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On an unrelated note- How angry does BaT get about being a dick in the comments?
I’ve only seen them step in a handful of times to police the comments. But I also have noticed there is beginning to be more discontent from posters.
From what I get (mind you I have been on BAT for almost 8 years now - long before the auctions started) you’ve got a few types of commentators on the site:
The old farts - those of us who miss the old site and just want to see cool cars and hear/see stories about them. Often times they ramble on about history or lost facts and in general are just there.
The scorekeepers - people who have joined BAT after the auctions started and only care about seeing the final bid amount of the car (no matter the brand). They view it as a game or sport.
The neighsayers - the ones who think this whole auction thing is purely a money grab and that BAT will whore itself out so long as the list fee is paid and clicks are gained.
The secret handshake crowd - sellers or apologist who only know BAT as a marketplace to get the best value for a car and want to see it continue to build bubbles and see no harm in inflated values. They don’t think anyone with a negative comment should be allowed and just ignore dissenting opinions. Mostly these are dealers and/or are people who have joined strictly to sell a car in the last few years.
Comments usually fall in one of those buckets, but commenters can bounce between them as well. I find myself often looking at peoples join date after reading comments, and see that my suspicions were usually correct on the type of user they are.
Unfortunately, you’re seeing a lot of sellers who would rather most of the comments go away. Find them a burden to wade through just so they can cash out at the highest value.
It’s like someone who has an Action Comics #1, but dreads having to go to a comic book store or convention to try and sell it because they’ll have to deal with all the “nerds” who they perceive as no money to buy it.
It’s turned in to a dog & pony show where you have everyone trying to flaunt how much money they have by their bids or what cars they have, whereas before it was more that people flaunted knowledge or past experiences with these older or rare cars.
For me, I’d much rather hear some interesting story or tidbit like what it takes to restore an old Jaguar E-type, or what it was like to drive an MG across country with the dark lord (Lucas electronics) as your copilot, vs someone just rattling off all the cars they own and probably never have driven.
There are still sections of BAT that are like the old site, but they continually bury it deeper and deeper in the menu, you can’t even access it anymore from the home page it seems. The emails bury the old categories way at the bottom (below the comment of the day and yesterday’s auction results.. way, way, down).
I have noticed some of the commentators popping up on the other German autos for sale blog I subscribe to, which is nice.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
1991 325i MT2 Touring (JDM bro)
2016 Ford Flex
2011 Audi A3 - wife's other German car
Unfortunately, you’re seeing a lot of sellers who would rather most of the comments go away. Find them a burden to wade through
I agree with this portion of your novel. There are so many, dumb ass, regular commenters there. A few in particular that whine on almost every ad "oh, I so wish I could buy this" or "I'm really tempted to bid", just shut the fuck up already. Then you get the regulars (sometimes the same ones as aforementioned), that ask the stupidest questions, just trying to stir the pot, for no real good reason.
Anyway, it's Saturday and I don't want to be working out in the cold right now. Grunpy old man is going back to work. Auf wiedersehen...
Excellent overview djjerme. Although I’m not a dealer I have two cars that I’m interested in selling and the markup on them on BAT is huge so I find myself trapped between the “protect the bubble” camp and being a skeptic. There are some cars that show an easy 5k premium between craigslist in Texas and the final bid. I can see how a savvy small dealer could spend his time exploiting this.
Bid for the chance to own a 1989 BMW S14 Engine w/ Gearbox at auction with Bring a Trailer, the home of the best vintage and classic cars online. Lot #15,247.
That alone should send a message to BMW that they need to take them off the NLA list.
Even given the extremely limited niche market, I bet over 1/2 of the remaining E30M3s out there would buy new seats if they could, (and a bunch of regular E30 owners) especially if you could buy them with upholstery options.
BMW Mobile Tradition is so blind
Jimmy P.
87 E30 M3 Prodrive British Touring Car
88 E30 M3 Zinnoberot - Garage Queen
88 E30 M3 Lachsilber - SCCA SPU #98
92 M Technic Cabrio - S14 Powered!
98 318Ti Morea Green
04 Ford F350 Dually Tow Machine
That alone should send a message to BMW that they need to take them off the NLA list.
Even given the extremely limited niche market, I bet over 1/2 of the remaining E30M3s out there would buy new seats if they could, (and a bunch of regular E30 owners) especially if you could buy them with upholstery options.
I’d rather have the dashes available before seats. For $1600, I can get seats redone in whatever I want locally. What you can’t get is dash “uncracked.”
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
1991 325i MT2 Touring (JDM bro)
2016 Ford Flex
2011 Audi A3 - wife's other German car
Outside of the horizontal stitching is there any actual physical difference in the standard sport seat vs the m3 front seats?
No. It's actually the same as a vert seat.
My buddy and I were looking closely at the pictures, and the fronts look like an early model frame. It's slightly different mechanism. Also, the seat belt receivers look like the early style - and pretty beat up. Someone else noted that the shocks hadn't been replaced.
So basically, they paid 6K for new skins and a M3 rear seat. The rear seat is the only M3 unique thing...
Again, it's silly considering you could have a local shop produce the same results for half that amount.
1991 325i MT2 Touring (JDM bro)
2016 Ford Flex
2011 Audi A3 - wife's other German car
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