Weber Kettle Club Forums
Grill Talk => Weber Grill Forum (Grills, Accessories) => Topic started by: landgraftj on June 17, 2013, 03:24:30 PM
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Guys need a favor from the WKC...please stop telling new joiners that their grills are worth a fortune. Too many new folks come in, post a handful of times, and are never heard from again after they sell them at rape prices. It only hurts us true kettleheads in the long run because of the inflated pricing people think they will get. I have no problem with folks buying cheap and flipping because we have all done it at one time. But, after the meetup Saturday it's clear why most of us are here...our love for the Weber kettles (although Brian seems to dig happy cookers a bit more) and our willingness to help other members when we can. Everyone at that meetup and those that followed it closely know exactly what I'm talking about. If I offended you then you probably needed to be offended, and for that I do not apologize. End of rant, thanks for reading.
Terry
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Guys need a favor from the WKC...please stop telling new joiners that their grills are worth a fortune. Too many new folks come in, post a handful of times, and are never heard from again after they sell them at rape prices. It only hurts us true kettleheads in the long run because of the inflated pricing people think they will get. I have no problem with folks buying cheap and flipping because we have all done it at one time. But, after the meetup Saturday it's clear why most of us are here...our love for the Weber kettles (although Brian seems to dig happy cookers a bit more) and our willingness to help other members when we can. Everyone at that meetup and those that followed it closely know exactly what I'm talking about. If I offended you then you probably needed to be offended, and for that I do not apologize. End of rant, thanks for reading.
Terry
I agree with you that this site and the other bbq forums are driving up collectible Weber prices. It kinda sucks, but I think that it should be the current members' responsibility to be transparent and honest. We don't need to hype up prices or collectibility in a response as long as it's truthful. You never know if that person will stay but everyone should be treated with the same respect that we would like ourselves when approaching a new community. If someone will pay a few hundred or $1000 for the kettle so be it. There is enough information out there that a few minutes of Google search should give them a good idea already. The WKC should be the best repository of Weber information, from age, model changes, and even values.
However this shouldn't mean that we should become an open and unregulated forum that tolerates new members whose first post is:
"BNIB YELLOW WEBER BBQ KETTLE FOR SALE. RARE WOOD DALE MODEL WITH METAL HANDLES. BEST OFFER!!!!!!!!!"
New members should have manners too.
I first joined TVWBB after I bought my 1880 wsm, I knew it was rare from lurking, but noone knew how much it was worth because one never went up for auction. It led to some good discussion and friendships that continue here on WKC. The community there was welcoming and now BBQ and Webers are one of my main hobbies. At the end of the day, we should be about fostering the bbq hobby and Weber tradition.
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Not offended here. I love the thrill-of-the-hunt and the history of the score. This is kinda like the forum version of Pawn Stars, American Pickers, etc... People get the idea their stuff is worth waaaay more than the average (or below) enthusiast is willing (able) to pay. I know my place on the financial totem pole. And that's one where the little dogs can still hit when they lift a leg. :o
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Not offended here. I love the thrill-of-the-hunt and the history of the score. This is kinda like the forum version of Pawn Stars, American Pickers, etc... People get the idea their stuff is worth waaaay more than the average (or below) enthusiast is willing (able) to pay. I know my place on the financial totem pole. And that's one where the little dogs can still hit when they lift a leg. :o
Nice...I may have to use that line! :)
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And you shouldn't be offended Bman...you are constantly helping others. And I'm pretty sure I'm on the same financial totem pole level as you!
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Not offended here. I love the thrill-of-the-hunt and the history of the score. This is kinda like the forum version of Pawn Stars, American Pickers, etc... People get the idea their stuff is worth waaaay more than the average (or below) enthusiast is willing (able) to pay. I know my place on the financial totem pole. And that's one where the little dogs can still hit when they lift a leg. :o
Nice...I may have to use that line! :)
"Lift a leg..... I dare ya....." -Anonymous Grillfella.
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I agree with everything stated here, and it does make sense to not put a value on something rather rare. I honestly wouldn't know a proce anyway lol but my personal limit is $50 unless we are talking something that sets in the higher range naturally (performer, OTP etc). But even then I risk getting banished to the couch for spending that much. I would love a new blue OTG but I don't see that happening because of the price. That unopened smokey joe on eBay that went for over $300 is really cool but I couldn't justify that in anyway to my wife.
There is something really cool and special about bringing a grill back up to par and using it again. In the end that's what I'm chasing..
I've been apart of a bunch of forums but there is a really good vibe here that I hope never changes.
"my kettle is more powerful it will do almost anything."
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I agree, we all need to remember that they are still just BBQ grills at the end of the day....I'm not sure why they have become so valuable lately. Most of the grills I got, I paid like $35 dollars for....I guess if you have to have something you will pay...
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A part of it is folks out there in the world that think differently than most all of us that percieve things, as it was stated above:
"Too many new folks come in, post a handful of times, and are never heard from again after they sell them at rape prices."
This will happen some, just as a result of E-Bay, Craig'sList, etc....and folks find something in their uncle's garage that MIGHT be worth something......
I've also seen other places outside of here where the sale price of a kettle makes me cringe a bit
( in reguard to what say, most of us would say is about right ) & a few times in threads here, where the above happened & I get that queasy feeling, also.......
Think about when everybody became a real estate agent all on their own a few years back.....second homes "as an investment"....... buy & flip....TV shows about it........it's a thing that happened & a lot of folks got on that bandwagon......
My own personal opinion is this activity had a lot to do with the unrealistic price inflations that eventually occured.....it wasn't just Wall Street..................no hard feelings about it, a large percentage are just folks tryin' to get along...... :-*
there's a great little book called "The Hundredth Monkey Theory", about where if enough people (or kettle monkeys) think about something hard enough, see other people do it enough, continue a behavior enough, the conciousness will change.....even for people (or kettle monkeys) that aren't in direct contact with the information.....the conciousness just evolves........
I, for one, do not want to see an ordinary Redhead going for $500
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The vast majority of people out there wouldnt know one grill fom another
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I agree I started here because I already had a small collection of webers and people always thought I was weird for having so many bbqs then I scored my 56 and was just looking for I fo on it to make it a collector because I new it was old and havnt had luck finding another. this site has been a life saver now in process of sof restore and my family and friends keep asking me how much its worth and telling me to sell it.
my answer no I love this americana like people love coke I will make it shiny again and keep it inside.
so I say thank you wkc for being an outlet for my odd hobby as the family says
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I agree with everything stated above! I love this hobby, it is (still) a fairly cheap hobby and most important of all, its fun. I love the hunt, I love the anticipation of a pending score, I love bringing a kettle back to life and putting it back into service for hopefully a few more decades of cooking and memories. Sure, my neighbors probably think I'm weird when they always see me in the garage with one of my kettles either being cleaned or serviced or whatever.... My own father was trying to talk me into how gas is "where its at" on Father's Day... and he owns a OTG as a second grill..... :o WTH, DAD!? Anyway, its nice to find a kettle of any size your looking for at a fair price.....to quote Inspector Harry Callahan..." A man's got to know his limitations!" I would love to find an old 26" redhead someday, but at a reasonable price otherwise deal me out.
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Vintage Weber grills were a piece of Americana just waiting to be tapped for their collectability. We recognized it and created the WKC to bring them to the forefront when the other sites couldn't see what we saw which was one quality brand with so many different models. All of these great old grills needed a website to call their own. If you are a member here you are a part of Weber history and part of the second round that George built them for. There's not a doubt in my mind George Stephen would be a member here teaching and helping us if he was still around. He didn't create these as throwaways, but as something that would stand the test of time and get better with age. Thanks to his hindsight and creative genius people will be enjoying these for years to come. 8)
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Interesting subject, and also interesting because I was thinking of broaching the topic also, probably spurred on by the same reasons as the OP.
Here are some of my thoughts, many of which have already been said by others. Some new.
When someone asks what an item like a vintage weber kettle is worth, there is only one answer: What the market will pay. The interesting thing about the market is ... it is tiny. Very very small. Probably over half the market for vintage weber grills is right here. As such, the answer received here is often NOT consistent with the reality of what a person selling local might even see. The most true way to market a kettle is probably (and I do not say this lightly) eBay. eBay will capture most of the folks here, as well as most of the other collectors. The "easiest" way (and I can not believe I am saying this is "easy") is through craigslist, but the general market for a grill on cl is really a different population than a ebay or wkc audience. You have to 'hope' a collecter is in the audience.
Personally, the most I have paid for a kettle is I think $30. (that doesn't count new handles of course ;D ) And frankly....that is what almost any weber kettle is "worth", except the outlying kettle to the outlying collector. It is mostly like any other used piece of durable equipment. 25 to 50% of new depending on condition. In fact, I will go further and say a BNIB OTG is not "worth" $159. I would never pay retail for a new weber kettle. My scale for a vintage kettle generally tops out at 50% of comparable new.
So the next time someone asks, I think I will say, "ask your insurance adjuster what a 33 year old charcoal grill from the hardware store should be insured for".
But then there are the "graills". And the thing with the "graills" is they are not the same for all of us, and further we do not attach the same value to them. This is where we have to be careful. There are 3 or 4 certain specific kettles that I would pay "inordinate" money for. However, I would never consider these their value, since it is likely that there is literally no 'market' for them beyond 3 or 4 people. I would also never use my figures to guide somebody as to their value. If they take the time, effort and money to market the grill and get that price by finding the perfect buyer, more power to them, but it is not what the general market would pay.
Just one last semi related thought. Because we are that singular targetted collector group, that collection of enthusiasts in one spot, I am seeing some issues with inadvertant/unintentional/perceived stepping on toes in terms of things like auction identification, bidding, etc. Nobody wants to steal someone else's find. But in the end, If you want it, and you know about it, bid on it. You are the market. You can not simultaneously try to acquire something you want as well as manipulate it's value and availibility. If it is posted, go for it.
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OK, since here are all the collectors
Let's start the bidding
(http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5504/9070531129_6724a009b3_z.jpg)
J/K as of now I am keeping this guy but may change my mind down the road. I am more of a consumer/flipper than a collector.
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Pay attention LB, I told you I would not pay more than 35. ;D
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Pay attention LB, I told you I would not pay more than 35. ;D
Maybe I will go over to that "other" site since it seems all the smart ones migrated over here. :D
Value is only in the eye of the beholder. There are many grilling items and grills that I hold on to because I know on the open market (CL) they will not get the value that I hold for them. I am with G$, I have a price that I will pay for grills, kettles $40 max, Gassers it depends. I am a "delayed flipper" in most cases where I buy something and start using it and sell what I am currently using I rarely flip something immediately. So to respond to a newbie with "the value is what the market will pay" is probably the best answer.
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I get the sense that my posts about CABarrow's $15 yard sale yellow are the impetus for this thread.
If a new member expresses interest in kettles & asks sincere questions I believe that sincere responses are appropriate. When CABarrow asked what her kettle was worth I shared my opinion, based upon what I have observed, and qualified it with "the only way to find the true value is to sell it." Of course others were free to share their opinions as well, and some did.
I understand that some may disagree with armchair appraisals, and that is a legitimate point. However, it doesnt negate a member's ability to offer their opinion in this forum. Just because someone in Illinois wouldnt pay $40 for something doesnt mean that someone in Idaho wouldnt pay double (IIRC, Idahawk paid $75 for PAC Man). The economics of supply & demand are pretty straight forward.
In the end, CABarrow may or may not sell her yellow. If she does, she will likely get a better price for it than she would've had she not asked the question and received several responses. I don't see that as a bad thing. Someone like the OP may need to step up a little bit on price if they are a serious buyer, but that choice is theirs to make.
Bottom line, internet forums are free & open exchanges of information, including fact & opinion. To attempt to choke or stifle that free exchange seems counter productive.
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Actually there are several threads over the past few days/weeks that prompted me to post, not one posting. And if you look at CABs posts she/he has made 10 and every single one is about the yellow find...no meaningful other posts to contribute to the site. That is what rankles me. I think lightningboltz said it best, "it's worth what someone will pay" as the answer to the "what's is worth?" question. And I don't feel the need to step up any bid as I have a very fair offer in mind but it'll be a cold day in hell before I offer $200 for that yellow kettle.
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Not offended here. I love the thrill-of-the-hunt and the history of the score. This is kinda like the forum version of Pawn Stars, American Pickers, etc... People get the idea their stuff is worth waaaay more than the average (or below) enthusiast is willing (able) to pay. I know my place on the financial totem pole. And that's one where the little dogs can still hit when they lift a leg. :o
Man... I was just thinking about American Pickers and the type of Webers those guys might have come by over the years...
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Actually there are several threads over the past few days/weeks that prompted me to post, not one posting. And if you look at CABs posts she/he has made 10 and every single one is about the yellow find...no meaningful other posts to contribute to the site. That is what rankles me. I think lightningboltz said it best, "it's worth what someone will pay" as the answer to the "what's is worth?" question. And I don't feel the need to step up any bid as I have a very fair offer in mind but it'll be a cold day in hell before I offer $200 for that yellow kettle.
Yeah, but I don't think CABarrow did anything wrong. I would prefer they post here and share their find once and give us enthusiasts a shot. The number of grills that this happens to is still very low in the grand scheme of things so why let it bug you? For every 100+ colored kettle that gets listed in the trading post, a post like this come along. CAB said hello, we got excited and they want to sell. Who knows, maybe they will regret selling it later and want to join us again one day?
On some forums these issues regulate themselves. I'm not saying these how WKC should operate but here are some examples.
Noob asks a question for the 1000th time>>>> Everyone yells search!!!! >:(
Noob asks a question for the 1000th time>>>> Read the damn stickies before posting, Noob! :P
Simple question gets posted>>>> Thread gets locked. Member gets put in time out. :-X
Simple question gets asked for 1000th time>>>>> Noone answers- PO wonders why noone likes him :( :'(
These things are the opposite of what makes WKC great. The Irishfire thread is a good example: http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/trading-post/195859-weber-kettle-for-sale!!!/msg35170/#msg35170 All that Hoopla could have been avoided if the PO had some manners. There was no denying that was an awesome kettle with an awesome story but the PO is obviously not a salesman. Everyone would have won if they were upfront about it to begin with. A happy buyer, seller would have gotten more money, the community would have a chance to perv a rare kettle and no pissed off members. So be nice and courteous when trying to sell something!
From the enthusiast end we should also know how to negotiate. If a rare kettle gets posted on the forum the cat is out of the bag so make a move if you can.
"Sure, you can get more money upfront on Ebay but they will take a 12% fee plus listing fees. I'll paypal you the money directly right now and you don't have to deal with the 9% closing fees" take this conversation offline unless you want to get banned on ebay!
"You will be responsible for shipping the kettle and if the kettle arrives dinged I will Paypal Buyer protection your @$$ and you are screwed. So how about you let my agent that can safely pack a kettle in their sleep who also live in your town pick it up instead? ;)" (Say it nicer though!)
"This will go to a good home to a person that will appreciate it's historical value"
a Sob Story- "My Name is Mike.Stavlund and all I want for xmas is a red performer to match my red Santa hat so can you sell me yours for $20 pretty please?" :-* lol
and last but not least Grillfella threats! (jk!)
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Love your posts Lawrence...I agree they did nothing wrong, just went about it the wrong way. First posts shouldn't be about selling a grill. Sorta like when Jeff called out a guy a ways back as his first (and probably only) post was to sell something.
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Hmm.
I'm still new here, but just as entitled to an opinion as everyone else, so here goes! ;D
I don't care whether the person that posts about a Yellow kettle or a 1958 Wood Dale for sale has 1 post or 1,000 next to their name. They posted about a Kettle on a forum about Kettles. And of course, most sellers will try to make as much as money as possible. I don't feel like people who only post once or twice trying to sell their vintage grills are doing anything wrong.
I actually appreciate that they are taking the time to try to find a good home and potentially more money, then taking the easier method of selling it on CL for a quick $20.
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As a newbie to this forum, I must say the manner in which you folks are discussing this is exemplary. No personal attacks, just a good civil discussion. Kudos.
Clearly, folks here have amassed knowledge about restoring used grills (which is why I joined), but putting a monetary value on a used barbecue grill is far from a science--seemingly it is more akin to a gut feeling. Auction services and listing boards are much better indicators than any one opinion to value, which is why I would definitely seek advice for use and maintenance of my grills here, but certainly not to help price a weathered outdoor tool.
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Love your posts Lawrence...I agree they did nothing wrong, just went about it the wrong way. First posts shouldn't be about selling a grill. Sorta like when Jeff called out a guy a ways back as his first (and probably only) post was to sell something.
I can also understand it from their point of view.....Find kettle at yard sale, like & buy, Gargle up old Weber on InterToob, find us, ask worth question.........not really that person's job to stop & think thru all of what we're talking about here.....that's OUR job..... thanks for this disscussion & the OP......
This is different than somebody who knows what they're doing & comes in the door jumpin' rude......
I distinctly remember that Yellow as being one where I thought out my answer 1st & stayed away from freaking out & speculating on price....let that happen organically, I guess........CA Barrow did stick around long enough to be interested......
The 1st, last & only post to sell something will put a bad, undefineable taste in my mouth..... :o
But......I'm for treating people courteously even in that event, if possible..... ;D
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OGlenn - great post and welcome to the site! Buckie - as always I am excited to hear what you have to say (and how you say it)...no one's better!
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That's all sounds great but if they don't get information here they'll go elsewhere and so will those kettles if anything this site and others in the field are the ones driving prices . Being a collector and restorer of cast iron I've seen pans I'd get at yard sales for $5.00 suddenly turn into $ 20.00 dollar pans after word spread about collect-ability, the same will happen with Weber products this is the tip
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That's all sounds great but if they don't get information here they'll go elsewhere and so will those kettles if anything this site and others in the field are the ones driving prices . Being a collector and restorer of cast iron I've seen pans I'd get at yard sales for $5.00 suddenly turn into $ 20.00 dollar pans after word spread about collect-ability, the same will happen with Weber products this is the tip
Yeah and that turns into "I heard Griswold holds a seasoning better than lodge? Is that true?!?! Is my grandmas cast iron worth $$$$?" This is how rumors get started lol
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That reminds me, how much is my Griswold No.6 stamped Erie worth?
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That reminds me, how much is my Griswold No.6 stamped Erie worth?
$150 - $200
lol (I couldn't resist)
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That's all sounds great but if they don't get information here they'll go elsewhere and so will those kettles if anything this site and others in the field are the ones driving prices . Being a collector and restorer of cast iron I've seen pans I'd get at yard sales for $5.00 suddenly turn into $ 20.00 dollar pans after word spread about collect-ability, the same will happen with Weber products this is the tip
I like this.....and, personally, think it's my response-ability to keep a level head & not wig out & say "It's Gold !!!....You'll sell for hundreds !!!"
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Lets settle on $175 Bman!
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Guys
We are in a very unique situations. One that most people will never get to witness, let alone experience.
It is the 'collectors phenomenon'
While the grills and kettles we drool over DO have value as simply "a grill" - the nostalgia, history, and rarity of certain variants are sought after. The supply is mysterious and limited, and the demand is growing.
It's natural for the average price of them to go up. Most things that people collect are already accepted as such. Stamps, baseball cards, antiques, first edition books, old china - all of these things in their simple 'product form' hold very little value. However their rarity and demand drive their collectors value sky high. I wouldn't walk into a baseball card shop and balk at the ultra high price of a Babe Ruth rookie card simply because it was originally bought for 5 cents.
It is certainly unfortunate that we've grown accustom to low garage sale and flea market prices on old Weber kettles. As more and more people learn of the potential value - the prices will keep going up.
Prices go up, it gets attention, and more collectors will be seeking old grills. It will be a snowball affect - and us original collectors are the literally the ones who started it all!
In my opinion, that's pretty fucking rad!!! :)
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Lets settle on $175 Bman!
Great! Now that we have the value out of the way.... Who's going to pay it?
Griswold #6, while nice and something you don't see everyday, wouldn't fetch that kinda coin from my pocket.
But the internet says that's what it's worth?!? And that's the part where one-size-doesn't-fit-all.
When I toss my $.02 into a value comment, it's always phrased with "My deal was ______" or "Locally a similar one was listed for ______" YMMV
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I wouldn't walk into a baseball card shop and balk at the ultra high price of a Babe Ruth rookie card simply because it was originally bought for 5 cents.
That's a pretty poor example as a Babe Ruth rookie card would be the equivalent of an original Weber. Take a Cal Ripken mid career card --- what's that worth? Clearly not as much as a Babe Ruth rookie card.
Has anyone here actually paid $200 for a used 22.5" kettle? (not a performer)
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That's a pretty poor example as a Babe Ruth rookie card would be the equivalent of an original Weber. Take a Cal Ripken mid career card --- what's that worth? Clearly not as much as a Babe Ruth rookie card.
Has anyone here actually paid $200 for a used 22.5" kettle? (not a performer)
I wouldn't walk into a baseball card shop and balk at the ultra high price of a Babe Ruth rookie card simply because it was originally bought for 5 cents.
That's a pretty poor example as a Babe Ruth rookie card would be the equivalent of an original Weber. Take a Cal Ripken mid career card --- what's that worth? Clearly not as much as a Babe Ruth rookie card.
Has anyone here actually paid $200 for a used 22.5" kettle? (not a performer)
The Robin's Egg on eBay went for 350 or something. The jury is still out if they lurk on forums or not.
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And how many robins egg blues have you seen? None too many...never mind one in good shape.
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And how many robins egg blues have you seen? None too many...never mind one in good shape.
I am happy to have seen 3 in person on Saturday!
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From Troy ~~>
"The supply is mysterious and limited, and the demand is growing."
"It is certainly unfortunate that we've grown accustom to low garage sale and flea market prices on old Weber kettles. As more and more people learn of the potential value - the prices will keep going up.
Prices go up, it gets attention, and more collectors will be seeking old grills"
I'm going to stop collecting kettles right now.....I like flea marklet prices & was around in the 60's when Eldridge Cleaver said: "You're either part of the problem or part of the solution......"
Boy, is the wife ever gonna be happy when I tell her of my new found realization !!!
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From Troy ~~>
"The supply is mysterious and limited, and the demand is growing."
"It is certainly unfortunate that we've grown accustom to low garage sale and flea market prices on old Weber kettles. As more and more people learn of the potential value - the prices will keep going up.
Prices go up, it gets attention, and more collectors will be seeking old grills"
I'm going to stop collecting kettles right now.....I like flea marklet prices & was around in the 60's when Eldridge Cleaver said: "You're either part of the problem or part of the solution......"
Boy, is the wife ever gonna be happy when I tell her of my new found realization !!!
Well in that case I want all of your grills buckie :P And I'll give you flea market prices for all of them! Lol...
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Guys
We are in a very unique situations. One that most people will never get to witness, let alone experience.
It is the 'collectors phenomenon'
While the grills and kettles we drool over DO have value as simply "a grill" - the nostalgia, history, and rarity of certain variants are sought after. The supply is mysterious and limited, and the demand is growing.
It's natural for the average price of them to go up. Most things that people collect are already accepted as such. Stamps, baseball cards, antiques, first edition books, old china - all of these things in their simple 'product form' hold very little value. However their rarity and demand drive their collectors value sky high. I wouldn't walk into a baseball card shop and balk at the ultra high price of a Babe Ruth rookie card simply because it was originally bought for 5 cents.
It is certainly unfortunate that we've grown accustom to low garage sale and flea market prices on old Weber kettles. As more and more people learn of the potential value - the prices will keep going up.
Prices go up, it gets attention, and more collectors will be seeking old grills. It will be a snowball affect - and us original collectors are the literally the ones who started it all!
In my opinion, that's pretty fucking rad!!! :)
Well said and spot on , I'd rather put a gag order on giving up all the secrets of finding them , but I'm a selfish cheap bastard also
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I wouldn't walk into a baseball card shop and balk at the ultra high price of a Babe Ruth rookie card simply because it was originally bought for 5 cents.
That's a pretty poor example as a Babe Ruth rookie card would be the equivalent of an original Weber. Take a Cal Ripken mid career card --- what's that worth? Clearly not as much as a Babe Ruth rookie card.
Has anyone here actually paid $200 for a used 22.5" kettle? (not a performer)
the scale of value isn't really relevant.
the fact is, a piece of shitty cardboard with some sports players picture and stats printed on it is suddenly worth more than the fractions of a penny it cost to produce or even purchase originally.
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I agree with ya on the printed cardboard part, but the scale-of-value is exactly what this thread is about. How does one actually place a 'value' on a kettle someone picked up on a whim and came here for info about it? Yes, the market dictates this, that, and the other thing.
But, I ask again - Has anyone here paid $200 for a 22.5" kettle?
A robins egg blue should hold more 'value' than a red, brown, yellow, 'cado, etc simply because of it's rarity. As gummi said - he saw 3 on Saturday. I wonder if any of them came with a two hunnert price tag to acquire? Even if they did, where does that leave the other colors on the pecking order... I've only been on the WKC for a handful of months, but I haven't seen a single robins egg blue on the Trading Post. But, I've seen a handful of yellows & 'cados, a good number of browns, and countless reds.
And this is where the scale-of-value comes into play. Since the CAB yellow kettle has been brought up in this thread, lets use that one. Yeah, it's a beautiful yellow grill in fantastic condition that any one of us would love to own. A range of value by WKC posts places it in the 150-200 range. Not by me - out of my league. And I'm certain I'm not alone. So who's out of line? Me for thinking the value is artificial or the info stating said value. That's where I agree with landgraftj about not posting values for semi-rare kettles. It's different all over the board. (location & individuals)
Edit to add - I don't have any issue with the 10 posts by CAB all pertaining to her thread. She came here asking for info about the grill, which she was supplied with, and well after the fact decided to sell it. That's not the same as coming in trying to sell a kettle right out of the gate. Actually, I think she did the perfect thing. Posted up a semi-rare grill, provided pics, and even followed up with the desire to sell. As Troy (?) said not too long ago, he'd rather see it posted here than ~not~ here.
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The last thing I want is for this thread to be about me, and i appreciate the OP stating that his motivation to strike up this conversation was broader than the thread about the yellow kettle.
That having been said, nobody appraised her kettle at $200. I was the most outspoken (read: culpable), and here is what I said:
"Yellow kettles are some of the rarest. People on this forum (and eBay) have spent $100 or more on just the bowl & lid in pretty poor condition. If yours is in really good shape it is easily worth $100 or more. If it is really nice I could see it going for $200 or so. Of course, they only way to find the true value is to try to sell it. You'd have a pretty good customer pool here. Most of us will tell you to keep and treasure it though.
Like others have said, please post photos of it. If you're not sure how to do that you can private message me and I will give you my personal email address. You can email the photos to me and I will post them in this thread for you."
At the time I wrote this she hadn't yet posted photos of the kettle. I offered a broad price range based upon my observatons without specifying a pricepoint. I even stated that the only way to determine its true value is to sell it. I'm not interested in buying her kettle, but the fact is that nice ones are few and far between (why are yellows always beat to hell?). After reviewing photos I estimated its value at $150, and like it or not I maintain that someone on this forum is willing to pay around $150 for that kettle. Its certainly not worth that to people only looking to spend $20-30, and that's fine, but they aren't the entire market. Its value is what someone is willing to pay. Similarly, if a 22" yellow was NIB it would probably fetch somewhere around $200. Not everyone would value it at that, but someone would, and it only takes one.
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Maybe the question is "what can I get for it" versus "what's it worth?" Just because someone is willing to overpay some incredible price, that may not be what someone should expect to pay. I have seen someone here pay over $100 for a red head with metal side handles. I paid $30 for mine....so what's it worth? I would tell someone you prob won't pay more than $50 for a red grill. What's it worth?, $150 just because one person paid that? I don't think that sounds right....I paid $25 for my yellow kettle, is that what it's worth? Or did I get a great deal? Or when someone shells out $200 for it, are they grossly overpaying? Seriously would someone here pay me $200 for my yellow? If so, who? I paid $90 for my Seville, is that what Seville's are worth now? So a yellow is worth $200 and a Seville is worth $90?
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Seriously would someone here pay me $200 for my yellow? If so, who?
No, but I'd pay it for the robins egg blue! I'll even add shipping! Or you can add it whenever I place my next handle order. Whatever works best for you Brian.
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At the end of the day it's all in how bad someone wants something and what they are willing to pay. I'd say we're very reasonable with each other here, at least from personal experience... on the outside, like ebay, things could go north of what you were planning to fork out, if its a rarity or a mutual/community grail plus you've got to be ready to move if you want it because, many of those auctions or CL postings are being watched by over half of us here..so when it shows up in the TP....that changes the dynamic for better or worse. I strongly believe that the TP postings are done here for helping people find what they are looking for, or to enlist help in getting something they are wanting. I DO NOT believe anyone here does it out of spite or competition. If theres something I cant get or its too far away, I hope for someone else here to get it & enjoy it so it doesn't fall into the wrong hands like being scrapped.
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I agree with ya on the printed cardboard part, but the scale-of-value is exactly what this thread is about.
i meant it wasn't relevant to the baseball card example in my post.
How does one actually place a 'value' on a kettle someone picked up on a whim and came here for info about it? Yes, the market dictates this, that, and the other thing.
But, I ask again - Has anyone here paid $200 for a 22.5" kettle?
Yes. But I'm not at liberty to name names.
A robins egg blue should hold more 'value' than a red, brown, yellow, 'cado, etc simply because of it's rarity. As gummi said - he saw 3 on Saturday. I wonder if any of them came with a two hunnert price tag to acquire? Even if they did, where does that leave the other colors on the pecking order... I've only been on the WKC for a handful of months, but I haven't seen a single robins egg blue on the Trading Post. But, I've seen a handful of yellows & 'cados, a good number of browns, and countless reds.
And this is where the scale-of-value comes into play. Since the CAB yellow kettle has been brought up in this thread, lets use that one. Yeah, it's a beautiful yellow grill in fantastic condition that any one of us would love to own. A range of value by WKC posts places it in the 150-200 range. Not by me - out of my league. And I'm certain I'm not alone. So who's out of line? Me for thinking the value is artificial or the info stating said value. That's where I agree with landgraftj about not posting values for semi-rare kettles. It's different all over the board. (location & individuals)
It still boils down to a simple principle:
"value" and "willing to pay" are subjective and completely dependent on the buyer's desire and market availability
While the WKC site is most DEFINITELY having an impact on awareness AND the average "value" of rare kettles, it's certainly NOT the only datasource responsible.
Regarding new members posting their rare finds, and WKC members giving them high hopes of value... I would rather be honest and share relevant data on the potential than withhold information to increase my chances of getting a rare grill at a cheap price (that I'm accustomed to).
Now if I stumble upon a rare grill at a garage sale for $10 bucks, you can bet your ass I'm buying it.
But when someone comes to me and inquires of the value of their find - i'm going to give the best advice I can, regardless of my own personal desire.
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Maybe the question is "what can I get for it" versus "whats it worth?" Just because someone is willing to overpay some incredible price, that may not be what someone should expect to pay. I have seen someone here pay over $100 for a red head with metal side handles. I paid $30 for mine....so what's it worth? I would tell someone you prob won't pay more than $50 for a red grill. What's it worth?, $150 just because one person paid that? I don't think that sounds right....I paid $25 for my yellow kettle, is that what it's worth? Or did I get a great deal? Or when someone shells out $200 for it, are they grossly overpaying? Seriously would someone here pay me $200 for my yellow? If so, who? I paid $90 for my Seville, is that what Seville's are worth now? So a yellow is worth $200 and a Seville is worth $90?
I understand your point, and would just like to point out that pricing on old collectibles is very subjective & fluctuates constantly. By comparison, pricing on new Weber products is fairly objective. Weber has a retail pricing guide that licensed retailers are obliged to follow. For what its worth, I've never seen a Seville in person, but I think its cool that you were able to rescue one.
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On that Yellow ,Is that firm or best offer ?lol
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Troy - I agree 100%. Not sure that helps your cause! lol
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Maybe the question is "what can I get for it" versus "what's it worth?" Just because someone is willing to overpay some incredible price, that may not be what someone should expect to pay. I have seen someone here pay over $100 for a red head with metal side handles. I paid $30 for mine....so what's it worth? I would tell someone you prob won't pay more than $50 for a red grill. What's it worth?, $150 just because one person paid that? I don't think that sounds right....I paid $25 for my yellow kettle, is that what it's worth? Or did I get a great deal? Or when someone shells out $200 for it, are they grossly overpaying? Seriously would someone here pay me $200 for my yellow? If so, who? I paid $90 for my Seville, is that what Seville's are worth now? So a yellow is worth $200 and a Seville is worth $90?
This distills down what I've been trying to get at........
In addition, I try to think before speaking.....everytime the answer is $25 or$50 higher it spreads the idea of rarity, desireability,"value" (emotionally), collectability, equals only dollars
Troy ~~>
"But when someone comes to me and inquires of the value of their find - i'm going to give the best advice I can, regardless of my own personal desire."
Yes, respond in a balanced & sane way.....I agree!!!
Just wondering......what's my original wok worth ?
(tee-hee :D)
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Just wondering......what's my original wok worth ?
(tee-hee :D)
I paid 99c for mine on eBay if that helps
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Well I guess that if the majority of the grills I bought were about $30, then they are worth about $30.... would this be correct? Even all of us here have no real idea of the worth. Is there a scale of condition? The whole baseball card thing came up, the value is graded on a scale. So are vintage cars..... Redheads are a little more common so the most valuable prefect redhead would be let's say $200. Then start downgrading from there.... Ding in the lid...-10%, rusty handle attachment -another 10%, rotten handle- 20%, no original grate -5%, white walls gone-15%, crazing on the bowl. -30%, now it's worth $11..... If people are really thinking these are a hot commodity, then they need to be treated as such. Otherwise anyone can claim anything is worth whatever with no basis whatsoever... that's why valuable things are judged by a points system. There is some jackhole in Chicago right now who keeps trying to sell a brownie for $100, it was originally $150, right after Harris bought his on eBay. The grill has some dumb handle on it, as the original was knocked off. It's just two big bolts and a Block of wood. This isn't worth a fuck in my opinion. It's broken. This all goes back to everyone thinks they have all this valuable stuff, most of it just isn't worth that much. For me at the end of the day it's just cool to have a yellow grill. I just don't think it's worth hundreds. Mine is not perfect. An old GTO is worth something, but a smashed one in a field is worth considerably less. An all original Corvette is worth more than a resto, so where does that leave these Webers? Original is the most valuable? Restorations are less?
Sent from my XT1080MAX using Tapatalk 2
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Zavod - yes. I think you're right on track. Condition is everything, and people have different standards in that regard. Some want a cooker, others a looker, and still some want a looker they can cook on. lol. Condition is important, though, and this whole debate would be squelched with a grading scale like cards, coins, autos, firearms, etc.
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"POSSIBLE TAGLINE ALERT !!!"
"Some want a cooker, others a looker, and still some want a looker they can cook on."
Just wondering......what's my original wok worth ?
(tee-hee :D)
I paid 99c for mine on eBay if that helps
Cool, mine was free.....splurged big time on sandblasting.....shop minimum, $36
From a collector's standpoint:
Brian's got a good way of going thru it......condition counts for a lot.....the way I look at it
It may be more about only the rare color for someone else: their color, even if in a somewhat lesser condition, may be so highly prized that it would drive the actual price paid up....
Going just by mine ( not having collected & turned anywhere near the number a lot of folks have)
a lot of them were free, $80 being tops for an unused 1990.....the really extra nice, very old, special designed ones (seville, fireplace kettle, ancient prototypes, wayback mid-50's) probably should be higher up, but also subject to condition grading, wouldn't you thnk?
Don't want to get too regimented in thinking about this, we'll end up publishing a price/ grading list & all be wearing uniforms.........
Oh wait, that last part's already happened.....cargo pants & a WKC T-shirt !!!!!
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Who doesn't love a pair of Cargo shorts?
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That's my whole point, it's just BBQ grills, who want's to bother with a grading scale? They're not worth enough....
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Yeah we don't need "red weber bbq $15" listings on CL to turn into "red two tone 1978 weber easterner metal handles, original rubber wheels ex+ condition no crazing $150"
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Yeah we don't need "red webber bbq $15" listings on CL to turn into "red two tone 1978 weber easterner metal handles, original rubber wheels ex+ condition no crazing $150"
I "fixed" your post Gummi. :P
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Yeah we don't need "red webber bbq $15" listings on CL to turn into "red two tone 1978 weber easterner metal handles, original rubber wheels ex+ condition no crazing $150"
I "fixed" your post Gummi. :P
LOL! I had that exact same thought!
Except its even more exciting to read Charcoal Grill $10, click, and see a redhead staring back at you.
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When it comes to Weber grills I am more of a consumer than a rescuer/restorer. In restoring the 1960's one that I got for free I was really unsure what to do with it. I am not a huge fan of the 3 wheels, I like the One-touch system, also I am not sure I am going to regularly grill on it. My wife will not let my yard look like Jeff K or Brian's. In the process I asked Brian what he thought it was worth, he said $40, maybe $50. With a SS grate, handle, sticker, parts and cleaners I have $70 into it easily. Cleaners I will use down the road and SS grate I can transfer to another grill but you get the point. So my choice is to keep it. We'll see how long I can stick to it but that is what I am doing for now. I don't think I could net $100 for it on CL so I will hold for now.