Ebay is good idea,any one interested in mini, NAM member or not, is going to look there.I sold 03 mcs with a hidden reserve for 21000 in sept 05 for more or less its original base price.If it is showroom, with maintenance records, take 5 good close up pics.Front, back, 3/4 left, 3/4 right, interior view and list it.Dont expect to get the price of mods unless you get an enthusiast.Best time to sell is in spring though. Good luck.

 

Good Advice! Thanks alot, maybe I'll just wait until April. I am not desperate to sell anyway.

 

Last year, I sold my '04 MCS with 17K miles for $700 ABOVE of what I originally paid for it brand new at the tail end of 2003. The car was in pristine condition and believe it or not, it was a stock MCS with no packages (No sunroof, Xenons or 17" wheels) but just a few options "a la carte" (H/K, OBC, MFSW, Fogs, Rain sensing, Auto rear view mirror, chrome).

The sticker of the car new (I had ordered in January '03 and took delivery Oct '03 when the waiting times still lingered into the months) was $21,300 and sold it privately for $21,900, cold hard cash on the spot! Not even a test drive was necessary. This is how madly in love these people were with the car. I listed the car in www.cars.com and paid $50 for the "premium ad" package that allows you to upload up to 12 photos and runs until it sells. The car sold in just 6 days after I placed the ad. Keep in mind South Florida is a market saturated with MINIs. You see at least 30-50 MINIs everyday in Miami.

A struck of luck? perhaps, but the bottom line is that these cars command strong resale values and if someone wants your car, they will pay top dollar for it. There are still many markets in the USA (Like the west coast) were people are still forced to pay mark ups on new ones and wait for months in the factory order list if they don't want to pay a penny above sticker.

I also agree with CDMINI. Price your car realistically and be willing to deal. I think your car is gorgeous and you should be able to eventually find it a new home. Patience and perseverence pays.

The high resale value of the MINI is a double edged sword. Why? Simply because you as a private seller, you are also competing with MINI dealerships selling new MINI for just a few hundred or thousand more than your used MINI and you are also competiting against them because they also sell pre-owned MINIs as well (Trade-ins, lease returns, etc).

Color and options do play an important part in your ability to sell the car. My '04 MCS was Chili Red/White roof with the Union Jack flag on top. That was a winning combo. People seem to love these cars in bright colors. However, Yellow or Electric blue cars are harder to sell because most of the time those colors are not agreeable to everyone. Red, white, black and silver are colors most everyone can agree on.

Last, the buyers of my car were looking for a low spec used MCS. Most of the MCS they found in the local used market were loaded to the gills models. They didn't want sunroof, xenons, leather or bigger wheels. Those were turn offs to them. They were very excited about my car, because it was their first MCS without a sunroof and riding on stock 16" wheels they had seen advertaised.

This sort of breaks up the myth that people tend to favor loaded factory cars when it comes to the MINI. In fact, having LESS options may make your car more palatable in the used car market. Options and packages clearly generate added profit to the auto maker and the dealership but when it comes to sell those add-ons in the used car market, they may help your car look more appealing, but in reality they are turns offs and most often the resale value from options is very minimal. People like the "meat and potatoes" more than the side dishes if you will.

Good luck with your sale.

 

Last Price drop. I've already had some more interest, so hurry! Next stop will be Ebay.