I am in the opposite situation of most that have questions, I want to sell my bus.
What's the best place to advertise a bus conversion where people that would buy a bus conversion will be looking?
Facebook Marketplace seems to be too regional. I created a listing here but haven't had anyone seriously interested yet.
Craigslist seems pretty much dead, in my area at least.
busconversionmagazine.com has low volume and buses don't seem to sell very quickly. The price to advertise seems a bit high for the services provided and advertising coverage. But maybe my perceptions are wrong.
There are a handful of RV and bus broker sites. (busesforsale.com, rvtrader.com) I don't know anything about any of them.
Thanks.
Bought my first bus off of an ebay auction, listed in Texas, i am in Az. Sold it on a Craigslist posted in Yuma, guy in Oregon bought it. Bought my 2nd bus from the classifieds here. Had a Triumph TR4 that i put on Craigslist, had calls from Phoenix, LA, Oklahoma, and Europe. Never know who sees your ad or where they are from until they contact you. :)
You do get a lot of buyers looking at the BCM classifieds I see it on the MCI and GM bus pages on face book people linking the BCM site,John and I were talking about buses on his visit here you don't see many on the road or in RV parks anymore.People that buy one need cash in hand too,where the buyers for the newer factory RV's can buy with a little cash down and have 12 years of payments.not for me but it happening.The cost of ownership of a bus goes beyond some budgets that is what you dealing with now ,the price of fuel and getting insurance is not on the sellers side either
Search on FB GROUPS for "bus conversion". There are several dedicated to sales. I have no idea how many actually close there but I bought mine on the MCI Bus and Bus Conversions group. Not that is good for sellers as I got a super deal because there weren't many bidders at the time. Bus Conversions International is a good one to get some ideas.
Craislist Bus Listings is another FB page where members scan and post listings.
Good luck, keep us posted how it goes.
Good luck there are lot of bus conversions on the market right now
Quote from: luvrbus on July 28, 2021, 08:06:39 AM
Good luck there are lot of bus conversions on the market right now
True, but I can't think of a better time to be selling anything which can be used as a motor home. The market is hot right now and if you can take advantage of it why not.
Clifford - Do you think there are in reality more buses for sale recently or just that more people with unwanted buses feel it may be a good time to try to sell them? Everything is selling these days for more than they're worth. Maybe they think they can unload an old bus today. Just curious always to keep updated on the bus conversion market but it is very hard for me to know how many actually trade hands and the money that was exchanged.
Don.you don't see conversions on the road or RV parks like they are all parked now,could be the RV parks guide line not seeing buses in the RV parks though.A friend sold his GM last week and ended up taking 1/2 his asking price,if you hang on and don't get in rush selling I believe they can bring more money JMO,if you need to sell and sell in hurry you won't fair good with the sell.Lol 1st thing buyers look at are the friggn date on tires and batteries if they have a year left then they want you to pro rate the tires
The crazy part of that is the bus is used and so are the tires,, so why does a seller owe a buyer new tires? It all depends on how bad you wish to sell..>>>Dan
The crazy part of that is the bus is used and so are the tires,, so why does a seller owe a buyer new tires? It all depends on how bad you wish to sell.. If the deal is good enough for the buyer ( with new tires) it puts him in a very good position to "flip" the bus for good provit..>>>Dan
Quote from: Utahclaimjumper on July 28, 2021, 10:07:46 AM
The crazy part of that is the bus is used and so are the tires,, so why does a seller owe a buyer new tires? It all depends on how bad you wish to sell..>>>Dan
I don't know the answer Dan but you can have oil dripping from the engine and all they worry about are the tires ,the RV market is hot, for some reason not the bus conversions that market will suffer more when and if fuel reaches the 4 or 5 dollars a gal ,there are buses on the market I see that have been listed for over a year with no takers some under 10k
Hogi, look up Thebusman on the internet. We got out shorty Prevost from Marty Rhyne. He buys some, brokers some, and deals in all sorts of buses you can see on his website. He has been doing it forever and has a very good reputation. Super nice guy and very honest. When I got stranded on Hwy 81, he knew nearby resources and got me back on the road. He knows guys all over the country that do what he does and knows if people are looking for a bus like yours. Worth a shot. 704-860-5555
Best of luck,
Ted
Quote from: Tedsoldbus on July 28, 2021, 10:59:04 AM
Hogi, look up Thebusman on the internet. We got out shorty Prevost from Marty Rhyne. He buys some, brokers some, and deals in all sorts of buses you can see on his website. He has been doing it forever and has a very good reputation. Super nice guy and very honest. When I got stranded on Hwy 81, he knew nearby resources and got me back on the road. He knows guys all over the country that do what he does and knows if people are looking for a bus like yours. Worth a shot. 704-860-5555
Best of luck,
Ted
The cheap buses with modern engines and running gear coming out of CA is not helping the bus market ? why would one pay 10 or 12 grand for bus shell made in 70's or 80's when you can buy one made in 2000 for $7500.00 that has factory support
Consignment is ok for selling but you give up 15% or more of the sell
Quote from: luvrbus on July 28, 2021, 11:22:37 AM
The cheap buses with modern engines and running gear coming out of CA is not helping the bus market ? why would one pay 10 or 12 grand for bus shell made in 70's or 80's when you can buy one made in 2000 for $7500.00 that has factory support
Consignment is ok for selling but you give up 15% or more of the sell
About the only reason would be if someone just likes the vintage buses more. I don't care for the slab-sided look of the newer ones and prefer the vintage, but I can see where others might prioritize function over style.
Guess the answer to your question is the same as why someone would pay good money for a 65 Mustang instead of a newer one.
Quote from: richard5933 on July 28, 2021, 03:21:22 PM
About the only reason would be if someone just likes the vintage buses more. I don't care for the slab-sided look of the newer ones and prefer the vintage, but I can see where others might prioritize function over style.
Guess the answer to your question is the same as why someone would pay good money for a 65 Mustang instead of a newer one.
i understand the point , the difference is the 65 Mustang will increase in value as time goes by, that is not happening with a old converted bus I saw yet
Quote from: luvrbus on July 28, 2021, 04:50:38 PM
i understand the point , the difference is the 65 Mustang will increase in value as time goes by, that is not happening with a old converted bus I saw yet
Pretty much every vintage car I've ever bought was done because I liked the car, not as an investment. Same for my bus. If I end up getting most of what I put into it I'll consider myself one of the lucky few. I'm getting my money's worth by the enjoyment of owning and using it.
I suspect that most that buy an older/vintage bus are also doing it for the enjoyment, not to make a buck. Lots better ways to invest your money if making a buck is the goal.
Quote from: richard5933 on July 28, 2021, 05:59:42 PM
Pretty much every vintage car I've ever bought was done because I liked the car, not as an investment. Same for my bus. If I end up getting most of what I put into it I'll consider myself one of the lucky few. I'm getting my money's worth by the enjoyment of owning and using it.
I suspect that most that buy an older/vintage bus are also doing it for the enjoyment, not to make a buck. Lots better ways to invest your money if making a buck is the goal.
A good friend of mine in Scottsdale owns the GM Future Liner,I have owned buses since the late 60's they got where they were not fun or enjoyable to me .so I went a different route.I still love buses and spend way to much of my time helping people to keep one going
So, a busnut buys a $7500 coach, and puts $7000 of new tires under it.
Is this now a $14 500 bus?
Not even close...
Luvrbus has been playing longer than me, and i have been here 20 years, and those we knew who played before the internet...
The only result when it comes to selling a coach is a loss of some magnitude.
Smoke 'em if you got 'em...
Happy coaching!
Buswarrior
Well, it seems the same old story and same old trend - old bus conversions not getting much love and prices not improving. Funny you mention tires as a negotiating topic. I played that card when I got mine. Tires were just aging out at 8 years. So, the seller knocked off a couple more thousand for the tires. But is a fact if you are going to keep aged out tires off the bus then 8 tires out the door is minimum $4,000. I started the annual purchase of two tires and on the last cycle this coming year. So, yes, it is a real cost and a smart buyer will add this into the price haggling.
What is mostly killing sales it trying to find insurance, and at a reasonable price. Forget about collision on older ones. The cost would be very high, even if they offer it.
As far as insurance goes I bought my 68 eagle over 3 years ago I have Progressive it was 35.?? a month for the first year and now its been 47.?? a month since. Hope I didn't just jinx it but seems reasonable. That's with full coverage because I have a loan on it.
I have full comprehensive coverage on my bus. It's only $23/mo, I told them I paid $20000 for the bus. COUNTRY Financial.
COUNTRY only adds about 10% for comprehensive. I was amazed when I found this out, with my last company, comprehensive doubled the cost so I had liability only.
So you're saying your collision coverage caps at $20,000?
We do that with Foremost since 1979. Ours caps at $30,000. Since retirement we only full coverage it when on major trips (FL - AK - FL) otherwise we leave just basic liability on it.
Quote from: dtcerrato on July 29, 2021, 05:18:22 AM
So you're saying your collision coverage caps at $20,000?
We do that with Foremost since 1979. Ours caps at $30,000. Since retirement we only full coverage it when on major trips (FL - AK - FL) otherwise we leave just basic liability on it.
I didn't ask the details, since I've never asked for any payouts from insurance and don't expect to ever do so, but I think that's probably correct.
You have to read the policy fine print good insurance costs a bundle .what amazes me are the ones driving these beasts with minimum liability coverage ,the deductible on some people insurance is more than the bus cost.One has to do the home work and shop for good insurance that is one place you get what you pay for,wish I paid 20 to 50 bucks a month I did drop Progressive and their $8000 a year BS though.Here in AZ you can call and have the liability part put on hold when you are through traveling I have friends that do that and get 3 or 4 years for 1 year of premium I am sure other states have that also
So many variable involved in insurance that it's nearly impossible to make accurate comparisons. State laws rule over insurance, and no two states are the same. Some companies will offer coverage in one state but not a few miles over in the next state.
We have full coverage on our bus through Progressive with a stated-value policy set at $60,000. Annual policy is about $1,300 for everything.
One thing that we did that many don't is work through a good independent insurance agent. Our agent had contacts in the underwriting department and was able to help hand-walk my application through the process so that it didn't get hung up by some low-level pencil pusher afraid of a bus.
Lots of people try getting insurance on their own by contacting the companies directly, and the initial phone rep often turns it down after finding out it's a bus.
Even with a stated value Progressive has a out it's in your policy they pay the value as fair market value deemed by the adjuster at the time of the accident. Johnathan had agreed value of 50k on his MCI 7 towed to my place he got $13,800.00 in the end after all the deductions with Progressive, agreed on value is good to have if you are in a accident and it is not your fault the other person insurance will usually pay that value or at least the limit on the other persons insurance ,if the person has a $15.000 limit then the fight begins with your carrier
I just looked and Marty has a 1976 MC-8 for $42,500. I'm not pushing for you to talk to him, but he is a very easy no pressure guy to talk to. Rita and I bought a 2002 Allegro Bus when I retired in 2005 and drove it for 15 months. Sold it after much trying for 60K less than we paid. We bought the shorty Prevost in November for 52K and have had 3 offers around 60 since we got it. Point being we bought this one at the bottom of its depreciation. Don't know what you paid for your bus, and lord knows we all put money into them non stop after we get them. But my thinking is it is about the memories. Not the money. Your bus is now worth or selling for "X", and that is just it.
The guys on this blog are long time doing this. I am not, but you have a bus, just sitting, and it is probably worth "X". Marty can tell you pretty close to what "X" is. It is what he does. All day for 30 years. He also knows small operations like his probably in your area. You just have to decide if "X" is enough. And yes there will be a commission. We all charge for what we do. He is not a community service.
Good luck with the sale. I hope it goes well and sorry another member will be "Busless".
Quote from: Tedsoldbus on July 29, 2021, 10:00:11 AM
I just looked and Marty has a 1976 MC-8 for $42,500. I'm not pushing for you to talk to him, but he is a very easy no pressure guy to talk to. Rita and I bought a 2002 Allegro Bus when I retired in 2005 and drove it for 15 months. Sold it after much trying for 60K less than we paid. We bought the shorty Prevost in November for 52K and have had 3 offers around 60 since we got it. Point being we bought this one at the bottom of its depreciation. Don't know what you paid for your bus, and lord knows we all put money into them non stop after we get them. But my thinking is it is about the memories. Not the money. Your bus is now worth or selling for "X", and that is just it.
The guys on this blog are long time doing this. I am not, but you have a bus, just sitting, and it is probably worth "X". Marty can tell you pretty close to what "X" is. It is what he does. All day for 30 years. He also knows small operations like his probably in your area. You just have to decide if "X" is enough. And yes there will be a commission. We all charge for what we do. He is not a community service.
Good luck with the sale. I hope it goes well and sorry another member will be "Busless".
If you know of anyone looking for a 35 ft 1980 Prevost with a 165,000 total miles converted by Foretravel there is one listed for $40,000.00 on Prevost=Stuff ,there was 1981 for sale in Vancover WA for under 50k.Since there is no blue book on older bus conversion it's simple math they are worth what a person wants to pay for one asking price, then the selling price is where it ends up
It is funny all the talk about what they are worth and the values. LOL The value to the insurance company is "$0" to you it may be different. They will total it 90% of the time and hand you the smallest check they can get away with unless they can prove(and they will) that it is your fault some how. Just sayin
If not enjoy camping on the check.....
Quote from: Dave5Cs on July 29, 2021, 10:31:52 AM
It is funny all the talk about what they are worth and the values. LOL The value to the insurance company is "$0" to you it may be different. They will total it 90% of the time and hand you the smallest check they can get away with unless they can prove(and they will) that it is your fault some how. Just sayin
If not enjoy camping on the check.....
SO true
Thank you all for the information.
Somebody told me that there is a great place to advertise a bus for sale on a site called Bus Conversion Magazine on their Classified Ads page. I heard they only charge $99/year and they also place your ad in their Magazine (Yes, they have a Magazine too), and they will also list it for sale on several Social Media sites too. Great value for only $99/year. This also supports their Magazine and the Forum they spend a lot of time and money to keep running with over 400,000 posts to date.
I am a bit suprised that nobody has mentioned this before. ;D
https://www.busconversionmagazine.com/bcmclassifieds/
I mentioned busconversionmagazine.com in my first post.
Why don't more people advertise their buses there?
Why didn't anyone else recommend it?
They seem to have low volume and buses don't seem to sell very quickly. The price to advertise seems a bit high for the services provided and advertising coverage. But maybe my perceptions are wrong.
They do have a great community of people that can answer many questions about buses...
if they pay 99 dollars, there is no money left after the sell.
Well if you go back to the 2nd post on here you will see that i said that i bought my 2nd bus off of the ads here. :)
Quote from: Ed Hackenbruch on July 29, 2021, 03:55:24 PM
Well if you go back to the 2nd post on here you will see that i said that i bought my 2nd bus off of the ads here. :)
Have you gotten the bus out of Canada yet ED,that is a nice bus JC took pride in that MCI 5
Quote from: Ed Hackenbruch on July 29, 2021, 03:55:24 PM
Well if you go back to the 2nd post on here you will see that i said that i bought my 2nd bus off of the ads here. :)
I went back and re-read it, you're right. And the third post mentions BCM also.
I'm ok with $99 as a listing fee, as long as that is where potential buyers will be looking. We might gain some good insight from asking everyone: How did you find the bus you bought?
Gary can be late to dance sometimes :^
Quote from: luvrbus on July 29, 2021, 04:23:19 PM
Gary can be late to dance sometimes :^
Sorry, Gary is a very busy boy and doesn't have time to read the Forum every day as you guys do. Someday he will retire and spend more time doing that. :D ;D >:(
If you want the Cat's Meow, then this is the bus for you. Clifford has seen it and likes it himself and may buy it himself if you don't hurry. ;D
https://www.busconversionmagazine.com/bus_classifieds/2006-silver-eagle-model-25/?fbclid=IwAR0nIDjeYsmpiqx7Xoj5cS0Gj4RBNqbdew1NXNbQ5cIjtLme1S-4vSEjwTc
I'm afraid that this "Model 25" is not really anywhere near the beauty of the previous models. It is too boxy and awkward looking, and I don't think Cliff would want it, or too many other people.
Clifford, not yet, waiting for the border to open up and waiting to get my second shot.....
Also had an issue with my toad, think i have it fixed, just need to do some test driving a couple of times to be sure.
Quote from: Ed Hackenbruch on July 29, 2021, 08:28:42 PM
Clifford, not yet, waiting for the border to open up and waiting to get my second shot.....
>
Who knows when that will happen now looks like they want to shut the nation down again
Quote from: Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM on July 29, 2021, 05:51:26 PM
Sorry, Gary is a very busy boy and doesn't have time to read the Forum every day as you guys do. Someday he will retire and spend more time doing that. :D ;D >:(
You are getting a lot of windshield time this year I hope it pays off for you
Clifford starting another Rock band? :^