When are the 'birds going to start appreciating???

[NewfieTBird]

Re: When are the 'birds going to start appreciating???

Tony I think $79,995 would be reasonable.... but $80,000!!! Now your just getting carried away.

[doubutsu]

Re: When are the 'birds going to start appreciating???

How a car holds it real value, heres how I feel, my 05 bird is my twentyfifth new car, it started out as a lease car Jan 05. Dec 07 I bought the car because I still enjoy it so much, this has never happened to me before. I would keep a car for about two years and then get tired of it. Some of my past cars were 66 and 68 GTOs, 5 Trans ams, 5 Mustangs, one 911, all good, fun cars but there is something about this bird. Now thats VALUE.

[Tony007]

Re: When are the 'birds going to start appreciating???

Tony I think $79,995 would be reasonable.... but $80,000!!! Now your just getting carried away.

HEY ANDREW, I'M A SPORT....I'LL REDUCE IT THE $5 IF I GET PAID ALL CASH...

[V8 Cat]

Re: When are the 'birds going to start appreciating???

I recently went to a car show and the owner of a 1955 t-bird came over to see my car. The way he talked about the car made it sound like he was disappointed with how it was made. He actually said that they could have put a better engine in it. I WAS OFFENDED. C'mon, it's got a V-8, what more do you want?! I'm proud of having a V-8!!! He made it sound like Ford should have made the new birds more of a racing car (which they already are) like a ferrari or something!

Sounds like what he wanted was a Ford GT for $43,000 - dreamer.
Actually the 3.9 liter V8 was Ford's preminum engine with 32 valves and dual overhead cams.

[AZTB]

Re: When are the 'birds going to start appreciating???

HEY ANDREW, I'M A SPORT....I'LL REDUCE IT THE $5 IF I GET PAID ALL CASH...

Heck, Tony...if you're going to reduce it to $5, I'll pay that!
That is what you meant, right?

[catb1rd]

Re: When are the 'birds going to start appreciating???

I got appreciation at the KFC when I pulled up to the window to pay for the takeout. The girl leaned out the window said that she just loved the car, and then the next day while at the supermarket the young man who was gathering the shopping carts out side came up to me and said the my car was just beautiful and asked what year it was. Very nice young man and very polite

I'm with you, I like the daily appreciation I get from people who just love the car. I love the people who had driven one in the 50's who tell me their great stories and love of the T-bird, I love the people who have no clue what the car is and just want to ask questions and I love the people who tell me it is the coolest car they have ever seen. I bought the car to drive it and to appreciate it myself. I have no plans to sell it, it will probably pass down to my niece or nephew who happen to think it is the coolest car ever, they were my first passengers and their photo is in my gallery, their smiles say it all!

[bronzebird]

Re: When are the 'birds going to start appreciating???

My '05 Bird is the 58th automobile I have owned in the 55 years that have gone by since I bought my '31 Model A at age fifteen. Among those 58 cars are some that would have added value by a substantial amount.... certainly more than I originally paid and invested in them had I kept them for some time. Here is a partial list:

'31 Ford Model A; '38 Buick McLaughlin coupe; '66 Ford Galaxie XL500; '67 Lotus Cortina; '63 Austin Healy 3000; '64 Rambler Convertible; '72 Buick 442 convertible; '70 Dodge Challenger convertible; '88 Mustang GT Saleen convertible; '93 Cadillac STS w/Northstar engine & '95 Mustang Cobra convertible.

I had a reason for selling or trading every one of these cars that seemed a good one at the time and I really don't regret giving them up. I have great memories that can't be counted in dollars.

Notice that my '05 Thunderbird is not on this list. I do enjoy driving it and plan to keep it around for a while, maybe until they take away my license. Like every car I have owned, I didn't buy it as an investment, that may work for the trailer queens at Barrett-Jackson but not for my cars.

Bronzebird

[FritsB]

Re: When are the 'birds going to start appreciating???

'63 Austin Healy 3000;Bronzebird

Great list of cars Rick.
The Austin would sell in NL at this moment for an amount between 55.000 and 75.000 euro's if in good condition. That equals $80.000 to $108.000.

[NEW_BYRD]

Re: When are the 'birds going to start appreciating???

I do enjoy driving it and plan to keep it around for a while, maybe until they take away my license.

Or until your "daddy takes the t-bird away!!!"

Just reminded me of that song...LOL!

[DavidA]

Re: When are the 'birds going to start appreciating???

I've had over 150 cars in my life, GTO's, Cougars, Cadillacs, Lincolns, many Corvettes and even a Rolls Royce. Other than a '64 Riviera that I kept for about 23 months, I have never kept a car more than 16-18 months. Our TBird is approaching 7 years. Now that's APPRECIATION. P R I C E L E S S!!!!

[Guest]

Re: When are the 'birds going to start appreciating???

Why would anyone even consider getting rid of their RetroBird? This is my 25th car (7 of them various flavours of Mustangs), and by far... yes by far, this car gives me the biggest buzz... it's staying in the nest a long, long time..oh yes, it will be driven.... just sleeps in the nest..... I don't care if it goes up or down in value... it's how it affects my heartbeat that counts.....

[Johnny TBird]

Re: When are the 'birds going to start appreciating???

Shanna -

I did not purchaase my 2005 TBIRD to resale.......I purchased it to enjoy road trips and pass down to my grand daughter who plans to give it to her brother whose nick name is TBIRD. I think the value will go up on these cars for those of you who purchased them for investments.

Happy Trails

[k-pgarage]

Re: When are the 'birds going to start appreciating???

If just enjoying getting to drive these cars is not enough, then consider this. You could have invested in a boat or an RV. Now that is depreciation!
Here is what I do. I drive a minivan everyday as my daily driver. Yes, I know that is both bogus and sad....but. Everytime I get to take a T-bird out it is so much fun and you are so thankful to be in something with less than 12cupholders that you don't have time to think about depreciation.
Ford set the price high to begin with and then abandoned the car shortly thereafter. I think that someday they will be classics in value like the 55-57 birds. However even those cars get eclipsed in value by the newer muscle cars.

[Leroy]

Re: When are the 'birds going to start appreciating???

There's a 04 Merlot with Sand accent with just under 14,000 miles on Ebay right now ( item # 130247398205 ) that's had 44 bids and is up to $24K. Still has 4 days to go. Not bad for a car with no warranty, no Hardtop and no boot. Might be a RePo? What is it about this car that gets such good response compared to others? Is it the Color combo?
Leroy

[Skip]

Re: When are the 'birds going to start appreciating???

How do you put a price on the comraderie we have all enjoyed on this site!!?? We wouldn't have had that without our Birds. I'm with most of the others - it is a forever car for me. I enjoy driving it, and just looking at it. It brings a smile to my face everytime I pass it in the garage. Hopefully, my heirs will feel the same way about it.

Then there are the collectibles. With the prices some of this stuff is bringing, that might have been the best initial investment. I had cases of the white 1:18 Maisto models a few years ago I was selling to TBN members in the $25 range. NM models were about $40and I had a chance to buy all that the Ford Collection had left at one point and didn't want to take the risk. Oh well, hind sight is always 20-20.

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