Evening star., 1923-12-02
BY WILLIAM ULLMAN.

Once the exclusive domain of the
hunter. the used car market is now
a familiar field of everyday motoring,
but not so familiar as to be plain sail
ing for the average motorist.
Reports show that the enormous
loss to be taken by dealers during
1923 on stocks of used cars will fur
ther discourage the practice of MAX
ing allowances on the price of new
cars through the trading in of old.
This means more direct selling Of
old cars by car owners themselves,
and thus the need for an understand
ing of how it should be done to best
advantage.
Indirectly all motorists are now in
the used car business, but the direct
wner-to-conSumer process is some
thing which is only just developing.
Formerly the motorist made trade
with his dealer and never knew the
ultimate buyer of the car, whereas
he now deals directly with the pur-
chaser and becomes his own sales
man.
Must Learn to Sell.
The motorists problem is. there
fore, chiefly one of salesmanship, his
methods being the basis of his sue
cess in disposing of the old car prof
itably.
Having lapsed into the habit of
merely going from one dealer to an
other until he was offered good
allowance. the motorst has had very
little practice in real selling, and 1T
Is evident that with the change in
conditions ii will be to his advan-
tage to understand the peculiarities
OF the Job of disposing of old cars.
Very few automobilists. for in
stance. realize that the selling. JOB
car when new. This is not merely
in knowing what car to choose and
in showing good judgment in the
matter of color, seating capacity ana
make, but particularly in displaying
a knowledge of proper operation OF
The best prospects for a motorists
old car are his neighbors. but they
are seldom brought to the dotted
line unless they know that the owner
has given the car reasonably GOOD
care from the time it first came into
his hands.
ouentiy continues directly from the
time the owner goes out for his iirst
spin to the time he asks. How much
will you give me for it?'
Best Selling Method.
Where the prospect is total
stranger, who knows nothing OF the
history Of the machine, the selling
also starts at the very beginning, for,
indirectly, the owner sells through
tho evidence of care as revealed in
tho running of the car and its gen.
erai condition.
All the salesmanship in the world
will not camouf1age the sort of de-
fectS that develop through misuse
and neglect. A motorist can convince
the prospect that the naturally worn
cylinders can be rebored, but with
the upholstery. the trimmings. the
finish and the vital parts revealing
abuse It's a buyers market pure and
simple.
The buyer OF used cars today is in
a position to command, and doubtless
will be for some time to come. He
can pick up genuine bargains any
where, and when he wants trust
worthy transportation he can go to
any reliable dealer and select a re-
built car carrying a guarantee. This
makes IL essential for the car owner
10 study his selling methods care
fully when disposing of his car to
another, for he is virtually in COM
petition with those who know the
business better than he can ever hope
to know it.
Because the public is aware of the
average motorists inexperience in
selling cars, II Is ready to consider
the price he places on the car as
merely the starting point for bar
gaining. Motorists who have given
this matter careful attention claim
that the bargaining instinct rules to