You will find classics in all types. There are gems - which go for the main prize, but also copies of what are not commercially interesting two, three or four-wheelers for today's classic trade: classics with work, restoration objects and projects. Fantastic, beautiful, rare, desirable ... But no 'trade'. But to restore in-house.
Classes like that were in great demand in the time before serious trade in classics came into existence
Because in the past, most classic drivers had more than average key and recovery qualities. They also usually came from the car or technical side. They bought classics with work because there was not much else on offer and the funds were limited. And went to restore. Sometimes for years.
The slightly better upholstered, less technically talented classic enthusiasts outsourced much of the work. But they were lovers. And then? Then classics were discovered as an investment opportunity. And they have become - with the current interest - more and more. It is therefore still going very well in the trade in classics in the higher and top regions. An investor does not want a workhouse. He wants a rare masterpiece in excellent condition to put in the safe or whatever.
And many of those people with money end up in the Netherlands to buy classics
Because our country is known abroad - among other things - for the good quality (and low prices!) Of the classics on offer here. But there are and will remain many classic survivors marked by the years. That are endearing or make you greedy. And where the market, the investor, is not keen on.
Classes like that are not regular trade for classic specialists
But sometimes they are 'part of the deal', bycatch or inescapable trade-ins. Or they were adopted from the merchant on an emotional whim because he couldn't bear to leave such a beautiful sleeper M / F. Stuff that a renowned classic dealer usually doesn't see much of, because restoring such a veteran is simply not economically justified. Because making hours costs gold when a classic not only has to shine, but also has to be as good as possible.
And having a painful classic restored in Poland or the Czech Republic does not cost anything anymore and it is sometimes a little too much from gambling laws based on experience. If it turns out that your perfectly restored Peugeot 404 Coupé appears to have been sprayed with the back of a vacuum cleaner when you arrive home during a sandstorm, then cheap is quickly expensive anyway. And no matter how many classic traders love classics, they cannot keep their business running on dreams. Margins must be made in the plus, not in the min.
Also interesting: Classics: the trade ... the prices
But if you start looking for them, you will find them
And you don't have to go to the South of France, England or Brazil for that. They are often at the back or the back of the store, in a separate, sometimes remote storage or 'with someone'. I prefer to see so much. And if you invest the maximum hobby and working hours in it yourself, you can come to a very happy ending. Also at auctions, there are unique barnfinds that just need some, very serious work plus some stranded projects. As we saw in Brummen. Classics that are not waiting for an investor, but longing for an enthusiast. On someone with a sense of technology, passion and patience. We recently met someone like this whose construction project started in 2003. On the Boxing Day of 2019, he made his first ride satisfied.
Restoration, more feasible than ever
With the affordable range of what used to be special tools (see our advertisers), with the welding and sheet processing courses that are available and with the help of the Internet, self-restoration is much more feasible than ever. You only need space, patience and time. The hunt for parts is almost a hobby in itself. And you gain real-time or digital friendships with it. And that is another plus.
