Why is it the ads with seemingly the most potential for an exciting find are written by people who seem almost reluctant to sell? Barn Finds reader Geoff flagged this very interesting craigslist find showing what appears to be a warehouse full of desirable American classics. The seller has specific instructions for viewing the cars, and he’s only calling you back once – so act fact if you spot something you’d like to own via the ad here on craigslist.
This would appear to be the Oldsmobile Cutlass, which has been stored since 1984 and is a V8 and A/C car. As you can see in the background, all of the major American makes are represented, so you’re certainly not limited if you spot other cars you’d like to own; however, given the seller’s general disposition in the ad, I’m not sure I’d want to bug him about anything other than what’s listed.
There are a few Corvairs up for grabs (aren’t there always?), but I’m more intrigued by the copper brown Camaro parked behind it. Both cars appear to be in very good condition, but what’s the yellow land barge parked next to it? This is the ’66 Corvair hardtop, stored since 1980 and still running, and there’s also a 1965 convertible that’s been stored since 1978.
This 1962 Ford Country Squire is probably my favorite of the current cars up for grabs, and there’s also a 1968 Coronet wagon in the mix. I think I’m most intrigued by the surroundings, as the seller says these cars are actually in a barn but the background looks more like a big warehouse to me. Regardless, I’m jealous of both the space and the collection in which to store it. Which one would you pick, and are you brave enough to call and follow the seller’s explicit instructions?
The “yellow land barge” looks like a mid to late 70’s Pontiac…and I WANT that Olds convertible, even if it is missing the front bumper. Unfortunately I am in no position to view the cars personally, as the seller requires…
looks like a 79-82 Bonneville maybe???
The barge is about a 1977 or 8 Bonneville.
The Yellow Car is a 1977 Bonneville with the rare tri tone interior, and factory skirts. The sellers instructions is to keep the sales limited to what is listed so its not a free for all, there are over 170 cars, most survivors, there is a completely original 1972 Luxury LeMans in the barn as well, it is a barn/wharehouse.
It’s a Luxury LeMans
yea, reading the ad, they think they really have something, all undesriable models. GLWS
Looks to be another blue Camaro sitting next to the Cutlass.
DARN – my machine answered the call !!!
Guess I can live without any of them – wherever the secret location is anyway. Somewhere in Eastern PA?
A long trip from the Caribbean and it is WINTER !
‘Cause that’s how we roll here in Bangor, PA. We have rare barn finds. If you don’t come see ’em, we’ll call the Auction Estate people to auction them off since they are worth so much. You snooze, you lose….
Not realizing, of course, that an auction will generate far less revenue than actually taking the time to answer people’s questions and actually posting prices…
History doesn’t show that to be true. When there are auctions of this type, they tend to generate lots of frenzy and lots of revenue. Personally, I’d rather purchase from the individual. I see the validity in how they are handling it because trying to sell 170 classics would become a full time job for a few people, especially with all of the tire kickers out there.
It was the seller who decided to amass 170 cars and then sell them all at once, not the buyers. Selling 170 cars at the same time WILL become, at least temporarily, a full time job for a few people unless you call in a full service auction company but then you’ll pay for it in commissions and fees.
Rick, I know your right..I used to live in Easton, Pa. & saw lots of cool barn finds.
Another example of how people want big bucks with little or no effort.
I understand both sides but the seller should be providing more information on each car so the potential buyer can guage if a particular car is right for him. Like the 60 Olds convertible. A desirable car but besides the nose looking nice what is the condition. No interior shots. Does the top work. Is the engine free?
I do not see anything of real value in the photos, alot of bread and butter nothing cars from the 60s and 70s and it looks more like a small storage building, not a barn find. Photos are poor at best, clear the junk away first. The seller says some of these cars have been sitting for decades but nothing in the photos looks like it’s been sitting for decades. From the way the guy wrote up the Craigslist ad giving his tough instructions like he is doing the buyers a favor by only calling back one time and just his general rude tone, I would not bother. Sorry but the ad is a turnoff. The buyers have the control, not the sellers so a little more politeness would help here.
If you’ve ever dealt with people who reply to CL ads you’d understand the seller’s pain LOL
I have Keith and yes it’s tough but it’s no excuse for the general rudeness that we see here. It’s just part of the business. For every 20 Craigslist timewasters, there will be one who really does come along and buy and all you need is that one buyer to start things going. You have to treat everyone as a friend. Ebay can be just as hard with nonpaying bidders, ect but you still have to work at it. Most people don’t want to deal with someone who thinks he is doing us a great favor. A bad vibe is felt here.
Great movie backlot cars. Load on a carrier and add instant period dating.
For as long as some of these cars have been in storage, they appear to be very clean, Does someone go around once every few months and wash them all? Typical CL listing: No details and few PICS showing little detail. Add to this a rather surly attitude. Does the seller expect great numbers of people to drive to eastern PA just to get some basic details to decide if they are even interested. I’m not so sure.
Seller is clearly a novice.
So as a potential buyer I have;
No useful info on the car.
Have to visit first. PA. In the winter.
Wait till the car is physically clear. So possibly visit twice.
Be home to answer the phone or lose out.
Good luck seller, at that rate your grandkids will still be working the sale for you.
Looks like a ’66 AMC Marlin behind the Cutlass in the Craigslist photo (see the tapered rear window thru the windshield, and the over-the-roof trim starting near the upper corners of the windshield). The ’62 Fury convert looks very solid and would be worth a couple of bucks to a MoPar fan, even though it’s likely a 318 car (no “Commando” fender pages that even the 361’s got in ’62)
Anyone who is so independent stating the rigid terms by which he might sell one of these “gems” obviously is too attached to break his heart by making an offer he might favor you by accepting. I wouldn’t want to ruin his day, so am not interested in his “barn” full of average cars.
Looks like he has some nice Mustangs, but again, the wrong coast.
Hopefully someone in the group who lives nearby can pay a visit and give us some more info…like what kind of prices are we talking about…!
I have known the seller since the late 80’s and have been through the collection many many times. This is their personal best pics over the decades and there are some Muscle Cars in the collection too.
I have videos and pictures of a lot of the cars but, my website because of it’s name gets banned if I post it here so bummer for me. However, even if the cars look plain jane to some, most are convertible or extremely low mile cars and still have original tires on some!
If you think the seller is gruff, there is a reason as I have been there to see tire kickers take up a day asking questions. Then they usually come back later with a similar car they purchased someplace else that is on its last breath looking for the car they originally wanted. Of course, it is most likely sold off by then so like someone had said, you snooze you loose…
I’ll probably get yelled at for posting a pick off of one of my videos :(
Maybe you could get creative, and spell out your website phonetically or something. I’m sure I’m not the only one who’d like to see more of these.
OK think of this site name but, make it singular then just add nation before the .com
Then search for “hoarders” cause that’s what I call em to bust balls
Thanks :-)
When there isnt a price, its often to expensive.
Let him keep his cars in peace.
Maybe he just need some attention.
170 cars?? So better 5-10 real cool cars. Nobody can enjoy so many cars.
It’s more like a mausoleum than a collection…cars go in, and then just sit there until now.
I watched the video (thanks TRC) and there are some interesting cars there. The question is, what would it take to get your hands on any of these? I live about 1700 miles away, I don’t think it makes sense for me to try.
TRC, thanks for leading us to your video. Wow, so many ’64-’67 Pontiacs. I’m dying to know the price range, but would have to take a day off to get there to find out!
this seller has 2 many rules and thinks his poop doesnt smell. i buy alot of cars but i quit kissing buyers arses along time ago. he may be the seller, but i am the buyer with the money.
I see a ’67 Mustang convertible in the middle of the lot. I do like the 62 Ford wagon also. I am approximately 6 hours south, guessing by the eastern PA and NJ description
I’ve probably owned over 50 cars and motorcycles so far, and and never found a vehicle with no price listed to be a fair deal. With the multitude of online price guides to all these cars, there is no reason to withhold asking price from potential buyers.
To make a long story short I have bought about 3 or more cars from them? I should mention they were nothing cars, not stuff like in this collection. Most all have a history attached to them here. Such as the entire car history is known or it has very rare options. My problem is I am a Hot Rodder turned coder http://nosleepatall.com/ so I don’t care about originality and would feel guilty for taking such original vehicles and defiling them so to speak.
I know there are a lot of strange combinations in the collection is kind of why no prices are listed when you see something that looks plain to most. I have owned around 60 cars through the years and I know the pain of listing them for sale and dealing with trolls and tire kickers even on a POS Van I was selling. So that is why there is a rather mean sounding way of contacting him for these cars.
This collection is a personal one that most will never be able to have. I have run into others with way rarer stuff in better storage places and I am nobody for the most part. Heck one guy gave me a ride in his Noble after he pulled his BB512, RUF and 2 other cars out of the way in a residential neighborhood!
So yeah if your combing CL for a cheap score that you can flip, keep looking cause these are the end of your search keepers.
TRC, Just because this old grouch may have had time wasters in the past does not mean that he should act rude to possible buyers of his junk which is pretty much what we are looking at here. Heck, I would be just about willing to put money on it that this is either a used car dealer/broker/junkyard who is tired of stepping over his long owned unsold/unwanted hoard. No prices, rude tone, ony one phone call? What kind of ad is that? I would not even walk across the street to meet someone like that, let alond travel to him. He is not doing possible buyers any favors and is already off to a bad start with the rudeness. You have to consider each and every caller a possible buyer. As Bobsmyuncle just said a few posts above this, his grandkids will be still working this sale with that kind of poor attitude and as George above said, he may think his poop does not smell when in fact, it may smell more then the rest of us. I find this post more annoying each time I check it. Form all the negative comments, it seems like most of you would agree. Close this case. Back to more true barn finds.
I m waiting for the call, I’ll answer then if arranged I will head cross country. I’ve bought dozens of cars from feisty old timers that love their cars and put up with excessive bs to sell them. I’m a car guy too I’ve been there. Usually within 10 minutes the negativity has been broken down and by the end of the showing we re like old buddies. I’ll take my chances and hopefully score a couple of jewels. A future report will be provided.
Not that EBAY needs a plug, but I think it’s the best and easiest way to get the most eyeballs on a car you want to sell. And thus it’s the best way to get the most money for the car, because that’s what auctions do best as we all know.
Now this chap is limiting his audience by using CL, to say nothing of his 60-grit salesmanship. It isn’t that difficult to take a dozen photos of a car, post the sale on EBAY, and wait for the bidders. That way you don’t have to answer phone calls or suffer tire kickers or let strangers into your house, especially if you have a well-written description and good photos. And EBAY only charges something like $125 to sell a car. Finally, you can also set a reserve of course, so there isn’t any danger of not getting your price out of the car. But logic isn’t for everybody.
Ebay has proved to be a joke more times than not. Have actually seen people run bids up. Be winning bidder then pull a no pay claiming to have had a heart attack after winning the bid!
I have personally sold 2 vehicles as parts cars, no title must be trailered. Then had winning bidder refuse and leave negative feedback as “vehicle does not run and cannot drive”!
I hear you TRC….Ebay has become a joke. $50 (or $65) for your listing whether it sells or not, even if the buyer flakes (which is more times than not). I’ve had people send me a “Best Offer” which I accepted, then show up and try to lowball, thinking I’m desperate enough to sell that I’ll just accept their offer anyway. Winning bidders who evaporate….winning bidders who never show up to pay/pick up the car….you name it. And because there are basically no repercussions on Ebay these days (ever notice how almost everyone has 99%+ feedback now?), there’s little you can do but re-list.
Then you re-list, and people think “well there must be something wrong with the car and the buyer backed out”. If you try to put “re-listed due to non-paying bidder” in yur description Ebay will flag and pull your listing, saying that “stating someone was a non-paying bidder may offend some users” and forcing you to delete that terminology from your listing. Are you kidding me?
Good luck, Platito! Hope you score big. Sometimes being gruff and short on details is just a defense mechanism to see how serious someone is in order to size them up face to face because that is how they do business. It’s the Seller’s hand and he can deal the cards as he chooses. Anyone can opt out of the game.
Bingo
Wow, you guys have certainly had a different experience on Ebay than I have. I’ve never had a non-paying bidder on a car, and I take an immediate $500 deposit when the auction closes. And, in cases where a buyer wasn’t happy with a part I sold them, Ebay refunded my fees.
Sure, some sellers may have their friends shill bidding to drive up the price, but that’s probably no worse than the usual frenzy at any auction which drives the price upward. An auction is a good way to sell something, but not the best way to buy something.
I suppose this guy in question is better off paying an auction company to sell his cars, since there are so many of them. I’ll save the commission and stick with Ebay.
Rex, I have found ebay to be great at times and pittyful at others. It’s a 50/50 shot at best. Half the time, the buyer comes along, bids, wins and pays. Great. The other half? Bogus bidders with nothing better to do then mess up someone’s time and money, bidding at the very end and walking away, saying, oh well, take me to court or whatever bs excuse they have. In the last few months, I listed 4 cars on ebay, three sold while I had to relist the other car three times and each time, the last bidder backed out. 3 times it happened. I gave up on that car with ebay. A seller can no longer give a neg feedback for a bogus bidder but the bogus buyer can? Is that fair? Ebay needs to step up and protect the sellers more. I like the idea of an immediate 500 deposit. I guess that is through paypal? At least you get paid asap but it can also reduce the amount of action on your item. Not everyone uses paypal. Ebay always charges you that listing fee, even if your bidder walks but I complained to the ebay team and they always refund my money back 100%. They will work with long time sellers if need be. I am not eating that money.
Well, it looks like this guy got the hint and changed his craigslist ad. He removed the “one call only” BS and toned it down a little. Hey, I guess he reads Barn Finds too! Let that be a lessen to you Mr rude seller.