After my disappointing car selling attempt a few weeks ago, I called a friend to complain.
He told a story about when he was settling his mother’s estate and had to sell a couple of her old cars.
He sold the first when a neighbor stopped by while he was cleaning up the property. The neighbor asked, “What are you planning to do with the old minivan?”
My friend replied, “It’s for sale. Do you want it?”
The neighbor said he needed a car for his daughter and asked how much. My friend said, “For you $1000. My mother told me how you and your wife helped her over the years. ”
The neighbor had to think about it. The next day he returned and said, “I ran a Carfax. The car’s worth at least $3000. Why are you selling it for just $1000?”
My friend said, “You were good to my mom. You need a car. She’d want you to have it.”
He sold the second car a few days later. The man who was appraising the house was talking to my friend about his son. His son had just ended a long term relationship, was transitioning into a woman and was struggling to get his/her life together. My friend said, “Does he need a car?”
He did. So my friend offered to sell him her other car for $1500. Like the minivan price, this one was well below market value.
The appraiser was suspicious of the lowball price. But my friend told him, “If my mom was here, she’d like that her car was being sold to help someone out.”
A year and a half later, my friend ran into the minivan purchaser. The guy said, “You know, that minivan is still running great! The only thing we’ve had to do is replace one window motor.”
My friend told me that one of the most rewarding things about settling his mom’s estate was selling those cars to people who really needed them. And giving them a great deal.
Then he gave me his advice.
He said,
“Don’t sell your wife’s car to some faceless corporation like Carmax that is only thinking about profits. Don’t bother running an ad in Craigslist and dealing with all of that BS either. Let you neighbors know that you want to sell the car to someone who needs it. Tell them you’ll make a sweet deal.
Listen for an opportunity to help someone. I guarantee you will see that car within a month.”
I wanted someone who would appreciate getting a deal like I did when a family friend sold me my first car after his mother passed away.
I told the kid down the street about the car. He said he’d talk to his dad.
I asked my mailman if he knew any neighbors who really needed a good used car but couldn’t afford much.
I ran into another neighbor and mentioned I was selling her car. He said, “I can’t believe your timing – my son’s car died yesterday! He sold it to the mechanic for $400. But now he needs a car because he starts a new job as a teacher in January.”
I gave him a rundown on the car, offered it for $3000 and recommended he stop by to check it out. Five minutes later father and son were at my door for a test drive. After the drive, the son said, “We’ll take it.”
Then he asked sheepishly, “Would you be willing to negotiate at all on the price?”
I said, “For you, it’s $2500”.
Sold.
So now, instead of occupying space in my garage and mind, my wife’s car will has a second life with a nice kid who needed a break.
It makes me smile to think of this. I like seeing my wife’s car parked 2 doors up the street. I’ll think of Ellen every time I sit. I consider this a good deed that is now part of Ellen’s legacy.
It happened just like my friend told me.
All I had to do was keep my eyes open for an opportunity to help.