Corvette enthusiasts are discovering a new outlet for their passion: the eBay Motors online marketplace. On any given day, some 10,000 Corvette items are listed for sale: You'll find everything from new and old cars and parts to such collectibles as vintage advertising art and diecast cars. Here's advice from fellow Corvette enthusiasts who have bought and sold items on eBay Motors.
TrendsTop 5 corvette collectiblesCorvette memorabilia selling well on eBay includes:Any 1967 Corvette item: Considered by many enthusiasts to be the single best year for the car, 1967 Corvette memorabilia prompts fast and furious bidding.
Diecast cars: More than 2,000 diecast Corvettes are listed on eBay every day, including models made by Corgi, Revell and Hot Wheels. Prices range from $1 to $50, much more for rare items.
Sales Brochures: Promotional material originally given to dealers and prospective buyers sells for $10 and up.
Earnhardt C-5 Memorabilia: Any items associated with the C-5 Racing Corvettes driven by Dale Earnhardt at Daytona in 2001 bring a premium.
Advertising Art: Vintage print ads that originally appeared in Life and other magazines sell for $10 and up.
Online SellingTwo Tips for a Quick SaleWhether you are selling memorabilia or an actual car, follow this advice for fast results:Set a No Reserve auction with a very low starting price. The final high bid wins the auction.
Set a very low Buy It Now price that is a great deal for the right buyer.
Focus: eBay MotorsIf you're thinking of buying or selling a new or old Corvette (and what enthusiast isn't?), have a look at eBay Motors, the targeted area within eBay for sales of real vehicles. Started in April 2000 (five years after eBay was created), eBay Motors now leads all other automotive web sites in visitors, averaging some 6 million unique visitors per month. A few other facts:A real Corvette sells on eBay Motors every three hours.
On any given day, there are 250 real Corvettes listed for sale in eBay Motors, from a 1962 convertible to a 2001 Z06, and everything in between.
In 2001, Corvette led all other car models in number of searches on eBay, with more than 4 million searches.
eBay Motors has created an "Enthusiast Page" specifically for Corvette lovers.
True TaleFinding a 1956 pedal CarJohn Moist, of Oregon City, Oregon, still has the first Corvette he ever bought, a 300-horsepower, white 1962 Roadster, as well as his most recent purchase, a pewter 1999 Coupe. But the Corvette whose purchase gives him the best story isn't a real car at all. It's the 1956 fiberglass pedal car that Moist bought on eBay less than a year ago. Originally given out as dealer promotions, the pedal cars (above and left) are rare collectibles because only 20 were ever made. Yet two of the pedal cars have sold on eBay. The first one, Moist recalls, got into high numbers fairly quickly, forcing him to drop out of the bidding; it ended up selling for $5,300. But Moist was on the hunt. With his wife, Valerie, at the keyboard, they searched on eBay by playing with the spelling of the word "pedal." Bingo. Valerie found a "peddle" car listed that had a "Buy It Now" option. Moist bought the car immediately. Price: $3,000. The 52-inch-long red pedal car is now the prize collectible of the 80 or so Corvette items he has bought on eBay in the year since he's been shopping online. "I started collecting Corvette things years ago," says Moist, "but I've been collecting much more so in the last year, because of eBay."
Smart ShopperHere are tips for buying Corvette vehicles and collectibles on eBay Motors:Always get an inspection period for any product you buy. Any legitimate seller should offer this protection for the buyer. Whether it's one day or a week, it's your only chance to ensure that the product is exactly as specified by the seller.