They're baaaaaaack..........'77 Dodge Royal Monaco $14,500

The same wagon, with the same pics, in the same ad, for the same price.......
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/cto/5399243454.html



This time, I took the liberty of sending the following E-mail response to the ad:

Well, here we go again.......
I spoke with one of you guys back in December, 2014 about this wagon. I'm a member of an on-line station wagon forum, and we post up links on wagons for sale on the internet. Yours got quite a lot of comments for looking to be in excellent condition, and being a fairly rare model (basically a Chrysler Town & Country, but with a Dodge nameplate) Last year for the model, as well.

I called to explain my interest - to get more details for the forum. (Could be some very interested buyers among the forum viewers, I didn't know for sure.) You indicated the wagon wasn't available for showing until the next month, and the ad was up only to collect information on possible prospective buyers.

Seems a funny way to attempt to sell something - throw an ad up on Craig's List for thousands of dollars, and then not allow anyone to see it. Do you expect someone to just send you some cash, and then you might allow them to look at what they bought? Some might suspect this is some sort of scam, and right now, with all the history on this vehicle, I'm not so sure it isn't.

If you are truly interested in selling this nice Dodge Royal Monaco, you have to at least cooperate with prospective buyers in making it available. This is especially true if the wagon is in the greater Los Angeles area where you are advertising it, as you are going to be getting responses from people who live in that area and want to see it before purchasing. If your schedules are too demanding to have inspections and test-drives, perhaps you should entrust the wagon to someone who does have the time. There are even consignment used / classic car lots all over that could do this for you (at a small cost, of course).

If I were the owner of this nice station wagon and wanted to maximize my return on selling it, this is what I would do:
1. Somehow, make it available for viewing and inspections at usual times - trusted mechanic / friend, whatever. You might even get a request from a prospective buyer to have an independent mechanic check it out. This should be accommodated.
2. Place an E-Bay auction ad Starting bid should be set at around $7,000 - $8,000 to build interest, then place a reserve amount of the absolute bare minimum amount you want to get for it. You could also do a set price ad, which is not an auction, but people might place non-binding bids as well. Your $14.5 price is, in my opinion, not out of the realm of possibility, but I would say it's certainly on the high end of the value scale. (And I know my wagon values). Heck, you might even get a couple of buyers in a bidding war and get even more. If you do not get your price after a couple of auction attempts, then perhaps your goals should be reconsidered.
3. I would start advertising soon. Spring is the perfect time to sell a wagon, people planning ahead for summer.

Good luck with the sale

Marshall

 

Do let us know if you hear anything back - given the history on this one, I would not hold my breath.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if I get an e-mail response. I can't figure these guys out. What I've taken away from this in my brief phone call with one of them is the following:
- Neither one of them is a 'car person'
- They are socially inept
- They disregard any reasonable advice and try to do things their own way
- They have money
- They may have been given bad advice by someone who is even more loony tunes......and they believe it.

 

If it still looks like it does in the photos, the price is not outrageous, but the owners/sellers are highly incompetent in really trying to sell this wagon.

 

One time it was listed for $8500 and then jumped up to $14500.

 

No response to my e-mail yet.....

 

Has anyone noticed the '74-75 Imperial in front of this wagon in one of the pics? Probably the same owner possibly dipping a toe in to see what the wagon brings.....I hardly believe that there are two owners on the same block that like 70's Chrysler full-sizers....

 

I stand corrected. That's a 73 Imperial in the background of some of the pics. You know what I am thinking? Maybe someone took these pics after asking the owner to show him the car and is now putting it on Craigslist to see if they can reel in someone to send them $$$ on a fake car ad. I've noticed some Yay-hoo's doing that on the El Paso craigslist. And you could tell from the atrocious spelling and the pictures that were clearly taken of someone else's car.......

 

I think that Imperial was owned by the same guy(s), and IIRC, there was an ad for it up the same time the first ad appeared for this Dodge wagon. I'm thinking the Imperial got sold. No ('72 or so) Imperial being sold in the L.A. CL right now.

It is my belief that this ad is from the same guys as before. I don't think it's an ad placed by somebody else - just seems to similar to the old ads. Whether the entire ad is fake remains to be seen..... Jury's still out on that one until someone actually sees the wagon.

 

I had a dealer in Indiana tell me someone posted a picture of one of his cars for sale and tried to collect a down payment.
Lost of shady folks out there and if you do not want to show your car something is up...

 

When I was checking this out in December, 2014 on a trip to So Cal, there was a phone number in the ad (there isn't one, now). It was an 818 area code number, which for the most part, is the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles. There was also another 'clue' in the background of one of the pics which helped me pin down a more precise area, although I didn't have any street address at all. I did some 'roaming around' on Google earth to see if could find it, but no luck.

 

The car is or at least was in Van Nuys Marshall.

 

No way these clowns could have actually sold a car. I'm betting it was either stolen or wrecked. Option three is they were just too lazy to repost their other four year old ad for that car.

 

We had a huge bitch session about this seller over on the Mopar C-body forum ( www.forcbodiesonly.com ) last time these were advertised. It IS Barrett-Jackson season, so I'm not really surprised he's running these again. The pics have to be at least two years old, as they're the same that he has run previously. And the Imperial IS his, as well.

I don't understand why sellers do the buffoonery that this one employs. "OOOh, looky what I have! No, you can't look at them or drive them since we are not in town. No, I'll not tell you where they are! Yes, I'm too lazy to put up updated photos of the cars!"...what a jackass.

 

The seller TALKS!

Got an E-Mail reply to my E-mail I had sent via the ad contact information.
Here it is, as received:

Hello Mr. Loveday.
I hope I am not offending you, but I surely never waste my time sending e mails like the one you sent to me, I respect people how they do business, as I respect you for taking your time.
if I am interested in buying a car, I just follow instructions and if it does not happens I just let go.. Very simple.I never get passionated about anything.
Yes, I would like to sell it but I don't need to.There is a big difference..I will sell the Dodge when the time is right for me, I am not new in this arena nor I do my living out of selling cars.
Why do I post it?.. I know what I am doing and it is not up to anyone to like it or not, nor to advise me in how to do it. I have sold my cars and gone to good homes in Europe. So I think I know what I am doing and very important.... I have the time in my side. So the advice is irrelevant. If this ad sound unreal to anyone, or anyone wants to believe that it's a scam, it doesn't matter, as I said before I know what I do.
And yes I should be more flexible in showing the car, but for that I have explained instructions to be follow since I am not available all the time, if people may come unhappy for any reason, they should let go. There are plenty of cars out there. I am truly wishing not to sound too arrogant, but I think there was not reason or place for your e mail under ...HERE WE GO AGAIN.., you should not give any advice when no one asked you for one. Thank you for wishing me luck, and If I don't sell it, it will not hurt me to keep IT.
GERRY OR STANLY.