Tom's 'fetta

[<JHertzman@xxxxxxx>]

In ad7-013 Jonathan Coates commented on Thomas Baumen's rather emphatic
statements about Kathy Jo's earlier remarks about Alfetta values (and on back
into the mists of time-)

My limited contact with Tom's car (a very handsome machine, well worth
preserving) started when he posted a "parts wanted" list on the digest. I sold
him a good chin-spoiler (not too easy to find, I believe) for half what he
offered me for it - he offered $50 and I, nasty bastard what I am, said no,
make it $25 - and then foisted on him a clean owner's manual at the price he
said he would be happy to pay. In the process we exchanged several notes,
including the history of his car, in which I gathered that he was a permanent
owner of a properly prized "keeper" which he, with rare discrimination, valued
for its true intrinsic worth rather than for its perceived market value. I was
very surprised when, a few weeks later, he offered it for sale at considerably
more than he told me he had in it. He now seems to be upset that people have
the negative attitude that his car isn't worth a lot more than he spent on it.

It was one of Oscar Wilde's characters who said a cynic is "a man who knows
the price of everything and the value of nothing." Tom's foot is in a
different shoe: he appreciates the value but is disturbed that nobody will pay
the price. The cynic might ask whether Tom would ever have paid the price he
wants. But that is probably an unfair question.

Alfa depreciation in the USA is a good-news/bad news thing; it makes great
cars available to people who value them enough to invest in their maintenance
and preservation. It also encourages others to trash them, because the cost of
maintenance, particularly body and paintwork, may be entirely disproportionate
to the market value. I hope Tom has his beautiful Alfetta, in excellent
condition, for years to come, and that in time he becomes quite happy about
that.

John

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