MTFCA Forum

So the myth that the Model T market is soft was exploded at the auction I went to yesterday in western Montana. Somebody consigned this to a local auction. Carb missing, medium quality paint, radiator patched 100 times, no Ruckstell, cranked over and had compression, box made from a kit or a set of plans, etc., etc. I figured with it being the only T on the auction it might sell for a reasonable price, might be able to get a little pickup for not too much money and either play with it or flip it.

Look at the pictures and scroll down to the bottom, I'll tell you what it sold for. They buyer was happy as a salt water clam, never owned one before, just wanted one, said there are not many around, had no idea how to drive it, etc.
Sorry about the photo size and etc. Can't get them to load the same size, I dunno. Late and I'm tired.

TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS!!!

Tell me again how you would never have an auction because they just give every thing away.

Stan, Who was it that uttered the famous phase, "There's a Sucker born every minute. Was it P.T.Barnum?

Terry, he claimed he never said it, but it's from the nineteenth century for sure. The population is so much greater now that we must be up to three or four new suckers a minute. They post a lot of memes on Facebook.

I asked him how many more T's he wanted for that kind of money.

Don't forget. It took two people to bid it that high...

But look at all that fancy artwork on the fenders and the radiator. Gotta be worth something.

Donnie. Or not.

Maybe he's thinking of sending it down under, with dollar difference and freight he would break even, maybe even a little profit as well

He'll need to do his sums Frank! $10 000 plus $3-4000 to get it here makes around AU$21 500 plus 10% GST. , for a converted tourer buckboard?

Allan from down under.

Allan, that's the problem in living at your part of Oz all costs you extra 10000 US to AU 14665 + west-cost exports US,1500 to east coast Oz Melb or Sydney, Now 10% GST but no stamp duty if over 30 years. Still do-able What do you find in Australia under 20K these days?

Just an example of an over priced T in Oz, you can always ask but do you get?

Stan, the good news, it may have some interest for the young generation... But he will discover soon he paid too much for what he have. That will be a hard wake-up call from the honey moon... When I started 15 years ago, I paid too much for what I have... I learnt the hard way either but I'm still addict about T world. Hope this gentlemen will not be discouraged and he will be surrounding by experienced T folks and keeping is enthusisam.

Seemed like a nice guy but said he had never driven one and didn't know anything about them.
I would have thought he would have wanted me to walk out and maybe show him some things about it, tell him what kind of carburetor he needed and where to get one, explain the foot pedals. Etc.
On the other hand he could write a ten thousand dollar check which I couldn't do so he's done something right I didn't.

Recreational vehicle sales in our area have gone through the roof this Spring. Circumstances have influenced peoples priorities.
Rich

Could have been a ‘bumper’ mixed in with the crowd. Or would they be called an ‘encourager’!
Anyhow I hope the guy doesn’t get discouraged with it and sell it to a rat rodder.

Have to agree with R. Eagle about the recreational vehicles and camper trailers.
Here in Central Texas 2 large lots have sprung up on I-35 near me and other smaller ones down further. I guess somebody has some money to spend and a lot of it.

Don't be fooled. Massive fields of RVs used to be more common around here, but most of them have disappeared. The dealers had a deal with the manufacturers to store the RVs on consignment, but customer demand was never anywhere near high enough to justify the massive amount of stock on those lots.

John, I have no idea. It is interesting that I was watching it on the icollector site while it was selling. Before they started calling live bids, it was at $1100, when they started the live bid they started at $5000 and the guy bid 6, internet 7, guy 8, internet 9, guy 10.

Hard to tell. We don't do internet bidding. We take the occasional phone bid, very seldom an absentee bid. I also have a policy that I will identify the other bidder any time anybody questions whether we have a live bid or not, either on the phone, absentee or in the crowd.

We do everything we can to discourage phantom or "puffer" bidding but it is very hard to control. I do charge full commission on anything that is bought back, if they want a reserve we advertise it with reserve and give the high bidder the first opportunity to meet the reserve price if the bidding does not reach the reserve. It's fair and upfront and nobody has to remember which lie to tell. Almost always the high bidder will take it at the reserve price.

I have my 434th auction coming up July 18th. I don't tell other people how to run their business and I don't let them tell me how to run mine.

Everybody has a different take on what is ethical, fair, honest, etc., etc. I'm the geezer in the business in Montana. Only one other auctioneer that I know of is older than me and still working. I'm barely still in the business. I have one auction this summer, turned one down yesterday, may have the auction later for a good friend who left a big yard of cars and tractors when he cashed in a couple months ago.

Soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo... Interesting.

Stan Howe & Associates
Front Range Auctioneers
Helena, Montana
Over 425 successful Auctions in 7 States and 20 Montana Counties since 1982
Properly Organized -- Widely Advertised -- Honestly Sold -- Promptly Settled.

I was suckered the first time I bought an antique car. But now I just chalk it up to paying my dues. It was only $1500, so it wasn't so bad. But that was a lot of years ago.
In any case, I've met so many nice people since that the occasional weasel doesn't bother me too much. And I've had so many people extend themselves on my behalf, that overall, I have been incredibly lucky. One of those instances was how I got my first Model T. I had a couple other old cars, and one of the members of the local touring club heard from a friend about a 1914 Model T Runabout for sale in San Diego. His ears perked right up, and he and his wife asked me if I had ever owned a Model T. I said no, I never had. "Well, everyone in the hobby should own a Model T at least once in their life!"
He had been friends with the man selling the T for many years, and he called him up, and just because it was some kid "Who should own a Model T!"
the man chopped the price in half, and told my friend to bring me over to San Diego to see it. If I didn't want it, no problem. He would still put it up for sale.
So that guy loaded up HIS towing van and trailer, (I had no way to move a car across town, let alone from San Diego to Tucson) and he, his wife and myself all drove to San Diego to see the car. It was complete, but apart. The body was stored up against the wall. He had just had it re-wooded in preparation for starting it as a project. He had also collected all the parts that were specific to the 1914 car, including all the lights, and a brand new brass radiator.
HOLY CRAP!!! How often does something like that happen?!?!? It was fabulous! I told him I would certainly take the car, and bought it right then. That was on a Saturday. Sunday morning we went back, and everyone helped load the trailer, and we left there a little after noon.
All of this only happened because other people wanted to lend a hand.
I have tried to pay this forward ever since, and I'm still working on it.
I will own that "T" until the day I die.
I hope the buyer of this "T" truck does not get bitter about it. I think once he drives it, he will be glad he spent the money. And if he tours with Model T people, he will be fine!

maybe it was too high, but if you are happy then it is ok. you are not taking your money with you when you die, and it is only money. enjoy it and have fun. By the way I also over paid for my T because I knew what i wanted, but i get impatient and did not shop around. I was lucky to buy from an honest person that did not lie about the car. but I like it and have fun with it.

I’ve been a newby in the past. Newby’s don’t have the connections to make the great buys. They don’t have friends to help them purchase a good deal. We should celebrate someone coming into the hobby rather than trashing them for paying more than we would. Just my thoughts.
Keith

I watched this one too. Don't forget the 15% buyers premium. He actually paid 11,500 for this car!

Well said Keith,
What's costly today is cheap tomorrow. Our 1918 Model T tourer cost $500 in 1966 and finished costing $3000 in 1972. Driven it everywhere with four children on board, even added an extra leaf in the rear spring to cope with the load. Later purchased a 1913 7 seater Fiat, a large tourer to take over family veteran duties.
The 1918 T is now owned by my second son and family.
Keep safe...N.

Lloyd, I asked the lady when I got there and registered if the 15% applied to the floor sales and she said it did not, only to the icollector sales on the internet. So he paid $10,000 for it.

"I’ve been a newby in the past. Newby’s don’t have the connections to make the great buys. They don’t have friends to help them purchase a good deal. We should celebrate someone coming into the hobby rather than trashing them for paying more than we would. Just my thoughts.
Keith

I don't think I'm trashing anybody for paying more for it than I would have. I offered to help the guy with it, gave him the name, phone number and address of a national MTFCA director that lives about 20 miles from where the auction was along with my name, phone number, address and a couple of my web site addresses. I also told him if he needed a carburetor for it I could fix him up with an NH for it virtually free and if he had any questions or needed anything to give me a call or send me an email and I'd help him get it running and show him how to drive it.

I think that's pretty damned "Welcoming to the hobby!"

I also gave him the name and email of the president of the Rocky Mountain Model T Club which is headquartered less than 100 miles away, told him about the tours we have, told him about my 27 coupe, told him we'd be glad to have him as a member and that there are about 75 guys with Model T's belong to that western Montana group and that if he called or emailed the club there was probably somebody right close to where the new owner lived that would be glad to help him get going with it.

The new owner did not offer this name, phone number, where he lived or any other information. So I said "Good luck with it, give me a call if you need anything" and left.

Stan you make all the good things. I would be more than happy having support and tips like this when I started in the hobby. Maybe the guy put that T on his own car collection and will not use it at all.

Shoot, I even overpaid in Two Thousand Sixteen for my new lot. Don't care. Money is a renewable resource!
You offered help Stan. That's all we can do.
Oilybill that's a really neat story! The joy of learning a model T Ford is absolutely priceless.
Then we get another and it's a whole new animal again.