Original Documents-What are they worth?

[Doug L.]

I know, the easy answer is 'whatever the seller is willing to take and the buyer is willing to pay'.

Two days ago I received an e-mail from the son of what was probably the 3rd owner of my car. I am in contact with the original owner but he retained no paperwork on the car. This 3rd owner apparently received some of the original paperwork when he bought the car but put it in a file and didn't pass it to owner #4. I am owner #6.

So the son of owner #3 found the paperwork ( "... the original plastic bag with the owners manual, warranty book and radio instructions. Also, the order sheet, a 1964 brochure and bill of sale are here and they all look new") and contacted me. They are willing to sell these documents to me, and I am certainly interested. The question is the price. Ignoring my opening statement, has anyone been in this situation before? Does anyone have a feel for what such documents may sell for or has anyone actually purchased such documents for their car?

I'm very interested in having them. I do know the selling dealership and I have a notarized letter from the original owner providing details of the original purchase, but to me that is not the same as having something like the bill of sale. I can always buy repro's of warranty books and the like.

Thanks in advance for any opinions. P.S. the car is a '64 L-84 being correctly restored.

[Steve B.]

Re: Original Documents-What are they worth?

I know, the easy answer is 'whatever the seller is willing to take and the buyer is willing to pay'.

Two days ago I received an e-mail from the son of what was probably the 3rd owner of my car. I am in contact with the original owner but he retained no paperwork on the car. This 3rd owner apparently received some of the original paperwork when he bought the car but put it in a file and didn't pass it to owner #4. I am owner #6.

So the son of owner #3 found the paperwork ( "... the original plastic bag with the owners manual, warranty book and radio instructions. Also, the order sheet, a 1964 brochure and bill of sale are here and they all look new") and contacted me. They are willing to sell these documents to me, and I am certainly interested. The question is the price. Ignoring my opening statement, has anyone been in this situation before? Does anyone have a feel for what such documents may sell for or has anyone actually purchased such documents for their car?

I'm very interested in having them. I do know the selling dealership and I have a notarized letter from the original owner providing details of the original purchase, but to me that is not the same as having something like the bill of sale. I can always buy repro's of warranty books and the like.

Thanks in advance for any opinions. P.S. the car is a '64 L-84 being correctly restored.

The rarer the car is, the more valuable original paperwork becomes. I know that original glovebox items are not cheap, (about a 1000) Personally I believe those items should be with the car and that the guy should give them to you but of course we don't live in a perfect world. Good luck.

[George J.]

Re: Original Documents-What are they worth?

Offer him a couple hundred and see what he says. Some of those things are worthless to anyone other than you.

George

[Tom H.]

Re: Original Documents-What are they worth?

I always hate to see documents held for ransome. I have never charged for documents I have reunited with cars and owners, but that's just me.

If it were me, I'd offer 500.00 bucks. Start there. It would be worth the money and I doubt he will find anyone who will pay more. I can almost assure it.

Please keep us posted on the outcome of this deal.

[Don H.]

Re: Original Documents-What are they worth?

Doug,
the answer to your question is very subjective, but throughout the collector car hobby, a papered car is a "better" car than its equivalent that lacks paper. Especially when the car is unusual, as your original 64 fuelie is.
What the added value of the paper is to you, the owner of the car who has no intention of selling it at this time, is strictly up to you. If you were about to put your car up for sale, and had the chance to get the original docs for say a $1000, I think that would be money well spent, as you would probably add over $1000 to your selling price by having the docs. But to just put the docs in your bureau drawer, just to say that you own them, maybe you do not have money for that right now. As for me, I would pay what it takes to get the docs for my car. Your seller has a market of one to offer to, so it is not like he has anyone else to sell to. You are really in control. I would start reasonable but low with an offer of say $200-250. Most people expect that the first offer is not the best offer. He might come back and counter at $500. If you struck a deal at $400, you would be in hog heaven in my book. Good luck, and get those docs. They belong back with your car.

[Kenneth H.]

Re: Original Documents-What are they worth?

I see from your profile that you own a 64 fuelie. If you don't have the original paperwork to prove that your 64 was originally built as a fuelie, what is the value of your 'vette? Now if you do have the original paperwork to prove that it was built that way, then how much would it be worth? Substantially more I'd suspect.

Although the order sheet and the bill of sale are not iron clad documentation proving the original build of the 'vette (as the build sheet or POP would be) having original documentation of any kind could only add value when you decide to sell. Just make sure before you purchase them, that the documents aren't fakes.

As for value of the paperwork, when I purchased my '70 a few years ago, I looked at three '70 LT1 convertibles, all in about the same condition. The one I chose came with the original bill of sale and the others had no paperwork. I actually spent a couple of thousand more for mine than I would have had to spend for the other two, simply because of the paperwork.

Thanks.

[Tom P.]

Re: Original Documents-What are they worth?

All of the above is good info.
I totally agree that any and all of the original paperwork should be part of the car. PERIOD! BUUUUUUUUUT, as already mentioned, we are not in a perfect world.
Putting a value on original paperwork, again as mentioned, is subjective. The true value is subjectively perceived by you.
Again, as mentioned, if your car was a true FI car, the original paperwork could make a tremendous difference at sometime in the future.
I would like to believe the person that posesses the paperwork will be reasonable in the price, although, personally, I'd be inclined to pay the price (within reason).
I'd love to have the paperwork for my 56, or at least locate the original owner. I traced it back to 1968 in CA and then came to a dead end.

[Alexander C.]

Re: Original Documents-What are they worth?

Heck, if it lists the VIN on the documentation I'm surprised you don't have some legal right to them

I'd start at $100 and take months to drag it out, I mean who else is he going to sell the stuff too

[Michael D.]

Re: Original Documents-What are they worth?

What are they asking and how bad to you want them? Let's face it, they are of no real use to anyone other than you.

[Philip A.]

Re: Original Documents-What are they worth?

Doug
All of the above is good advice. What strikes me is that the son contacted you looking to sell. I would not offer anything. He needs to make an offer. It may be way below what you are willing to pay; and both will be happy. If ridiculous you make a reasonable offer. Watch the show Pawn Stars; they NEVER make an offer first. They ask how much and offer 50% or less each an every time.

[Joe M.]

Re: Original Documents-What are they worth?

Don't forget the fact you have the car, it has a fuel injection unit on it and it looks and runs great. It would be wonderful to have the docs just because.

It is a real FI car because the FI unit sits on the engine. They can't fake a FI unit. You can fake papers.

Most buyers will not pay more for the documentation.

Some select buyers will hold the papers as valuable and pay more money.

As a seller you could hold out for the right buyer to sell your car for 'more'.

'More' is a relative term and market dependant.

Do you suppose the document holder is visiting this website?

[Mike G.]

Re: Original Documents-What are they worth?

the docs are worth nothing to him. as far as that goes they are not worth much to anyone else. i would start with a couple hunders dollars and go up from there. you can only hope they are real so i would be carefull. 200 is more than he has now.

[Gene M.]

Re: Original Documents-What are they worth?

I assume the person with the documents is not an NCRS member and reading these national available posts......

But also consider anybody can read this.

[Don H.]

Re: Original Documents-What are they worth?

Don't forget the fact you have the car, it has a fuel injection unit on it and it looks and runs great. It would be wonderful to have the docs just because.

It is a real FI car because the FI unit sits on the engine. They can't fake a FI unit. You can fake papers.

Most buyers will not pay more for the documentation.

Some select buyers will hold the papers as valuable and pay more money.

As a seller you could hold out for the right buyer to sell your car for 'more'.

'More' is a relative term and market dependant.
Do you suppose the document holder is visiting this website?

Joe-
Doug's car is not "a real FI car" because it has a real FI unit sitting on top of the engine. It is a "real FI car" if it can be proved to be a real FI car, and real paper is the only way to do that. Right now it is a real car, that has FI, and it is worth good money. If Doug has the real documents along with the car, and can thereby prove it is a "real FI car", it will be worth more money than otherwise when he or his heirs go to sell it. Take Tom Parsons airbox 56 car. It is an airbox 56, but not a "real airbox car". If it was a real airbox 56, it would be worth a couple million more $$ than it is now. (he really would need docs or some other form of proof, since so far as is known, no such thing was made in 56...) I don't know if most people would pay more for a car with docs, but I know this writer would. And I know several others that would. And, when it comes to an unusual or highly collectible car, I THINK most buyers would.

[Tom P.]

Re: Original Documents-What are they worth?

Joe-
-----------------------------------Take Tom Parsons airbox 56 car. It is an airbox 56, but not a "real airbox car". If it was a real airbox 56, it would be worth a couple million more $$ than it is now. (he really would need docs or some other form of proof, since so far as is known, no such thing was made in 56...).----------------------------------

Couldn't I just take pictures and staple them to the title?