VALUE OF AN NCRS TOP FLIGHT AWARD

[Marc Nebenzahl (30960)]

Hi guys....have a fast question...what $$ value is a top flight ncrs award on a midyear compared to the same car in the same condition without one???
thank you for your help in this...marc/ calif

[Tom Russo (22903)]

Re: Lurking

If we could post those attar's...I would click on "lurking" for this question. It's a dude with a big box of popcorn...popping one at a time.

[Loren Smith]

Re: Lurking

About $50K difference for "NCRS certified authentic" cars at the B-J Auction.

[Dick Whittington (8804)]

Re: Lurking

Ya mean this little fellah Tom ????

[Tom Russo (22903)]

Re: Lurking

Yeah...how da do dat?

[Donald Terry (38740)]

Re: Lurking

Alright, I'll step up and offer an opinion. Not to dodge the question, but it really depends on the buyer. A knowledgeable corvette buyer would likely put little or no value added for the Top Flight designation. If you know what you are looking for, then you are going to trust your own eyes and careful evaluation of the car. The problem is that a lot could have changed since the car was judged and many of the rare and valueable parts sold off.

Having said that, I'm sure some, perhaps less knowledgeable, buyers would put a premium on a Top Flight designation as it would give them confidence in the quality and authenticity of the car. However this may be a false sense of security. If someone isn't as knowledgeable then they are far better off to hire an expert to evaluate the car. A Top Flight designation will only tell you what the car was at one point in time, and it is far more important to know exactly what it is at the time of purchase.

Just my opinion. How's the popcorn?

[Dick Whittington (8804)]

Re: Lurking

Tom, it is the same way you post a photo. Copy the desired item to your photo host and then copy the link to the optional URL box just like I did here. I just found out that you cannot post a link that has a moving image, like a flag waving.

[Barbara Stein (4600)]

Re: VALUE OF AN NCRS TOP FLIGHT AWARD

Alot.

[Ralph Adams (38137)]

Re: Lurking

To add another .02, we have seen many 2nd flight cars become top flight when adding driving points, sticker, fire extinguisher etc that have nothing to do with the car itself. If you are looking to buy a top flight car then have a knowledgable person inspect the car just prior to purchasing. There are cases were a once top flight is now missing big point items that may render it a lower flight award...Ralph

[Dave Freeman (42255)]

Re: Lurking

"I just found out that you cannot post a link that has a moving image, like a flag waving."

Seriously?

-Dave

[Michael Ward (29001)]

Here's a different viewpoint

If a car were to sell for (let's say) an extra 10 grand solely because it sported an NCRS Flight certificate, and being that the NCRS membership that helped get it there are volunteers, wouldn't the seller feel morally compelled to share the wealth?

Maybe forward, ummm, at least half the windfall to the NCRS foundation? Maybe help offset the cost of future events? Offset the costs the judges incur while participating?

No, I didn't think so.

I that know the guy that comes to my house to evaluate my toys for insurance purposes (potentially increasing my net balance should bad things happen) doesn't do it for free. Maybe I'm in the wrong business.

[John DeGregory (2855)]

To think I quit workin 2 read dis post. LOL *NM*

[Roy Braatz (182)]

Re: VALUE OF AN NCRS TOP FLIGHT AWARD

It sound good but I put little value in it , I see to many top flight Corvettes and would never buy them at the price they ask just because it has a top flight / I've sold top flight Corvettes and tell buyers don't re lie on that// come and look,and if you don't know what to look for get some one that does.

[Dick Whittington (8804)]

Re: VALUE OF AN NCRS TOP FLIGHT AWARD

Finally, I guess you are right. Every time that I tried to post the flag, I got the dreaded Red X

[mike cobine]

Re: VALUE OF AN NCRS TOP FLIGHT AWARD

Value is a hard question to answer. I think they are all still worth the $5000 they were when new, and a decent $5000 car at that, and the value isn't much more than that except as sentimental, emotional, and so on.

Price is another matter. For the most part, it is common to see Top Flight cars advertised for 20% to 50% higher than a similar car without a Top Flight. Whether they actually sell for that price is another matter. You can't even trust eBay as a pricing guide anymore since many never sell for what they should sell for and many sell higher, only to be relisted again a month later because there was no real sale.

The big name auctions can't be trusted either, because if you dump enough booze and shine a camera in their face often, people will do really stupid things.

"Hey y'all, watch this ...."

As to the "Top Flight means at one time, the car had all the right stuff" bit, that is true, but more importantly to many, it means it probably does not have all the bubba stuff on it. Little things being removed or changed mean little to many, but having things like the right engine, no late model frame, and no custom paint does and these things are not likely to happen a week after the Top Flight.

Now if the Top Flight was from 1986 and you look at the car today, then IMHO, the Top Flight is meaningless. Nice to have, but really meaningless 21 years later. After all, my cars would have been Top Flight with a 99.99 just like everyone else's cars 40 or 50 years ago. So being that once a long time ago is no big deal today.

If the Top Flight is from this year or last year, then odds are it still retains most of its parts that earned that. Still, it is no guarantee it is TF today.

But the general public like to have guarantees. They like to have someone to blame for their own inadequacies. So when they buy that Corvette and get suckered, they can say "Well, it was a Top Flight car, and NCRS certified it was correct!"

So if you are asking this to know where to price your car, start about 50% higher than similar cars you find and work down.

If you are asking because you found one to buy, then take the time between today and when it earned TF and reduce the price in proportion to the amount of time. The longer the time, the more the reduction.