How to find affordable OEM parts?
Where can you find OEM VW parts at a reasonable price? Is it on an online auction or at swap meets? Unfortunately, it seems like the Internet has driven up prices across the board. I purchased my 1958 Beetle from a guy that had a 1964 Beetle beautifully restored for over 15 years. He told me that he bought his original EMPI GTV steering wheel for around 60 bux 15 years ago. Try buying one today and you are looking to spend anywhere from $400 to $600 for a decent condition GTV steering wheel. I believe that sites like Ebay has driven up the total cost of the complete restoration process. If you are a seller then good for you. If you are a buyer, here is one thing to keep in mind before you submit your bid. Let me explain the psychology of (online) auctions and how they hurt the restorer. It is human nature to want to win and auctions are about winning what you need - so you think. Lets say I needed a NOS front American style bumper for my project car. What is the price tag for this part? There is none. It is what people are willing to pay. Now, put that bumper in an auction and you have people trying to WIN (or win to pay for) that NOS front bumper. Since human are competitive by nature, winning comes at a higher co$t. The Internet in conjunction with auctions has inflated what we are willing to pay these days by placing competition and egos on a global stage. You could be bidding against someone from a country in which their currency is double the value of the US dollar. So, before you bid, let your ego down and think about the true value and what it means to your pocket. Here are a few tips you should observe before you begin searching on auctions sites for parts.
- Watch for auctions with a reserve. Try not to pay a penny over the reserve price. This is what the seller perceives as its true value. A lot of the time he/she is modest in their thinking. Ask the seller for their reserve amount directly by clicking “Question to the Seller” button. You will be surprised how easy they will tell you. This is valueable information during the auction.
- Search of auctions with spelling mistakes, for example: Porshe instead of Porsche. This could give the ad limited exposure.
- Never bid until the last 30 minutes or less of any auction. If you drive the price up early, the seller is less likely to lower his reserve because of his ill-perceived belief that nobody wants what he is selling.
- Watch the buyers who are your competition. Look at the items he/she purchased recently to see if that person paid high or low for his last item. This can help you understand what you are up against and could be an early warning sign that trying to beat that nut will send you to the poor house.
- When you are bidding on an auction, remember, you are trying to win the ability to pay a fair price. You are not winning anything for free. So, relax your ego and try not to over-spend.
- Look for auctions ending at strange times, like 4:00AM. There are sniper sites for proxy bidding on ebay, but you are less likely to be fighting with an human at 4:00AM. Less competition means a lower price.
Personally, I feel the best place to buy parts are at swap meets. Hopefully, you will run across a old-timer who has not been corrupted (or educated) by the internet and is only looking for a 20% gain in profits since he acquired the part 10 years ago. Sometimes people come heavy and want to leave light. You have more bargaining power at a swap meet. I once purchased a pair of Dellorto 48’s at a swap for only $100.00. Once I found out that the carbs were too large for my 2.0L engine, I decided to sell them on e-bay. I sold them 2 weeks later for $700. Now do you understand my point? Another place to check are classifieds sites where prices are static and are normally negotiable. Sellers are realizing that eBay has become an extremely expensive to place ads and sell. On eBay you have listing fees and a percentage of the final price fee. Seller who have a lot of stuff to sell are reluctant to sell on e-bay, because after the auction you can owe hundreds of dollars. With a little time and patients, you can evenutal sell your items on a specialized auto site.