The Value of a Collector Car—Determining Its Worth
a result of the declining demand component and the static nature of supply, values of all but the most pristine cars from the 30's and 40's are going down and will likely continue to do so, at least for now. It is true, however, that these examples of automotive excellence are unrivaled in many respects. And as the years pass they will again increase in value as the broad base of additional automotive eras continues to unfold. As this base expands, cars of the 30's and 40's will, by direct comparison, again be seen as truly exceptional, even by the young who have never heard a Duesenburg accelerate down a road, or seen a large Pierce-Arrow effortlessly torquing its way up a hill. The glitch here is that all this may take another 40 or 50 years-a time frame that is at the very least discouraging.
Meanwhile, if you decide not to wait around for 40 years and want to determine your collector car's value today, you can consult several sources that are highly respected and relied upon by both buyers and sellers. I have cited a few sources below, in the order in which I would recommend them. One note, however: This is a general order of preference for most vehicles. The order of preference can be quite different in specific cases, depending on the year and make of your particular car of interest.
Also, the description of a car's condition can vary from one source to another. Caution is advised. Sellers quoting condition "ratings" have a choice of various criteria. For example, compare the guidelines for judging condition used by two sources. The first, from Collector Car and Truck Market, states quite clearly that its top rating does not claim to describe "100-point trailered show cars," which are described elsewhere. This suggests that their "top" rating is somewhat watered down if it does not include the absolute best vehicles. Looking at the judging criteria in Old Cars Price Guide Magazine, we find a more comprehensive and more elaborately explained set of criteria. Theirs, in fact, might be the best set of criteria for judging a car's condition.
Caution is also advised against freely accepting the sale prices from various auto auctions. Dealers may bid among themselves, or other so-called phantom bidders may bid up the price to create falsely elevated values. The best way to determine present market value is probably
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