Good Time To Buy Convertibles?

[Deon 0]

I have a budget of £3000 per car, is now a good time to start buying convertibles and essentially sitting on them until the spring to sell?

[BHM 994]

Hi, no. But to sell now, there’s no point sitting on stock for 6 months.

[Deon 0]

Ok thanks. My theory was buying now when they might be cheaper and sell when they are more in demand. I would of course still try and sell them for a profit from now until spring, however, if they didn't sell, I guessed I would get more for them in the spring.

[Stalker 180]

There may be a better demand in the spring, however prices rarely rise over 6 months, they may maintain the value if bought right now.

 

So yes fill your boots, but don't expect a lottery style income in the spring

[MattR 177]

Might be  a bit cheaper, but how many chunks of 3k can you afford to have sitting around not earning just to make a few extra quid in spring? at the 3k range you should be aiming to stock turn 8-10 times a year. keeping a car for 4/5 months stops you selling two or three times in that time. And then of course theres the other issues, batteries go flat, needs another valet, MOT gets shorter etc.

But convertibles do sell at this time of year if they are priced very right, if customers are thinking the same as you.

 

[NOACROSS 414]

Have always done better with selling them out of season rather than in. People do think they’re cheaper- but they’re not. Certainly not here. ;o)

[David Horgan 564]

48 minutes ago, deon said:

I have a budget of £3000 per car, is now a good time to start buying convertibles and essentially sitting on them until the spring to sell?

wow Stocking for 6 month mmmm need to think burn rate " how many times can you turn 3k over in a year " , We Have  sold 4 convertibles last week alone and another being picked up Sat this week , 

Burn rate on 3k in my books would be 8 times a year not once   or twice 

 

[Deon 0]

Well, that's my theory gone up in smoke!

Great to learn it now though, so thank you all for the advice.

[umesh 336]

Sold many convertibles in winter especially the hard top one's , not as seasonal as it used to be in my experience ! Buy sell TODAY !  

[RH Trading 80]

Agree with everything on here, sold an A3 convertible last week for decent margin that I've had in for about 3 weeks, daily cost for me was £9, don't sit on stock, try and work out what you're daily cost to stock is, rent, rates, wages, depreciation, advertising, overheads etc spread out across all your stock and you'll soon understand the need to turn as quick as possible

[David Horgan 564]

Only one way Deon 

Buy it , SELL It end of , simples 

[DCS01 27]

I used to know someone who did it who traded in the bexley area. He always made a tidy profit. I just don’t think it makes financial sense when you think how many cars you could turn over in that period.

[BHM 994]

Tbh I do better with cabbies in the darker months. I think punters think they’re being overcharged in the summer months.

PS Not that there’s a summer premium anyway! That’s just a Wheeler Dealer style myth.

[Deon 0]

Well, this chat obviously motivated me, after not buying anything for 2 months just bought an MX5! Thanks!

[trade vet 702]

Good cheap convertibles,I don’t think so.Out of interest I was annoyed with a friend yesterday at Newcastle where there was a 12 207 CC Roland Garros 8k ,white,leather etc ..a rare car.One or two said they wanted it and I was asked by this guy who I know well how much I had for it.I said north of £5k and he said how much more.So I said £5500 ish and his reply was it will never bring that much and the others agreed which inferred to me that they would not bid that much.Anyway it started at 38 and I could not shake off the other hall bidder and I stopped at 5850 and it was knocked down at 59.Low and behold it was my friend who bought it.If he had told the truth he would have had it for £400 less as I would have stopped at 55 so I let him know.

[Nick M.K. 574]

6 hours ago, NOACROSS said:

Have always done better with selling them out of season rather than in.

+1. 

In December 2016 I had 12 sales (12-14 stock)

8 were convertibles (Boxster, 3 series, A4, TT Roadster, Merc CLK and SLK). Especially the hardtop models I think are not seasonal in demand at all, plus my advertising always mentions that this is the best time of the year to buy one. For me at least it's true. 

6 hours ago, RH Trading said:

daily cost

Are you kidding? My cars are not costing me, they are paying me OR at least keeping some money outside the poorly paying banking system.

CALCULATE DAILY PROFIT 

[grant8064 219]

We've always done best with convertibles in winter. No idea why but they struggle for us in summer and they shift in winter.

[MrC 142]

2 hours ago, grant8064 said:

We've always done best with convertibles in winter. No idea why but they struggle for us in summer and they shift in winter.

Maybe people think they are getting a bargain in the winter !

[Contracts 68]

Sold an Evoque Dynamic Convertible today, it’s orange and looks like a lifeboat!

[Deon 0]

No accounting for taste!

[NOACROSS 414]

Absolutely- I can't get my head round them either.  What DO they think they look like I wonder.  Do they care?

[BHM 994]

Far too high a waistline on the car - it looks like the occupants heads are balanced on the window ledges.

22 hours ago, Contracts said:

Sold an Evoque Dynamic Convertible today, it’s orange and looks like a lifeboat!

[justlooking 48]

Bought a TT via proxy bid out of Blackbushe Monday, CAP was 5500 and paid 4200 plus the tip, thought I’d got a winter bargain til I picked it up, malfunctioning brake pedal was the real reason why