96 A6Q Avant, what's it worth?

[George Selby]

At 05:15 PM 12/8/2006, you wrote:
>These numbers are real numbers, ie: these numbers are what checks are being
>written for these cars...not some crazy KBB value. I love it when people are
>trading in a car, I give them a number and they want Kelly blue book value.
>My simple answer, tell KBB to write you a check for that   I sell cars
>for a living, and I never even ask close to KBB prices. Still a mystery to
>me. Anyhoo...this is just some current market info and my $.02 worth!

I have an easy answer to this - KBB produces many different prices for the 
same car.  There is retail dealer, retail private party, trade-in, and lend 
value.  The problem is most people look up dealer retail, and think that's 
what their car is worth as a trade-in.  In fact, very few cars are in good 
enough condition to justify this price.  The car that commands KBB dealer 
retail is in immaculate condition, with only the increased number of miles 
showing on the odo distinguishing it from a new car.  It has perfect paint, 
a like-new interior, new tires, good glass, etc, etc.  Lastly, it's being 
sold at the used car portion of a new-car dealership.  So basically KBB 
dealer retail is the absolute maximum a car of the kind being looked up 
could ever fetch, and the price only goes down as more and more things are 
wrong with the car, or the farther the seller is from being a new-car 
dealer (i.e. a large used car only lot, a small independent used car lot, 
or lastly, a private seller.)

I laugh when I see a car advertised at 'less than KBB value' in the local 
Bargain Trader.  It had better be less than KBB or it isn't going to sell!


George Selby