Dreams and dropshippers

You dream in bed. However? Because where else would you find a great 2CV Sahara for € 7.500? Well: on the internet. And somewhere there is bound to be a loser who has already transferred that amount with the promise of the mega-duck seller that the car would be delivered to his home prepaid. NOT! The last Sahara we saw was put on the market with “Bid from € 120.000”. That's just such a strange amount, but it comes closer to the madness that is currently called 'De Markt'.

We know the market

From Auto Motor Klassiek we are of course in the warm beating heart of the market. But then in the part where there are still pleasant similarities between what is offered and what is affordable. And that some people can pay more than others? So be it.
But just like in any market on the move, there are fortune seekers. For example, we recently heard from an entrepreneur who had compared the prices of VW Samba vans in Europe and America with the Internet offer from South America. There was a very healthy margin in between. Of course he went for sure and bought two restored vans after happily studying the restoration photos sent to him. And the end result of that restored could be there. You could see that from the pictures! Top!

Bus is coming soon

It was a bit of a wait on the basis of 'van is coming soon', but the air-cooled asylum seekers arrived. After an expert had arrived, it was clear that the blue and white copy still had to undergo around € 20.000 in work at Dutch rates. Underneath the sleek paint was more misery than anyone expected. The red and white copy had a 4 cm longer wheelbase on the left than on the right and therefore also required some TLC.

Look before you buy

In the meantime, we, and many other people, had already come to the conclusion that if you want to buy a classic, you should at least have seen, felt and smelled it. And you really don't have to go to South America for that. Here in our own country you will find all the classics you could reasonably want. And the prices here are such that many classics go abroad. That's not because they are more expensive here than there. A French friend bought the Camaro of his dreams here for his fiftieth birthday. At home in France, he was offered 4.000 euros more. Next week he will receive translation help again with the purchase of his next Camaro.

Quality comes before trust

And 'our' classic dealerships abroad have such a good reputation that a lot of copies… are simply sold online. In addition, it is true that photo sets online or photos sent actually relate to the car or motorcycle that is offered by classic specialists who do not want to risk blemishes on their reputation.

So drop shipping

Another online fact: there are many suppliers of parts that have a very nice revenue model: the dropshippers. They have a clear site and reasonably competitive prices. Prices that are often much higher than those on Alibaba and Aliexpress… Where they really buy their stuff. The order to the dropshipper goes directly to Ali. And from there, so not from a Dutch warehouse, that order is then shipped. The delivery time is often about four weeks. So if you want to buy for next to nothing, look yourself on Ali. Or go for sure, get in touch with real people and have clear communication; Go to your local dealer or specialist.

Dropshipping: At Ali, such an IMZ/KMZ tank, which is also BMW compatible, starts at $91. As a new tank we saw it at a dropshipper for 339 euros… The copy that was offered online as a BMW part had an asking price of 600 euros. We have to inquire about what they originally cost and used in Genemuiden.