Be A Good Buyer

There is no shortage of guides online that detail how best to sell your classic car. The one we put together is of course the best one out there, and you can read it here. Look for guides that detail how to be on the other side of the deal, however, and you’ll come up blank. But, being a buyer is just as important and needs just as more care and forethought as being a seller. Much like you want to be a good, honest seller, you also need to make sure you’re a good buyer, too. That’s not to say you need to buy every car you enquire about, but you do need to be open, honest and communicative. And here are five ways you can do exactly that. We’ll caveat, however, that this guide is for when buying from a private seller. Enthusiast to enthusiast. 

1) Do Your Research

This might sound obvious, but so many people fail at this first, most basic step. Research the kind of car you’re looking to buy. Knowledge is power as they say, but more importantly this shows genuine interest and investment on your part. Go and look at a car armed with knowledge and the seller will love it, because think about it, you would love it if you were selling, wouldn’t you? It means the seller isn’t exasperated explaining the obvious, it means you know what you need to look for in relation to that particular make and model and it will make conversing and ultimately, doing a deal a far more fluid, friendly affair. And to do so, to acquire some knowledge, costs you nothing but a bit of time. And even if you don’t buy the car, you’ve increased your inner encyclopaedia. 

2) Respect Boundaries

You wouldn’t go banging on the windows of your local franchise dealer at 10pm, demanding to see a car, so don’t do it with someone selling a classic. Email, which is often the best way to contact the seller, is fine. Do that whenever you like. The reply can be done at their leisure. But, if you like to talk to sellers first, ring them at a sensible time. You’re dealing with a private individual here, so respect that. Would you be having your dinner right now? Then maybe wait a bit before calling, as they might be doing the same. It sounds trivial, silly even, but people can be silly. 

And on that note of being human, humans are not perfect. Most sellers aren’t budding ‘stars’ of Watchdog. They’re just people, trying to sell a car. This isn’t to say you should trust everyone with full commitment – you’re still responsible for your own due diligence – but you should be willing to offer a bit of leeway if things are forgotten or wrongly described. Just ask them why? Be human about it. They (like we all do with our own cars) will overlook or forget certain things about it not out of malice, but out of familiarity. 

3) Be Realistic 

This is a massive, massive point to make. Be realistic. Cars, especially and somewhat bizarrely, classic cars have fallen into a trap these days. And that trap is that people expect used examples to be new. Cars are machines, a mass of tens of thousands of moving parts. They wear out, they show signs of age, they get used. It is the very bedrock of their reason for being. So don’t go and look at a classic and get in a huff because it has evidence of this. If a car is being sold as concours, and the floor is hanging out, then that’s a different matter. Same goes if there are significant issues that aren’t mentioned in the advert. But, if there’s a bit of a ding here, a scuff there, a loose thread, whatever – don’t go firing into the seller. As we said above, it’s almost certainly been forgotten out of familiarity, not malice. Classic cars are second hand, or fortieth hand if you’re like some of us. They’re going to have some evidence of that. 

4) Communicate

Communication is key when it comes to being a good buyer. Don’t go quiet, don’t ghost anyone, make sure you’re open and honest. Selling a classic is not like selling a modern hatchback, this is going to be an emotional sale. Remember, we’re talking about a private seller here, not a dealer. Selling is not just potentially emotional, it’s also stressful. You’ve been there, you know this. So make sure you make an effort to communicate. Don’t want the car? Tell the seller, don’t just fall off the edge of the world. Something you don’t like? Tell the seller. They might be able to sort it, or work something out. Don’t like the price after having seen the car in person (and never, ever before – do not talk about money until you’ve seen it, unless you’re paying full asking)? TELL. THE. SELLER. They will have thought of this, there may still be a deal to be done. By not being communicative, you’re not just wasting their time, you’re wasting yours, too. 

5) Don’t Change the Deal 

You’ve done it; you have found your dream classic and you have agreed a price and soon it will be coming home with you. Don’t go and change anything. Again, this is a human interaction and it pains us that people do this, but here we are. Don’t renege, don’t suddenly try and rearrange the deal, don’t vanish – as per the words about communication above – and don’t let the seller down. There are mitigating circumstances of course, genuine circumstances. But, if you’re simply getting buyer’s remorse, or just generally cold feet, that is very much on you, not the seller. We’ve been there, it’s natural and it’s going to happen. But, rather than tell them you can’t buy the car because your cat is being held hostage by a tyrannical neighbour, or because your mum has been abducted by aliens, just buy the car. Trust us. That first drive will be magical. You’ll familiarise yourself with your new love, you’ll drink in the smells and sensations and you’ll be happy. And back at the house with the new empty drive, that seller will be so very glad indeed that it was you who bought it.