Juicy Words

An introduction to collecting car brochures - Part 3 - What to look for when buying.

If you have read the previous articles in this series (they can
be read on this website or http://forums.retroretro.com/ ), you
should now have a clear idea of what brochures you are trying to
obtain for your collection.

Now for the fun bit! Starting, maintaining and increasing your
collection.

As you are collecting second-hand items, the condition of an
item you are after can vary dramatically. Also, it does not help
that sellers regularly either omit or misdescribe items.

Therefore, it is paramount that you ask the right questions and
look for what the seller hasn’t said as much as what he has in
his advert description.

Having been disappointed on more than a few occasions when a
“pristine” item has arrived through my letterbox, I have a
checklist that I consult before committing to buying. The list
is as follows:

1) What is the size of the item in centimetres? Pictures can be
deceptive and what looks like a 21cm x 29cm item, may be much
smaller in size. 2) How many pages long is it? Beware that on
smaller brochures, there can be confusion between seller and
buyer with what represents a page. My firm only uses the term
“pages” for items that are 6 pages long or more. Otherwise, we
use the term number of “sides”. As a reputable seller, this
avoids any confusion and disappointment. 3) What is the
reference number of the brochure? Most manufacturers have a code
system for their brochures that you will become familiar with
very quickly. By keeping a note of the references, you will
avoid duplicates in your collection. 4) What is the condition of
the brochure? Amazingly, very few sellers have a condition scale
attached to the advert (we do). One person’s “pristine” may be
fit only for the bin in other collectors eyes! I therefore
ignore vague words like the above and ask direct questions - Has
it any creases or tears and if so how many and how bad? Any
fading? Any foxing (A term used to describe stains, specks,
spots and blotches in paper)? Any water or damp damage? 5) How
will the item be delivered to you? On auction sites especially,
it is natural to go for the cheapest posting method. However, if
the item is being sent for the cost of the stamp, can you really
expect anything more than for it to be delivered in a flimsy
envelope? Probably not. The only way that a collectable paper
item should be sent is in a card-backed envelope preferably
marked “do not bend” with the item wrapped in plastic to prevent
water damage and a return address inside, just in case the
postal system loses it. I also insist on a proof of posting,
again just in case the item goes missing. For any item over a
preset limit, in my case £30/$60, I offer to pay extra for
recorded delivery. Better safe than sorry.

If you get a satisfactory answer to the questions above, you
will be as certain as you can be that you will get the item and
that it will be of a standard reflecting the price you have
paid. The list sounds a bit daunting, but essentially it boils
down to ensuring you know what you are getting and making sure
it arrives in the same condition with which it left the seller.

Many is the time that I have received a sodden envelope that
contains a perfectly preserved item because I have insisted on
it being wrapped in plastic. If the seller says, he does not
normally do this, offer to pay extra for the service or if
practical, collect the item. If your seller cannot or will not
take this care, may I suggest that you walk away and wait for
another to turn up.

Please remember that for older brochures especially, a bit of
fading and foxing and the odd crease or small tear is perfectly
acceptable. In fact, I prefer an item with a patina to an “as
new” item as it seems to have more character.

Finally, unless it is extremely rare, I would avoid buying any
incomplete, falling apart or badly damaged brochures. On the
whole, they have little or no value and it is best to wait for a
better one to be offered for sale.

Next week, I will be discussing the correct way to store your
collection.

A Quest for Answers

I have written a handful of articles about cars. The ones about “muscle cars” or the old generation and new generation are easily my popular articles. In a quest to find out why this debate seems so popular I have developed a survey, which will be found in the “about the author” section below.

This one survey may not answer all the questions but it will be a good start. It was funny because as I was creating the survey I was trying to figure out which I prefer and I could not do it. I think it is because I like combinations of both. I was watching the Barrett Jackson classic car auction this winter and there was a car I would love to have had. It was an old muscle car, a 1970 Cuda or Challenger I believe, and it had a modern day Dodge Viper powerplant.

There are advantages and disadvantages to both generations, at least in my opinion. I love the styling of the older cars, without a doubt. I like the fact that the older cars are bigger and more comfortable in many ways. Take a 1969 Chevy Camaro for example. You compare it to a 2002 Camaro and there is clearly much more room in the 69 model. There is more room in the car and there is a TON more room under the hood. Ever try working on one of those fourth generation f-bodies? They are brutal.

I also like the quality. The older GM’s are much higher quality. That is back when GM was at the top of its game and they actually cared about making cars. Now GM’s biggest business is their mortgage division, GMAC.

One thing that definitely has the newer cars leading over the older cars is the handling and the braking. I have driven my friend’s 67 Barracuda, his father’s 70 Roadrunner, 3 of my own 87 turbo Buicks, my 95 Z28, and a 2004 Nissan 350Z. One thing is clear, as time progressed the handling and braking got better. Although the turbo Buick’s handling and braking were not very good at all. The 1970 Roadrunner had no power steering or power brakes and it had a 383 for an engine. So, it had plenty of get up and go but I found myself praying it found its way to my destination because I was not confident I could navigate it.

At the other end of the spectrum is the 350Z. I took one of those for a ride. It did not possess that same kind of through you pack in the seat power and torque of the American cars, regardless of generation, but it handled like it was stuck to the road. I took a sharp turn by my house at 70 MPH and it felt like I was doing 20 MPH.

Different people like different things. In my survey I put a place for age because while I think most of the older generation will favor the muscle cars of the 60’s and 70’s I do not think that is a given. I see a lot of older guys driving the new cars like a 350Z or Honda S2000. I have heard about the Honda S2000 and how impressive it is but I test drove one of those cars when I was looking to get rid of my last Buick Grand National. I was not impressed by the Honda at all. I have no idea what all the hype is about regarding that car.
One thing that I will find very interesting is the responses from Corvette owners. Corvette has been around for decades and has seen many changes. The majority of the time I see a Corvette on the road it is an older guy driving it. I am curious as to what percentage prefer the 50’s and 60’s Vette’s over the newer models of the last 10 years or so.

The new Corvette Z06 is supposed to be extremely impressive with stock horsepower being rated at 505 hp. I personally like the styling of the newer Vette as well, although I could see why the real enthusiasts might not given its European styling.

One thing is clear, there are a wide variety of factors that go into why someone prefers one car or one generation of cars over the next. But, I hope to answer some of the questions with my current survey. If you are interested in this as well could you please take about 5 minutes, if that, and complete the survey below. Depending on the results I get from the survey I may do some follow up questions as well but this will be a good start at answering the age old debate of which is better, the old generation of muscle cars or the new generation of hi-performance cars.

Scott Bianchi operates http://www.best-internet-bargains.com. He writes on a variety of topics. If you would like to be added to his distribution list for his new articles when they are published just send an email to articles@bestinternetbargains.com.
http://best-internet-bargains.com/best3/Cars_Old_vs_New.html