Today, I commenced the purchase of a 1992 Mercedes-Benz 500E. This is a car I've had on my radar for a while but hadn't taken seriously; a chance web search that led to me registering for the predominant 500E enthusiast forum, 500eboard.co. Within about 5 minutes of registering, I spotted the (amazingly) perfect candidate: a driver-quality 500E with some straightforward issues, and basic cosmetic flaws. On top of that, the price was reasonable and on the low end of the current trajectory for the model.
It occured to me that with the exception of the cars I pulled out of junkyards and my daily driver, all of my other cars were discovered on message boards. The Z3 M Coupe, the '87 325is, the E55, the 964 Cabriolet, and now the 500E, all procured for very reasonable prices and all snagged outside of the watchful eye of Bring A Trailer. A few things stand out about this phenomenon:
Forums are native spaces for older enthusiasts: I registered for my first web forum when I was 16 on the VWVortex. I am now 42 and message boards are imprinted on my brain as the place to go "meet" other enthusiasts, monitor projects, and log my own updates. Most importantly, it's a place where I frequently spot cars without much competition given an entire demographic has never even registered for a message board. My E30 and M Coupe were spotted on Bimmerforums; the 964 on Rennlist; the E55 on BenzForums; and now, the 500E on a dedicated message board I discovered this week.
You get to know the owner: The real advantage to the forums is the exposure it provides to the seller. Within a few minutes, you have a phone number and a chance to hear the seller's voice. In addition, they're not skittish about "spooking" a potential bidder, or rushing you off the phone because they perceive six bidders to be six other suitors. Basically, you get quality one-on-one time with the guy you're hoping is as coherent as he sounds in his listing.
The negotiations are kept private: One of the most frustrating things about Facebook groups or online auctions tends to be the nature of the comments. I've gone on at length about the damage armchair quarterbacks cause to auctions they'll never bid on, or the ruthless commentary in Facebook groups where 9 times out of 9.5, the first comment is a gripe about the price which only serves to dissuade others from making an offer. With a message board, there's a posted price and then there's what you pay when discussed in private. There's a gentleman's agreement (likely owing to the predominantly older/mature user base) that says if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything. For my 500E, I saved about $4,000 off the posted price, and the seller got 1:1 interaction with someone who was committed to buying his car and provided a clear plan for doing so.
Like so many things in life, too many of us choose the path of least resistance. A Bring A Trailer auction is very easy to find, and you can even pretend to buy a car by bidding on something you'll never own. Forums expect you do a little homework on your own, from finding the best website for your chosen marque or model to registering and sharing some insights that then serve to elevate your privileges so you can do things like contact sellers of cars you're interested in. After that, it's up to you to handle negotiations and put on your big boy pants to maybe speak with someone on the phone. In a nutshell, you have to put in some work to find these opportunities. You can't just log on and hang out. You have to earn the privilege of status in the forum, something BaT used to do a pretty good job of before they let any noodnink with an internet connection weigh in on cars they'll never buy.
BaT evangelists will tell you that's too much work and that the experience buying there is far simpler, and made more enjoyable due to the comments section; that's fine with me, as I'll gladly use the traditional message board to snag cars right out from under their noses. There's a reason some forums continue to endure despite the damage done by Facebook and online auctions, and it's because people like me and thousands of others keep them alive with good commentary and transparent intentions.