage and stock. I just resealed the upper timing cover and have a few more things I want to do before I list it.

[ace10]

Finally. Looks like BaT publicly nailed a scumbag seller who was using a shill account.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/19...930-slantnose/

I suspect that BaT was tipped off. There are a couple of posts which sleuthed it out pretty clearly.

[Melville]

I’d never buy a car on BaT unless it’s local. Not because of shill bidding but because I’ve recently learned of the dangers of buying a car sight unseen. An expensive lesson.

[Harv]

I’d never buy a car on BaT unless it’s local. Not because of shill bidding but because I’ve recently learned of the dangers of buying a car sight unseen. An expensive lesson.

x2.

All the last 3 Mercedes I've bought were sight unseen. Two on eBay, one a Craigslist deal hours away. All 3 times the sellers were less than honest or just didn't care.

[gsxr]

All the last 3 Mercedes I've bought were sight unseen. Two on eBay, one a Craigslist deal hours away. All 3 times the sellers were less than honest or just didn't care.

I've bought most of my cars sight unseen, as Boise just doesn't have the kind of stuff I'm shopping for. I always had very low expectations, which were always met, lol. Most were purchased at a low enough price that I wasn't unhappy with the outcome, as I was never expecting a creampuff. There was one exception, purchased from a dealer, where I felt there was misrepresentation... but it wasn't bad enough to hassle them about after it arrived from 3000 miles away.

It's ALWAYS best to see a car in person before buying, if possible, and financially feasible. Sometimes, it's worth every penny of the $500 round-trip airline ticket to walk away from what could have been a disaster. If you buy sight unseen, request as many photos (and videos) as you feel are necessary to at least confirm the visible condition. When I sell a car, I generally have 75-100 photos including the undercarriage. And I disclose anything of concern that I'm aware of. Unfortunately, this isn't typical of most sellers.

Be careful out there!

[ace10]

More nonsense from BaT..

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2018-bmw-m2-2/

A brand new, untitled BMW being offered on auction.

[Harv]

Cloth-seat S600 Coupe with navigation.. in 1993!

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/19...pe-euro-model/

[maw1124]

Cloth-seat S600 Coupe with navigation.. in 1993!

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/19...pe-euro-model/

Is cloth seats a thing? I’m asking for a friend.

maw

[gsxr]

Is cloth seats a thing? I’m asking for a friend.

Everyone wants what they can't get. Example: Euro folks want the awful USA-spec DOT headlights, while USA residents can't ditch them fast enough in exchange for Euro lights. *smh*

Anyway - in the late 80's and 90's, the benevolent MBNA / MBUSA (Gerry?) overlords dictated that cloth/fabric seats were verboten in USA, only leather or Tex was allowed. So to answer your question, yes, in the USA fabric/cloth/velour seats are indeed a "thing", because they are rare. I dunno if the velour is actually more desirable / functional though.

[Harv]

Is cloth seats a thing? I’m asking for a friend.

maw

Like Mr. gsxr said, for whatever reasons, Americans equate leather with luxury. I'm sure many people remember those terrible leather couches from the 80s and 90s. So putting cloth in the top of the line car S600 Coupe when leather is available would be unheard of.

[maw1124]

Nah... I just equate smoother surfaces as easier to clean. I grew up reconditioning cars, and steam cleaning cloth seats was a nightmare in the summer. And worse in the winter. Leather on the other hand would be anything from a wet rag or brush and leather conditioner (in a Benz) to a power washer and vacuum (on almost anything else). So naturally, when I had kids and nice cars, leather was the only option — it doesn’t retain the stains or smells that fabric does. A sippy cup dripping milk in the back seat for a few hours in July — think about that with fabric seats. Or worse, in January, when you have to wait until July to steam clean the car or it’ll never dry. So for me, ease of living with it IS the only luxury worth thinking about.

Moving on... this is the best argument I’ve seen for another W124 car...

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/19...ign=2018-04-19

Cheers, Gents.

maw

PS. Bring a Trailer and the Manheim auction sites are like crack... just can’t put em down

[ace10]

...
Moving on... this is the best argument I’ve seen for another W124 car...

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/19...ign=2018-04-19
...

I don't know that that coupe is worth, but I do know that it will sell for double that number on BaT.

[vexed]

Another coupe, don't like the chromies, my cab had them when I purchased it and I did my best to ditch them. Not as striking as the other one but looks to be in good shape.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/19...s-benz-e320-4/

[ace10]

Another coupe, don't like the chromies, my cab had them when I purchased it and I did my best to ditch them. Not as striking as the other one but looks to be in good shape.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/19...s-benz-e320-4/

VERY odd to me that BaT would come over the top of the other gray/red coupe with this one. Some might argue that the two examples wouldn't compete for the same buyer, but I'd still be ticked off if I was the seller on the first car.

And for my dollars, I'd take the gray/red one. That interior is such a time capsule. Just need to get those veneers fixed up.

[maw1124]

I don't know that that coupe is worth, but I do know that it will sell for double that number on BaT.

It'll be worth what the Buyer pays for it, give or take, to the Buyer if to no one else. Looks even better considering the triple black car.

;-D

maw

[ace10]

The seller of the black/black coupe is not going to be up to the challenge of selling a car on BaT.
I have a hunch that car isn't going to be clean underneath. Seller has avoided the request for more pics.

[LWB250]

The seller of the black/black coupe is not going to be up to the challenge of selling a car on BaT.
I have a hunch that car isn't going to be clean underneath. Seller has avoided the request for more pics.

I think it's more of an issue of ability. They're selling their "grandpa's" car, so they may just be a proxy in this case. The seller sounds sort of young, too. I did enjoy the defensive attitude about the gold trim, however. Gosh, I hate when dealers do that sort of stuff. And yes, I had to use the "But I don't want the TruCoat" quote in there. It was perfect.

Dan

[vexed]

VERY odd to me that BaT would come over the top of the other gray/red coupe with this one. Some might argue that the two examples wouldn't compete for the same buyer, but I'd still be ticked off if I was the seller on the first car.

And for my dollars, I'd take the gray/red one. That interior is such a time capsule. Just need to get those veneers fixed up.

BaT has listed multiple R107s at the same time and it never seems to turn away a 993. I wonder if the owner has any say on when the car is listed. I agree having two W124 coupes at the same time does no one any favors.

[LWB250]

I wonder if the owner has any say on when the car is listed. I agree having two W124 coupes at the same time does no one any favors.

Yes and no. When I listed my 350SDL, I wanted the auction to end on a Monday afternoon. I've watched their results closely, and much as you want eBay auctions to end on Sunday nights when everyone is home, Monday and Tuesday afternoon auctions seemed to do the best in a lot of respects. As for choosing relative to what other cars are being listed at the same time, no. That is, I didn't ask if there were going to be any other W126 diesels listed at the same time, but I guess I could have. They seem sort of aggressive about getting your listing up once you commit, but they were willing to accommodate my request for a specific day.

Dan

[vexed]

Yes and no. When I listed my 350SDL, I wanted the auction to end on a Monday afternoon. I've watched their results closely, and much as you want eBay auctions to end on Sunday nights when everyone is home, Monday and Tuesday afternoon auctions seemed to do the best in a lot of respects. As for choosing relative to what other cars are being listed at the same time, no. That is, I didn't ask if there were going to me any other W126 diesels listed at the same time, but I guess I could have. They seem sort of aggressive about getting your listing up once you commit, but they were willing to accommodate my request for a specific day.

Dan

Thanks that's good to know. Although BaT has the clock reset feature the action is always in the last 10 minutes.

[ace10]

And yet another 124 makes an appearance on BaT.

This time, it's a oil burner.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/19...e300-diesel-5/

Bidding already reaching a fever pitch.

[ace10]

...
Moving on... this is the best argument I’ve seen for another W124 car...

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/19...ign=2018-04-19

I don't know that that coupe is worth, but I do know that it will sell for double that number on BaT.

VERY odd to me that BaT would come over the top of the other gray/red coupe with this one. Some might argue that the two examples wouldn't compete for the same buyer, but I'd still be ticked off if I was the seller on the first car.

And for my dollars, I'd take the gray/red one. That interior is such a time capsule. Just need to get those veneers fixed up.

Sold at $13,500
Feels like a lot of dough for a nice example.

The black/black coupe sits at $16K with 2 days to go. Feels like it will go well into the $20s.

[ace10]

Sold at $24,000

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/19...s-benz-e320-4/

[gsxr]

Sold at $24,000

Wonder if the buyer realizes he coulda got a real nice 036 for the same money.

[ace10]

The diesel is already up to $16000.

[ace10]

So the '95 Diesel sold for $22,000:
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/19...e300-diesel-5/

And then we get another one today. Listed by a late bidder on the one which closed today:
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/19...5-turbodiesel/


Yeah, color me suspicious.

[LWB250]

So the '95 Diesel sold for $22,000

And then we get another one today. Listed by a late bidder on the one which closed today.

Yeah, color me suspicious.

No reason. The seller is a dealer and a regular BAT participant: https://bringatrailer.com/member/Dean_Laumbach/ No doubt trying to ride the wave after the 1995 sold for stupid money today. I would be lining up right behind that sale as well if I could. Gotta strike while the iron is hot.

Dan

[ace10]

I'm aware of the person's presence on BaT, but bidding on basically the same car you are about to sell set off some alarms. For me, at least.

[LWB250]

I'm aware of the person's presence on BaT, but bidding on basically the same car you are about to sell set off some alarms. For me, at least.

Agreed, but I didn't see how high up they bid. I suspect it was probably in an effort to flip it, maybe?