There are also classics in Slovakia and Moldova. But the Slovaks are doing much better economically and the Slovaks think they don't have enough. Slovaks are currently mainly buyers. But of course there are also many Slovaks who would like to sell something. Those are quite a few Škodas (did you know that Škoda is the brand name and also means 'pity' in Czech?) For few and Urals and Dneprs. In the Czech Republic and Slovakia they love Jawas again.
And then we have Moldova, by far the poorest member state in our unsurpassed Europe. It is just not the case that people have to eat grass there, but Poverty is still written with a capital letter. In Moldova, Russian and Romanian are spoken, and those are also the languages that are not in the mouth for us. But Romanian has some similarities with French.
The Moldovans are the selling party
The Moldovans are an emphatically selling party on the classic market. But because the communication in Moldova goes through the village pit rather than via the Internet (there is a perfect lack of Internet or money for the purchase of something that cannot be sustained like a smartphone almost everywhere). But of course there are some smart Andreis or Vasilias can be on the net. The most brave of these have their asking prices in dollars or euros aligned with those of Bonhams or Pebble Beach. But our Slovakian spokesman Lubomir carelessly dismisses those prices: "They just ask." So there is often a bargaining margin of a few 1.000%. There are also quite a few classics from Moldova that come here, from 'the west'.
Classics in Moldova
Moldova is the poorest country in Europe. It is being held hostage economically by Putin because of the desire to become 'European'. 60-80% of the male labor force is unemployed. 60% Is drinking. The youth flees. The country is aging.
The local range of classics is usually 'challenging' or 'with a lot of potential'. That is because, until recently, many of the products on offer were simply someone's greatest pride. But if you have no money or opportunities to maintain yourself proudly, the story ends with a tired car or motorcycle with the most important approach: He still does it, so it's a good one! ”
Yet there are beautiful or interesting classics in the region. That is mainly ex Russian material. And again, it is not always clear whether the documents are correct. And that in turn can lead to major corruption at the border. Because in a country where many people have almost nothing, there are many people who want to take it easy.
Doing business in Slovakia and Moldova
It is handy to have a contact person when it comes to Slovakia (and the Czech Republic). However, doing business in those countries is good. It is absolutely vital to do business in Moldova only with proven reliable people. And such a trade contact must speak his languages so well that he cannot hide behind misunderstandings later. Speaking Romanian or Russian fluently yourself is of course the most useful. Traveling armed is also sensible.
In the meantime we have a few contacts in those regions and with the necessary restraint we pass on the firm opinion of those two classic enthusiasts: "Never do business with Ukrainians!"
