Are our 1st generation Camaros going down in value? Seems like the very solid cars aren't bringing what they use too? It will be interesting to see the price of Camaros at Charlotte in a few weeks. Does Barrett-Jackson have that much influence on prices? Guess we'll see in January. Just curious to what others think.

I'm gonna say yes......BIG TIME. But lets be real, the prices were getting totally out of hand anyway. 2 years ago I sold a primer 68 hardtop for $12,500 with a clean body and 350/glide, Had to be towed home :eek: Today I cant sell a very decent BB CONVERTIBLE for 17K and it can be driven home :clonk: BOTTOM LINE.......The market right now is just totally unpredictable.



JMO of course......


bob

Some economists believe all asset classes are currently overvalued due to easy credit and the wealth effect of rising home prices.
Now that credit is tight and home price appreciation has slowed, or declined in some cases, the wealth effect is lessened and asset value will also slow or decline.
Some of the most susceptible assets may be luxury collectables such as fine wine, art, and vehicles.
So, it won't be just Camaro's, but other collectables as well.
Barrett Jackson is pretty far off and a lot can happen with the economy between now and then, but the Arizona auctions in January do seem to set the tone for the year.
It will be interesting to watch.

I assume market trends in the States follow standard economic trends here in NZ
I have had my 1st gen for nearly 30yrs
$s Are New Zealand Dollars
Paid nearly top dollar about 12000 back then
Just before the big sharemarket crash in '86 it got up to just over 30000
And dropped to about 17000 to 12000 and as low as 7000 about 18 months after.
By the late 90s it was back up to around 25000, and climbed ever since to around 65000 now.

Value of your Camaro...well there are 2 schools
1/Those who purchase as one would do with a work of art or trade on the sharemarket...those I dont care if they win or lose, either way its their own doing.
2/Those who own their Camaro for the sake of loving the car...value...who bloody cares, except have to get revalued every so often for insurance purposes...

Geeze from when the value (above ) went from 25000 to 65000, I didnt ever realise, till it got stolen for 45 mins, under tow, and the insurance company wanted a revaluation!!!!

The prices are down, anybody looking around and in tune with what the cars are selling for will tell you the same thing. Probably 10-15% would be my guess, but I'm also willing to bet they will go back up. That being said, this would probably be a better time to buy than sell. A year from now, it could be totally the opposite.........:thumbsup:

I don't know...I was just at a car show and overheard a guy with a 69 X-11 (with a 396) talking to a "know it all" and they were debating whether the car was worth $100K or $120K :rolleyes:
Wife told me to butt in and sell ours to those guys so we could retire early...

I'm agree James on value. Prices are tied to available cash. Easy credit is/was the lubricant for a climbing economy. Real estate "bubble" and credit crunch are going to pinch the value of cars...especially cars that are "luxury" items for the middle/upper-middle class.

yep going down ! I had been busy for most of the winter and spring and just had not payed close attention but when I did I realised that they are on a downward turn , one other thing with our car's that is obvious (AND I HAVEN'T FIGURED OUT YET) is that 69 camaro's sell much higher than 67's and 68's ? this has been a trend for several year's and just confuse's the hell out of me ?
but in general all three year's of the mighty camaro seem to be going south , will be interesting to watch ,
for myself I hope the bottom fall's out of it and they go way back down and get the car's back in the hand's of the hobby minded chevy guy's , the horse trader car dealer type's have ruined the fun of a weekend car trade ,,,,

I thought the 68s held their own at B-J last time, but the 69s are the strongest for some reason.

Seems like $15K-$18K can buy a very solid car now, maybe not a #s matching BB but a very good driver. I think you guys are right on target with the economy. Its going to be interesting to see how the prices are at Charlotte and B-J in January. I'll post some pics and prices after the Charlotte trip.

I'm gonna say yes......BIG TIME. But lets be real, the prices were getting totally out of hand anyway. 2 years ago I sold a primer 68 hardtop for $12,500 with a clean body and 350/glide, Had to be towed home :eek: Today I cant sell a very decent BB CONVERTIBLE for 17K and it can be driven home :clonk: BOTTOM LINE.......The market right now is just totally unpredictable.



JMO of course......


bob

A nice BB convertible unable to sell for 17k?? That is very surprising. I agree prices have fallen off a bit but thats crazy. BB Verts that I have seen still bring pretty big money. Im not arguing with ya..just kinda scratchin my head over it.

I thought the 68s held their own at B-J last time, but the 69s are the strongest for some reason.

Seems like $15K-$18K can buy a very solid car now, maybe not a #s matching BB but a very good driver. I think you guys are right on target with the economy. Its going to be interesting to see how the prices are at Charlotte and B-J in January. I'll post some pics and prices after the Charlotte trip.

It's because 69's are the best looking camaro ever built. Might even be the best looking car ever. Uh oh, bet this thread will get ya'll going.. :hurray::beers::D

I fit in catagory 2 in Steptoe's response. I don't look at my Camaro or the others I have owned as an asset or investment.
To me there is no other Car with the Style and Bodylines of a First Gen.

Barret Jackson in my opinion has hurt the market for fair valued cars.(1) Almost every trashed out rustbucket you see advertised makes a reference towards them. Usually like - "with some new metal and resto work this car could be a Barret /Jackson seller" . Something that is really worth about $700.00 priced at $2400.00
We all have seen the type.
(2) The increased amount of Fake tags and cars. I have personally owned 14 Camaro's since I was 18 (granted some of these were bought parts cars) And I have never came across a number matching car in its whole. The 70's and 80's were brutal on these cars as a lot of them had their original drivetrains and engines removed . I'm not saying there haven't been survivors but I believe there has to be a bunch of Fakes out there.

If the value has declined, I have not seen it yet. I have been looking for a simple radio to fill the hole in the dash - Outrageous, I kick myself for all the ones I tossed in the trash !

My 68 I have ? Had a 396 in it when I bought it, the 327 was laying out back buried it the scrap pile and weeds.

If you are looking at these cars as an investment than who cares. Now what I mean is its like stocks and the housing market they go up and they go down. what is important is the trend. Is the trend that in 5 to 10 years they will go up than the answer is yes. OK so yo pay $20,000 for a first gen and over 5 to 6 years its value is $25,000. Not a bad investment. And you get to drive it.:yes: I think allot of people used the equity in there homes to buy these cars with the housing market unstable. People are less likely to pull money from a unsure investment.

67for/me

What goes up must come down!

Thank god! The market was so inflated it was keeping the regular guy away!

If they go down maybe I can buy #3 and get it finished in time for my 6 year old to drive!:hurray: As long as they go back up so I can take a early retirement when I sell them someday.;)

for myself I hope the bottom fall's out of it and they go way back down and get the car's back in the hand's of the hobby minded chevy guy's , the horse trader car dealer type's have ruined the fun of a weekend car trade ,,,,

Yep, exactly...
I have seen this happen, cycle thru, 3 times in the last 30 yrs...
Back in the early mid 80s, we set tup a Camaro Club in NZ...a few real enthusitists....then the horse trader car dealer type's started to join up, and eventually out numbered/voted the orginal enthusists, which destoried the intention of the club, and it died..
The cycle, like most...sharemarket/realestate/ etc all go in 7 to 10 yr cycles, and have done so for centuries!
So real enthusitsts, keep the eye out for the guys selling out, and prices bottoming in 18 months to 3 yrs from now...

.....So real enthusitsts, keep the eye out for the guys selling out, and prices bottoming in 18 months to 3 yrs from now...

Do you really think it will take that long? I'm kinda getting the itch to go out hunting again... may not be ready for a qhile, but I'm ready to go on the prowl. I was kind of hoping it would bottom out her ein the next 6 to 12 months so I can build up my Camaro Reserves. I'm feelin kind of spunky now that I've got one on the road and another getting prepped for paint... don't know if I can hold out for 3 years :p

If the Gov and Fed reserve do not figure out how to get some liquidity into the market 3-6 months will show a large drop in values. Better hope this sub prime upheaval is not as bad as it is being played out

This has been discussed several times in the last few years in which the prices were going through the roof. I think that the crazy auction results caused many people (including those who know nothing about cars) to see it as an opportunity to make a buck.

Many have made a lot of money buying and selling a lot of cars, sometimes the same car passing hands several times in a relatively short period of time. Each time the car sold for more money than the previous transaction, thus driving up the market. Eventually they'll be tapped out.

The others that were in it only for money may have realized they were in over their heads, or may have gotten burned on cars that turned out to be "questionable" in their pedigree.

Many knew that the skyrocketing prices wouldnt last forever, and that a leveling-off (or market correction) was due. I dont think the bottom is falling out, but maybe that people are getting smarter or getting out after either making their money (and moving on to the next thing) or have been burned.

Prices do seem to be down.
The tight credit market will slow buying down but I also think that all the fake trim tags and fake documentation is going to hurt the sales of Z/28s and big blocks

Prices may be down because of dilution by clones, and all the fake Trim Tags and VIN bull-stuff that is the current market for musclecars. Real collectors want the real thing, and at this point, every Chevy product is suspect. With fake tags, phony paperwork, re-stamps, etc., it's laughable that people are still paying over $15K for any Camaro. I can remember back in the day that I could have had real Z/28's for $3K all day long.

Let's face it-- The Camullet was/is a cheap car (vinyl seats, weak fit/finish, poor suspension, rattle trap interiors, throw-away value by 5 - 7 years old, etc...). Factor in $3.00 min. for gasoline, 8 - 10 mpg., and the fact that driving in one for longer than an hour on the highway makes one contemplate suicide, and it makes sense.

Prices may be down because of dilution by clones, and all the fake Trim Tags and VIN bull-stuff that is the current market for musclecars. Real collectors want the real thing, and at this point, every Chevy product is suspect. With fake tags, phony paperwork, re-stamps, etc., it's laughable that people are still paying over $15K for any Camaro. I can remember back in the day that I could have had real Z/28's for $3K all day long.

Let's face it-- The Camullet was/is a cheap car (vinyl seats, weak fit/finish, poor suspension, rattle trap interiors, throw-away value by 5 - 7 years old, etc...). Factor in $3.00 min. for gasoline, 8 - 10 mpg., and the fact that driving in one for longer than an hour on the highway makes one contemplate suicide, and it makes sense.
I get it now, "Camullet" is a merging of Camaro with Mullet and what you call Camaro's.
Is it supposed to be derogatory, or just a southern term?
BTW, you can still get real Z/28's for less than 3K all day long, just not first generation ones.

Since I don't plan on selling mine ever, I'm glad to see the prices are going down. Maybe also contributing to this fact is that all those people with the Barret Jackson T-shirts have now finally actually went out and bought themselves a car after watching the show on Speed Channel for the last few years and are no longer in the market. Thank God! All the hype about the value is really just a distraction to the real enjoyment found in these types of classic cars. It's the cars that are cool and how one can fix them and make them even better, not how much they are worth. When you were a kid did you care about how much your tonka truck or your set of logos was worth? If you did, I feel sorry for you. I like to think of the collector/investor as a totally separate category from what I would imagine is the more common enthusiast you would find on this website who cares more about HP & TQ, stopping and improving their ride. I don't hold anything necessarily against the investor as is all driven by profit which is admirable - just lacks pure passion. I hope that the decline in value continues and that all the people who bought these cars in the last few years who would not think about working on them on their own will decide to sell them (because the alt. went out or the tranny needs rebuilt) so they can park another SUV in the garage and others can afford to p/u a sweet car that they will take care of. :yes:

Do you really think it will take that long? I'm kinda getting the itch to go out hunting again... may not be ready for a qhile, but I'm ready to go on the prowl. I was kind of hoping it would bottom out her ein the next 6 to 12 months so I can build up my Camaro Reserves. I'm feelin kind of spunky now that I've got one on the road and another getting prepped for paint... don't know if I can hold out for 3 years :p

Yeah m8..I have been playing with a bit of real estate/sharemarket since the early 70s...
We are at the moment waitng for all those who have purchased homes on full and low desposit credit, and interest rates to climb a little more..
Then comes the morgagee sales.
Borrow when intest rates are high, pay back when low...sounds the wrong way around...but pick up the bargans..pay interest only..wait a couple yrs, interst rates drop, pay back principle, and pick up the capital gains..
An for those who think Opporunist taking advatage of those who loose home cause cant afford the interest?
Hey...we have ALWAYS paid cash that we work hard to get...not like those who borrow to the hilt, then claim they HAVE a camaro, sterio what ever when its realy the Banks! Then when the S^^t hits the fan..claim they have lost something that wasnt theirs to loose.

"Do you really think it will take that long? I'm kinda getting the itch to go out hunting again"
That is the attitude that gets those I mention above into trouble...Want Now...so use the bank to get it rather than work hard, sacfice a few beers and fancy dinners, be patient...and it comes to you.

Since I don't plan on selling mine ever, I'm glad to see the prices are going down.
Yep..ppl like us then get to own more of a limitted supply...and next time round, because there ar less avalible, the prices climb even higher, and those non enthustists really have to pay thru the nose, and eventually loose more when they HAVE to cash up.
I must admitt, my Camaro has been in the market since the day I got it back in 1980....price is not negoitable...4x times market value.

.... That is the attitude that gets those I mention above into trouble...Want Now...so use the bank to get it rather than work hard, sacfice a few beers and fancy dinners, be patient...and it comes to you....

My experience is a little different. I have worked my butt off my whole life. Started witha paper route when I was 12, became a caddy at 13, worked my whole way through college, and haven't stopped since. Started my first business when I was 19, got married, started another business in 1986 that is still going strong. Have worked many, many 100+ weeks over the last 20 years, and it's time I started enjoying life. Got hooked on Camaro's last year, bought some, and I haven't had so much fun since I went ice-riding down the 14th fairway at the Olympic Club back in the 70's.

So, for me, it's just a way to have fun, meet all kinds of cool people, go through a new dimension of learning, and spend money on something that has a lasting value. And, the best part is, I get to pay cash... I wouldn't do it if I had to borrow.

Let's face it-- The Camullet was/is a cheap car (vinyl seats, weak fit/finish, poor suspension, rattle trap interiors, throw-away value by 5 - 7 years old, etc...). Factor in $3.00 min. for gasoline, 8 - 10 mpg., and the fact that driving in one for longer than an hour on the highway makes one contemplate suicide, and it makes sense.

Yes the Camullet is a real cheap piece of junk that in it's ultimate form came with an all aluminum 427 engine that would run 11 sec ET with a few speed parts and a weekend of tuning.

Another ZL1 Camullet with the aluminum 427 engine ran at Daytona and Sebring keeping pace with far more expensive race cars.

Other ZL1 Camullets have sold for a million dollars at aution.

That's enough to make one shave off their mullet :)

Hay Mr. Camullet, if you hate these cars so much, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?

I think he is just here to stir stuff up if he can.

"A little more than kin, and less than kind."
"Give thy thoughts no tongue. "

A quote for Camullet
From Hamullet

another thing that is having a huge affect on camaro's is the fake tag's ,
you can read post's in the tag forum's and it start's out
#1 is this a fake tag ?
#2 yep that one's fake !
#3 nope that one's real !
#4 yep fake !
#5 no wait a minute I'M AN EXPERT ! I can tell a fake tag ! and that one is fake !
#6 how can you tell it's fake ?
#7 I can't tell you ! it's a secret .
if guy's that have fooled with these car's can't tell anything about these fake car's and tag's what is a guy supposed to do when faced with a high priced high option car with no way of knowing anything about it , fake car's for 67 and 69 out number the real one's right now ,
68's have sort of a head's up you can't tell anything about them anyway ,
this has also raised the value of low option car's , more and more people will just buy the year they like , if I ever get anymore camaro's I'm just gonna buy six cylinder car's .

This makes sense. Look at the 1967 6 banger vert only 5,285 made. How many true original cars are left ( original motor,trans sheet metal ,rear end,) How about the base model coups. The 327 was a throw away motor. Many were taken out even when they were still in good condition. So the owner could put a big block or crate motor in. So a true original car with documentation. Protecto plate dealer inspection sheet( My dealer inspection sheet has vin# engine# Transmission#,Rear end # all that can be matched to the car) for 67,s and build sheets for 68,69.detailed owners history. Would have to hold there value over time.

another thing that is having a huge affect on camaro's is the fake tag's ,
you can read post's in the tag forum's and it start's out
#1 is this a fake tag ?
#2 yep that one's fake !
#3 nope that one's real !
#4 yep fake !
#5 no wait a minute I'M AN EXPERT ! I can tell a fake tag ! and that one is fake !
#6 how can you tell it's fake ?
#7 I can't tell you ! it's a secret .
if guy's that have fooled with these car's can't tell anything about these fake car's and tag's what is a guy supposed to do when faced with a high priced high option car with no way of knowing anything about it , fake car's for 67 and 69 out number the real one's right now ,
68's have sort of a head's up you can't tell anything about them anyway ,
this has also raised the value of low option car's , more and more people will just buy the year they like , if I ever get anymore camaro's I'm just gonna buy six cylinder car's .

All the hype about the value is really just a distraction to the real enjoyment found in these types of classic cars. It's the cars that are cool and how one can fix them and make them even better, not how much they are worth.
Word for Word, exactly what I was thinking and couldn't have said it any better.

you can read post's in the tag forum's and it start's out
#1 is this a fake tag ?
#2 yep that one's fake !
#3 nope that one's real !
#4 yep fake !
#5 no wait a minute I'M AN EXPERT ! I can tell a fake tag ! and that one is fake !
#6 how can you tell it's fake ?
#7 I can't tell you ! it's a secret .


One thing to take into account about this is that pretty much anyone can get on the net and post what they think, while there aren't so many that really know what they're talking about when it comes to tags/stamps. It's not much different than the "gurus" that you encounter at any car show/cruise-in.

Before long, you learn who knows their stuff and who doesnt and take the opinions and knowledge into account.

Exactly, that's precisely why I take time daily to be on these forums, there is a way to get to the bottom of trim tag issues, authenticity, etc. It might not always be pretty, but it's no different than establishing the authenticity of any antique item, especially if it is a complicated piece of machinery. Personally I learn a LOT from the back and forth trim tag discussions.

once the 2009 camaro comes out, the first gen camaro market will come back with a vengance. Just wait and see.

I hope that is right. I think the values will actually decline when the new Camaro comes out; I think the hype leading up to it helps drive up the prices more. When it actually comes out, I think values may bump up some but then drop.

i bought my 68 conv. in april. first camaro i ever owned. first time i could afford to buy one. i bought it to drive, not to sell. i plan on keeping it until i meet my maker. and then i hope someone else drives it.

once the 2009 camaro comes out, the first gen camaro market will come back with a vengance. Just wait and see.

If GM would use a retro first generation look with the new Camaro, maybe so. I see nothing retro with the 2009.........Seems like GM would take note of the styling and sucess of the newer Mustangs.

I can remember back in the day that I could have had real Z/28's for $3K all day long.



And your point is??

once the 2009 camaro comes out, the first gen camaro market will come back with a vengance. Just wait and see.

I don't track the value of collector cars at all...did the new-retro mustang boost the old mustangs value?

I was at a show last weekend and a fellow with a Mach1 said his value went up roughly 20% after the new Mach1 was introduced. I'm not tracking values of Camaros either given I never intend to sell mine. Although I am considering selling my Challenger, so I am curious as to what changes there may be in values once the new one is unveiled. Charlie