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RE: How to best sell a high-milage BMW

Having had to deal with this on LOTS of my cars - advertising
rarely works.

What does work is visibility. I'm lucky (and unlucky) in that one
side of my house faces a fairly high traffic road - one popular
with locals for bypassing highway congestion. (I'm on a corner).

I found that visibility - ie, I park the car right near the corner
on the street my house faces on - so the car faces down towards the
high-traffic street WILL sell the car - it has every time. Caviats
are (and your car sounds good for this):

1. It has to be visibly a 9+ in appearance. Shiny, good tires,
clean, no rust visible, exhaust looks good, no leaks. You're selling
a car with lots of miles on it - where people will look for these
problems, and since they can look - without you around, they better
not see them if you want to sell it.

2. Be realistic in pricing. Find out what wholesale is and retail is
for a car of this age and milage. Split the difference - you've got
your price. http://www.edmunds.com/ has prices for lots of years of
BMW with wholesale/retail. The prices seem a bit high compared to NADA
prices - but they are in the ballpark.

3. Leave a sign on the car that sez FOR SALE, facing the high-traffic
road, with a number you can be reached at, or answered by a machine.
People get tired of getting no answer.

4. Keep car registered and insured. They're gonna want a test ride.

IF you don't face a busy street - consider other spots where you can
leave it for high visibility. A shopping center lot? Mebbe.. A local
gas station - probably if you've done business with them. Other spots?
Only your imagination will limit you.

The big trick is for the to SEE it is excellent condition BEFORE they
even start thinking about what milage is on the car. An ad can't do
this.. visibility WILL (sold about 4 cars from in front of my house..
lowest milage one was around 125k, highest was > 275k). I also have
bought cars from situations like this, so it does work both ways.

Best,

=========================
Don Eilenberger
deilenberger@domain.elided
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