Hey there Stovebolters,
I have been a non-participating member of this site for a few years, after purchasing a fixer-upper from New Mexico. The vehicle which I bought almost nine years ago was a 1950 3/4 ton 3600 series Advanced Design Chevrolet pickup truck through a sale on eBay.
I spent approximately $2,400 for it, and another grand or so to have it shipped up to my hometown in South-eastern Massachusetts. The events which followed were an unfortunate series of losses, scams, and rip-offs suffered at the hands of dishonest mechanics and thieves.
After PREPAYING a couple of local mechanics almost $3,000 to perform work on my truck which was never completed, and having hundreds of dollars of parts go "missing" - I am finally ready to sell the vehicle at a net loss.
At some point within this unfortunate timeline, the VIN tag was lost - and now that I have a legitimate and clear title issued by my state registry - there is no way to prove that it is linked to the pickup. It cost me nearly $900 to have the New Mexico title transferred to my state of Massachusetts because of the truck being listed as a collectible by the NADA (and due to the fact that I let 9 years go by after purchasing it).
I have listed it for sale on eBay a couple of times, and also placed it on my local Craigslist forum - but besides some low-ball offers, I have not yet had any success in selling it.
If I could walk away from all of this with one simple lesson learned, it would be to not blindly put my faith and trust into others when large sums of money are involved with big projects that require a lot of resources and energy. It is an unfortunate conclusion to arrive at, and leaves me heartbroken and frustrated - but this is the cold hard reality of our world: people will take advantage of naivete and innocence for selfish reasons, and immorally exploit the trust of others who are looking for assistance.
I don't mean to veer too far off of the topic at hand, and it is not my intention to invite a pity-party that will concentrate upon my misfortune. Instead, I am looking for advice or guidance on how to part with this vehicle, and allow me to walk away from it all so that I might recoup some of my losses.
The most important problem which I am dealing with, is that of the VIN plate being lost, and how it will effect the sale and exchange of the truck. Another matter which I am looking for help or suggestions with, is how to better publicize the sale of the truck so that I can gain more coverage and exposure to potential buyers. Finally - there has been enough work done on the truck since I first bought it, that I feel that it should be worth more than when it was sold to me.
I look forward to any and all information or suggestions that you Stovebolters might have. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
XSFNRG
