I am a genuine car nut. I surf several city’s Craig listings. I’ve noticed that cars up to about 1955 are suddenly coming available at very reasonable prices. Unfortunately, I think this signals the passing of the generations that remember those cars on the road. I am looking for a decent driver with a flathead, preferably a straight 8. I probably won’t buy one as I can’t really afford a toy right now, but I keep looking.
I've noticed it somewhat too on that Mecum auto auction show on cable.
For anyone unaware of this terrific series, and who has cable, you MUST do search of your cable lineup and find this program. Simply search for "Mecum". They present many cars like the ones you see here, along with many, mostly American, stock/original cars.
We can’t really afford one either but always looking :)
Probably right. I learned to drive at the tail end of the Mopar pony car era, but the cars I was wide-eyed about as a snot-nosed little kid were really the slightly earlier cars. Thus, I'd pay far more money for a '67 GTX than a '56 Chrysler 300, because I don't have enough memories of the latter to interest me.
Unless there is great intrinsic or utility - or even "bullion value," in the broadest sense - in an object, it becomes somewhat meaningless with the passing of the generation that came to love it in childhood. "Mom and dad's stuff" may remain important, but "grandma and grandpa's stuff" is a bit less so, and "the great-grandparents' stuff" is so abstract as to often be meaningless if not valueless.
The other thing I have noticed - particularly in my own hobbies - is that the bottom fell out around 2008 and it isn't coming back.
Mr. niteowl77