The primary reasons that these vehicles are usually collected in the first place are to show them off, finish their restoration, recapture a memory (or obtain a longed-for dream), and perhaps sell them for a profit.
Most of these are good reasons but they are not necessarily all valid for the same owner or the same car. They certainly are not all valid for every car. And they may not be valid reasons at all-particularly the selling for a profit. These are the most common, but certainly not the only possible reasons for getting into this strange hobby characterized by high expense, difficulty in finding what you need, and long waiting periods for getting anything done.
It is wise not to be lured into believing that a fine old car will be worth so much more when you have restored it that you can easily sell it for a profit. The more typical scenario today is for the car to be worth maybe 70% of what you have put into it. This makes the investment part of the equation far less attractive. In fact collector cars are not considered a very good investment by most financial analysts today. They are considered a hobby, a pastime, a leisure activity, or a passion but not an investment. The reasons for this are complex and better left to another discussion. [See article: The value of a collector car: Determining its worth]
The point is that there are reasons to think twice about getting into this hobby as an investment strategy. Unless you are willing to invest your time as well as your money and you are not particularly interested in turning a profit, you would be wise to look elsewhere with your "investment" strategy.
So if investment is the shakiest of reasons, what then? Having a beautiful display piece may be the obvious first choice. If you like it enough to "collect" it in the first place, you should like it enough to want to show it off to people. Shows are the single most important way for most people to appreciate these machines. It feels good to visit a show, and it feels even better to exhibit a car there. But choose your shows with a degree of discretion. You may not want to take your 1927 Kankakee flatbed truck to a show that features Full Classics, or motorcycles, or Model Ts or muscle cars. Check this Website or others (*See below) for listings of shows so you can find the right venue for your interests.
